Secondhand marketplaces and GenAI employee tools: check out this week's coolest retail technology plays

RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail’ systems launches and deployments from the past week, including Google Cloud, Spoon Guru, Zippin, Walmart, Ikea, Amazon, Sofology, Tesco, Best Buy, Sodexo, and Target.

Sodexo and Topanga

Sodexo, a foodservice provider for campuses and universities across the US, has announced a partnership with Topanga.

This will see its campuses measure environmental impact, monitor daily participation, and track progress in reducing plastic usage by implementing reusable containers in cafeterias and retail venues operated by Sodexo.

"We are fully committed to advancing sustainability on campus and our partners must share this common goal in supporting Sodexo and the clients we serve,” says Director of Sustainability & CSR for Sodexo Campus, Kate Shearer.

“Through our collaboration with Topanga, we aim to ignite transformative changes by promoting small actions, such as transitioning to reusable containers, that will drive significant impacts over time. It is our goal to empower students to adopt sustainable practices in Sodexo led dining halls and Topanga will play a crucial role in achieving this ongoing aspiration.”

Sodexo campuses will soon introduce Topanga’s ReusePass, a reusable to go programme that employs track and trace technology.

For a Sodexo campus that’s already adopted ReusePass, Saint Mary’s College of California operated by Sodexo’s Good Eating Company, key outcomes include a 97% return rate with 11 reuses per container so far.

San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium

New Zippin checkout-free concessions are part of a $200 million investment project at Levi’s Stadium, home of the National Football League's San Francisco 49ers.

This follows the stadium’s ten-year anniversary and comes in preparation for 2026, when it will become the first venue in history to host a FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl in the same year.

On the main concourse, frictionless concession stands will provide an alternative, cashierless way for fans to obtain basic food and beverage.

“Together, with our 49ers Faithful fans, members and corporate and event partners, we have collectively made Levi’s Stadium a world class sports and entertainment destination,” says Brent Schoeb, 49ers Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer.

“Throughout our first decade at Levi’s Stadium, we have cultivated an award winning experience. As we embark on the next decade of 49ers games, Super Bowl 60, FIFA World Cup, concerts and other events, we will continue investing in the fan experience.”

Google Cloud and Spoon Guru

Google Cloud is working with smart shopping platform, Spoon Guru, to deliver AI powered insights to people with allergies and food intolerances. 

Since teaming with Google Cloud, Spoon Guru has grown from a startup to a partner of major food retailers, on track to achieving a 75% YoY revenue growth. 

Using Vertex AI, BigQuery and Cloud Run, the company is now able to process 20,000 products per minute, tagging supermarket products with hundreds of dietary attributes. 

Walmart

Walmart Marketplace, which allows third-party sellers to list their items on the US retail giant’s website,is introducing Resold at Walmart, its first digital destination for cross-category and cross-condition pre-owned items from performance managed sellers.

With five million items from more than 1,700 sellers, this offers customers a selection of goods from luxury fashion and electronics to collectibles, sporting goods and more.

According to a press release: “By extending the life of these products, Resold at Walmart aligns with our commitment to make the more sustainable choice the everyday choice and builds on the success of Walmart Restored, a collection of refurbished electronics and small appliances powered by Walmart Marketplace.”

Bookshop.org

Bookshop.org is launching Bookloop by Bookshop.org, a service powered by a new partnership with Zeercle, that enables customers to exchange pre-owned books for store credit to use on future Bookshop.org purchases.

A scan and collect-from home service, Zeercle operates partnerships in France, Germany and on the UK high street through bookselling chain WHSmith.

Independent booksellers in the UK will have access to this online circular economy market for the first time, with the opportunity to benefit directly from customers spending the credit they receive on new books through Bookshop.org.

Through this new partnership, Bookshop.org will not be selling used titles on its platform, which will continue to carry exclusively new books. Instead, as part of the agreement, Zeercle will sell on any traded titles through online marketplaces that explicitly exclude Amazon owned and operated websites.

Zeercle is also committed to contributing a percentage of second hand book sales to authors, through an arrangement with the Society of Authors and the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) called 'Bookloop by Bookshop.org for Authors'.

The plan is for accumulated royalties to be distributed initially through a shared author fund, to be reviewed from March of next year.   

AT&T Stadium

AT&T Stadium, home to NFL team the Dallas Cowboys, has launched Zippin’s checkout-free technology at its venue.

The announcement was made last week by Legends Hospitality as part of its unveiling of new food and beverage options for the 2024-2025 season.  

Shoppers cam use a credit card or mobile wallet to enter the store, grab what they want, and leave. Zippin’s AI powered platform identifies purchases and automatically bills shoppers for what they take as they exit.

“We’re proud to collaborate with industry leaders like Legends Hospitality who recognise that great food and beverage options are only part of the overall concessions experience,” says Krishna Motukuri, Co-founder and CEO at Zippin.

“Empowering fans to purchase great food without long lines enhances the gameday experience for fans and helps operators serve more guests in less time.” 

After a soft launch earlier this year, the Zippin powered store is now open in the upper concourse, section 450. 

Ikea

Ikea has begun testing Ikea Preowned, the retailer’s secondhand marketplace.

In a LinkedIn post, Jesper Brodin, CEO at Ingka Group, said: “We will start in Oslo and Madrid, yet the ambition is higher.”

“With the test we will get deeper insights in how we can meet peoples dreams and needs in life at home, by making the Ikea range more accessible at an even lower price and as apart of our sustainability efforts.”

Amazon

Amazon has announced the launch of its 34th Just Walk Out technology powered store in the collegiate space.

In a LinkedIn post, Madison (Kelly) DeFranco, Senior Technical Business Development, Just Walk Out Technology at Amazon Web Services (AWS), said: “Thrilled to launch University of Virginia Gaston's Market powered by Amazon Just Walk Out technology in the beautiful new Gaston Hall - just in time to welcome back students.”

She added: “In partnership with our friends at Grubhub and Aramark Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, this marks our 34th store in the collegiate space. It takes a village, and I am so grateful for the the hard work of our AWS team and partners to get this store open.”

Ikea and Tesco

StrongPoint ALS reports completion of its second Ikea locker installation at Tesco Dereham.

In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “The project was delivered smoothly with a snag free handover, and we’re proud to report that both Tesco and Ikea were very pleased with the outcome. The lockers are now live and ready for use by the general public.”

It added: “A special thanks to David from Ikea for allowing us to share this achievement. Please note that this installation is part of an early phase trial.”

Earlier this month, Ikea and Tesco announced that they were expanding their partnership by adding self-serve Ikea lockers at the Peterborough Werrington Superstore as part of a new trial between the two retailers.

Customers are able to order a wide range of Ikea products, from home accessories and homewares to furniture.

Werrington Superstore was the first store in the country to get these lockers. Lockers in Dereham and Cambridge are now going live.

Target

Target has completed a roll-out across its nearly 2,000 stores of a new GenAI tool that helps store employees quickly resolve on the job challenges.

The solution, called Store Companion, is a chatbot designed by Target that can answer on the job process questions, coach new team members, support store operations management and more.

The initiative is part of Target's broader strategic approach to using GenAI across its business.

"We know technology will continue to play an outsized role in the future of retail - for our team members, our guests and our business,” says Brett Craig, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Target.

“With that in mind, we're continually experimenting with new tools to make it even easier for our team to do their jobs and to bring more of what guests love about shopping at Target to life.”

“The transformative nature of GenAI is helping us accelerate the rate of innovation across our operations, and we're excited about the role these new tools and applications will play in driving growth."

Store Companion is available as an app on store team members' specially equipped handheld devices, providing immediate answers to their questions about processes and procedures.

Sofology

Sofology has recently gone through the process of introducing a significant amount of new ranges, a move that has resulted in the retailer’s 3D team being very busy in the first seven months of the year.

In a LinkedIn post, Chris Booth, Visual Content Manager at Sofology, said: “Since December, our team of ten has produced thousands of models, nearly 75,000 product renders, 80 lifestyle shots and nearly 350 cameo shots.”

“Not to mention assets produced for social media and marketing campaigns, with a few animations thrown in for good measure. The year's not over and there's still much more to come. Do yourself a favour and check out our new products in a store near you (I went for the Fitzrovia).”

Best Buy

Best Buy reports a new live tracking feature, leveraging AI solutions, that aims to improve the Best Buy delivery or installation experience.

In a online post, the retailer said: “With this new digital feature, we’ve created a new way for our customers to digitally track their Best Buy deliveries and installations when they purchase large items like big screen TVs, refrigerators, washers, dryers and more.”

“Now, on the day of their delivery or installation, customers will have to-the-minute tracking details on the progress of their order, including a real-time map view of where their driver is along their route.”

It added: “It’s the latest example of how we’re using technology to create a better experience for our customers from start to finish. (It also aligns with some of the recent additions we’ve made to customer support services that provide easier access to information when it matters most.)”

“We’re using data like predicted demand and real-time traffic patterns to reduce delivery lead times, optimise our routes and ultimately provide customers with live estimated time of arrivals down to the minute.”

Amazon (again)

Amazon has opened a new Amazon Fresh store in Roseville, California.

This includes the retailer’s Dash Cart, a smart shopping cart that lets shoppers skip checkout lines and see their spending in real-time, and the biometrics-based Amazon One payment system.

In a LinkedIn post, Leandro Balbinot, VP of Technology at Amazon and CTO at Whole Foods, said: “Continuing our Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores' growth and efforts to build a best-in-class shopping experience that meets all of the different customer needs, I'm excited to announce our new Amazon Fresh store in Roseville, California is open to the public since 22nd August.”

He added: “The Roseville location is the first Amazon Fresh store in Northern California. It offers a wide selection of affordable, quality groceries and a convenient shopping experience.”