Lovehoney in a hurry: running you through 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 Just Eat, Boots UK, Martha Stewart, TalkShopLive, Boots UK, Honeywell, Qualcomm, Deliveroo, Not On The High Street, AiFi, and Haribo.

Lovehoney and Just Eat

Just Eat is partnering with Lovehoney, an online retailer specialising in adult sex toys and lingerie, to offer its products to consumers as part of the former’s move into self-care.

The collaboration will kick off in the United Kingdom (Just Eat), Austria (Lieferando) and Denmark (Just Eat) through different local retailers in each market. 

Lovehoney, whose tagline is "the sexual happiness people”,  will offer a variety of top selling products, including the Womanizer, We-Vibe, ROMP and Fifty Shades of Grey ranges.

Exclusive offers and discounts will be available to consumers across key moments such as Halloween, Black Friday and Christmas, and will include free gifts on orders over €50 (or equivalent) from launch, while stocks last.

Orders will be delivered discreetly through Just Eat’s delivery network, with 18+ age verification measures in place. 

Martha Stewart and TalkShopLive

Martha Stewart took part in her first ever TalkShopLive show this week.

In a LinkedIn post, Bryan Moore, CEO and Co-founder at TalkShopLIve, said: “In addition to selling a lot of signed editions of her new cookbook, she also had some pretty incredible things to say about TalkShopLive and why she chose our platform to launch her products.”

Stewart’s show was simulcast and shoppable across TalkShopLive, seven social media accounts, her own domain, E! News, via TalkShopLive’s partnership with NBCUniversal, and it achieved a combined social reach of 21.9 million followers and embedded media stories.

Moore added: “Her show was amazing, and our platform was perfect. I watched the entire show from the centre seat of my flight to Bentonville.”

“Martha has always been - and will always be - the ultimate innovator and influencer of yesterday, today, and tomorrow - thanks for loving us as much as everyone at TalkShopLive loves you! We can’t wait until your next show.”

DPD

Parcel delivery company DPD has announced plans to launch autonomous robot deliveries in Lincoln as part of a nationwide roll-out that could see up to 30 UK depots operating robots in their locality. 

DPD, which is part of Geopost, first introduced robots in Milton Keynes in July 2022, and they are now also out delivering parcels to DPD customers in Raunds and Bristol with more locations to follow this year.  

Based at DPD's Lincoln depot at St Modwens Park, they will deliver to the nearby village of Witham St Hughs, via the existing network of footpaths.  

The robots, which have a battery life of up to 12 hours and can deliver within a mile radius of the depot, operate autonomously once they have completed the mapping process, during which they are fully supervised and controlled by remote control.  

DPD parcel recipients in Witham St Hughs will receive an SMS when the robot is outside their property and can then use a secure one-time pin code to open the robot and access their parcel. Once the compartment is closed, the robot will either continue to its next delivery or return to the depot. They can complete up to 30 deliveries a day. 

DPD has worked with Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) on the initiative in Witham St Hughs. 

Puma

Puma and Google Cloud have announced an expanded partnership aimed at enhancing the digital shopping experience with generative AI.

Using Imagen 2 on Vertex AI, Puma says it can now create dynamic and personalised product imagery that is improving click-through rates and accelerating the time-to-market for its digital campaigns globally.

It has the ability to generate relevant imagery, such as new background images that are tailored to the product, customer, and region. While the technology is available globally, Imagen on Vertex AI enables marketers in individual Puma regions to tailor content to their specific market needs.

For example, while shopping online, customers from Japan may see a lifestyle shoe worn on the streets of Ginza or a trail running shoe on the foothills of Mt. Fuji.

Beyond image generation, Imagen on Vertex AI also becomes a tool for image editing, aiding Puma content editors with time-consuming editing tasks, such as shadowing, composition and color accuracy, resolution, and product positioning.

Good2Go and RightHear

Good2Go, a provider of automated access solutions, has announced a partnership with RightHear, an app designed to assist the visually impaired.

The tie up will integrate Good2Go’s proprietary technology with RightHear’s talking signage system, pitched at individuals with blindness or visual impairments when accessing restrooms in bricks and mortar establishments.

“We are thrilled to partner with RightHear to ensure that anyone who is blind or visually impaired can use our system seamlessly.” says Fran Heller, Founder and CEO at Good2Go, “This collaboration exemplifies our commitment to enhancing safety, accessibility and convenience for all individuals.”

Honeywell and Qualcomm

Honeywell is working to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) enabled Multi-Modal Intelligent Agent for its mobile devices powered by Qualcomm Technologies. The agent will allow workers and customers in the distribution centre and retail industries to interact naturally with their handheld devices through voice, pictures, and barcodes.

Workers will be able to enter data into the technology and then receive practical answers to queries like, "Do we have the gluten-free variant of this product in stock?" or "Where can I find this particular item in the store?" 

Depending on the question, users will receive responses in the form of an image, video, spoken response, text answer, or a combination of several modalities.

Deliveroo and Not On The High Street

Deliveroo has partnered with Not On The High Street to provide personalised gifts on demand.

Starting with the London area, the tie up will allow users to order from independent small brands through Not On The High Street listed directly on the Deliveroo app.

Leanne Rothell, Chief Executive at Not On The High Street, says: “We are delighted to partner with Deliveroo to expand their gifting range. We are dedicated to championing small brands and connecting customers with the range of high-quality, distinctive and thoughtful products that they offer.”

“Not only does this collaboration with Deliveroo offer an incredible opportunity for our small brand Partners to reach a wider audience, but it allows customers to find something special to mark any occasion, even at the very last minute.”

Sainsbury’s

Electric vehicle, fuel and business expense payment company, Allstar, has been selected by Sainsbury’s as the grocery giant’s first B2B roaming partner for its EV charging service, Smart Charge.

Allstar’s customers are now able to charge at 58 EV hubs at Sainsbury’s stores nationwide.

Drivers will also be able to collect Nectar points as they pay to recharge their EVs. Until 25th October, Smart Charge is offering x10 Nectar points for those charging for the first time. Ultra-rapid 150kw chargers could, depending on vehicle capability, charge vehicles to 80% in less than 30 minutes.

The service is also available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

ImagineCreate AI

ImagineCreate AI has announced a new suite of AI image generation tools, supporting its mission to fuel brands with more efficient and high quality methods of photo creation.

“No matter the size, every brand depends on product photography for their website, ads, and channels, yet producing professional-quality images has traditionally been a costly and time-consuming process, involving studio rentals, photographer bookings, photo editing, and reshoots,” says former Shopify Director Fatima Yusuf, Founder and CEO at ImagineCreate AI.

“It's why I’m thrilled to share this best-in-class AI image generation technology, delivering ultra-realistic images at a fraction of the cost. We’re on a mission to enable personalised, high quality image creation and unforgettable experiences for brands of every size with the power of AI.” 

ImagineCreate AI’s fashion photography tool generates photoshoots from flat lay images to lifestyle images, on any model, anywhere in the world, in a matter of seconds.

This allows brands to personalise their images and quickly tap into evolving trends. This tool also allows merchants to customise apparel images based on their buyer’s demographics and preferences.

Westfield London and L'Oréal LUXE

A beauty and luxury retail pop up has landed in Westfield London, hosted by L'Oréal LUXE. The ‘Beauty Playground’ will display the latest products from Lancôme, Armani, Valentino and YSL Beauty.  

Visitors will have the opportunity to explore Lancôme's skincare diagnostics technology that scans guests skin and diagnoses any problem areas whilst providing solutions.

Shoppers can also check out Armani’s male fragrances, Valentino's signature scents, and YSL Beauty's makeup and fragrance collections.

The experience also includes tailored beauty services including personalised makeup looks, finding the perfect foundation match with a shade finder, and discovering an ideal skincare routine with a skin profiler.    

The event space includes bespoke interactive consumer touchpoints, including a customisation station where shoppers can have fragrance bottles engraved or painted to create bespoke gifts.

A ‘Spin the Wheel’ activity will also give participants the chance to win a key to unlock a locker filled with exclusive L'Oréal LUXE gifts.  

Haribo

Confectionery brand, Haribo, has partnered with newly launched consumer experience specialist, Agency 72, to unveil an in-airport activation: the ‘Giant Wheel of Fortune and the Uncover More Fun game’.

This experience, powered by Agency 72’s Retail+ digital consumer experience platform, is pitched at travellers in airports across the UK and Europe.

The ‘Giant Wheel of Fortune’ and ‘Uncover More Fun’ mobile game offers a blend of physical and digital engagement.

Shoppers can try their luck at the in-store ‘wheel of fortune’ or scan a QR code to access the digital version of the game. Prizes range from Haribo branded goodies to the chance to win everyone’s favourite Goldbears.

The campaign kicked off at Paris Orly Airport with an Olympics theme, and is set to roll-out to other major hubs including Warsaw Chopin Airport. Later this year, the activation will also touch down in Argentina.

Boots UK and Just Eat

Just Eat has announced a partnership with Boots UK, spanning across 50 stores nationwide, with more to come soon.

Ellie Starr, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Just Eat, says: “It's now easier than ever to have your last minute toiletries, skincare favourites, and family essentials delivered to you in just 30 minutes.”

Grab2Go and Selver

Grab2Go reports that a new autonomous outdoor store, in collaboration with Selver, has opened in Ülemiste City, a business park in Tallinn, Estonia.

In a LinkedIn post, Grab2Go Founder Mart Viilipus said: “This pilot project is a significant step forward for our team and an exciting opportunity to push the boundaries of retail innovation.”

“We’re committed to making shopping more seamless and accessible while tackling some of the industry's biggest challenges - like labour shortages, high operational costs for 24/7 service, and overall business efficiency.”

“This project is a chance to showcase our cutting-edge technology in action and test its effectiveness in real-world conditions.”

He concluded: “We’re eager to see how customers respond to the convenience of shopping anytime, quickly, and easily. We’re just getting started, and I’m excited to see how this technology continues to evolve and transform the future of retail.”

AiFi

AiFi reports its latest stores opening at Nissan Stadium, home of American football team the Tennessee Titans.

Opened during the home opener game versus the Jets, the two grab and go 260 square foot stores are located on the main concourse and serve hot food and drinks.

This closely follows on from the opening of a store in partnership with baseball team Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.