Digital transformations and streamlined operations: August’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from August, including N Brown Group, Primark, TCS, Ikea, Adyen, Sainsbury’s, NCR Voyix, Macy’s, Rokt, Booker Group, and Snappy Shopper.

N Brown Group

N Brown Group reports the launch of a new trading website for JD Williams.

In a LInkedIn post, it said: “This is an important milestone in our digital transformation as it completes our transformational priority to roll-out new websites for all three of our strategic brands ahead of peak 2024.”

“Simply Be and Jacamo’s new customer facing websites have shown positive results since launch. Performing 20% faster than the historic website’s legacy technology, the sites have received external endorsement of their performance, with a doubling of their Google Lighthouse score, a measure based on a combination of performance, accessibility, SEO),and best practice criteria.”

Primark

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has expanded its eight-year partnership with Primark, announcing a new five-year deal involving the retailer’s IT systems and new store openings. 

TCS has been working with Primark since 2016.

As well as driving business critical integration programmes and stabilising core platforms for the retailer, it has also improved cybersecurity capabilities, boosting stability and reliability of processes and systems.

As part of the expanded partnership, TCS will look to transform Primark’s technology operating environment to make it more resilient, reliable, and efficient.

It will also work with Primark to adopt a more agile and product-based operating model by enabling automation through intelligent automation and DevOps technologies.

Andrew Brothers, Chief Information Officer, Primark, says: “To help support our ambitious growth plans we’re expanding our partnership with TCS to build a robust, resilient, and reliable IT operating environment to become a more efficient, technology led global organisation with the agility to quickly adapt to changing demands and requirements in a fast-paced industry.”

“Working with TCS will provide us with the ongoing operational stability and accountability needed to support our business to scale. This will allow us to respond to market trends and customer preferences in a timely manner, ensuring that we continue to deliver quality products at the best value for our customers.”

Mint Velvet

Mint Velvet has gone live on Patchworks’ e-commerce integration platform.

In a LinkedIn post, Jim Herbert, CEO at Patchworks, said: “This integration is a testament to the power and flexibility of our iPaaS solution, seamlessly connecting some of the most essential systems in their tech stack.”

He added: “This integration is an enterprise grade integration layer that connects NetSuite, Shopify, Retail Assist Merret, Givex, Centric Software and our MACH Alliance partners Cloudinary and Bloomreach.”

“By bringing these platforms together, Mint Velvet can now enjoy streamlined operations, enhanced data flow, and a more connected digital ecosystem.”

Primark

Primark is continuing its deployment of self-checkouts with a major go live taking place in August.

The programme started in 2022 and has seen roll-outs at such stores as Sheffield, West Bromwich, Basingstoke, Kingston and Milton Keynes.

In a LinkedIn post, dated Friday, 16th August, Kerry Hooley, Project Retail Implementation Lead at Primark, said: “It has been a bustling week for Primark, particularly in self-checkouts.”

“This week, the Truro, Broughton Park, Oxford Street East, and Chester stores officially launched their new self-checkouts. Oxford Street West has had excellent training sessions and is ready for next week's go live.”

“Thank you and congratulations to everyone involved for their hard work and dedication in making this successful for our stores.”

Instacart

Ibotta, which provides digital promotions and performance marketing solutions for CPG brands, and Instacart, a grocery technology company in North America, have announced a partnership to provide the latter’s customers with access to the former’s catalogue of digital coupons.

By joining the Ibotta Performance Network (IPN), Instacart is looking to deliver more coupons that are timely and relevant to its consumers, helping consumers save money on their everyday purchases.

Going forward, Ibotta will be Instacart's preferred third-party coupon provider across all eligible categories of items on its mobile app and website.

For CPG brands, this new partnership aims to create an enhanced opportunity to reach consumers across Instacart’s marketplace of more than 1,500 retail banners with a footprint of more than 85,000 stores across North America.

In addition, CPG brands can continue to leverage Instacart’s retail media network to drive product discovery and incremental sales by connecting to consumers who are directly at the point of purchase.

Macy’s

Macy’s Media Network - the US retailer’s in-house media platform dedicated to connecting advertising partners with its own loyal and engaged customers - has expanded its retail media capabilities through a partnership with Rokt.

This is a programme allowing Macy’s to deliver its customers premium offers post-purchase, driving relevancy and engagement.

“Macy’s is an iconic American retailer, and we are extremely proud to partner with the incredible Macy’s Media Network team to drive increased value for its customers,” says Elizabeth Buchanan, Chief Commercial Officer at Rokt.

“This partnership is empowering Macy’s to connect more closely with its online customers by delivering highly relevant messages from our non-endemic advertising partners at the end of the purchase when they are still in a transaction mindset, making the shopping experience more memorable, personal, and impactful.”

Ikea

Adyen has announced a global partnership with Ikea that, it says, will allow the retailer to connect the dots between in-store and digital sales channels and offer better payment and loyalty experiences for customers.

Ikea will tap Adyen’s single financial technology platform to gather customer payment data from both physical and digital channels.

Adyen’s solution also provides a closed-loop payment system offering worldwide processing, acquiring, local payment methods and like-for-like settlement capabilities for Ikea franchisees.

This reduces the amount of contracts and integrations for global IT operations, enabling simplified financial reporting and management of customer data. Adyen’s consolidation of the tech stack behind commercial operations also helps to minimise the risk of operational disturbances and the ability to troubleshoot.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s has announced a seven-year agreement that expands the UK grocer’s more than 20-year strategic partnership with NCR Voyix.

Sainsbury’s is upgrading its checkout technology by rolling out the NCR Voyix Commerce Platform, Point of Sale solutions (PoS) and self-checkout systems to 22,500 checkouts across its supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations.

Leveraging NCR Voyix cloud technology, it says it will be able to help speed up the customer journey by receiving real-time data and analytics while harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) for sales analysis, estimating future store performance, colleague productivity and cash management.

The new platform will enable colleagues to approve transactions remotely via tablet, speeding up the checkout process and enhancing the shopping experience. Additionally, the self-checkout systems, powered by AI technologies, will deliver personalised promotions tailored to each customer.

Clodagh Moriarty, Chief Retail and Technology Director, says: “Our commitment to unbeatable quality food and great service, whether in store or online, is strengthened by NCR Voyix technology.”

“NCR Voyix has grown alongside Sainsbury’s for two decades, unlocking new capabilities and optimising product management, sales forecasting and store efficiencies. This is driving us to the next level and delivers for customers, colleagues and shareholders.”

Booker Group and Snappy Shopper

Booker Group, the wholesale distributor and subsidiary of Tesco, has teamed up with convenience Q-commerce firm Snappy Shopper to offer its retailers home delivery options.

Colm Johnson, Managing Director at Booker Group, says: “This partnership is a fantastic step forward, offering our retailers brilliant opportunities to grow. We’re committed to delivering the best choice, price, and service for our retailers.”

Greg Deacon, VP of Retail Media, Groups and Business Development at Snappy Shopper, says: “With nearly 70% of the UK now embracing rapid delivery, the Q-commerce market is booming.”

“The food category - especially snacking - is dominating, and we’re perfectly positioned to seize this momentum for massive growth.”

“Personally, I’m thrilled to see this partnership fuelling the future of independent retail with Booker. We’re uniting the holy trinity of wholesale, retail, and brand with Snappy, and it’s going to be a game-changer.”

Family Dollar (Dollar Tree)

First Insight has announced a partnership with Family Dollar (Dollar Tree), a US discount retailer.

The initiative aims to refine Family Dollar’s merchandise assortment strategy by leveraging First Insight’s predictive analytics and actionable data, ensuring that the retailer’s products meet evolving consumer expectations and market shifts.

Greg Petro, CEO at First Insight, says: “Our partnership with Family Dollar is a prime example of how AI and customer insights can transform retail decision-making.”

“By integrating our cutting-edge predictive analytics, products on Family Dollar’s shelves are not just in demand but customer approved. Our analytics enable Family Dollar to anticipate demand more accurately, make smarter product choices, and ultimately, heighten customer satisfaction while driving sales.”