Social media spats and retail media firsts: RTIH’s most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including Amazon, Covariant, Currys, Roku, Iceland, Asda, Evolve, Warehow, Just Eat, REWE Group, and the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards.
Amazon hires Covariant founders and employees and bags non-exclusive license to robotic foundation models
Amazon has hired Covariant’s founders, Pieter Abbeel, Peter Chen, and Rocky Duan, and is licensing the company’s robotic foundation models.
In an online post, Amazon says: “Covariant is a Bay Area-based company that builds advanced AI models that enable robots to see, reason, and act on the world around them, supporting a number of different warehouse automation tasks.”
“What we admire about the Covariant team is their iterative and customer focused approach to developing technologies that solve the toughest challenges in warehouse automation and their deep understanding of that end-to-end process.”
“Through our agreement, Amazon is receiving a non-exclusive license to Covariant’s robotic foundation models. Its models will help drive new ways to generalise how our robotic systems learn and provide dynamic opportunities for how we use automation to make our operations safer and better deliver for customers.”
“As part of this effort, Amazon plans to grow its AI and robotics team in the Bay Area to tap into world class talent and advance the latest in automation.”
Abbeel, Chen, Duan, and a group of research scientists and engineers (around a quarter of Covariant’s current employees) will join Amazon’s Fulfilment Technologies & Robotics Team to help drive the development and implementation of Covariant’s technology within Amazon’s operations and continue to develop innovative AI solutions.
Streaming giant Roku and omnichannel technology retailer Currys kick off first of its kind retail media partnership
Roku has launched the first stage of its partnership with Currys Connected Media, the retail media network offshoot of omnichannel tech retailer, Currys, to run Connected TV (CTV) video ads on its platform.
In a first of its kind partnership for Roku UK, Currys and its partner brands will be able to access Roku Media ad inventory, starting with videos ads and expanding to other creative ad formats.
Launched late last year, Currys Connected Media enables the retailer’s partner brands to leverage its first-party data to understand, reach, and engage customers.
The aforementioned tie up enables Currys and its partner brands to reach customers across all Roku streaming devices in the UK, including streaming players and Roku TV models.
“Combining our expertise in TV streaming advertising with Currys’ leadership as an omnichannel tech retailer, we believe this partnership can combine the power of retail media and streaming video to help brands improve the effectiveness of their marketing investment,” says Richard Halton, Country Manager at Roku UK.
Asda selects Evolve as connectivity partner as supermarket giant acquires 116 new petrol forecourt sites
Evolve provided the essential infrastructure for this project.
Alan Stephenson-Brown, CEO at Evolve, says: “The fuel forecourt sector is highly competitive, where connectivity is key to success.”
“Asda selected Evolve as its connectivity partner thanks to our two decades of extensive experience and expertise in the forecourt sector, and I’m incredibly proud of the service we delivered.”
“A key challenge facing the team was that each of the new sites requiring connectivity faced time constraints, meaning it was imperative for our engineering and development teams to tailor the connectivity solution to fit the deadline.”
“We are well-versed in the dynamic nature of the market and the importance of keeping pace with its customers, and were able to deliver the Asda solution ahead of schedule.”
Fully managed network solutions, including SD-WAN, connectivity, and guest Wi-Fi, as well as connectivity to third parties such as PoS vendors and fuel tank polling, are essential for businesses in the forecourt sector to operate efficiently and deliver a seamless customer experience.
To this end, Evolve supplied a network and connection able to support fuel and store sales, third-party services and guest Wi-Fi.
UK-based e-commerce fulfilment company Warehow announces £2.1 million Series A funding round
Warehow, an e-commerce fulfilment company catering to fashion and homeware retailers, has raised £2.1 million in a Series A funding round led by the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II through its appointed fund manager Mercia Ventures, with support from existing investor MENA Moonshots.
Warehow enables retailers to sell on multiple marketplaces such as eBay, Very, Next and John Lewis through one fulfilment service.
Items are picked and packed at its two warehouses near Worksop and shipped by third-party couriers. Warehow also manages returns processing.
The company was founded in 2021 by Laurence Guy, Al Gerrie and Pete Harris as a spin-out from Guy’s e-commerce business We Are Pentagon Group. Warehow employs 70 staff and has partnerships with brands such as River Island, Hoover, True Religion, and Puma.
The latest investment, which brings the total raised to over £3.75 million, will enable it to further develop its technology, create additional storage capacity in one of its existing warehouses and step up its sales and marketing activities.
Harris comments: "This funding is a significant milestone for Warehow. It will enable us to accelerate our growth trajectory and execute our business plan more effectively. We're excited about the opportunities and challenges ahead as we continue to scale."
Iceland’s Richard Walker trades shoplifting related social media blows with former Sun Editor Kelvin MacKenzie
Iceland boss, Richard Walker, has called for laws to allow his company’s stores to share images of violent shoplifters on local WhatsApp groups.
He has slammed 'stupid' data protection laws that mean shops cannot share images of individuals shoplifting, taken by their CCTV cameras.
“We are fighting with one hand tied behind our backs,” Walker told former MP Gloria de Piero on her Lessons In Leadership podcast.
'It's actually illegal for us to share images of known offenders on local high street WhatsApp groups because of data protection laws. I'd like that to change.”
“When these images are on your CCTV, it's absolutely proven. You watch someone pick something up, put them under their coat or whatever they do, and walk out or become aggressive to those store staff if they're stopped.”
“I’ve told my colleagues to do it anyway, and I take the rap if there's a problem,” he added.
Enter Kelvin MacKenzie, an English media executive and former Editor of The Sun newspaper, who posted the following on X: “Correctly Richard Walker, the boss of the supermarket chain Iceland, points out in The Times that due to “stupid” data privacy laws, CCTV images of shoplifters caught in the act at his store can’t be circulated among staff on WhatsApp.”
“Mr Walker doesn’t need the photos as he may well know many of the thieves personally, since they will be all be Labour voters , the party he adopted when the Tories wouldn’t have him as a candidate. As a two-faced s++t Walker should put both of his images out on WhatsApp.”
Walker, a former Conservative Party donor who earlier this year switched his support to Labour, shot back: “Whoever Kelvin is, I think he needs a big hug.”
Now that’s how you deal with right wing loudmouths. Bravo, Richard!
The sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards is now open for entries
The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Retail Technology Show 2025, and Business France celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Download our handy guide to entering the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards.
Key 2024 dates
Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed
30th October-6th November: Judging days
Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ.
Just Eat agrees rapid grocery delivery tie up with REWE Group, service initially available in 40+ cities
Just Eat has announced a nationwide partnership with REWE Group, one of Germany’s largest supermarket chains.
Customers in the country can now have groceries delivered to their homes within 45 minutes. The service is initially available in over 40 cities.
In a LinkedIn post, Just Eat said: “The offer expands Lieferando's (the brand name the company uses in Germany and Austria) marketplace with one of the strongest brands in the food retail sector.”
“Customers can order from a wide range of more than 3,000 products - from fresh food and everyday goods for cooking, as an ingredient, side dish or snack - giving them even more choice and convenience when using Lieferando.”
“With this partnership, we are the first food ordering platform in the industry to welcome one of Germany's largest food retailers to our marketplace. With this new partnership, we are adding REWE's product diversity to our service portfolio,” says Lennard Neubauer, Managing Director at Lieferando.
Amazon launches rapid grocery delivery from Metropolitan Market and expands Weis Markets tie up
Amazon is now offering same-day grocery delivery from select Metropolitan Market locations serving customers in the Greater Seattle area.
Customers in Sammamish, Queen Anne, Tacoma and Crown Hill can now place grocery orders online.
To celebrate the launch, Amazon is offering Prime members free delivery on their first three orders of $10 or more. It is also expanding its existing grocery delivery service with Weis Markets to six additional stores in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York (Hillsborough, NJ, Doylestown, PA, York, PA, Lititz, PA, Milton, PA, and Binghamton, NY).
“By teaming up with well loved grocers like Metropolitan Market, we’re offering our customers in the Greater Seattle area even more selection, value, and convenience as they shop for their favourite foods online,” says Christian Seitel, Amazon’s Head of U.S. Grocery Partnerships.
“We look forward to expanding our two-hour delivery window offering to more Metropolitan Market and Weis Markets locations in the future.”
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