Including Klarna and Zalando: RTIH presents last week’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Jisp, Motorola Solutions, Amazon, Fossil, Aptos, The Couture Club, Shipster, King Kullen, Facilio, United Supermarkets, Adyen, N Brown Group, and Akeneo.

Carrefour Italy

Carrefour Italy has selected SymphonyAI Store Intelligence to reduce labour, improve pricing and promotional accuracy, increase on-shelf availability, and reduce out-of-stocks.

During a pilot involving the AI-based computer vision product, store associates used handheld devices with the SymphonyAI Store Intelligence software to instantly pinpoint and remediate any problems.

"We embrace digital innovation to improve operational efficiency, achieve high quality shopper engagement, and reduce waste,” says Carrefour Italy Chief Information Officer Alessandra Iacovelli.

“With SymphonyAI Store Intelligence, we take bold strides to achieve all those goals and establish the foundation for an end-to-end connected retail operation. Partnering with a trusted innovation leader like SymphonyAI helps us leap forward in store operations maturity at a critical time in the industry.”

Aptos

Aptos reports from NRF’s Big Show in NYC that 2025 will see its largest R&D spend in company history.

Exact numbers were not given in a press release, but according to Aptos CEO Pete Sinisgalli, the investment will fund major new Aptos ONE PoS platform capabilities, faster release cycles and a transition to a unified data model across the firm’s applications. 

"We talk to hundreds of retailers each year, and I can tell you the question is no longer ‘if’ they’ll be adopting a modern PoS solution. The question is now ‘when?’ says Aptos General Manager Jeremy Grunzweig. “The question then becomes: What vendor will support them on their unified commerce journey? We want that answer to be Aptos."

“That means more investment, scale, resources and innovation are going into Aptos ONE. We have added extensive core PoS and omnichannel capabilities to Aptos ONE over the last 12 months, and our 2025 roadmap brings the ‘sizzle.’” 

A highlight of the 2025 roadmap is Aptos bringing more AI experiences into the store, including sales and customer insights and personalised product recommendations.

Adyen

Adyen has announced the launch of Adyen Uplift, an AI powered offering that aims to help businesses increase payment conversion, simplify fraud management, and reduce the cost of payments. 

"Balancing risk management, driving conversion, and minimising cost has always required ineffective compromises - until now,” says Carlo Bruno, VP of Product at Adyen. "Adyen Uplift changes the game by unleashing the depth and power of AI to solve for real-time payment optimisation. This will transform cost savings and performance, redefining business efficiency in 2025 and beyond."

"We've increased our conversion rate by up to 2% with Adyen's AI, making a real difference to both our performance and cost efficiency, while keeping fraud under control," comments Luca Spichtig, Head of Digital Operations & Projects at On.

Jisp

Jisp has launched Jisp Intelligence to capitalise on AI trends and provide actionable data and consumer insights reporting to help businesses meet the needs of the modern convenience shopper.

By capturing consumer reactions and feedback at the moment of purchase, the firm says it can provide real-time insights that can inform immediate marketing and operational decisions. This initiative not only helps brands understand what drives consumer choices but also allows them to adapt quickly to emerging trends.

Additionally, Jisp's new NPD reporting plays a crucial role in product development and marketing strategies. By analysing feedback on new products, brands can gauge interest, adjust their offerings, and fine-tune their marketing messages to better resonate with their target audience.

bpost

bpost, also known as the Belgian Post Group, is launching a pilot project that allows customers to send items without packaging or labels by dropping them off in a parcel locker. In an initial stage, this option will only be available through the My bpost app.

Starting this week, private customers and businesses sending items from the Antwerp region via bpost can opt for this method. The only condition is that the item is sent from and to a bpost parcel locker. The pilot project, which has been running since 6th January, involves more than 30 lockers in Antwerp and its surrounding areas. The aim is to expand this throughout Belgium in the course of 2025.

When a customer wants to send an item, they can create a digital shipping label with the recipient's address. Initially, this will only be available via the My bpost app, but later on it will also be accessible through the website.

A barcode is generated in this process. By scanning the barcode on their smartphone, customers can open the parcel locker and place the item (max. 48 x 32 x 20 cm) inside, without packaging or a paper label. The item will then be sent to the parcel locker closest to the recipient, or a locker of their choice.

Once the parcel has arrived at its destination, the recipient will receive a notification through the My bpost app or by email and will be able to collect the parcel, again using their smartphone. They will be able to track its progress via Track & Trace.

Mattress Warehouse

Mattress Warehouse is tapping GTT’s managed network and security services to support a consistent and superior buying experience for the retailer’s customers in more than 350 stores. 

It uses technology to give customers a differentiated in-store experience; its patented bedMATCH system uses 18 statistical measurements and runs thousands of scientific calculations to determine the best mattress for each customer.

To support this, Mattress Warehouse has chosen GTT to deliver security and reliable connectivity between its retail sites and cloud-hosted corporate resources. This will ensure access to the customer service systems required to achieve individualised postural support for every client. 

Motorola Solutions

Motorola Solutions has unveiled the V200, a body camera designed specifically to help protect frontline workers in stores, hospitals, hotels, schools and stadiums.

This is a discreet, lightweight addition to a worker’s uniform. The recording feature can be activated with the push of a button to document a situation, which also serves as a deterrent for unwanted behaviour.

In more serious scenarios, such as medical incidents or crime, activation of the GoLive Audio feature can engage security personnel or a supervisor, who can access live video and audio and interject via the camera's speaker.

“Industries like retail, healthcare, hospitality and education are recognising the value of body cameras to improve safety for their workers and those they serve,” says Jeremiah Nelson, Corporate Vice President, Command Center Software and Evidence Products at Motorola Solutions.

“In these environments, feeling safe at work is key. The V200 was purpose built to give frontline workers peace of mind on the job, offering proactive and immediate assistance when and where they need it.”

Amazon and Fossil

Amazon reports that Buy with Prime, a direct-to-customer (DTC) offering, will soon expand to Fossil.com, a watch and accessories brand.

"We value time. Especially our customers’," says Ellie Quartel, Senior Vice President of Digital at Fossil Group. "This February, we're thrilled to offer our customers an even easier, faster way to shop with us through Buy with Prime. With this collaboration, customers have the same fast, free delivery and easy returns that they expect from Prime, all while shopping on Fossil.com.”

Zalando

Following a partnership in France, Italy and Spain, Zalando has rolled Klarna's out buy now, pay later (BNPL) offering to five more markets: Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland and Denmark.

Kai-Uwe Mokros, Managing Director at Zalando Payments, says: "We are committed to providing our customers with a seamless and locally relevant shopping experience. Now more than ever, convenience, flexibility and conscious spending are key priorities for customers. We are very happy to extend our partnership with Klarna by launching their 'Pay in 3' option in additional markets."

"This collaboration increases our customers' payment flexibility and allows them to choose a solution that best suits their individual needs and preferences."

Nicole Defren, Head of Europe at Klarna, adds: "Our deepening partnership with Zalando reinforces Klarna’s mission to be present everywhere, at every checkout. We're at the forefront of scaling innovative payment solutions across multiple markets seamlessly, and this collaboration with Zalando is a perfect example of how we empower merchants to activate innovative payment solutions simultaneously in multiple regions."

The Couture Club

Fashion brand The Couture Club has credited its partnership with Shipster for playing a key role in its growth. 

Since investing in technology to digitalise its warehouse management and shipping process five years ago, the Manchester-based lifestyle and streetwear retailer has seen sales soar by 200%.

Shipster is a custom shipping integration platform that connects online retailers, e-commerce warehouses, and distributors with over 100 leading couriers.

By integrating with Descartes Peoplevox, an e-commerce warehouse management system (WMS), The Couture Club has been able to automate and streamline its ‘pick to ship’ process. This has increased efficiency and productivity, accelerated order fulfillment and boosted customer satisfaction, increased profits, and enabled operational flexibility for growth.

King Kullen

Long Island-based supermarket chain King Kullen has selected Facilio's Connected Retail software platform to automate its refrigeration compliance management and stay ahead of the upcoming Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulatory changes, especially EPA’s AIM Act Emissions Reduction and Reclamation Regulations.

“The US is facing the biggest shift in refrigerant regulations since they were created in the late '80s. This regulatory overhaul will cost refrigerant end users hundreds of millions and introduce unprecedented legal obligations for sectors like convenience stores and supermarkets that previously weren’t impacted,” says Basant Singhatwadia, Facilio’s Director of Customer Success.

“Our holistic refrigeration compliance management platform enables end-to-end compliance management for King Kullen, eliminating compliance risks. The EPA and GreenChill-ready dashboard further simplifies tracking.”

FLOWERBX

Luxury floral delivery service FLOWERBX has teamed with objectsource to implement Ordergroove, a subscription management solution.  

FLOWERBX faced challenges with an outdated and inflexible legacy system, hindering its ability to effectively manage and scale its subscription business. By implementing Ordergroove, it says it has significantly improved customer experience, streamlined operations and gained valuable data insights. 

Jessica Kirk, Head of E-Commerce at FLOWERBX, says: “Since introducing Ordergroove, we’ve seen incredible growth in engagement with our subscriptions - page views jumped by 52%, and customer journeys are much smoother.”

“The flexibility to promote subscriptions across the site is a major win, as it ensures our customers can see it wherever they navigate. The ability for customers to manage their own subscriptions has also been transformative for us. objectsource guided us through this process with such expertise and efficiency - it felt like they were part of our team.”  

N Brown Group

Fashion and homeware digital retailer, N Brown Group, has implemented a new product information management (PIM) system in partnership with Akeneo.

It says that the project, implemented ahead of the 2024 peak trading period, has improved customer experience across its Simply Be, Jacamo and JD Williams brands. 

With an extensive range of products covering clothing, footwear, accessories and lifestyle products across multiple brands, N Brown needed a product information solution that could unify multiple data points to create cohesive and content rich product information, helping guide customers to the right choice when shopping online. 

Additionally, it understood the impact that data has on business success and how it can act as the keystone for future growth. 

Pricer

In-store automation and communication solutions provider, Pricer, has announced its availability on Google Cloud Marketplace.

It lays claim to being one of the first electronic shelf label (ESL) providers to be listed on the platform.

The listing follows the announcement of Pricer's collaboration with Google Cloud last month.

Peter Ward, UK Country Manager at Pricer, comments: “Bricks and mortar retailers know that success in turbulent market conditions - underscored with rising cost bases across labour, rates and rents - means having to deliver nothing short of operational excellence within the store.”

“With our listing on Google Cloud Marketplace, retailers can quickly deploy, integrate and seamlessly run the in-store solutions, leveraging automation to drive the efficiency and productivity gains needed to elevate store performance.”  

Giesecke+Devrient

Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) has launched the G+D Smart Label, a tracking solution that turns any package into an IoT device.

Ultra-thin and only slightly larger than a credit card, this has been jointly developed by G+D in conjunction with its hardware partner, Sensos to enable cost-effective, accurate location tracking for a range of applications. These include parcel delivery and shipping, fleet management and monitoring the movement of luxury goods.

G+D provides a solution that includes hardware, an iSIM, IoT connectivity, and an IoT platform that manages the connection and firmware updates. The Smart Label uses smart motion sensors that detect movement and acceleration, underpinned by GPS accuracy which has been tested to ensure sub-10m precision in ideal conditions.

Coupled with customisable reporting frequencies and cloud-based configurations, the Smart Label can adapt to specific business needs and allow users to manage, monitor, and ensure the integrity of their assets at every stage of their journey, whether stationary or on the move.

Additional features include an open-close sensor for tamper protection and automated proof of delivery, and a temperature monitor to ensure the integrity of perishable goods. Activation is triggered when the label is peeled and applied to an item. It is also reusable and certified for air travel.

United Supermarkets

United Supermarkets has returned its 28-Day Challenge campaign to the United Supermarkets, Albertsons Market, Market Street, and Amigos banners.

The programme, first launched in January 2024, features a series of interactive games and actions linked to customers’ Rewards! loyalty accounts that the retailer’s registered dietitian designed to help users establish realistic objectives for improved wellness.

The promotion was developed in partnership with loyalty programme solution provider, TCC Global.

“Most of us start the new year with a fresh set of goals for our lives and the 28-Day Challenge was created to help our guests make progress in their efforts on their journey to health. We had great feedback from a successful campaign in 2024, so the new 28-Day Challenge is even better and can be more impactful on that journey,” says Tony Crumpton, CMO at United Supermarkets.