Virtual experiences and live shopping events: RTIH runs through the 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 Emperia, MishiPay, Zippin, 3D Cloud by Marxent, eBay, TalkShopLive, Freedompay, Pennies, JD.com, and Pinterest.
The Bicester Collection
The Bicester Collection, a family of 11 luxury shopping destinations in Europe and China, is introducing a new virtual retail experience, bringing its village environment to audiences worldwide, and showcasing its curation of the world’s leading luxury fashion and lifestyle brands backed up by five-star hospitality and services.
This new offering is powered by Emperia.
Designed to represent each of the villages’ physical environments, the experience brings together Bicester Village (UK), La Roca Village (Spain), La Vallée Village (France) and Fidenza Village (Italy).
Guests around the world can wander and navigate around each virtual village and prepare for an upcoming in-person visit.
Herman Miller and Design Within Reach
Herman Miller and Design Within Reach (DWR) have worked with 3D Cloud by Marxent on the launch of 3D product configurators for several products on their North American retail websites.
After a launch in the contract space, Marxent’s 3D product configurators have been rolled out on store.hermanmiller.com and DWR.com for top performance seating products.
Configurators are available for the following products with more on the way: Aeron Chair, Aeron Gaming Chair, Cosm Chair, Embody Chair, Embody Gaming Chair, Lino Chair, Mirra 2 Chair, Sayl Chair, Sayl Gaming Chair, Setu Chair, and Verus Chair.
Just Eat, Asda and the LEGO Group
Just Eat has announced a new initiative with Asda and the LEGO Group powered by the platform’s existing tie-up with the grocery giant.
From 8th November, customers will be able to purchase LEGO items via the Just Eat platform as part of a UK wide trial.
The items will initially be available to buy at five Asda stores in Hartlepool, Cwmbran, Dundee Milton, Watford and Hunts Cross. Customers will be able to choose from the LEGO Group’s portfolio of toys, including fan favourite products from the Harry Potter, Disney, and Marvel collections.
To mark the launch, Just Eat is offering up to 50% off selected LEGO toys, until 19th November.
Over the past year, the company has expanded its core restaurant offering with a number of grocery partnerships, including with Asda, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and the Co-op in the UK.
Flying Tiger Copenhagen
Flying Tiger Copenhagen has announced the deployment of MishiPay's suite of transaction solutions across 56 UK stores.
Since the end of September, the chain has been operating exclusively on MishiPay for all transactions.
Already a user of MishiPay's Scan & Go solution, Flying Tiger Copenhagen has expanded its partnership to include cash desk and self-checkout kiosks. It has further plans to introduce the company’s mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) solution to its roster.
Towson University
Towson University has announced the opening of Tiger Express, a checkout-free store located in West Village Commons made possible through a partnership between Zippin and Atrium.
Open 24/7, this stocks a variety of essentials, including snacks, drinks, packaged meals and personal care products.
“The convenience offered by Tiger Express makes it easier for our students to purchase what they need, when they need it,” says Vernon Hurte, Vice President of Student Affairs. “The unique shopping experience will cut down on long lines and wait times that students typically faced.”
DFS and Pinterest
Pinterest has announced a global first creative campaign with retailer DFS and Shuffles.
Shuffles, a standalone app by Pinterest, which made its debut last year, provides a way to create collages and digital art, allowing users to express ideas and unleash creativity on their phones.
It enables users to cut, overlap and add elements and animations to images from their camera roll or from Pinterest Pins to visualise their inspiration all in one place.
Now furniture retailer DFS is the first brand globally to harness both Shuffles and Pinterest in a partnership to support its latest brand campaign What's Your Thing?.
Over the next four weeks, DFS is inviting home enthusiasts to express their interiors ‘thing’ in Shuffles using DFS sofas and beds for a chance to win the content of their shuffle by publishing their creation on Shuffles, Pinterest and Instagram using the hashtag #MyDFSThing.
The campaign is running on channels including Pinterest. It will be encouraging Pinterest users to head to Shuffles and take part in the competition.
Freedompay and Pennies
FinTech firm Freedompay has announced a strategic partnership with Pennies, the micro-donation charity.
This will see it integrate Pennies into its technology stack.
Alison Hutchinson, CEO at Pennies, says: “We’re delighted to be partnering with FreedomPay, whose innovation, growth and purpose-led mission has the potential to unlock millions more micro-donation opportunities.”
“FreedomPay’s values align with our own commitment to making giving simple, every day – ensuring customers have affordable ways to donate and enabling brands to generate real social impact.”
“We look forward to working with FreedomPay and their merchants, using tech for social good and raising millions for charity.”
TalkShopLive and Bass Pro Shops
TalkShopLive and Bass Pro Shops have streamed Inside Studio G as a live shopping event with American country singer and songwriter Garth Brooks.
The livestream event took place on 6th November at 7 p.m. ET during Brooks’ weekly series and featured Bass Pro Shops Founder Johnny Morris in conversation with Brooks, discussing his new album, Time Traveler, available only in The Limited Series boxed set available at Bass Pro Shops across North America and globally through this event.
DPD
Parcel delivery company DPD has officially opened a new £40 million eco-regional sortation centre in Bromley-By-Bow that will enable the firm to deliver up to 80,000 ‘green' parcels into London each day.
The facility, which is the size of 8.5 football pitches, will create 650 new jobs when fully operational early in the new year and will mean that DPD's delivery service within London's north and south circular area will be all electric.
It is a hybrid eco-sortation and distribution facility. In addition to the parcel delivery operation, which will be DPD's greenest in the UK, the 430 metre long conveyor system will automatically sort all intra-London parcels for next-day delivery on-site, instead of them being trunked to the Midlands and back for sorting, as is currently the case.
As part of being a diesel free operation, the site has solar panels on the parking canopy to help charge the 500 electric delivery vans and a 40,000 litre HVO tank to enable the fleet of LGVs and 7.5T trucks to fill-up with the renewable biofuel.
The plan also includes the installation of solar panels on the main roof in the new year, which could generate up to 1 million kwh per annum to help power the entire building.
Docklands will also see DPD achieve its pledge to deliver to 30 of the largest towns and cities in the UK with zero and low emission final mile delivery vehicles.
JOOR and ISPO Munich
JOOR and ISPO Munich, a sports trade fair, have entered into a long-term partnership.
Leveraging JOOR’s digital wholesale platform and global network, this collaboration aims to enhance and extend the digital selling opportunities available to ISPO brands, with tools designed to drive business growth in the realms of sports, outdoor, and lifestyle.
JD.com
JD Worldwide, JD.com’s cross-border e-commerce platform, has announced the roll-out of enhanced authentication processes, named JD Smart Check, for imported goods.
The initiative focuses on three areas: expediting quality inspections for cosmetics, incorporating blockchain technology for comprehensive anti-counterfeiting solutions, and providing on-demand authenticity inspections for products shipped via direct mail.
JD Worldwide has implemented x-ray fluorescence analysis, developed in partnership with the Cosmetics Technology Center of China Inspection and Quarantine Science Institute, for rapid on-site assessment of cosmetics and personal care products at JD’s logistic centres.
eBay
eBay has launched Canal Street Wear, a pop-up shop in New York with a selection of authenticated streetwear and sneakers from top rated eBay sellers.
This was open on 3rd and 4th November.
Shoppers had access to items from such brands as NYMilan, RIF and Soled Out Jersey City. verified by eBay Authenticity Guarantee – the marketplace's authentication service that recently expanded to streetwear.
They could also bring in streetwear items from their own closets to have them authenticated on-site by eBay’s team of streetwear experts.
Riverside Greetings
Riverside Greetings, a supplier of greeting card solutions, has developed RFID and AI technology for the independent convenience retail and forecourt sectors.
The company has created an automated inventory and category management system that marries AI with RFID to analyse and increase the greeting card category performance, whilst improving the productivity and effectiveness of its merchandising service.
Riverside’s patent pending tech is being piloted in several test stores in England.
The company claims that merchandisers will be able to complete a full stock count of hundreds of cards by design in less than two minutes, with 100% accuracy versus the current manual counting system which can take 30 to 45 minutes.
This will enable each store’s range to be automatically analysed and improved by the merchandiser. Aggregated sales data by design will show trends and patterns and create best practice ranges automatically.
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