SideChef

Aug 7, 2023

Situated on Greenwich High Street in London, it enables customers to complete their shop without scanning a single product, or having to go through a checkout. They can download the Aldi Shop&Go app, which will allow them to enter the store, pick up their items, and then walk out when they have completed their shop. Once a customer leaves, they will then be automatically charged via their selected payment method and a receipt will appear in the app. The system, provided by AiFi , uses specially positioned cameras. Those people wishing to buy alcohol, or other Challenge 25 products, are able to use facial age estimation technology, provided by Yoti , to authorise their purchase. Giles Hurley, CEO at Aldi UK and Ireland, said at the time of the opening: “Today is the culmination of months of work, not least from the team here in Greenwich and I’m looking forward to seeing how customers react to our trial.” “This store utilises the very latest in retail technology offering Aldi’s award winning products and unbeatable prices to customers in a new and innovative way. The team are really excited about seeing customers come in and experience Aldi Shop&Go.” Fast forward to the present day and the store has been targeted by Piers Corbyn, brother of former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, and also a climate change denier, anti-vaccine activist, and conspiracy theorist. In a video posted on social media, Corbyn can be seen holding a box of strawberries and putting down cash on a help table before launching into a bizarre rant. Piers Corbyn and team at Aldi APP ONLY store Greenwich Thurs 27 July. Piers gained entry. Chose a Box of strawberries 🍓 and put down CASH Payment on the HELP TABLE while the security said he wasn't allowed to pay by cash. And then left the shop advising the staff to call the… pic.twitter.com/oVjSKBKu21 Marks and Spencer launches Cooking With The Stars shoppable recipes tie up with SideChef SideChef , a US-based mobile app and platform with over 20,000 shoppable recipes, has announced a partnership with Marks & Spencer. Customers will now be able to find 150 original recipes featuring signature M&S ingredients, save them to a personal cookbook or shopping list, and create meal plans for their households within any budget. This launch was done in alignment with the Cooking With The Stars show, which airs on ITV . Viewers will be able to find all the recipes that the celebrity chefs and contestants cook, and recreate them in their own homes. The feature is available on the M&S website and its app. The tie up marks SideChef’s first European retail partner. Downtown Spirits becomes first beer, wine, and spirits retailer to implement Amazon Just Walk Out technology Downtown Spirits , a Seattle-based beer, wine and spirits retailer, is gearing up to open the doors to its new, 4,200 square-foot location on 7th Avenue between Olive and Stewart, across from Pacific Place, featuring a fully checkout-free shopping experience powered by Amazon Just Walk Out technology. This will take place on Thursday, 10th August. Downtown Spirits is the first ever beer, wine, and spirits retailer to implement Just Walk Out technology made possible by artificial intelligence like computer vision and deep learning techniques, including generative AI, to accurately determine who took what in any retail environment. Guests enter the store by using the Downtown Spirits app at the front door. The technology detects what shoppers take from or return to the shelves, and creates a virtual shopping session. When people have completed their shopping experience, they are able to leave the store without having to wait in line, and their choice of payment method will be charged for the items they took with them. InPost expands Vinted partnership with launch of over the counter parcel collection service The C2C online second-hand fashion marketplace led an initial trial earlier this year. The service gives its members the option to collect parcels from participating stores, providing an additional OOH collection option alongside InPost's 5,000 strong locker network. Odore bags $5 million in seed funding for expansion and Innovation in customer engagement space Odore , a UK-based customer engagement platform enabling direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands to streamline their marketing efforts, has announced a $5 million seed round led by Fuel Ventures with participation from existing investors. The startup counts the entire L’Oreal Group (including the likes of Armani, Lancome, and YSL), Dior, LVMH, and Shiseido among its clients. It was launched in 2020 by co-founders Armaan Mehta and Karan Gupta, both graduates of London School of Economics. Our all-in-one digital sampling platform is the #1 trusted campaign building software by industry-leading brands. Learn more about it here: https://t.co/7gKaujzjg1 #campaigns #campaignbuilder #DigitalMarketing pic.twitter.com/qTnZgKUfvH Wayfair Decorify solution taps generative AI technologies to power shoppers’ home personalisation journeys Wayfair has launched Decorify, a new way for shoppers to reimagine their spaces and hone in on their style preferences. In a pilot application, this uses a generative AI model that creates shoppable, photorealistic images to enable consumers to envision their own homes in new styles by uploading a picture of their space. "Anything we develop or deploy for our customers, including GenAI, must support our mission to help everyone, anywhere create their feeling of home," says Wayfair Chief Technology Officer Fiona Tan . "Viewing generative AI through this pragmatic lens enables us to prioritise where and when we deploy development resources and ensure applications like Decorify delight our customers." Retail technology influencer and industry analyst Christine Russo joins 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel Check out our 2022 interview with her here . The 2023 judging panel now looks like this: Mike Cadden, Mike Cadden, IT Director and CIO with 25 years’ experience running tech teams and strategic delivery for many leading UK and international retailers Peter Waugh, Director, International Digital (EMEA, LAC & AP), Starbucks Carole Kingsbury, Former Director of IT, Ted Baker Christine Russo, Industry Analyst and Retail Influencer Paula Bobbett, Chief Digital Officer, Boots Warren Richmond, Founder and CEO, Situ LIve Scott Thompson, Editor and Founder, Retail Technology Innovation Hub Toby Pickard, Global Insight Leader, IGD Matt Taylor, Technology Transformation Leader at EY, Retail and Consumer Products Amodini Chhabra, Investor, Compass Digital Ventures Gary Newbury, Supply Chain Advisor and Delivery Executive Nadine Neatrour, Marketing Director, Selfridges David Polinchock, Co-Founder/President, Unified Brand Experience Lab We're pleased to announce that the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards are now open for submissions! It's free to enter, with a deadline of early November and winners being announced at an awards ceremony in central London during December @AwardsRtih #retailtech https://t.co/tuEFF9gIE7 Need It For Tonight teams with Gophr for London-based rapid fashion delivery initiative Need It For Tonight , which is pitched as London’s first on-demand fashion delivery app, has announced a partnership with Gophr to offer customers a 90 minute delivery service. Fashion brands in the capital that have signed up with. Need It For Tonight include Wild Swans Boutique, Rejina Pyo, Cult Mia and Blue Nude. Gophr’s real-time delivery tracking is embedded within the venture’s app. Its network of couriers also allows users flexibility to select delivery options without rigid time limitations. While Need It For Tonight caters for those who want items on-demand, the partnership also has sustainability in mind, with deliveries available via push and cargo bikes. Footasylum taps NewStore and Talon.One solutions as it focuses on seamless omnichannel experiences Footasylum has selected NewStore to power the omnichannel experience across its 60 stores in the UK. The partnership builds on Footasylum’s technology architecture, which also includes Talon.One, a promotion and loyalty automation solution. “In order to keep up with the pace of innovation and grow our business, we need a technology architecture that is open, flexible, and scalable. But we cannot build it ourselves. We need commerce partners that align with our vision,” says Mike Wallwork, E-commerce Director, Footasylum . “That is why we are working with MACH certified companies like NewStore and Talon.One. These innovative platforms and tools will help us achieve our goals and continue to provide the exceptional level of service our customers expect." Fun in the virtual sun: RTIH presents last week’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance