Top Things You Missed IN Retail

Batteries Plus is on a mission in 2023. The quest is all about enhancing the customer experience by reinventing the online shopping experience, fostering deeper relationships with customers and boosting e-commerce operations with the goal of being the leading omnichannel retailer in the industry.

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The entertainment/restaurant chain is partnering with Diebold Nixdorf to deliver a new kiosk solution that is replacing legacy order and payment hardware and software. Dave & Buster’s decided to overhaul its previous order and payment solution in order to create a more in-store efficiency and offer an intuitive, frictionless customer experience.

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The no-frills German discount grocery chain teamed up with Spryker to develop a new digital commerce platform for its online food and grocery shopping experience for the U.S. market.

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The reimagined experience for guests who visit the fun centers also includes tech upgrades that focus on convenience and simplicity.

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Lunchbox is enabling operators to generate pictures on demand. Lunchbox is making the AI-powered program public.

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CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning, and outsourcing services, today announced that Kimes Ranch, a leading western wear retail brand, has selected its award-winning, industry-leading BlueCherry Enterprise Suite for end-to-end ERP and warehousing/logistics management.

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Retailers are leveraging mobile apps to enable a variety of leading-edge features and functions. As smartphones become a ubiquitous part of daily consumer life, retailers are developing more sophisticated apps that perform tasks across the enterprise. Here’s a quick look at how Amazon, Home Depot, and Pottery Barn are delivering next-generation capabilities via mobile app.

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Walmart Commerce Technologies is teaming up with Salesforce to provide retail customers with more convenient and frictionless pickup and delivery experiences. The Walmart Commerce Technologies Store Assist local fulfillment app and Walmart GoLocal local delivery solutions will be available through Salesforce AppExchange.

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The wholesale grocery distributor has partnered with Tata Consultancy Services to accelerate its migration to Google Cloud Platform and reap the benefits of an AI-enabled supply chain.

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OluKai, an Hawaiian-inspired footwear company, is deploying Jitterbit technology to streamline sales and fulfillment processes and improve team productivity. The technology connected the retailer's enterprise resource planning system with Amazon to boost the recording of sales, return and inventory movement.

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Krispy Kreme is launching SADvert, a light emitting billboard designed to help boost the moods of Brits this month.

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Synchrony and Rooms To Go today announced the renewal of their strategic financing partnership. The multi-year agreement enables Room To Go cardholders to decorate now and pay over time with industry-leading digital account management features, special financing options and private discount offers.

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Shiji announced that its product, Concept, has been selected to offer the spa, golf, and resort activities management platform as a preferred provider to its member properties.

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Microsoft has announced a multiyear, multibillion-dollar investment with DALL-E and ChatGPT developer OpenAI, following previous investments in 2019 and 2021. The company says the investment, which The New York Times reports is $10 billion, will “accelerate artificial intelligence breakthroughs to ensure these benefits are broadly shared with the world.”

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RELEX Solutions’ forecasting and automatic replenishment solution will be implemented in EDEKA stores and distribution centres throughout Germany.

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A leading Central American department store retailer using RFID technology to perform item-level inventory tracking. Siman Group has been deploying item-level RFID solutions from SML, including Inspire RFID tags and Clarity enterprise software.

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FSC Franchise Co., the parent company Beef ‘O’ Brady’s restaurant chain and bar concept The Brass Tap, is planning to open 22 locations in 2023. Behind the scenes, FSC Franchise Co. has streamlined and updated its technology in recent years.

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New shelf inventory software will assist retailers with overall inventory management and provide impactful data from previously untapped sources. With the ability to track when products are close to running low on stock, retailers and their partners will be able to keep shelves fully stocked with the exact products customers are looking for at all times.

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The quick-service hamburger chain is deploying the AI-based location intelligence platform from SiteZeus to identify areas across the country where consumers are most likely to visit a Jack in the Box restaurant. The solution offers features including real-time insights, white-space analysis, and sales forecasting.

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The largest department store chain in Mexico is aiming a new mobile wallet app at Mexican immigrants living in the U.S. The new Coppel Access mobile wallet app from Grupo Coppel was designed with the U.S. Mexican community in mind, but allows all consumers in the U.S. to open and manage an account, insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), using a Mexican or U.S. ID.

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Walmart is offering more incentives to retailers participating in its third-party seller platform.

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Windsor Fashions LLC today announces its partnership with the live shopping provider, Bambuser as it celebrates two years of live shopping through the brand’s social channels. Collaborating with Bambuser will elevate the Windsor Live experience, during which Windsor stylists share fashion tips and provide first access to shop new arrivals in real time.

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BMW of North America has selected Stripe as its primary payments infrastructure. The financial infrastructure platform will facilitate the automaker’s U.S. vehicle preorders and online purchases of extended warranties, maintenance and digital services.

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Self-checkout technologies can be a mixed bag for retailers. On the one hand, they save on labor and can improve the in-store experience for shoppers who prefer the option, boosting loyalty. On the other hand, issues of scan avoidance have been documented for years, and retailers are well aware.

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KFC has unveiled a solar-powered drive-thru at its Bakersfield, Calif. location, the chain announced Thursday. The solar paneling — designed by Integrate Solar — is on the location’s drive-thru to protect workers from the sun, and is expected to save the unit $400,000 over its lifetime.

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Alterra Mountain Compnay, which runs 15 North American mountain ski and snowboard resorts, has deployed computer vision-powered self-checkout terminals at four locations. The technology is from Mashgin and its self-checkout kiosks are in place at Big Bear Mountain Resort, Palisades Taho, Mammoth Mountain and Winter Park Resort.

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SoFresh is a disrupter in the fast-casual fresh food movement that has been fighting the healthy fight amongst the traditional restaurants in the market. Their complex fresh food offering required a custom build ordering system but had to be convenient and offer an intuitive ordering process for the guest. After much evaluation and testing, SoFresh chose Bite and Elo as their kiosk software and hardware providers.

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The convenience store retailer has partnered with food technology startup company Serve Robotics, which is backed by Uber. 7-Eleven's venture arm, 7-Ventures, took part in Serve's $13 million seed funding round, according to a Business Insider report.

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The American Eagle Outfitters (AEO)-owned last-mile delivery provider Quiet Platforms is offering a new option for two-to-three-day delivery across the country. Quiet Platforms is partnering with e-commerce shipping platform Shipium to provide reliable two-to-three day-shipping, combined with reduced delivery costs.

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Focal Systems today announced a partnership with Metropolitan Market, a Good Food Holdings portfolio brand. Focal Systems will deploy the Focal Systems Operating System (FocalOS) to digitize and automate the Pacific Northwest grocery chain through optimized ordering, inventory management, merchandising, and in-store labor to completely transform the overall customer experience.

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Through a collaboration with shopper intelligence company Catalina and 84.51°, The Kroger Co. is amplifying its current digital offers by extending relevant printed offers at checkout to customers who shop exclusively in-store.

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Nestlé Purina PetCare announced that it has implemented a new category management solution and virtual reality technology to assist its retail partners. The pet food and supplies company has partnered with Blue Yonder, a provider of digital supply chain and fulfillment solutions and 3DVR Solutions (3DVRS).

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The new Meijer Grocery stores offer several different ways to pay and shop, including Shop & Scan.

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Retailers are turning to robotics to prepare for the grocery’s digital future. Most recently, French supermarket chain Carrefour, which has more than 13,000 stores across nearly 40 countries, began testing robotic grocery delivery in Belgium, as The Brussels Times reported. The pilot is running in the Corporate Village, a complex near the country’s airport, in partnership with Turkish autonomous delivery service Delivers.ai.

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After two years of hard work, Hilton replaced its 30-year-old CRS with a completely new, cloud-based system in just two weekends.

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L’Oreal has announced plans to build out their cloud-based retail execution strategy, expanding their current roll-out plans to include the brand’s Morocco division. The beauty company have branched out their partnership with StayinFront to deploy their TouchCG apps to field representatives in Morocco.

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Papa Johns new visual brand identity highlights premium ingredients through colors, lighting and decor. In a streamlined and flexible environment, Papa Johns team members will be equipped to more efficiently create quality food and serve it in the seamless, personalized ways that today’s customers prefer. Digital screens and ordering kiosks will help customers choose and customize their order in a sleek, modern and seamless experience.

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New mobile apps from Pottery Barn Kids and Pottery Barn Teen include innovative features such as 3-D augmented reality (AR) shopping. The children’s and teen furniture and accessories banners of home goods retailer Williams-Sonoma Inc. are launching new native shopping apps for iPhone users. The new apps are designed to offer enhanced functionality and an easy-to-use interface.

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Renfro Brands – who represent companies such as Polo, Sperry, Jeep, Dr. Scholls, and HOTSOX – have announced plans to build on sustainability efforts through fresh investment in product traceability software. They have picked supply chain traceability tech provider TrusTrace to spearhead the effort, with plans to use the platform to centralize their current supply chain data and ensure their operations remain in line with the latest compliance laws.

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The leading specialty health-and-wellness retailer is rolling out the RetailNext store analytics platform across its network of over 700 brick-and-mortar locations. Using RetailNext solution’s centralized data dashboard, The Vitamin Shoppe is attempting to overcome labor shortages and maximize payroll efficiency.

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The nation’s largest publicly-traded full-service travel center network has entered into an agreement with Electrify America to install electric vehicle charging stations at select TA/Petro locations, with the first stations to be deployed this year. Electrify America is the largest open direct current fast-charging network in the United States.

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1-800-Flowers.com is expanding its product selection by directly connecting customers to third-party sellers of handmade gift items.

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Coop Estonia is a market leader in the Estonian grocery market. The company has 18 regional cooperatives, which operate 320 stores, ranging from minimarkets to hypermarkets.

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To bring a new level of safety to pools at hotels and resorts, Coral Smart Pool today announced that it has entered into a partnership with Leonardo Hotels & Resorts Mediterranean to bring MYLO, its industry-defining “virtual lifeguard system,” to the hotel chain.

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Hawthorn Handmade has deployed Brightpearl by Sage’s retail operating system, thus gaining access to an Inventory Planner Premium tool, Automation Engine, and a library of plug and play integrations.

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Levi Strauss & Co. is on track to implement its new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in the United States in the second quarter after successful results in Mexico and Canada.

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Metropolitan Market is the latest supermarket operator to implement digital technologies that are designed to optimize ordering, inventory management, merchandising, and the use of in-store labor. In a pilot with San Francisco-based Focal Systems, Metropolitan Market is deploying hundreds of tiny, inexpensive shelf cameras that digitize shelves hourly.

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Neiman Marcus changed some of its development teams from the ground up to move to AWS cloud services. What lessons did they learn along their cloud journey?

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Newk’s Eatery became the latest chain on Thursday to implement AI technology to support human staff and mitigate any labor shortages. The 100-unit chain is partnering with Kea voice ordering system to implement a “cashier in the cloud” AI solution to answer phone orders and alleviate that task from busy cashiers.

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