RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail’ systems launches and deployments from the past week, including autonomous stores, NFT platforms, and rapid delivery services.

Shufersal and Trigo

Trigo reports that it is opening a hybrid autonomous store with Israel’s largest grocery retailer, Shufersal.

In an online post, Michael Gabay, CEO at Trigo, says: “It goes without saying that we are excited to launch a store in Tel Aviv, which is not only the home of the world renowned ‘startup nation,’ but Trigo’s HQ as well.”

He adds: “This Shufersal branch is representative of Tel Aviv, between its proximity to the beach as well as its central location; it is in the hub of the innovation capital of Israel.”

“This was no accident – Shufersal deliberately chose the heart of a city full of open minded and tech savvy people as the home for the country’s first frictionless checkout store.”

eBay and Reskinned

eBay has announced a new partnership with Reskinned to expand the online marketplace’s offering of preloved items and reduce growing fashion waste.

Reskinned takes back worn items from shoppers and reconditions them for resale, repurpose or recycle.

It is currently working with over 30 brands, including Finisterre, Sweaty Betty, River Island, and most recently Joules.

Items from Reskinned are generally priced around 40% lower than their high street price.

Coles Supermarkets and Ocado

Boots

UK health and beauty retailer, Boots, is set to launch a new online marketplace, with the aim of welcoming third-party brands into its digital offering.

Due to launch in spring 2023, Boots Marketplace is part of the retailer’s digital strategy to rapidly extend the range of its website and explore new and diverse categories for its customers.

Marketplace products will be integrated with the existing product range on boots.com, offering customers access to hundreds of new brands across established names and new sellers.

Powered by Mirakl, customers will still enjoy a single checkout for mixed baskets and access to the likes of Boots Advantage Card points.  

Fairfield University

LG Electronics

LG Electronics has launched its own non-fungible token (NFT) platform, LG Art Lab.

Now available in the US on the company’s TVs running webOS 5.0 or later, and accessible directly from the home screen, this enables users to buy and sell digital artwork.

It includes an LG Art Lab Drops feature, which profiles artists and previews new works coming soon to the platform. Meanwhile, the real-time Live Drops countdown ensures users never miss an opportunity to acquire a ‘just dropped’ NFT. 

The platform is based on the Hedera network and incorporates onscreen QR codes that let users complete transactions via Wallypto, the company’s cryptocurrency wallet for smartphones.

Once purchased, an NFT can be traded on LG Art Lab Marketplace, where users can view transaction history, while in My Collection they can look at their owned artworks.

The first artist to be launched on LG ART LAB will be American sculptor, Barry X Ball.

Puma

Zapp

Rapid delivery firm Zapp has teamed up with digital health specialist Certific to stock STI and UTI tests that give patients a test and treatment plan from their homes, with no waiting times, no appointments and quick results turnaround time. 

The tests were made available on Zapp’s mobile app in time for World Sexual Health Day, Sunday 4th September, an annual event organised by the World Association for Sexual Health.

Zapp’s delivery will enable patients to receive results and diagnosis for STIs within as little as 24 to 48 hours (via Royal Mail), as well as results and diagnosis for UTIs in 60 minutes, without the need for a medical centre visit.

Uber and Nuro

Uber and Nuro have announced a ten-year partnership to use the latter’s autonomous, electric vehicles for food deliveries in the United States.

The tie up will kick off this autumn with deliveries in Houston, TX and Mountain View, CA. Uber and Nuro plan to expand the service to the greater Bay Area.

Pinterest

Pinterest is set to open the doors to a Beauty School for the first time.

Taking place on 1st October, in partnership with beauty firms including La Roche Posay, this will feature brand activations and creator workshops directly informed by Pinterest’s trends.

The aim is to demonstrate how brands and advertisers can activate a strategy informed by customer led data, to better engage with their audiences.

The school will be open to the public at The Vinyl Factory in Soho, London. With workshops and panels spanning across hair, beauty and skincare, these will be based on the beauty trends which are set to dominate the winter 2022 season.

Lowe’s and Instacart

Lowe's and Instacart have announced that same-day delivery is now available from more than 1,700 of the former’s stores Stateside.

Nearly 30,000 items can be ordered for delivery in as fast as an hour.

Lowe's is one of the first retailers on the Instacart app to roll-out same-day and scheduled delivery for large items, up to 3x3x5 feet and 60 pounds.