RTIH brings you the stand out retail technology deals, deployments and pilots from last month.

Bed Bath & Beyond has selected RELEX Solutions as its inventory management technology partner. 

The latter’s cloud-based technology platform will deliver automated forecasting, replenishment, and allocation planning to improve the retailer’s in-stock position and inventory turnover. 

InPost has launched a QR code online returns solution.

The Instant Returns service means that there is no need to print a label at home or at the drop-off point. Shoppers scan a QR code on their mobile at an InPost locker and put the parcel inside. 

Missguided is one of the first UK retailers to introduce the offering to its customers.

Albertsons, the second largest grocery store chain in the US, has partnered with Tortoise to pilot robot delivery at two Safeway stores in Northern California.

Intersport has deployed an order management solution from OneStock.

The retailer says that, by having a single view of stock, it can fulfil orders from its warehouses and implement ship from store capabilities across more than 100 European stores.

Intersport has also rolled out Pricer’s electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across its European store estate.

Tesco is working on an epic project involving Google’s local inventory ads feature.

This allows companies to showcase their products and shop information to nearby people searching with Google. 

When shoppers click an ad or free listing that shows their local product, they arrive on a Google-hosted page for the shop, called the local shop front. They can use this to view in-store inventory, see opening times, find directions etc.

Albertsons Companies and Google have announced a multi-year omnichannel customer experience partnership.

The two have been collaborating behind the scenes for the past year and are now debuting several new features that aim to make the shopping experience easier and more exciting.

Clothing brand, GANT, which has over 750 stores in 80 countries, is close to completing a roll-out of Cegid Retail’s Unified Commerce Platform across Europe.

The cloud-based Point of Sale and merchandising solution has recently been added in France and goes live in the UK in March. 

US retailer Kroger has opened an automated warehouse in Monroe, Ohio.

The $55 million, 335,000 square foot customer fulfilment centre, also known as a shed, is the first of 20 facilities to be created as part of a partnership between Kroger and Ocado.

Paradies Lagardère has introduced MishiPay’s Scan, Pay & Go technology in the US airport market. 

The solution is being rolled out at the Univision travel essentials store at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and the Charlotte Gifts & News store at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Homebase has launched a new website, developed in partnership with The Hut Group’s e-commerce division, THG Ingenuity.

Alibaba Group is rolling out its Xiaomanlv logistics robots to 15 universities in China.

Students can set a pick-up time to get deliveries to their dorms.

Xiaomanlv, which means little donkey, made its debut last year, tapping the artificial intelligence and autonomous driving technology of Alibaba’s research and innovation institute DAMO Academy.

Starbucks has begun offering in all US stores a free service called Aira.

This connects blind and low vision people to trained visual interpreters who provide access to information through a third-party smartphone app.

Russian food retailer, X5 Retail Group, has partnered with Sberbank and Visa to launch a ‘pay with a glance’ service at self-service checkout terminals.

Currently available at 52 Perekrestok supermarkets, this uses biometric identification based on X5's innovation lab technology and VisionLabs solutions.

UK wholesaler, Bestway, is officially making Jisp’s mobile technology available to all its retail partners and corporate stores following a trial period.

The pair partnered in November 2020, providing, via Jisp’s app, home delivery and Click & Collect services, with the trial officially commencing in January 2021.

Worldline has extended its payments partnership with TJ Morris, which trades as discounter Home Bargains. 

This will see the retailer become one of the first Lane/3000 customers in the UK. The PIN pad will manage the thousands of daily transactions Home Bargains sees every day.  

Australian buy now, pay later venture, Zip, is set to ramp up its expansion in the UK.

Founder and CEO Larry Diamond has announced that Homebase, boohoo and The Fragrance Shop will be among the first retailers to join its UK platform, which enables customers to pay for products worth up to £1,000 in interest-free instalments. 

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