Check out RTIH’s most popular retail technology articles on LinkedIn — Retail Technology Innovation Hub
2. M&S Tech Council puts focus on sustainability technology
Marks and Spencer last week activated an M&S Tech Council, which brought its top technology partners together to tackle at speed some of the biggest challenges the retailer faces.
“Our mission is not just to meet regularly but to foster an innovative and collaborative culture to transform how we serve our 30 million customers each year,” Mike Yorwerth, Chief Technology Officer at Marks and Spencer, said in a LinkedIn post.
“What better way to kick start this than by facing into one of the biggest commitments we’ve made to ourselves and customers; decarbonising M&S and our operations to be fully net zero across our entire value chain by 2040 - from mills to tills and farms to forks.”
He added: “Sharon Peters, who heads up sustainability tech for M&S, outlined what we need to do – and while the scale and speed with which we need to act with is scary and urgent – each of us identified huge opportunities to make a real difference.”
“We were all inspired for action and I am very much looking forward to the results that will be achieved from this.”
3. Hugo Boss enlists Nedap for global RFID roll-out
Hugo Boss has selected Nedap’s iD Cloud platform for its retail business.
The aim of this tie up is to create supply chain visibility, improve merchandise availability and to deliver excellent shopping experiences.
Nedap’s inventory management platform Hugo Boss with end-to-end, real-time inventory visibility and optimal merchandise availability using RFID technology.
As part of the project, all Hugo Boss global stores will be equipped with Nedap’s iD Cloud store app, allowing fast and regular stock counts, efficient replenishment, and smart refill suggestions.
By knowing exactly what is in stock in stores, Hugo Boss can offer services such as Ship-From-Store and Click & Collect (BOPIS) in an efficient manner.
4. XY Retail secures seed round from Monta Vista Capital
PoS and omnichannel commerce solution startup XY Retail has closed a $4 million seed round led by Monta Vista Capital with participation from Stage 1 Ventures.
The cash will be used to accelerate the company’s global roll-out of its XY platform to luxury brands.
The aim is to help them digitise their enterprises and manage their entire global retail operations— from data decisioning, stock management, and order fulfilment to hyper-personalising the clientelling and merchandising experience.
5. H&M Group taps Google Cloud tech for CX and supply chain push
Google Cloud has announced a new partnership with H&M Group which will see the Swedish multinational leverage its data analytics capabilities and sustainable global infrastructure to enhance its customer experience and supply chain enablement.
The pair will collaborate to develop an enterprise data backbone including a core data platform, data product, and advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities.
This will also include the establishment of a new data mesh to further make all types of data and events accessible from multiple sources including in-store, online, its brands ecosystem and suppliers.
6. Kingfisher deploys new 3D Cloud by Marxent technology
3D Cloud by Marxent is partnering with Kingfisher to roll-out new 3D visualisation, planning, and design tech across a number of its banners.
The initiative includes a 3D kitchen, bathroom, and storage planner with virtual reality capabilities in addition to a series of mobile 3D product configurators.
Kingfisher's B&Q and Brico Depot Romania have launched the system in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Romania.
B&Q UK has also rolled out a line-up of intuitive, mobile first 3D product configurators for fireplaces and for the Kingfisher exclusive Atomia and Alara product lines.
Using the aforementioned tools, shoppers are able to explore, design, visualise and checkout in a single app. More sophisticated design features are available for experienced designers.
Gloss