| Last week we mentioned that as the industry continues to rebalance post-pandemic and we’re finding that the need for outside support and perspective (especially when it comes to technology) is growing. An article in Business of Fashion this week caught our eye and really emphasized that sentiment. While the article focused specifically on brands, everyone in the retail space needs to properly evaluate which technologies are going to help advance their strategies and goals, especially with consumer behavior and expectations continuing to evolve with the aggressively fast pace of change we’re experiencing. Big or small, near or far, we’re here to help you at any point in your journey – let’s chat!
This week the news about generative AI and ChatGPT did not slow, but “older” technologies, like Just Walk Out, saw headlines too. We’re getting ready to head to the Seminarium Perú Retail 2023 conference, June 14-15 – learn more about our speaking sessions over on our Twitter or LinkedIn. |
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| IKEA Looks to Speed Up E-Commerce With Software Acquisition [The Wall Street Journal] IKEA is buying supply-chain software provider Made4net, as the furniture giant aims to make its growing e-commerce business faster and more precise. They are acquiring 100% of the company for an undisclosed fee to boost its capability to serve online shoppers. |
| How Brands Can Choose the Right In-Store Technology [Business of Fashion] In the current economy, many brands are implementing tools that solve infrastructural problems, like radio-frequency identification or RFID. For technology to be worth the investment in physical retail, it has to improve operations and enhance customers’ in-store experiences. |
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| Six Flags to pilot Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology in June ahead of peak summer season [ModernRetail] Six Flags will be the first theme park operator to pilot Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology at a few select locations to reduce wait times for customers wanting to purchase food and drinks. Next month, Six Flags will soft launch Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology at its theme park in New Jersey on June 1. If all goes well a similar rollout will be planned for the Six Flags Magic Mountain location in Los Angeles. |
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| Micro & Last Mile Fulfillment |
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| Instacart begins nationwide rollout of ChatGPT search tool [GroceyDive] Instacart announced it has begun the rollout of an artificial intelligence powered search tool that leverages ChatGPT called Ask Instacart to all U.S. and Canadian customers over the coming weeks. The tool allows customers to find products as well as recipes, food prep tips and more using “natural language” instead of keyword-based searches. |
| Aldi launches 30-minute delivery [GroceryDive] Aldi and Instacart announced the launch of Aldi Express, a “virtual convenience store” providing 30-minute delivery of a selection of nearly 2,000 items. The Instacart-powered virtual store is available from over 2,100 Aldi U.S. locations and offers delivery of prepared foods, snacks, drinks, grocery staples, household essentials and other Aldi-exclusive items. |
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| How Drones Are Shaping The Future Of Ultrafast Delivery Across American Suburbs [Forbes] Over the past several years, drone delivery has become more than just an experiment for several towns across the US. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Yariv Bash, CEO and co-founder of Flytrex, the ultrafast drone delivery company for food and retail. |
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| Restaurants & Ghost Kitchens |
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| McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A are tracking your location to make sure your fries are perfectly crispy when you come collect your mobile order [Insider] McDonald’s and Chick-fil-A are tracking the locations of customers who place mobile orders. Their restaurants use this data to make sure orders are ready and still hot when customers arrive. McDonald’s is currently piloting this feature, while Chick-fil-A is rolling it out this summer. |
| Panera Offers Diners Ability to Pick Up at the Drive-Thru [PYMNTS] The restaurant chain announced the launch of its Drive-Thru Pick-Up program, which combines “the ease of the digital ordering experience with the comfort and convenience of the drive-thru window.” The service lets customers choose Drive-Thru Pick-Up as an option when ordering ahead on the Panera app or website, and then pick up their food without having to exit their vehicles. |
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| 4 restaurant industry predictions from the NRA Show [RestaurantDive] Ghost kitchens, immigration policy, managerial automation and catering could help shape the future of the industry, experts said at the National Restaurant Association Show. |
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| Gen Z teens are so unruly in malls, fed by their TikTok addiction, that a growing number are requiring chaperones and supervision [Fortune] Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey — the second largest mall in the state — is requiring anyone under 18 years old to be accompanied by a chaperone at least 21 or older on Fridays and Saturdays after 5 p.m. The move, according to the mall, follows “an increase in disruptive behavior by a small minority of younger visitors.” |
| Journeys to close 100 stores this year, move away from malls [RetailDive] Genesco plans to close more than 100 Journeys stores this year, up from its previous estimate of 60 locations. Amid declining sales, Genesco is shifting the store presence of Journeys away from malls. “We still have work to do, but we are so far encouraged by the early reads and believe this initiative will represent a key element in Journeys’ growth moving forward,” Vaughn said. |
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| Thinking Small Might Be Retail’s New Big Trend [PYMNTS] Merchants are embracing smaller footprints in a greater effort to cut costs and renew customer focus.Marking a significant shift in retailer strategy, major stores determined to adapt to the reality of today’s economic landscape are overhauling their brick-and-mortar approach. |
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