Friday, November 22, 2024

The biggest retail technology news stories from June including Rohlik Group, Target and Macy’s — Retail Technology Innovation Hub

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7. Checkout.com inks payments deal with Middle East, Africa and Asia, shopping mall, retail and leisure firm Majid Al Futtaim

Majid Al Futtaim, a shopping mall, communities, retail, and leisure specialist across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, has announced a new partnership with PayTech big hitter Checkout.com.

Under the agreement, more than 15 million customers who visit Majid Al Futtaim online each month, will now experience a one-click checkout experience across the company’s offerings.

The tie up will provide Majid Al Futtaim’s customers with one payment platform to access its fashion, home, specialty retail and beauty partner brands, including lululemon, LEGO, Crate and Barrel, Shiseido, with 20 digital platforms across the GCC as well as its cinema and leisure and entertainment businesses and its grocery retail stores operating under the Carrefour franchise in 14 different markets.

8. Target preps genie powered chatbot roll-out across US stores as technology plays ‘outsized role in future of retail’

Target has announced plans to roll-out a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool to team members at all of its nearly 2,000 stores by August.

This makes it the first major retailer to share that it is bringing this technology to its store team members across the US.

The tool, called Store Companion, is a chatbot designed by Target that can answer on the job process questions, coach new team members, support store operations management and more.

Store Companion’s goal is to make the teams’ jobs easier and allow them to work more quickly and efficiently, offering faster service and deeper guest engagement.

The initiative is part of Target’s broader strategic approach to using GenAI across its business to empower its team, enhance the guest experience and support the company’s long-term growth.

9. Macy’s taps Enactor technology as department store chain completes major PoS checkout modernisation project

Macy’s has announced go live for a major PoS checkout modernisation project.

In a LinkedIn post, Naga Tirumala Rao Chillapalli, Technical Engineering Manager at Macy’s, said: “Modernising Point of Sale is no small feat, involving the replacement of registers, modernising PoS applications, and backend integrations.”

“It requires extensive collaboration between product, business, change management, software vendors, store leadership, and cross-functional teams.”

He added: “In my role as a manager, this project has been both a challenge and a triumph. I’ve had the privilege of overseeing multiple facets of the project, from development to Enactor configurations, environments, PoS labs, testing, SRE and QA automation. It’s been a journey of growth and learning, and I’m immensely proud of the progress we’ve made together.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of my team and the entire project team. This achievement is a testament to the incredible teamwork, dedication, and collaboration of everyone involved.”

“Together, we have overcome challenges, embraced change, and delivered a solution that will drive positive impact for our customers and store colleagues.”

The new Point of Sale systems are now live at Macy’s Mall of Georgia.

Chillapalli concluded: “We will continue to build on this momentum, innovate, and deliver exceptional experiences for our customers and colleagues.”

10. Amazon reports that its Just Walk Out technology will be deployed at London arena The O2 this summer

The O2 will be one of more than a dozen third-party locations in the UK to offer Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology by the end of this year.

It will be the first indoor arena in England to use the solution, with a new store allowing people to tap their card or mobile wallet, grab their chosen drinks and snacks, and quickly get back to their seats.

The O2 adds to a growing list of UK venues that have opened stores powered by Just Walk Out technology, including ExCel London and The SSE Arena.

Jon Jenkins, Vice President, Just Walk Out technology, says: “We have stores in corporate headquarters like Bentley Motors and Santander Bank, as well as our own Amazon headquarters in London.”

“We’re also in hospitals and universities, including stores at Telford Hospital and Sussex University, and we recently launched a store at Gridserve’s EV Station at Gatwick Airport, with more Gridserve stores coming later this year.”

“By the end of 2024, we expect to be in more than a dozen third-party stores in the UK, as well as in all 20 UK Amazon Fresh stores.”

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