Category Archives: Retail Systems

The automated retail industry is one of the two core technology showplaces today (financial Services being #2).

    • Emerging technologies such as robotics, lockers, digital signage, vending and automated vending lead the way.   Amazon and Google revolutionize physical delivery. OuterWall has another great idea (or not).
    • More mature retail technology includes interactive displays, next-generation POS,  mobile interplay, multi-touch, kiosks for self-service, video services, and customer service technology.
    • Companion technologies include ATMs, kiosks, Advanced ATMS,  NFC and thin client.
    • Standards – here we have more regulatory guidelines in play along with more standards than any other industry. PCI, OPOS, JPOS, MPOS,  HIPAA, ADA, UL, CE just to name a few.

Amazon Lockers vs. Walmart pickup tower: Which is better?

Amazon Lockers and Walmart’s pickup towers let shoppers pick up their products in-store and save on shipping. We tested them to see which was better.

Source: www.businessinsider.com

Good writeup on actually using both of the units. We were not surprised that Amazon won.  Having used it at the local Whole Foods it was measured almost in single digit seconds to pickup. Looks like Walmart overthought it and over complicated it.

Enough With the U.S. Retail Apocalypse – Bloomberg

Not every company is rolling over as Amazon runs roughshod over the industry.

Source: www.bloomberg.com

Her “retail matrix” analyses four factors that affect retailers: brands, experiential, frictionless and low-cost. These ingredients largely determine success amid brutal competition.

 
 

Meanwhile, Kahn says, “digitally native vertical brands” have become big sellers. Niche brands like Warby Parker eyeglasses, Casper mattresses and Allbirds shoes are creating a very different shopping experience — and competing successfully against the retail behemoths.

Retail News for Feb 20, 2018 – Albertsons, JC Penney, Facebook

Albertsons is buying most of Rite Aid. Walgreens had previously tried to acquire the drugstore but the government blocked a full sale; the Rite Aid rival is now in the process of buying almost 2,000 stores instead. Albertsons will acquire the remainder, creating a company with a combined value of around $24 billion and annual revenue of roughly $83 billion. The… Read More: Retail News for Feb 20, 2018 – Albertsons, JC Penney,… »

Through The Looking Glass? When Storefront Windows Go Interactive

PYMNTS spoke with Ilya Alshine, founder and president of imageSurge, a Boston-based service provider looking to turn storefronts into interactive platforms.

Source: www.pymnts.com

So far, Alshine said, imageSurge has been adopted by more than 150 retail storefronts and dozens of real estate companies throughout the U.S. and Canada, illustrating the potential for a sea change in what storefront displays can offer.

Know the reason Starbucks hasn’t automated its stores?

Good article. What Starbucks tells us about automation and the future of jobs.

Source: www.vox.com

A Starbucks barista isn’t just doing a job that could be automated in the future. We’ve known how to build vending machines for coffee for decades, and with a bit of effort they could probably automate the sale of pastries too. Starbucks could lay off all of its baristas and make its stores fully automated.

 

But Starbucks isn’t going to do that because they know customers aren’t just coming for the coffee. The ritual of ordering coffee and having a human being prepare it is an integral part of the Starbucks experience.