Walmart Pickup Towers From the NYPost Apr2021 — The retailer is removing 300 of these towers and “hibernating” another 1,300 because customers grew accustomed to curbside pick-up during the pandemic — and prefer it, according to the Wall Street Journal. See photos from corporate Walmart of towers From the WSJ At Walmart Inc., the robots are losing their… Read More »
Amazon Palm Payment Posted on GroceryDive Apr2021 — Dive Brief: Amazon announced on Wednesday that it is expanding Amazon One, which lets users pay with their palm prints, to Whole Foods Market stores. The payment technology is now available at Whole Foods’ Madison Broadway location in Seattle and will expand to seven other area locations in the coming months, Dilip Kumar, Amazon’s… Read More »
From the Ingenico Blog and Written by Ian Benn | Apr 14, 2021 It’s strange how technology use changes over time. Take the QR code: It has been around for more than a quarter of a century but is only now starting to become more visible in our lives. What began as a simple tool to help Japanese car makers track… Read More »
Contactless Arrival Kiosks From Hospitality Upgrade — Marriott Delivers on Consumer Desire for Enhanced Contactless Technology Marriott International, Inc. announced the debut of a pilot program for contactless arrival kiosks at several select-service hotels, as well as the launch of a proof-of-concept for contactless grab-and-go marketplaces at two Fairfield by Marriott hotels. Contactless Arrival Kiosks at Moxy NYC… Read More »
Where we saw it… H-E-B is partnering with Texas A&M University to provide grocery delivery to people who live on its main and West campuses in College Station, Texas, according to an article posted Wednesday on the university’s website. Under the Campus+ program, customers at the university can receive grocery orders at eight dedicated delivery zones for a $5 fee.… Read More »
Where we saw it… Walmart is losing hundreds of in-store McDonald’s locations that have seen diminished foot traffic during the pandemic, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday. By this summer, around 150 McDonald’s will remain inside Walmart stores — down from a peak of 1,000 locations at the height of the two chains’ 30-year partnership. The paper also reported that… Read More »
Automated Smart Locker System by GRUBBRR and Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. BOCA RATON, Fla., April 6, 2021 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — BOCA RATON, Fla., April 6, 2021 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — GRUBBRR, a leading commerce automation company, and Frank Mayer, North America’s premier kiosk provider, have forged a trailblazing partnership to provide restaurants and other retailers with best-in-class Smart… Read More »
From NRN March 2021 — Pizza Hut is launching a digital pickup window at 1,500 restaurants — The Hut Lane is a dedicated pickup lane that will allow customers to place orders online, through their app or on the phone and pick up at the window. Pizza Hut announced Tuesday that the Yum Brands company has launched the… Read More »
Marketing note on ICSC March 2021 Great title. Summary: Says drive-thru but it is actually a walkup with pickup lockers Lockers are all accessible by phone though that comes with accessibility concerns The customer orders via voice AI helps customize the order Valyant is working on conversational AI Sonic Tried Voice Ordering 2019 – Goodtime Burgers ran a… Read More »
From BusinessInsider March 2021 The Thomson Reuters Foundation published a report Friday about an Amazon driver in Denver for whom the company’s constant artificial-intelligence-driven surveillance proved to be too much. Vic, who asked the Thomson Reuters Foundation to use only his first name “for fear of retaliation,” this month quit his job delivering packages for the tech giant. Insider reported in… Read More »
