High five to Whole Foods

The latest in retail and loyalty, October 2019

Amazon tests a hand recognition payment system for Whole Foods

Amazon is testing a payment system that scans human hands to ring up purchases. Unlike most biometric systems that require you to touch the surface of a scanner, Amazon’s take on the technology apparently doesn’t need you to physically touch any device. The company’s technology uses computer vision and depth geometry to identify the size and shape of your hand before charging the credit card you have on file. The system does not require the shopper to bring his/her phone to the store.

 

 

Checkers Hyper reveals worldclass flagship store in Sandton City

Checkers Hyper revealed its flagship store in Sandton City, complete with chocolatier bar, an open-flame pizza oven, an in-store Kauai and an extensive range of innovative new products. The various in-store service departments (such as the Butchery, Bakery, Cheese Deli and Fresh Fruit & Vegetables) are dedicated destination areas - designed to look and feel like a store within a store - offering customers an artisanal market experience within a supermarket environment.

Shinsegae testing a cashierless grocery store concept

South Korean retail giant Shinsegae is developing a cashierless grocery-store modelled on the Amazon Go concept. The brand’s first automated store will be branded Emart24 – Technology used in the store will include artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision and cloud point-of-sale systems.

Gen-Z-ers like shopping in stores

According to a new survey by A.T. Kearney, shoppers ages 14 to 24 overwhelmingly prefer to do their shopping in stores, largely for mental health reasons. Eighty-one percent of Gen Z respondents said they prefer to purchase in stores, and 73% said they like to discover new products in stores. Brick-and-mortar stores allow for a new type of “retail therapy,” with 58% of the group saying browsing shelves and clothing racks allows them to disconnect from social media and the digital world.

Albert Heijn adds new payment service for home deliveries

Dutch retailer Albert Heijn has announced that it has added a new smartphone-based payment service for home deliveries. The service, which the retailer claims is a first of its kind in the Netherlands, allows users to pay for their online orders through a payment request instead of a PIN. The delivery person generates a QR code on their payment device, which is scanned by the customer with the Albert Heijn app. This redirects the customer to his/her bank app for processing the payment. Once the payment is complete, the delivery person gets a notification.

Albert Heijn experiments with cash-register free supermarket

Dutch supermarket chain Albert Heijn is experimenting with a new form of shopping in which ‘buying groceries is just like taking something out of the fridge’. The testing ground, a 14 square meter purpose-built store at the company’s Zaandam headquarters, has no cash registers and shoppers do not have to scan the products they are buying either. Instead, shoppers open the door to the shop by scanning their bank card. As they leave, the grocery bill will appear on a screen and the money they owe will automatically be deducted from their bank account.

The cameras do not use facial recognition and work together with special shelving which registers if a product is removed or put back.

Iceland to introduce Christmas menu in plastic-free packaging

UK retailer Iceland is to launch a plastic-free Christmas range to offer sustainable options to its customers. The assortment includes 30 Christmas menu options comprising starters, mains, and desserts in plastic-free packaging.Iceland to introduce Christmas menu in plastic-free packaging

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