The weekly Retail Tech Roundup compiles technology news across the supply chain, manufacturing, retail, e-commerce, logistics and fulfillment sectors.
Merchandising
Centric Software
Urban Revivo (UR), a Chinese luxury fast-fashion brand, has implemented Centric Software’s Digital Buying Board, which enables merchandise planners, designers, developers, buyers and their sales teams to hold collaborative buying sessions online.
The Digital Buying Board is designed to optimize the procurement process, facilitate better decision-making early in the assortment development phase by sales channel, capture buyer commitments in real time and adjust the product offer to maximize sales.
“Centric’s Digital Buying Board can make our product mix richer and more strategic, improve the accuracy of our merchandising and assortment structure and help the buying team to make better decisions,” said Pamela Tan, head of operations, design center at UR. “The Digital Buying Board provides reports and analytical views that offer comprehensive information to drive our buying work. It mobilizes the creativity of our management teams and leads to more precise business decision making.”
UR has selected Centric’s Digital Buying Board from the Centric Visual Innovation Platform family of visual innovation boards to drive team collaboration and decision making, both in-person or remotely. The retailer first partnered with Centric in 2017, when it implemented the company’s flagship product lifecycle management solution.
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Livestream video shopping
Bambuser
Sweden tech firm Bambuser AB has partnered with an unnamed fashion group to deploy live video shopping, which enables consumers to shop during livestreamed videos directly on a website of one of the group’s brands. Users can chat, send emojis and “like” products during the live stream straight from their phones, all while being able to add products to their cart throughout the experience.
While Bambuser didn’t reveal the fashion partner in its statement, it noted that its new pilot partner operates a portfolio of several brands established in over 50 online markets with approximately 179,000 employees and a total net sales of SEK 233 billion ($25.3 billion) for the 2019 financial year. H&M, also based in Sweden, shares all three of these descriptions.
In fact, Monki, part of the H&M Group, already introduced Bambuser Live Video Shopping on its site in fall 2019, as well as on its flagship store in Chinese e-commerce marketplace Tmall.
With a new partnership, the unnamed brand would host a pilot trial of Live Video Shopping that would last three months in one market. The company would have the right to use Live Video Shopping at a fixed cost of SEK 350,000 (approximately $38,000).
Fulfillment
ReadyCloud
ReadyCloud, an e-commerce suite that offers solutions for shipping, returns and CRM, has updated its ReadyShipper X shipping software to include features designed to improve order filtering and brand management capabilities.
The filters can be set for virtually any combination of order elements, including by state, urgency or contents. Orders can be filtered and grouped, so that urgent orders, perishable or potentially hazardous products rise to the top and are fulfilled first. Any product with inherent restrictions can be filtered by multiple states or postal codes to ensure error-free fulfillment to unrestricted areas.
Companies with multiple websites or brands, as well as third-party logistics providers also can access the new “Profiles” feature.” ReadyShipper X allows for an almost unlimited number of shipper accounts, company addresses and logos, resulting in a shipping process that will automatically switch company brands and UPS, FedEx or USPS shipping methods based on a simple identifier or filter.
In the case of a warehouse that is handling dozens of unique clients, each with their own brand identity, ReadyShipper X can automatically switch profiles so that the orders appear to be shipping from the correct retailer and are billed to the correct carrier account.
“Today’s consumer is impatient,” says Michael Lazar, an executive at ReadyCloud. “As consumers, we’ve become accustomed to getting our online order delivered in a few days and often at no extra cost. The e-retailer can present a great buying experience, but if expectations aren’t met, they risk missing out on potential future sales.”
As part of the ReadyCloud Suite, ReadyShipperX is instantly compatible with Amazon, eBay, Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, Square and others.
RFID
Detego
Detego, a cloud-based RFID software solution with offices in the U.K., Austria and Russia, has taken a major step to expand into the North American market with more than 500 live installations of its software in the U.S., including stores and distribution centers.
To lead the U.S. expansion, Detego appointed Umesh Cooduvalli as vice president of sales for the U.S.
“With strong partnerships and large-scale RFID deployments already existing across the country, the addition of a U.S.-based team is a logical next step,” said Kim Berknov, executive chairman of Detego.
The Detego software is designed to provide retailers with item-level data, combined with reporting and artificial intelligence capabilities that can improve stock accuracy, product availability and better decision making. Detego‘s customers include Levi’s, Adidas, Reiss, Bestseller and many other international retailers and department stores. The software is already being used in more than 1,750 stores and 15 distribution centers.
“The group is extremely proud to be working with some of the largest retail accounts in fashion and sportswear, many of which we have successfully deployed across the U.S.,” Berknov said. “This has allowed us to gain unique insights into the challenges retailers face and utilize these learnings within our solutions. Now more than ever, retailers need to think smarter and more efficiently to ensure business continuity. Detego is confident we have developed the necessary solutions to meet the old and new challenges facing retailer’s supply chains and stores.”
Supply Chain
CGS BlueCherry
CGS, a global provider of business applications, enterprise learning and outsourcing services, said Luly Yang Design Group, a uniform designer and manufacturer of couture and apparel, selected its BlueCherry Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to optimize inventory and order fulfillment processes.
Luly Yang Design Group manages a dynamic portfolio of operations, including Luly Yang Couture, an award-winning fashion house founded in 2000. The group designs and manufactures custom-branded corporate uniforms and specialty lines featuring luxe accessories and ready-to-wear separates. As the company continued to grow, it sought a solution to manage orders, inventory, costing, reporting and leverage automation.
With expertise and resources in the fashion and apparel market, the CGS BlueCherry ERP solution will support the fashion company’s current and future business during its growth. Through BlueCherry, Luly Yang Design Group aims to enhance collaboration throughout all of its departments and divisions. The company also plans to increase automation and track its products from style creation to fulfillment.
“By incorporating BlueCherry ERP, we will increase transparency throughout our organization,” said Luly Yang, founder of Luly Yang Design Group. “With increased automation, our team will be able to focus on more strategic tasks that will ultimately increase productivity and decrease costs.”
The CGS BlueCherry Enterprise Suite provides clients with comprehensive digital supply chain management solutions, available both in the cloud and on premises, to drive their fundamental business processes. With a focus on high-growth organizations operating in consumer lifestyle products, fashion, retail, footwear and apparel, the BlueCherry Suite is designed to address the needs of the end-to-end supply chain, from planning and product development to manufacturing and sales.
Retail Management
Jesta I.S.
Jesta I.S., a provider of integrated software solutions for retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, has released the Vision Back Office Management Portal as part of its end-to-end Vision Suite. Retail users can access the portal to independently configure, create, manage and track an assortment of strategic and administrative workflows for implementation across all commerce channels.
What’s more, users who are store-based, in headquarters or remote can leverage the platform’s dashboard to view real-time information relative to their respective roles within each organization.
The portal is designed to centralize management of omnichannel, wholesale and corporate sale customers, the management of advanced channel- and rule-based promotions and the management of gift card and loyalty programs. The portal leverages algorithms for automated consolidation of duplicate customer records.
The portal also includes Vision Surveys, a configurable module that takes instant shopper feedback about products and services and uses it to implement workflows at the store level within Jesta’s Vision POS Store platform. Surveys can be leveraged for services such as product customizations, special orders, warranties, pickups and deliveries.
“Jesta’s Vision Back Office Management Portal gives associates the power to manage agile workflows for engaging and inspiring customer experiences in the omni-commerce environment,” said Arvind Gupta, president of Jesta I.S. “An open architecture combined with intuitive UX design builds on Jesta’s Vision Suite foundation offering a unified commerce experience that enables effortless collaboration among head office, e-commerce, marketing and in-store teams for improved productivity and consistent omnichannel shopping offerings to customers.”
Logistics/fulfillment
LocoMobi World
LocoMobi World has released Arrival Alarm, a service for curbside pickup and drive-thru systems that notifies retailers and other establishments when customers are on site.
Customers can leverage the solution by entering their license plate numbers with their order. When a shopper arrives at a store, License Plate Recognition (LPR) Express cameras scan the driver’s plate and notify the merchant.
The multi-step scanning process uses advanced artificial intelligence to ensure accuracy. Recognition cameras with AI exposure control are designed to capture the best image possible for plate recognition. Multiple plate scans further increase accuracy.
Retailers can set up a stream from all the LPR Express cameras for employees to watch in real time, so that they can be alerted when someone shows up, or if someone is in a spot for too long. Additionally, they can enroll in LocoMobi’s MoveBe marketing program, which is designed to offer customizable specials and events to attract shoppers, such as “Spend $25 or more and receive $5 off parking.”
“Although COVID-19 created this demand, it has created a huge new business model,” said LocoMobi World CEO Grant Furlane. “We are fortunate to have already developed the core AI program and have the ability to deliver this now with some really innovative apps to also promote the services.”
Retailers also can leverage the solution to welcome shoppers with voice messages or LED signs as they arrive, letting them know their order will be out shortly. If the order is not there, the retailer can inform shoppers about how to contact an associate.
Store technology
LG Business Solutions
LG Business Solutions USA has introduced a suite of digital signage packages designed to allow businesses to communicate their policies, sanitization standards and real-time updates within their physical locations as they reopen.
LG’s Health Protocol Solutions series of digital signage packages are designed for indoor and window-facing use in either landscape or portrait orientation. Each package includes a webOS Signage LG display, a Peerless-AV SmartMount Flat Panel Cart and a limited-time free trial of a content management system (CMS) compatible with multiple webOS Signage software application partners.
For retailers that require displays that are viewed from outdoors, the package includes a high-brightness 49- or 55-inch window-facing LG display, a Peerless-AV SR560M cart and a free CMS trial. The solution is designed to allow retailers to relay up-to-date messaging on their health protocols, hours and opening status to prospective customers.
“More than ever, relaying important information to employees and customers is critical, and digital signage solutions allow businesses to update messaging as often as necessary, and as quickly and safely as possible,” said Dan Smith, vice president of business development at LG Business Solutions USA. “Our goal is to help businesses during this challenging time with easy-to-use digital signage packages that can be used now for displaying immediate critical messages and re-deployed later to communicate changing health protocols as employees return to the workplace.”