Coles Group sees double as it goes live with another Ocado online customer fulfilment centre in Australia
Ocado’s second customer fulfilment centre (CFC) for Coles Group in Australia has officially opened.
This taps a blend of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation to improve the way orders are picked, packed and delivered.
Delivery times will also be improved, with Ocado’s technology giving Coles the ability to calculate the most efficient routes based on real-time conditions and tonnage of the home delivery vans.
Coles CEO Leah Weckert says: “This launch marks a significant transformation of our online grocery delivery service for New South Wales.”
“Across Victoria and New South Wales, we have already delivered more than 120,000 orders, the equivalent of 5.5 million products, with our customers getting near perfect orders with zero substitutions. This is an incredible result for our customers, and a testament to the world class Ocado technology.”
Pricer research: Brexit to blame as Brits say many items in weekly food shop are out of stock in stores
1,000+ Brits polled by Pricer showed that now typically consumers find 18% of the items in their weekly food shop unavailable on shelf when they shop in-store, rising +1 percentage point year-on-year. Instances of out-of-stocks were higher when buying groceries online, with 28% reporting food shop items were out-of-stock, prompting them to be missing or substituted in their orders, a rise of +6% year-on-year.
Brexit was the top reason UK shoppers believed was contributing to the shelf-gaps they were experiencing in-store, with 40% of respondents citing complications with border checks and additional paperwork making it harder to import food goods into the UK. While the UK government announced it would delay planned post-
Brexit checks on fruit and veg for a third time earlier this month, 52% of UK consumers believe more products are unavailable due to the UK’s decision to leave the EU.
All eyes on Aarhus, Denmark as retailer føtex opens its first autonomous store, powered by AiFI technology
Powered by AiFi technology, the checkout-free shopping location is open 24/7. This is the retailer’s first venture in to the autonomous stores space.
Customers check in with their payment card, take goods off the shelves and leave the store. Cameras in the ceiling register the purchase of goods.
Morten Møberg, Executive Vice President, Director at føtex, says: “There are already many customers who have stopped by during the “test week” and the store has received a lot of praise. There is a good reason for this.”
“The team has created a super store, and we can offer our customers a really wide selection with 1,500 items in just 120 sqm. But the most important thing of all is of course that it is super easy.”
Primark notches up a self-service checkouts first in Portugal as retailer opens its 452nd store globally
Primark has opened a new store in Montijo, Portugal, its first in the country to feature self-service checkouts.
In a LinkedIn post, Stephen Regan, Group Board Executive at Primark, dated Friday, 11th October, said: “Wrapping up the week in a very special way by celebrating the opening of our brand new store in Montijo, Portugal. This is a very special moment for the Primark Portugal team as it’s the first new store in the Portuguese market in seven years, the 11th store in Portugal, and the 452nd globally.”
“It’s also the first Portuguese store to offer self-service checkouts and the first to open as part of our €40 million investment announcement in the market.”
He added: “I was delighted to visit the store yesterday and it looks amazing. I am sure our customers will love the modern aesthetic and the immersive shopping experience they will have in Montijo, which includes a distinct scent and curated soundtrack.”
“The team has done a fantastic job, so huge congratulations and a big well done to everyone who supported with this opening. An incredible achievement for everyone involved and our business. Best of luck to the Montijo team with their opening weekend!”
Snapchat announces launch of immersive augmented reality high street on Brick Lane in East London
Snapchat has launched an immersive high street experience, Snap Street, set to open in East London this October.
The Ely’s Yard building in Brick Lane will be transformed into an actual indoor high street with shop-fronts showing off the augmented reality (AR) experiences available on Snapchat – curated by brands like Depop, Boots, and Cosmopolitan.
Free to attend, and open for one weekend only (Saturday 19th – Sunday 20th October) Snap Street will imagine what a high street might look like in the future.
Depop will debut The Depop Claw Machine, offering visitors the chance to win some circular fashion, including streetwear, designer styles and exclusive Depop merch.
Visitors can also immerse themselves in the world of Depop using the Snapchat x Depop AR Mirror. From 12-2pm on Saturday, shoppers can get creative and make a free personalised phone charm with help from Depop seller @SantexSante.
