The Friday Checkout is a weekly column that provides more insights into the news, rounds up announcements you may have missed and shares what’s coming up.
Frictionless checkout technology is gaining a lot of attention in the retail world. The device uses computer vision and artificial intelligence to get shoppers out of stores without stopping to pay, and it allows retailers to speed customers through their locations, analyze people’s movements and track inventory.
While the technology promises to help retailers serve convenience-conscious consumers and track activity in their stores, only Amazon has succeeded in bringing the magic of automation to locations larger than convenience stores — and that could soon change.
Israeli checkout tech startup Trigo announced this week that it plans to spend the $100 million it raised on Take its gear to a ‘full-size’ supermarketa promise made The company thinks its technology can operate in a standard grocery store, which could become a reality.This could help Trigo compete with Amazon, which has been going on for months including its Just Walk Out technology at each new location in its growing Amazon Fresh supermarket fleet.
Grabango, one of Trigo’s competitors in frictionless checkout, also says it’s working on it expand its technology Beyond convenience stores, It has publicly stated that its technology is currently working. While the company hasn’t said when such an announcement will be made, founder Will Glaser said it’s testing its device at full-size grocery stores.
Other companies in the frictionless checkout space, such as Standard, AiFi, Zippin, and Mashgin, appear to be focusing their efforts on smaller retail locations for now, including stores on college campuses and airports, as well as convenience stores. But as Amazon continues to roll out Just Walk Out and other areas for larger stores, is frictionless checkout technology finally ready to take a big step?
in case you missed it
“Midnight” Basket
Taylor Swift is everywhere, including your Market Basket grocery aisle.
This old-fashioned grocery store passed this week post parody Music star’s latest album “Midnight”. Market Basket’s album cover parodies Swift’s, listing the grocer’s own puns on the album’s 13 tracks, including “Lowell Haze,” “Sawdust on the Floor” and “Antipasto” — which played the hits “Lavender Haze,” “Snow on the Beach,” and “Anti-Hero.”
If Market Basket dropped an original album, which song would you most like to listen to? pic.twitter.com/0ENqKA2BEH
– Market Basket (@MarketBasket) October 24, 2022
Market Basket didn’t stop there when they released a mockup of their album “Midnights” on Twitter Monday afternoon. Their New England fan base can also enjoy the grocery store’s “3 AM Edition” featuring “The Great Tile Floor” and “Milk, Bread” inspired by the original songs “The Great War” and “Would’ve” , Eggs” and other extra tracks, could, should. ”
Without further ado, we introduce: Market Basket (3AM Edition)
Featuring bonus tracks:
large tile floor
The cereal box is bigger than the entire aisle
Tewkesbury
Low Contrast Peach Analog Clock
loyalty
milk, bread, eggs
Valued customers pic.twitter.com/4nQJVHLZnK– Market Basket (@MarketBasket) October 26, 2022
Market Basket isn’t the only company leaning toward new albums. Shipt is also celebrating Swift’s 10th original studio album with a list of 13 must-haves for fans to listen to for the first time. Some products on the list reflect song titles, such as Ghirardelli’s Midnight Reverie Chocolate and The Honey Pot’s Lavender-scented Bath Bombs.
Try Guys Try Amazon Fresh
Amazon Fresh sponsors The Try Guys’ Recent YouTube Videostaking this as an opportunity to actively highlight the products its store offers and the Amazon Dash Cart technology in a humorous way.
The Try Guys were asked to create a dish for Thanksgiving dinner in under an hour, and Amazon Fresh provided all their ingredients while the comedians ran around the store and used Dash Carts. For the first 7 minutes, The Try Guys video plays at the Amazon Fresh store, and men marvel at the speed and ease of use of the checkout cart.
As shown above, many grocers are putting more effort into their online social media with TikTok videos and even parody albums to attract the attention and recognition of millennial and Gen Z shoppers.
Sam’s Club Artificial Intelligence Pie Technology
This holiday season, Sam’s Club is using its artificial intelligence technology for a key purpose — making sure their 600 stores have enough pie for every club member.
Using their AI-embedded Fresh Sales app and machine-learning technology models, wholesalers “are able to predict (on an hourly basis in some cases) how many pies they need to stockpile to meet member demand and reduce food waste,” according to Thursday’s statement. Company blog post.
According to the press release, Sam’s Club’s machine learning technology takes into account factors that affect suppliers, such as weather, events, holidays, shelf life and appropriate substitutes.
Wholesalers also put their new Automatic Scrubber with Inventory Scanning Technology Because it alerts employees when items are about to sell out. From there, once the truck arrives, its ClubIQ tool “prioritizes orders that need to be offloaded from the truck for pies and other items.”
Kroger is looking to buy Albertsons for about $24.6 billion.
Courtesy of Albertson
Weeks: $4 billion
That’s the approximate amount Albertsons shareholders will receive in early November from a special dividend related to the grocery company’s merger with Kroger. The size of the dividend has sparked concerns among a bipartisan group of attorneys general and several local unions, who claim the $4 billion will reward investors at a time when Albertson can use the money for other efforts, such as raising worker wages or lower costs. Albertsons has said the dividend will not weigh on its financials.
what will the future be like
Employment report is out
The latest jobs data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for October will be released on November 1. 4. Restaurants added 2,700 jobs in September, down from 14,600 in August.
Windy City Welcomes Second Dom’s Kitchen and Market
Grocery dive reporter Catherine Douglas Moran will open in Chicago for the newest store for the emerging grocery chain run by longtime grocery executives Don Fitzgerald and Bowser Developed by Bob Mariano. Mariano, the founder of the Mariano Flag, is now owned by Kroger, and will take place on Tuesday.