News

US-based product master data platform Salsify is taking over its French competitor Alkemics. The companies did not comment on the terms of the takeover. Both offer cloud-based platforms for collaboration between retailers and their suppliers and are each registered as data pools of the Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN).

Next week, Lodata will, together with HP Retail Solutions, Almex and Combase, introduce a new hybrid checkout system that allows retailers from different verticals to make the checkout process variable and time-saving.

Rewe is the first German full-range food retailer to test shopping without payment at the checkout. The technology, called Pick&Go, has been tested with employees in a Cologne supermarket since the beginning of May and is expected to become available to all shoppers in late summer. Rewe Digital developed the solution with the computer vision specialist Trigo Vision from Israel.

Ernsting's Family plans to equip its 1,850 stores with iPads on which employees can find goods for customers in other stores and reorder them online. The textile retailer developed its ‘endless shelf’ app with CaperWhite. Lodata supplies the shops with the hardware including special scanners from Newland.

Australian supermarket chain Woolworth is planning its first online fulfilment centre in Auburn, in Western Sydney. The new logistics site will deploy automation technology from Austrian supplier Knapp and is scheduled to begin operations in 2024.

Australian supermarket chain Coles has centralised planning for its fresh produce assortments on the Living Retail platform from US specialist Relex. The solution integrates with the retailer’s in-house developed forecasting software and automates replenishment in order to streamline supply chain processes.

Teleshopping provider Home Shopping Europe (HSE) relies on Aptos' new cloud-based Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution for procurement of goods, collection planning, product development and purchase planning.

Japan's Aeon Group will open an autonomous supermarket in Tokyo this summer. A store of its Daiei sales line in the Koto district will be equipped with camera and sensor technology from Chinese start-up Cloudpick.

Kaufland customers can cash in surplus coins for vouchers at Coinstar machines. A growing number of Edeka and Rewe stores is also offering the service.

British drugstore chain Boots is digitising its store processes with the Yoobic task management solution. Supported by an app, store staff can work more efficiently and offer customers a better shopping experience.