Join Alex Rezvan and Alexandra Boisson for another engaging Five Things Friday EU edition. This week, we explore:
Carrefour’s innovative "Store Me Up" startup accelerator, aiming to redefine in-store AI experiences.
Pinterest’s AI-driven partnership with La Redoute, creating a seamless transition from inspiration to purchase.
Insights from Germany highlighting rising retail theft, reduced reporting rates, and increased security investments.
French heritage brand Kiabi’s ambitious RFID technology deployment across 450 stores.
Amazon’s strategic expansion into physical beauty retail in Milan, marking Europe as a core innovation hub.
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Carrefour AI, Pinterest Shopping, RFID Retail, Kiabi Innovation, Amazon Retail Europe, Retail Theft Germany, Alexandra Boisson, Alex Rezvan, Retail Technology, European Retail
Reference Links (Mentioned in the Show):
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello and welcome to another fabulous edition of Five Things
Friday. Most of you know will know I'm
Alex, the founder of the Retail Podcast.
(00:21):
I spend my time helping retailers or brands that sell to
retailers remain relevant and stay as thought leaders in the
retail industry. And I'm joined by my wonderful
and amazing Co host. Hi, I'm Alex.
I work for Business France, the French Trade Commission in
London and I spend my time helping French retail tech
(00:44):
companies expanding in the UK and British retailers helping
innovative retail tech solutions.
That's fantastic. So we've got 5 things already
lined up for you. We're not going to waste your
time. We're going to jump straight in
and talk about. Careful has just launched Store
Me Up, so it's a new brand accelerator focused on install
(01:08):
AI. So what this is about, it's
about looking for, they are looking for five startups that
have a concrete and high impact solutions for the shop floor.
Not just concepts, but tech thatcan actually be tested and
integrated right away. So what type of innovations they
(01:30):
are looking at, They want augmented store staff, computer
vision, robotics and next Gen. Check out what's in it for the
selected startup. So they the the selected steps
UPS will have access to a live pilot install, access to careful
data, tailored mentoring from retail experts and a direct link
(01:54):
to their VC found desktop Deltops can apply until the 15th
of December on their website that directly.
And you can if you go on this LinkedIn post and Alex, if you
just want to play the video, this is where you will find all
the information and they have the link directly on their
(02:15):
LinkedIn post where you can testthe the application form.
And the reason why I wanted to discuss this today is what I
found really interesting is, is the bigger shift it reflects
more and more retailers are now building their own innovation
teams or Latins. And it's they are not just
relying on third parties to scout for startups, but they are
(02:39):
investing on their own internal capabilities to run open
innovation from within. So it's a real sign that
innovation is no longer just a side project, but a core part of
how they appropriate and, say, competed.
I remember seeing the World Retail Congress and we went to
(02:59):
carry because it was in Paris. We went to the Store of the
Future. It was just before the Olympics.
So they had all of those. And last year's focus was
accessibility and they had all of the accessibility startup
partners. And the only reason I mentioned
that is they don't just talk about trying to integrate these
start-ups into their Carrefour stores.
(03:22):
They actually do. And, and I was there and I
witnessed it. So I was like, that's fantastic.
Cause a lot of time these innovation teams, they do so
much, they take the start up through so much.
And you know, they don't, it doesn't end up in a store.
But whereas I, I physically saw with my own eyes the start-ups
in, in the and I forget the store, but it's by the Olympic
(03:43):
Village near, near in Paris, wherever the Olympics were.
Yeah. OK, so the second topic for
today is La Rodot. So La Rodot is turning
inspiration into action, literally.
They have done a partnership with the agency Marcel and
Pinterest and they have launcheda new digital campaign called
(04:04):
Switch to LA Rodot. So it uses AI to analyse users
Pinterest balls, mood balls, wish lists or favourites and it
recommends matching Loudout interior products to shop, all
without leaving the Pinterest platform.
So I find this is a clever use of data and AI to personalise
(04:27):
the shopping experience in visual space.
So for the numbers, over 4 million products were added to
Loudout wish List and Pinterest has seen an 85% increase in
clicks on product bins in France.
So it's showing a real appetite for this type of integration and
(04:50):
it's more than just a campaign. What is really interesting here
is how brands are embedding commerce directly into discovery
platforms. So Loudot is capitalising on
visual search and AI to meet consumers at the moment of
inspiration and convert it instantly.
It reflects a growing trend and for retailers it that means
(05:12):
rethinking not just where they sell, but how they guide people
from an idea to check out all inone place.
I love it. I mean, I love them Pinterest, I
love their annual, they do theirannual trends just tells me how
untrendy I am. But anyway, moving on.
So I have a it's not a doom and gloom, but it's something that
(05:34):
is rife across the whole of Europe.
And there's this article in EuroNews talking about the latest
statistics from the institute, the retail institute in Germany
about how retailers are still, how theft is still a big thing.
But when Euro News article when they went into retail inventory
(05:55):
losses in how when retailers were going through this, they
they sort of looked at the key areas.
I think people sometimes always think it's organised crime that
is part of the problem. But as you can see here, yes,
that there is organisational that it falls into lots of
different areas. The other sort of key
interesting data point that theyhad was obviously food retail is
(06:19):
is the highest and in German in Germany, there was 5 billion in
lost across all categories. But food still being the higher,
which from a societal perspective, it's really sad
because that's the cost of moving crisis and some of the
other elements, but also reporting fail, which isn't
(06:41):
because crime is fault. It's because sometimes
reporting. So the numbers could be a lot
higher, but people have sort of felt, is it worth reporting the
theft or what what has happened?Which again, having heard some
of the retailers stories and retail worker stories in the UK
and some of the horror that theyhave to face.
(07:02):
Sometimes they just aren't reporting it.
And in Germany, in this specificcase, the reported cases were
lower, but there is an increase in security budgets and people
are still investing in technology to solve the problem.
If you're interested in and wantto read the report itself, it's
on the EHI Retail Institute mainpage.
(07:24):
It's it's really good because this is real live data from
retailers in Germany. But I think this nicely leads
into what you were going to talkabout, Alex, in RFID.
Yes, definitely. Many, many technologies can help
with theft and we see a lot of companies working with computer
vision, which is I think the main one.
But RFID, we can also help with that.
(07:47):
The news I wanted to share todayis about the brand Kiabi.
So they have announced that theyare rolling out RFID technology
across more than 450 of its stores in Europe.
So Kiabi, for those who who don't know this brand, it's a
French family favourite fashion brand that has been founded back
(08:08):
in 1978. And despite being a long
established name, it's not standing still.
So this late move really a majorphase in its digital
transformation. So they are modernising their
stores, Every ID is going to help them with the stock
accuracy to optimise the online order fulfilment, reduce staff,
(08:31):
faster checkouts, better inventory visibility and a
stronger Omni channel performance in general.
The most important, I think hereis to stay competitive because
while other legacy French retailers, French fashion
retailers like Camaro, Andre have struggled or even closed
their shops in recently, Kiabi here is showing how an historic
(08:55):
brand can stay relevant by investing in technology and
embracing Omni channel strategies.
So it's a good here, it's a goodreminder that heritage alone
isn't enough. We can say that with M&S as
well, for example. It's about the willingness,
willingness to modernise, test and scale innovation that
(09:16):
separates, you know, the historic brands and and the ones
that are innovating. RFID for those of us who've been
in the industry a while, we've we've seen the, the complete
cycle of it's too expensive, it doesn't work, work, it's too
complicated. Our stores are too big, we have
to deploy too many antennas. And I have to give full credit
to Decathlon for this because I think they were the first major
(09:39):
retailer across Europe to have the RFID bins, which now you,
you go into Zara, you can, you can see them And people are
just, you know, there's this better experience through having
RFID that I think all of the oldworld arguments of, no, we can't
do. I mean, it's, it's, it's gone.
(09:59):
And I think a heritage brand like this moving along with the
times is, is the right thing to see.
And it's quite a significant roll out with 450 stores.
So that's yeah. And that's what nicely leads us
into our final element. For those that may have watched
(10:19):
one of my early videos in God knows, so about 20 something
2022 just before lockdown, I thought was that 29/20/20?
Anyway, I, I, I went into an Amazon store.
So in Spittlefields, you may know Alex, you may have had your
hair done. There is the Amazon beauty
(10:39):
salon. I had my hair cut there and
they, interestingly enough, had a digital display with products
that you could lift. Then the product information
will be broadcast the exact sameunit that I'm looking at here,
which is a really interesting commentary on Amazon's approach
(10:59):
to innovation. They are using Europe as a
playground, as a as a playgroundfor innovation to learn from
different countries. Like in Spain, they launched
with their grocery and home delivery and all of the Amazon
fresh stuff in under an hour to under our deliveries was all
launched in Spain. In the UK, they obviously have
(11:22):
so many different innovations around recycle, reuse and having
the Amazon recycle reuse store. And now here we have, this was
actually in February this year, they launched their Amazon
Perfume and beauty. I want to try and save the
Italian version in Reliance CityCentre.
But I think it's this is testament to Amazon's continual
(11:44):
foothold in retail in the physical world.
In the UK, we had them launch their fresh stores, then they
sort of withdrew and closed some.
And people like, oh, Amazon are leaving.
They're not leaving anywhere. They are just getting started
and they are constantly experimenting with innovation.
And this in my mind is another way in one of the biggest growth
(12:07):
categories across the globe, beauty, how Amazon is coming
into physical and obviously, if you're in Milan, you get a
chance. Please let us know what the
store is like. I'd love to know.
OK, well, that brings us nicely to the end of the show, Alex.
Until next week, I look forward to speaking to you and the the
rest of the Five Things Friday community then.
(12:29):
Thank you for having me. It's always a pleasure.
Hello and welcome to another fabulous edition of Five Things
Friday. Most of you know will know I'm
Alex, the founder of the Retail Podcast.
(00:21):
I spend my time helping retailers or brands that sell to
retailers remain relevant and stay as thought leaders in the
retail industry. And I'm joined by my wonderful
and amazing Co host. Hi, I'm Alex.
I work for Business France, the French Trade Commission in
London and I spend my time helping French retail tech
(00:44):
companies expanding in the UK and British retailers helping
innovative retail tech solutions.
That's fantastic. So we've got 5 things already
lined up for you. We're not going to waste your
time. We're going to jump straight in
and talk about. Careful has just launched Store
Me Up, so it's a new brand accelerator focused on install
(01:08):
AI. So what this is about, it's
about looking for, they are looking for five startups that
have a concrete and high impact solutions for the shop floor.
Not just concepts, but tech thatcan actually be tested and
integrated right away. So what type of innovations they
(01:30):
are looking at, They want augmented store staff, computer
vision, robotics and next Gen. Check out what's in it for the
selected startup. So they the the selected steps
UPS will have access to a live pilot install, access to careful
data, tailored mentoring from retail experts and a direct link
(01:54):
to their VC found desktop Deltops can apply until the 15th
of December on their website that directly.
And you can if you go on this LinkedIn post and Alex, if you
just want to play the video, this is where you will find all
the information and they have the link directly on their
(02:15):
LinkedIn post where you can testthe the application form.
And the reason why I wanted to discuss this today is what I
found really interesting is, is the bigger shift it reflects
more and more retailers are now building their own innovation
teams or Latins. And it's they are not just
relying on third parties to scout for startups, but they are
(02:39):
investing on their own internal capabilities to run open
innovation from within. So it's a real sign that
innovation is no longer just a side project, but a core part of
how they appropriate and, say, competed.
I remember seeing the World Retail Congress and we went to
(02:59):
carry because it was in Paris. We went to the Store of the
Future. It was just before the Olympics.
So they had all of those. And last year's focus was
accessibility and they had all of the accessibility startup
partners. And the only reason I mentioned
that is they don't just talk about trying to integrate these
start-ups into their Carrefour stores.
(03:22):
They actually do. And, and I was there and I
witnessed it. So I was like, that's fantastic.
Cause a lot of time these innovation teams, they do so
much, they take the start up through so much.
And you know, they don't, it doesn't end up in a store.
But whereas I, I physically saw with my own eyes the start-ups
in, in the and I forget the store, but it's by the Olympic
(03:43):
Village near, near in Paris, wherever the Olympics were.
Yeah. OK, so the second topic for
today is La Rodot. So La Rodot is turning
inspiration into action, literally.
They have done a partnership with the agency Marcel and
Pinterest and they have launcheda new digital campaign called
(04:04):
Switch to LA Rodot. So it uses AI to analyse users
Pinterest balls, mood balls, wish lists or favourites and it
recommends matching Loudout interior products to shop, all
without leaving the Pinterest platform.
So I find this is a clever use of data and AI to personalise
(04:27):
the shopping experience in visual space.
So for the numbers, over 4 million products were added to
Loudout wish List and Pinterest has seen an 85% increase in
clicks on product bins in France.
So it's showing a real appetite for this type of integration and
(04:50):
it's more than just a campaign. What is really interesting here
is how brands are embedding commerce directly into discovery
platforms. So Loudot is capitalising on
visual search and AI to meet consumers at the moment of
inspiration and convert it instantly.
It reflects a growing trend and for retailers it that means
(05:12):
rethinking not just where they sell, but how they guide people
from an idea to check out all inone place.
I love it. I mean, I love them Pinterest, I
love their annual, they do theirannual trends just tells me how
untrendy I am. But anyway, moving on.
So I have a it's not a doom and gloom, but it's something that
(05:34):
is rife across the whole of Europe.
And there's this article in EuroNews talking about the latest
statistics from the institute, the retail institute in Germany
about how retailers are still, how theft is still a big thing.
But when Euro News article when they went into retail inventory
(05:55):
losses in how when retailers were going through this, they
they sort of looked at the key areas.
I think people sometimes always think it's organised crime that
is part of the problem. But as you can see here, yes,
that there is organisational that it falls into lots of
different areas. The other sort of key
interesting data point that theyhad was obviously food retail is
(06:19):
is the highest and in German in Germany, there was 5 billion in
lost across all categories. But food still being the higher,
which from a societal perspective, it's really sad
because that's the cost of moving crisis and some of the
other elements, but also reporting fail, which isn't
(06:41):
because crime is fault. It's because sometimes
reporting. So the numbers could be a lot
higher, but people have sort of felt, is it worth reporting the
theft or what what has happened?Which again, having heard some
of the retailers stories and retail worker stories in the UK
and some of the horror that theyhave to face.
(07:02):
Sometimes they just aren't reporting it.
And in Germany, in this specificcase, the reported cases were
lower, but there is an increase in security budgets and people
are still investing in technology to solve the problem.
If you're interested in and wantto read the report itself, it's
on the EHI Retail Institute mainpage.
(07:24):
It's it's really good because this is real live data from
retailers in Germany. But I think this nicely leads
into what you were going to talkabout, Alex, in RFID.
Yes, definitely. Many, many technologies can help
with theft and we see a lot of companies working with computer
vision, which is I think the main one.
But RFID, we can also help with that.
(07:47):
The news I wanted to share todayis about the brand Kiabi.
So they have announced that theyare rolling out RFID technology
across more than 450 of its stores in Europe.
So Kiabi, for those who who don't know this brand, it's a
French family favourite fashion brand that has been founded back
(08:08):
in 1978. And despite being a long
established name, it's not standing still.
So this late move really a majorphase in its digital
transformation. So they are modernising their
stores, Every ID is going to help them with the stock
accuracy to optimise the online order fulfilment, reduce staff,
(08:31):
faster checkouts, better inventory visibility and a
stronger Omni channel performance in general.
The most important, I think hereis to stay competitive because
while other legacy French retailers, French fashion
retailers like Camaro, Andre have struggled or even closed
their shops in recently, Kiabi here is showing how an historic
(08:55):
brand can stay relevant by investing in technology and
embracing Omni channel strategies.
So it's a good here, it's a goodreminder that heritage alone
isn't enough. We can say that with M&S as
well, for example. It's about the willingness,
willingness to modernise, test and scale innovation that
(09:16):
separates, you know, the historic brands and and the ones
that are innovating. RFID for those of us who've been
in the industry a while, we've we've seen the, the complete
cycle of it's too expensive, it doesn't work, work, it's too
complicated. Our stores are too big, we have
to deploy too many antennas. And I have to give full credit
to Decathlon for this because I think they were the first major
(09:39):
retailer across Europe to have the RFID bins, which now you,
you go into Zara, you can, you can see them And people are
just, you know, there's this better experience through having
RFID that I think all of the oldworld arguments of, no, we can't
do. I mean, it's, it's, it's gone.
(09:59):
And I think a heritage brand like this moving along with the
times is, is the right thing to see.
And it's quite a significant roll out with 450 stores.
So that's yeah. And that's what nicely leads us
into our final element. For those that may have watched
(10:19):
one of my early videos in God knows, so about 20 something
2022 just before lockdown, I thought was that 29/20/20?
Anyway, I, I, I went into an Amazon store.
So in Spittlefields, you may know Alex, you may have had your
hair done. There is the Amazon beauty
(10:39):
salon. I had my hair cut there and
they, interestingly enough, had a digital display with products
that you could lift. Then the product information
will be broadcast the exact sameunit that I'm looking at here,
which is a really interesting commentary on Amazon's approach
(10:59):
to innovation. They are using Europe as a
playground, as a as a playgroundfor innovation to learn from
different countries. Like in Spain, they launched
with their grocery and home delivery and all of the Amazon
fresh stuff in under an hour to under our deliveries was all
launched in Spain. In the UK, they obviously have
(11:22):
so many different innovations around recycle, reuse and having
the Amazon recycle reuse store. And now here we have, this was
actually in February this year, they launched their Amazon
Perfume and beauty. I want to try and save the
Italian version in Reliance CityCentre.
But I think it's this is testament to Amazon's continual
(11:44):
foothold in retail in the physical world.
In the UK, we had them launch their fresh stores, then they
sort of withdrew and closed some.
And people like, oh, Amazon are leaving.
They're not leaving anywhere. They are just getting started
and they are constantly experimenting with innovation.
And this in my mind is another way in one of the biggest growth
(12:07):
categories across the globe, beauty, how Amazon is coming
into physical and obviously, if you're in Milan, you get a
chance. Please let us know what the
store is like. I'd love to know.
OK, well, that brings us nicely to the end of the show, Alex.
Until next week, I look forward to speaking to you and the the
rest of the Five Things Friday community then.
(12:29):
Thank you for having me. It's always a pleasure.
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