THE COOLEST PHYSICAL RETAIL PLAYS OF

RTIH brings you its top ‘future of bricks and mortar retail’ tech launches and deployments from the first six months of the year.

Ee

EE has opened a new flagship store, The EE Studio, located in Westfield London, White City.

Focused on connectivity and technology solutions, the 4,230-square-foot location will also serve as a hub for the local community to work, learn and play.

The launch forms part of EE’s new strategy, which, the company says, “seeks to reinvent the role of retail in the telco industry, putting innovation, personal experience, and community front and centre”.

The Studio leads the way for the roll-out of EE’s new Experience stores, the first of which are due to open in Manchester Trafford Centre, Cardiff, and Bluewater in the coming months.

It features a changeable digital window canvas that lets customers see the latest product launches and in-store events before they step inside.

Shoppers can also scan a QR code on the shopfront to bring to life an AR experience that will welcome them to the Studio and encourage them to head inside and explore.

People will also get the opportunity to build and visualise their own personalised connected home through a ‘connected home digital tool’ and real life ‘room sets’.

This includes a living room with superfast broadband and connected home technology, a smart kitchen that features a range of smart cooking appliances, a kid’s bedroom that showcases products and services to help with children’s learning and keep them safe online, and a home office with technology to support with online security and working from home.

Amazon

May saw the launch of Market Express at London ExCeL, pitched as the first checkout-free store within an events space in the UK.

ExCel worked with catering partner, Levy UK + Ireland, on the store, which is powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.

Astratech

Visitors tap their payment card or mobile wallet upon entry and then said tech detects what is picked up from or returned to its shelves.

When they are finished, they are able to leave the store and their payment method will be charged for their items.

Developed for ExCeL by Levy UK+I’s service solution – BUILT by Levy – the

Astra Tech, a UAE-based technology investment and development group, has launched its first fully autonomous store in Abu Dhabi’s Sky Tower.

Powered by AiFI computer vision technology, B Store also enables shoppers to pay for their purchases by using their faces.

Astra Tech acquired UAE FinTech PayBy last year, and this location uses the firm’s FacePay PoS technology for biometric payment authentication.

Upon approaching the entry gates, the customer is greeted with an ELO screen displaying a message, “Tap or

Bestway Retail

Central Convenience Store in Southampton has installed AI driven biometric technology from Innovative Technology (ITL) to help with checks for age restricted goods.

It is the latest store in the Bestway Retail chain to implement the tech following a UK government trial and previous deployments in Costcutter and Bargain Booze.

Chris Wright, UK Business Development Manager, says: “We are delighted to extend our technology into Central Convenience Store in Southampton which is assisting staff with the age check process.”

“MyCheckr is a standalone device, complete with screen that clearly shows if a customer attempting to purchase age restricted goods such as alcohol or cigarettes is deemed underage.”

“The LED above the screen turns green if the customer passes the age