Groceryshop 2023 was an excellent conference for being exposed to new solutions, making new connections, and strengthening old ones — three days filled with nonstop great content and efficient networking meetups.
The solutions expo covered a broad spectrum of products. Indeed, the traditional solutions in category management were present. The infusion of artificial intelligence and computer vision into legacy solutions was at the center and focus of offerings. Below is a recap of the solutions that stood out to me most.
Space management
As I entered the exhibitor hall, the strategic and expanded presence of RELEX Solutions was immediately noticeable. It is making itself known throughout the solution space — it’s worth looking at its recent client acquisition — and it made a good appearance at Groceryshop with an impressive booth size and location as well as good associate attendance. What was also apparent was the absence of Blue Yonder, the current leader with the majority market share in this space.
It was encouraging to see the progress 345 Global has made. The company is on track to build a space management solution for the future. With the gaming platform at its base, it was eye-catching as you walked by its booth, which focused on showcasing live working software.
Robots
Although the leading robot companies with solutions for the front of the store were in attendance, only Badger Technologies had a booth to showcase its solution.
As for Simbe Robotics, its CEO Brad Bogolea participated in a technology-transforming retail panel session.
We are slowly seeing the robots scale in front of the store. Where is the journey headed for robots in retail?
Image recognition
One common feature noticeable throughout the conference hall was product identification using handheld devices for shelf compliance and on-shelf availability. Companies showed the numerous approaches you can use to tackle the problem and to collect and process images. Differentiation will continue to be critical in tandem with clear messaging.
For handheld devices, Google hosted the weR solution in its booth. It is a planogram collection and store digitization solution built on an AR platform. Although it is not the first company to use this approach, the implementation and experience certainly got attention. I liked the immediate feedback they provided while using the app, but what stood out was the ability to digitize a store.
I look forward to learning more about this capability. Several other new handheld data capture companies were present and are worth further review.
Another new startup, coming out of stealth mode, is Augmodo, which uses augmented reality glasses for more efficient picking.
Some of the other newcomers worth learning more about and tracking include:
- Picadeli, with an emphasis on reducing food waste.
- SmarteX, which delivers better data for compliance, operations, and sustainability.
- Standard AI, with a complete retail platform to create an autonomous retail experience.
- Veeve, with a shopper engagement platform for the physical store using a smart cart.
Computer vision and artificial intelligence inclusion in legacy and new solutions were evident in various applications. Applications range from operations and ordering to insights, sales, and compliance.
Not your traditional newcomer
Denso, a major car part and technology provider with a history of innovation, having invented the QR code as we know it, is testing some of its car technologies in retail with a focus on enhancing shoppers’ experience.
User experience
I can’t emphasize the element of user interface and experience more stringently. We are finally starting to see gamification take hold in retail with immersive shopping platforms from the likes of Obsess. However, a large segment of industry solutions still exists in a time warp and must find an exit door quickly.
What’s surprising was seeing the dated user interfaces of some of the legacy applications still in circulation or new ones with poor, unintuitive design.
Startup presence
The presence of Microsoft and its bold encouragement and support of startups and new solutions in the retail space was noticeable. Microsoft is in a unique position, showing leadership in the retail technology space, as an enabler helping the startup ecosystem of solutions grow on its cloud.
Future
We are undergoing a significant wave of solution evolution in retail. Although offerings are abundant and some of the messaging is erratic, it is part of the process of refining products, leading to collaboration and mergers. Then, the value of these solutions becomes more evident.
From shopping patterns and traffic to product engagement and personalization, the overall focus at the expo was clear — more solution options to provide more capabilities to enhance shopper experience and provide near real-time insights across platforms.
It is abundantly clear that innovation is taking hold in retail, covering every aspect of the omni-shopping experience. New generations are making themselves known; it is only a matter of time before the capabilities mature and they become the new standards.
About the Author
Georges F Mirza has been ahead of trends in developing retail/CPG market-leading industry-changing solutions. He led the charge and established the roadmap for robotic indoor data collection, image recognition, and analytics for retail to address out-of-stock, inventory levels, and compliance. Georges currently advises companies on how to strategize and prioritize their roadmaps for growth. Follow him on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit InnovatingCategoryManagement.com.
