In northern Europe, winters are long, sunlight is rare, and up to half the population can suffer from vitamin D deficiency. To help, Swedish pharmacy chain Apotek Hjartat decided to use its store windows to provide light therapy. Pedestrians in central Stockholm can now boost their energy by standing in front of the stores’ windows. These...
Tech has taken the world of payments by storm, especially in China, where citizens are increasingly relying on digital payments instead of cold hard cash. This is transforming the country and helping it leapfrog ahead of the competition to become the world’s first cashless economy. According to latest figures from the Ministry of Industry and...
Fashion retailer Zara has announced plans to roll out an augmented reality experience across 120 stores worldwide. The app can also be used by online shoppers, who will be able to hover their smartphone over a package delivered from the Zara website. The two-week test with augmented reality will take place next month and offers customers the...
Picking up your piping hot Starbucks Cherry Blossom Latte or Crystal Ball Frappuccino will soon only be possible via credit card or mobile payment, at least at three South Korean locations where the coffee giant has announced it will begin testing cashless stores. Starbucks locations in some of the country’s busiest office districts, including...
eBay is helping sellers by updating its mobile app to include an AR feature that helps you calculate which size shipping container you need for a product. To try it out, you simply head to the ‘Selling’ section on the eBay mobile app and look for the ‘Which box?’ option. You’ll need to find a non-reflective surface, and then move your phone...
Nationwide Building Society, a major financial institution in the U.K., tapped design agency Dalziel & Pow to reconfigure its branch interiors into something a lot more homey. Unlike most other banks, the new Nationwide stores will do away glass walls to separate staff from clients. The community-facing spaces will even include a venue for...
Retailers could soon be faced with a “returns tsunami” thanks to the emergence of new try-before-you-buy schemes for online consumers. With returns already costing UK retailers £60 billion a year, a new report released today highlights the hidden dangers of online and multichannel retailers introducing try-now-pay-later options for customers....
Consumers that want to know everything about the chicken they eat will rejoice at Carrefour’s latest addition, because it will detail everything about the origin of its private label chicken thanks to blockchain technology. Whoever is concerned about the Auvergne-based chicken’s cycle before it arrives in the supermarket, can easily track that...
Macy's is getting on the trend to make checking out at stores less of a hassle. The company will roll out a mobile checkout option, powered by its mobile app, to all full-line Macy's stores by the end of 2018. Macy's has been testing the mobile checkout option at its store in Woodbridge, New Jersey. The platform allows shoppers to scan bar...
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC) are now a regular feature in mainstream news. It’s no surprise we are beginning to see retailers find more innovative ways to accept different forms of currency, such as at this airport in Australia. Now though, BTC owners could be able to pay at any location that accepts contactless payments with Flip....