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Traditional food retailers reigned supreme for many years and they still hold their own.Their large, loyal customer bases, high transactional frequency, and strong cash flow provide a foundation from which to innovate. However, three emerging trends, along with the adoption of digital technologies, are threatening to leave traditional food retailers behind. 
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While there is evidence that the retail apocalypse is real offline. There are mixed signs about whether online retailing is experiencing a full apocalypse.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: traditional retailers and shopping malls are facing store closures as the eCommerce traffic continues to grow in popularity. This first part of a series provides some very useful insights and facts about what many are calling the retail apocalypse.
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From
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Will we be able to create sustainable prosperity, or are we on the way to a climate crash? Is the world interconnected or fragmented? Which new technologies shape our everyday lives? In a new study entitled “Delivering Tomorrow: Logistics in 2050," Deutsche Post DHL Group presents five sweeping, sometimes radical, prospects for the world in 2050 as well as the impact they would have on the logistics industry.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: very interesting future projection regarding logistics and parcel delivery in the future by a world leader in the field - DHL.
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Amazon spent $21.7 billion on shipping in 2017.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: Amazon spends 14.2% of its net sales to fulfill orders and 12.2% to deliver them to consumers. Thus a quarter of the costs of products sold is allocated to logistical costs and this is the biggest hurdle to eCommerce wide adoption. Amazon and other pure plays have a number of key advantages over established brick-n-mortar retailers (no retail store costs, no store employees, etc.) but they have to battle with order preparation and delivery which traditional retailers delegate to their customers as they push their carts in the store aisle. In that context, recent announcement of Sobeys to leverage Ocado's automated warehouse technology or recent Amazon announcement to create a parcel delivery solution that competes with FedEx and UPS makes sense. Any retailer thinking of scaling its eCommerce operation should thus make sure that its business model is viable regarding fulfillment and shipping - all other elements of eCommerce are not an issue. - Amazon SWA service: http://fmcs.digital/blog/amazon-package-delivery-service-to-compete-with-fedex-and-ups-swa-ecommerce-disruption-retailapocalypse/ - Sobeys Ocado partnership: http://fmcs.digital/blog/u-k-s-ocado-taps-into-canadas-online-grocery-market-with-sobeys-tie-up-is-canada-mature-enough-to-have-automated-grocery-fulfillment-centers-ecommerce-robots/ - Ocado's technology: http://fmcs.digital/blog/video-shows-ocado-warehouse-technology-that-sobeys-has-acquired-to-prepare-grocery-orders-is-based-on-an-army-of-small-robots-working-on-3d-hive/
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Traditional retailers like Albertsons, Walmart, and Target are clambering to acquire delivery-focused tech startups to arm themselves against Amazon as it moves into the grocery space.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: distribution is the final frontier, the last nut to crack in eCommerce today - as most other aspects, from technology to processes to business models, have already been solved. Distribution remains costly and often an area that retailers - pure plays as well as brick and mortar - struggle with. As discussed in the past, grocery food delivery appears to be the holy grail of delivery: 1) put trucks on the road with fixed schedules to deliver groceries as the milkmen did in the past 2) manage to break even on these deliveries as this pays for fixed costs - all other deliveries have only a marginal cost and thus become essentially "free"
FlashWebsiteHeader's curator insight,
February 28, 2018 4:28 AM
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The Alexa voice platform and other deep learning projects have made Amazon an AI leader.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: if you are a retailer Amazon is your competitor. How are you going to compete with it if all you do is have a mediocre website, little social media presence, after-thought eCommerce? Well today you have to include AI in the mix because otherwise all your other efforts will be useless.
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The Warehouse est le premier entrepôt destiné aux startups pour créer la supply chain du futur. Créé par Cdiscount, ce lieu d’innovation propose un programme d’accompagnement de 6 mois, alliant à la fois du mentoring pour challenger la stratégie des startups, mais également des ateliers de codesign avec les utilisateurs experts de leur métier, afin de contextualiser les solutions logistiques des startups sélectionnées.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: we all say companies must innovate but often they struggle because of internal operational constraints - after all they have a business to run and cannot disrupt their operations to try things out. That is why such an experiment by CDiscount is so important: they have created both a *place* where startups can do their things and a *process* for them not worry if they break something. Can't wait to see the results of that - but I guess it can only be positive, how can it not be?
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Amazon will launch a package-delivery service called Shipping with Amazon, or SWA, The Wall Street Journal reported. The service is designed to compete directly with UPS and FedEx. SWA is expected to roll out in Los Angeles over the next few weeks, then spread to other cities in the US during the year.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: this is not a surprise as delivery fees are close to 15% of Amazon costs. I wrote about this in the past numerous times and it looks like Amazon is moving in the direction of competing with large delivery providers. Again, Amazon only needs to break even on delivery costs, it does not need to make a profit. Moreover, going into grocery eCommerce can provide additional volume and predictable routes (think milkmen routes) to put trucks on the roads, pay for their fixed costs, and effectively make delivery "free" for all other product categories. When self-driving cars -or more likely autonomous vehicles - become a reality, Amazon will be there to reap the benefits. Another attack of established retail and distribution industry that Amazon is famous for. More on this: Amazon vs UPS and Fedex (2016 but still relevant: http://fmcs.digital/blog/parcel-delivery-disruption-coming-with-amazon-building-uber-for-trucking-app-and-self-driving-trucks/
Graphics Design's curator insight,
February 15, 2018 6:25 AM
Budget hearing center provides Hearing Aids MN to those people which are disabled by ear voice.
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The e-commerce giant has won two patents for a tracking technology that can nudge a human hand in the right direction — toward a warehouse bin, say.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: wearables offer the potential to help track our every move, providing a trove of information to improve health and work. Already there is proof that Apple watches can detect heart attacks. If this patent from 2016 by Amazon is built into a product and deployed, work productivity can improve as well. Of course this may have serious implications for privacy or work requirements, but we must get used to it. With robots falling in price and AI letting them do more and more human-level tasks, the future of work is bound to be measured much more closely than it is today.
Detailed description of the patent filing: https://www.geekwire.com/2018/amazon-wins-patents-wireless-wristbands-track-warehouse-workers/ Apple watch detects heart attacks: http://fmcs.digital/blog/killer-use-case-for-wearables-study-apple-watch-accurately-detects-heart-problems/ State of Robot industry 2017: http://fmcs.digital/blog/3m-robots-in-2020-40b-industry-they-are-used-mostly-in-autophone-manufacturing-but-we-should-expect-more-industries-to-use-them-in-near-future-stats-china/
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Learn how to quickly build a successful online shop starting from scratch with this complete how-to step-by-step guide. All you need to know in one place.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTER: good reference to use as a checklist when you start your eCommerce activities - or just a reminder if you are already doing it. Moreover, just browsing through the list makes you realize at just how complex eCommerce has become over the years.
Kool Design Maker's curator insight,
February 8, 2018 5:30 AM
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Kool Design Maker's curator insight,
February 8, 2018 5:31 AM
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1.7 million items a day across its four fulfilment centres
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: On the heals of recent technology deals between Ocado and Carrefour in France and Sobeys in Canada, this paper and others explain how the technology works. HUMAN-LESS WAREHOUSE The technology is akin to a huge vending machine, where products are stored in compartments that robots can access when required. More important is that this technology can apply to any product you can buy online, not only grocery. In fact, figuring grocery item picking is probably the most difficult product category - with 3 temperature items (room, cold, frozen) and lots of small and delicate products (think tomatoes and meat). This will help reduce the cost and errors of web order fulfilment, and potentially speed delivery to make 1hr delays possible. When coupled with robot manipulation and self-driving delivery vans, the days of human-free order preparation and delivery is fast approaching. RETAIL ARMAGGEDON This will revolutionize the way we think of retail and distribution by making the store useless. The value chain will become produce-warehouse-home.
Graphics Design's curator insight,
February 5, 2018 1:41 AM
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This statistic shows the 20 companies with the highest expenditure on research and development in 2017.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: one chart say it all: retailers are not equipped to fight against Amazon unless they band together and innovate.
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Amazon is getting into more brick-and-mortar stores. While the retail giant purchased Whole Foods last year, Amazon had previously opened up a convenience store for employees under its own brand in Seattle in 2016.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: I was floored when Amazon announced the GO concept in Dec 2016 (13 months ago!) and commented about it in different posts http://fmcs.digital/?s="amazon+go". Now their 1st store opens and pictures start surfacing. The big question now is: how are established retailers going to compete with this level of digital innovation given their anemic investments in R&D? Most don't even have a good eCommerce website. No wonder pundits predict a retail armageddon...
top 20 R&D spend: https://www.statista.com/statistics/265645/ranking-of-the-20-companies-with-the-highest-spending-on-research-and-development/ retail armageddon: https://news.usc.edu/121222/retail-armageddon-more-bankruptcies-in-four-months-than-all-of-2016/
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Under the Sobeys deal, the two companies will develop a customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Toronto using Ocado's grid and robots network and will also consider developing more centers in dense urban areas.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: Sobey's seems to bet that improvements in the warehouse logistics will deliver a profitable online grocery business model. I am skeptical for 2 reasons: 1) Canada is a lagger in the eCommerce space with few high density cities and low online grocery penetration, and 2) the only way to make money in online grocery is to figure out the delivery aspect of the process - the Ocado deal does not appear to provide any expertise on that front. But Sobeys (through IGA in Quebec) has been a pioneer in the ecommerce area, with my gang launching their first transactional website more than 20 years ago in 1996. So they know what it means to innovate. Have a look at Ocado's automated warehouse robots to gain a better understanding of what Sobey's is getting in this deal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJqsdprXF5c
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The National Retail Federation expo resembles the electronics trade show CES, fixating on artificial intelligence, big data and automation.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: good to read for those that have missed the NRF this year.
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Seeking an edge against Amazon, the retail giant is pushing a service that delivers your order to your car. Customers never have to step inside the store.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: when a giant like Walmart says eCommerce grocery pickup is a good thing, you should listen. Then again, reading the article from the NYTimes, you could substitute IGA Quebec for Walmart and you'd have pretty much the same, except in 1998! We were such pioneers at mybutler.com that I have to question my business acumen - I was 20 years too early!!!!!
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Is there life after bankruptcy? A compilation of major retail bankruptcies from 2015 to today.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: retail is transforming rapidly and companies that fail to transform using digital solutions are starting to suffer. With NRF retail conference around the corner, what do you think retailers should do to remain relevant?
Dock and door systems's curator insight,
January 8, 2018 5:43 AM
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Amazon Prime membership had flat growth in the US in the past year, according to a study of 1,000 US adults from Morgan Stanley.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: I reported in the past that Prime programme has a total value of 143B$ (http://sco.lt/8ot9NJ). These updated numbers show that growth continues outside the US. Expect Amazon to leverage its membership programme to wall-in its clients and protect it from competition. Tough road ahead for other retailers as Prime members will be looking to stay with the brand.
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In this practical guide, you'll learn:
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: manufacturers need to enforce their pricing policies. Online ecommerce raises a number of challenges but tools like Trackstreet provide advanced solutions to help manage this critical aspect of any brand.
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Taiwanese e-commerce platform OwlTing wants to change the way consumers think about their food. This year, it launched the world’s first blockchain-based app for tracing food products — including pork. And the process is pretty simple: by scanning a sticker on a slab of pork, OwlTing customers can quickly access information about everything from a piglet’s date of birth, to the vaccines it received before its slaughter. There’s a lot more to blockchain technology than learning obscure facts about a pork chop, however. For producers, using blockchain-based technologies to trace food through processing and shipping means that they might be able to avoid widespread food waste should a contamination arise — and even save lives. And it is not just small companies that are interested in this technology. The largest retailer in the world, Walmart recently partnered with IBM to develop their own pilot blockchain system. VICE News Tonight visited Taiwan to see how blockchain is affecting pork production, and then to Walmart to find out why the company thinks consumers are going to benefit from this technology.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: blockchain is the technology behind the crypto-currency bitcoin. It has applications in many industries and this short video shows how it can be used in to track food products and prevent illnesses.
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Why are companies so intent on using technology to track our behavior? Our actions reveal what we desire, how we shop, and why we buy. Retailers can now learn so much more about shopper behavior than ever before, and while these “big data” applications create concerns about privacy, the detailed data can be used to design stores, product offerings and promotions that connect with our interests, speed up the shopping process, and help us find items we will buy.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: we all go to stores and seldom notice the technology that surrounds us and tracks our moves.
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Here's how the system works. Its proprietary AI system is built, in part, with TensorFlow, Google's open-source AI kit. The lab has 20 cameras overhead, which are used to track people and products. Fisher says it first trains the AI on products with a two-minute long video capturing event they call the "SKU-dance." Once an item is filmed from every possible angle, the AI will be able to identify it in the future.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: this startup is developing an AI system to replace checkout registers and enable any store to become like an Amazon GO, the concept store from Amazon showcased in December 2016. Retails stores will transform in the near future with technologies such as this one but also others such as location beacons, new floor plans, etc. More on Amazon GO: why GO concept works: http://sco.lt/8RIFSD
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The robots themselves are produced by California-based Bossa Nova Robotics, and are about two-feet tall with an extendable tower containing lights and sensors for scanning shelves. They sit in recharging stations in the store until a human employee gives them a “mission” — e.g. checking a particular aisle to see what needs re-stocking. The robots are supposed to save workers’ time, but Walmart says it will also use the data they collect to improve efficiency nationwide.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: robots are moving out of the factory floor to invade all other spaces - from parking to retail stores. Here a great example of a robots to handle a routine and very important task for retailers: identifying what is on store shelves so as to minimize the out of stock items and mapping store layout for order pickers (every store is different so picking items is often a nightmare). Of course, this will impact jobs - even though Walmart says it won't.
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I needed to get rid of some old clothes, but instead of turning to eBay, Poshmark, or local consignment stores, I tried selling them on Instagram. It worked.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: my 17 year old says everyone at school is doing it - selling their old clothes on instagram. Very simple: open an account like "oncelovedclothing", take pictures of clothes you don't wear anymore, let instagram users bid for the items, at school they simply exchange money for items. Easy. No eBay, no kijiji, no intermediary. Wow.
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Picking stuff up and putting it away sounds like child's play, but to online retailer Amazon.com, it is a high-tech, high-stakes game. This year, contestants competed in timed stowing and picking operations -- simple enough for humans yet nearly impossible for robots to perform reliably. For stowing, each robot was rated on how efficiently it could pick up items and put them on a shelf. In the picking phase, the robots had to put specified items into the proper boxes. The top eight advanced to the final round.
Farid Mheir's insight:
WHY IT MATTERS: robots will soon replace humans in Amazon warehouses, as there are already 45000 kiva robots and growing. Moreover, the tasks that robots can perform is expanding and Amazon is pushing the limits of what's possible with this annual robotics challenge. Also see - Economist story http://econ.st/2yO8n90 - projections that US manufacturing jobs will continue decline while robots growth at an accelerated pace http://bit.ly/2yOFhWO - PWC estimates that robots will replace pretty every human worker in every industry https://pwc.to/2yQ270n
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Curated by Farid Mheir
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WHY IT MATTERS: this short post shows how traditional retailers - here grocery stores - are faced with profound transformations due to the arrival of digital technologies. From the increase in # of touchpoints (20+) to new ways of shopping and new business models, traditional retailers must adapt. The catch is that this adaptation is difficult because of pre-existing processes, systems, facilities, assets, and sometimes people.