computer vision, large-scale deployment and foray into health

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One month after NRF 2020, the New York event where we take the pulse of retail trends, the time has come. If it is difficult to be exhaustive – as the high mass of trade is dense and rhythmic – L'Usine Digitale wanted to focus on the main trends of this 2020 edition. What are the trends that should mark the coming months, but also the years to come? To do this, we interviewed Guillaume Rio, Technology Trends Manager at BNP Paribas Personal Finance, whose 10th participation in the event.

1) No technological breakthrough… but a confirmation

This 2020 edition was not marked by a notable announcement in terms of digital innovation. However, the NRF has been the site of a new trend that seems to be lasting. "We are now observing the integration of different technologies in the form of platforms, explains Guillaume Rio. Computer vision, image recognition, automation, payment … These technos were integrated this year in stands like those of Zebra Tehnologies, Mahanttan Associates with their automated stores, as well as Panasonic, Microsoft and AWS, which are a step ahead in the 'platform as a service' like the cloud integrated by many large groups ".

Another example illustrating this dimension, the reproduction of the FamilyMart smart health connected store. In this concept, inaugurated in spring 2019 at Japan, everything is fully automated: from the availability of a parking space to customer identification (via facial recognition) and to its location (via its geolocation data) through the assortment of the store according to the data purchase. "It’s a store that integrates all current technologies in one place", summarizes Guillaume Rio. The proliferation of these API platforms integrating all the latest innovations on the water in a single control point"avoids re-cutting to multiply IT integration bricks", he continues.

2) Computer vision has (finally) found its use case

Among the technologies very present and at the heart of many demonstrations, the now essential computer vision. "This is not new, but it is no longer confined to surveillance and security as it was the case a few years ago"continues Guillaume Rio. Now, it is the analysis of flows (of objects and people) that interest retailers. Now implemented in software,"it's everywhere, including big players like Microsoft and Intel".

Among the many solutions positioned on the subject, the Japanese (confirmed) Denso and the Israeli start-up Vayyar, which analyzes the point of sale for inventory and customer flows by radio waves. In Sweden, the start-up Ultinous offers a software platform enriched with various scalable ehealth analysis functionalities based on artificial intelligence. Another trend, the capture of emotions, at the heart of the solutions of the yellow Israeli Binah.ai.

3) Prototypes of automated stores are multiplying

Nearly a direct consequence: the store is transformed and the boxes disappear. Amazon Go, but also and above all the automated stores that are developing in China, inspire a certain number of concepts which eliminate the checkout. "Intel has recreated an autonomous mini store by highlighting the Chinese start-up Cloudpick, in which it invests, and which was already present at VivaTech and at CES Asia 2019"says Guillaume Rio. Cloudpick's solutions are notably behind the autonomous concepts Emart24 Store, NTT store, JD.com.

This trend is confirmed this year also with the proliferation of mobile POS solutions or scan and go and the explosion in the number of players positioning themselves on the facial recognition technologies applied to this use case. Identification and / or payment, they rely a lot on retailers to pass the POC Review and develop according to physical networks. The American start-up Preciate thus offers a facial recognition solution to optimize the omnichannel customer journey. Note that this year, "many companies display their GDPR compliance because there are many European companies that come to the NRF"notes Guillaume Rio.

4) Deployment of robotic technologies on a large scale

To the United States, automation is in the industrial phase. In any case, this is a current topic for Walmart, which has announced the deployment of Bossa Nova Technologies robots by next summer. In France, Intermarché and Système U have adopted the Belive.ia solution, which makes it possible to analyze retail departments in real time and to automatically report anomalies, such as breakages. "Many have passed the experimental stage, confirms Guillaume Rio. We have entered an automation development phase"Same observation in the warehouse, with players like Locus, Tompkins Robotics and Casi who work with large American retailers. In France, the arrival of Ocado in the spring should allow Monoprix to accelerate on the subject.

Very present in the Innovation Lab, these solutions "now have solid references"continues Guillaume Rio. Fewer gadget innovations and more selection, with also a good exposure of French start-ups like Heuritech, which specializes in the analysis of images and videos on social networks, and which has convinced , among others, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Adidas or Jennyfer. Other solutions, such as Rapid Tag (an anti-theft solution linked to the smartphone via Bluetooth), marketed in white label, Gather, Pensa (inventory drones) or again the very solid Badger Technologies exhibited this year.

5) GAFAM are all-powerful … and they are interested in other things than retail

This is one of the other notable changes from this 2020 edition. "Until recently, Amazon Web Service had a fairly minimalist stand"continues Guillaume Rio. Now, AWS, sponsor of the NRF, is present everywhere. But in addition to this symbolic visibility, Amazon wants to assert its positioning not as a competitor, but as an indispensable partner of traders."Amazon is now showing its back office and features to retailers, including Amazon Go", explains the expert. On the Google side, it was through a stand with a corner crossroads that the two partners display their collaboration. For Guillaume Rio, "the message of the Gafams is very clear: we are here, and we are here to help you".

Latest trend that goes beyond the sectoral approach, the growing interest of tech giants in the health sector. A phenomenon that will tend towards "a galaxy of services, as happens in China", Guillaume Rio analyzes. Starting point, smart health connected objects dedicated to health, sector on which Amazon and Google are positioned, but also health home automation, niche which inspires Samsung, Panasonic and LG for many years."We expect a mass effect, a bit like the one expected with voice assistants", concludes Guillaume Rio.

Sale of drugs, teleconsultation service, health data and one day, voice analysis to detect the disease and offer adequate treatment … smart health connected health offers great prospects for these players. In fact, retailers like Walmart are following this very closely by opening health centers. A phenomenon will become even more serious in countries where health systems are weak.

Aude Chardenon

 @ChardenonA 

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