The Finnish state-owned alcohol monopoly-chain Alko will start e-commerce this year. The aim is to offer the full range. “Our customers can use our services precisely in those channels where they want. By bringing our full range for purchase, we can better serve our customers, “says Alko’s business manager Paula Kujansivu. (more…)
Archive | Technology
Lindex launches shop for 140,000 Instagram-followers
Lindex launches the opportunity to shop via Instagram. (more…)
ABC petrol stations launches unique app-payment
S-Group launches a world unique solution for the ABC-stations in Finland. Car drivers will be able to pay for a refill of fuel through their phones – without leaving the car. (more…)

Åhléns to get the same sound concept in all 70 stores
Åhlens takes a grip on the sound concept. Now, it will sound the same in all 70 Åhlens department stores in the future. (more…)
Woody Bygghandel makes large digital B2B-investment
Building and ironware is a fast rising category online. Swedish B2B-specialist and franchise chain Woody Bygghandel has kept a low profile online so far, but now faces a substantial investment in e-commerce in B2B as a complement to the physical facilities to consolidate its industry position. ”This is a very important investment for Woody Bygghandel as a chain,” says […]

Swish officially launches for Swedish e-commerce
Swish, the Swedish p2p-bank transfer solution, will be a sharp solution for e-commerce from next week. After the pilot project launched in november, Swish is launching a new version of the service on Monday, this time with the possibility of online stores that offer Swish as a payment option. Swish was launched also for business in the summer […]
Norway to launch national price and nutrition comparison portal for groceries
In October next year launches the Norwegian Consumer Council a grocery portal, which will provide food customers with the ability to find the best rates and evaluate the products in all the grocery stores. ”Today there are only the consumers who do not have a complete overview of the pricing,” says Mette Fossum Beyer in Rema […]

Kesko to provide free charging points for Tesla
A hybrid car and a contactless loyalty card is the new high tech sustainable offer for Finnish consumers from Kesko. Owners of both will soon be able to charge their cars for free in three regions while doing their grocery shopping. After one hour of charging, the car is set for approximately 100 kilometers more. (more…)

These are Denmark’s best retail ideas
A shopping bag for the bike and the future location and loyalty app. Dagrofa and development and investment company Capnova has today named the most innovative ideas in the retail sector. It happened at the finals at IDEAS 2015 in Ringsted. (more…)

Kesko to put their loyalty card in smartphone
Kesko now launches the K-Plussa card app for smartphones. But iPhone-owners will have to wait. (more…)

The robotic cleaner – Swedish Christmas gift of the year 2015
It’s a Swedish tradition by HUI Research to declare Christmas gift of the year. Once again it is a smart electronics tool, the Robotic Vacuum Cleaner. (more…)
Video: Ikea’s domino ads in Stockholm subway
Ikea tried a new commercial ad in the Stockholm subway, using the interactive possibilities making all signs work together – starting on a command from bypassers.
Bubbleroom to analyze moving patterns using camera surveillance
Using the stores’ camera surveillance with software to analyze the customers moving patterns has become increasingly popular. Now Bubbleroom has launched a pilot in its store in Kistagllerian. ”I don’t know how to use beacons,” says Bubbleroom-founder Svante Tegnér. (more…)

Retail leaders need to find and enable analytic talents
”Don’t outsource analytics!” Stadium’s Head of Business development, David Glassel, defines the key staff for becoming a succesful multichannel player. (more…)
Nine out of ten experience bad m-sites
We use internet more and more through our phones. But a customer might be gone forever after experiencing a bad mobile site – especially if it’s an older customer. (more…)

Customers don’t want their movement patterns registered
The real estate company Atrium Ljungberg, who expects to begin collecting and analyzing patterns of movement in a testing phase over the next year, has asked 1000 people in Sweden about their approach to data collection in a commercial environment. (more…)

Jula awarded for introducing PLM to retail
Last week Jula was award for its logistics efforts. Now the company has been praised again – with “Technia Innovator of the Year”. This time for an innovative PLM project. “We are way up and is a leader in logistics and PLM and that gives us a decisive edge in our markets,” says Joachim Frykberg, […]

Customer cards app Loyo now offers 100 retail chains
The customer club cards in one app, Loyo, is now offered by over 100 Swedish retail chains. Over 80,000 consumers have thus moved the cards from the wallet to their smart phone. Among the Swedish chains that have joined are Guldfynd, Intersport, Siba, Hornbach and Gulf and over 20 shopping centers. The app Loyo from Resurs Bank aims to […]
Kesko trials in-store mobile marketing
K-citymarket Turku Kupittaa is testing the attractiveness and functionality of a new service that brings the store’s special offers to customers’ mobile phones. (more…)
Most young consumers do not use their downloaded grocery apps
The grocery chains take big digital steps – as their apps get more functions. But two out of three young consumers who’s downloaded an app from a grocery chain does not use it. (more…)
EET aquires Norwegian POS-specialist
EET Europarts makes another acquisiti Norwegian POS-specialist Barex. EET has the past 18 months made up a new business area within POS (Point of Sales). With the acquisition of Barex will EET become a significant distributor in the POS, with a number of famous brands. For strategic reasons mean Barex they need to be part of […]

Zalando opened new hub in Helsinki
57 percent of Zalando’s visitor’s come from mobile platforms. Helsinki will play a key role for the mobile innovation and capacity of the online fashion giant. Thursday, they presented the new tech hub that will include 200 developers. (more…)

Steen & Ström closes 120 digital screens deal with Clear Channel
Clear Channel and Steen & Ström has entered into an agreement for 120 digital screens in six shopping centers around Sweden. (more…)

Wi-fi tracking illegal in Swedish cities
Wi-Fi tracking is illegal in Swedish city centers. That is The Swedish Data Protection Authority’s conclusion after reviewing the survey of how people move in central Västerås. (more…)

New wind farm makes Ikea energy independent in Scandinavia
Ikea opens its third wind farm in Sweden today and is now 100 percent energy independent in the Nordic region. (more…)
Uber-app trials merchant delivery program
The taxi and delivery-app Uber is planning to launch a merchant delivery program that would allow online shoppers to get same-day delivery of goods through both UberRush couriers and Uber drivers. TechCrunch quotes sources saying over 400 different merchants are currently in talks (or already testing) with Uber for same-day delivery. (more…)

Mekonomen trials drone deliveries
Mekonomen has begun supplying automotive replacement with drones, announces the company on Tuesday. An unmanned helicopter that looks up the selected addresses and lands itself without supervision, has been tested to customers in Stockholm. A delivery can be made in minutes. (more…)
Dansk Supermarked to switch 80,000 fluorescent tubes
Dansk Supermarked launches another saving program. But this time it’s about energy, 80,000 fluorescent tubes will be replaced with LED. (more…)

Beacon-trial at Netcom ”a success”
Netcom has trialed a beaconproject in a limited amount of stores. ”So far the results have been incredibly good. The response from customers has been exceptional,” says Vice President Brand & Marketing at TeliaSonera Norway, Karl Fredrik Lund. (more…)

UNHCR to order 10 000 Ikea-houses for refugee families
The collaboration between Ikea and UNHCR has resulted in a new, safer, innovative and more durable shelter for refugee families around the world. UNHCR has made an agreement for 10,000 units with the social enterprise Better Shelter. In the summer of 2015 UNHCR will start providing the shelter to thousands of families in refugee camps. “The […]

First Ikea store to convert biogas to electricity
A Californian Ikea department store will be the first to install a fuel cell system, converting biogas into electricity. (more…)

Norgesgruppen might charge customers for contactless payments
Contactless payments are often used on low amounts – might be an expensive service for Norwegian grocery stores. ”We consider to move the cost of actual payment to customers,” says communication officer at Norgesgruppen, Ingrid Solberg Gundersen. (more…)

Sektor Group to install 130 digital media carriers in their Norwegian malls
JCDecaux and Sektor Group has signed an agreement on the establishment of digital media carriers in the company’s shopping centers around Norway. (more…)

Dansk Supermarked to launch mobile payments in 566 stores
Føtex Storcenter Nord in Aarhus starts offering mobile phone checkout from today. The store will be the first supermarket in Denmark which allows customers to pay for their purchases with a mobile phone. Dansk Supermarked expects that the Mobile Pay solution will be in use in all 566 supermarkets within Føtex, Salling and Netto, before […]

Stockmann introduces interactive magazine with online shopping
Stockmann regularly makes small moves towards their new multichannel strategy. Next step is to make a digital every-day version of Premiere, the customer magazine, with direct connection to the online store. (more…)
Danish city wants all citizens to pay with their mobile phone
The city of Horsens wants to abolish cash, and the ambition is that citizens must pay with their mobile phone in all shops and all public outlets before the summer. ”Handling cash is time consuming, and pose a safety hazard,” says Mayor Peter Sørensen. (more…)

Ikea to sell furnitures with wireless smartphone charging
Ikea follows up their integrated tv-solution Uppleva with a new high tech furniture-collection. The Swedish chain will be the first furniture retailer to sell Qi-powered products that charges smartphones. (more…)
”Nets to launch new mobile payment solution next week”
Nets is about to launch a new mobile payment solution. Computerworld writes that the solution, developed in cooperation with the French IT company Oberthur Technologies and the Norwegian financial group Eika, will be presented at the Mobile world congress next Monday. None of the parties wish to comment on the launch. Eika and Nets last […]

Åhlens introduces app for crisis situations
Åhlens has updated their their crisis work with an app for special situations. It’s already been used. (more…)
Ted Baker to install beacons in mannequins
Ted Baker is the next fashion chain to install beacon technology into their mannequins. The technology allows mannequins to communicate with customers via their smartphones – even when the store is closed. (more…)

Ica speeds up introduction of contactless payments
Ica introduces contactless payments already this spring. Then customers will be able to pay in the stores by just holding the card at checkout terminal. (more…)

Citycon trials Beacon-app in Iso Omena
Citycon piloted in February and March the first Finnish trial of Beacon local positioning technology. Users of the app get rewarded with offerings and prizes. (more…)

Shell to offer petrol refill with Paypal payments
PayPal users will now be able to pay for fuel at Shell petrol stations on their mobile phones. The customer chooses the pump, pays and get a receipt through an app. (more…)
Norway prepares for Beacon-revolution this year
Beacon-technology will reach Norway with strength this spring. Lots of pilots are in the pipeline. ”Our goal is to have ten thousand beacons in stores and shopping centers in 2015,” says Ulrik Prøitz at Fluxloop to Dagens Naeringsliv. (more…)

Alibaba to deliver tea with drones in three cities
Alibaba picks up where Amazon’s and other online stores drone trials stopped in 2013. In a three day pilot, 450 packets of tea will be delivered with drones in Beijing, shanghai and Guangzhou — within one hour of order on a first-come-first-service basis. Se the video. (more…)

Facebook trials Beacon-services
Facebook’s new service Place Tips might be a way to get around opt-in permissions to track and target customers in the near area. Using beacon, gps or wi-fi technology – ”useful and relevant information” will pop up on the Facebook page. (more…)

First Beacon-enabled click & collect app launched
Click and collect store service is becoming an integral part of retail. So is soon the hyped Beacon-technology. Now is the world’s first Beacon-enabled click & collect app launched. When approaching the store – the app customizes the collecting service for both staff and customer. (more…)
Danish chains trials beacon payment app
A British mobile payment service with beacon technology enters the Danish market. With an app, consumers can shop via scanned codes or sounds from commercials. Fashion chains Wagner and Tøjeksperten are the first customers. (more…)

Bank of America gave Apple Pay 1.1 million new users
Bank collaborations give Apple Pay a boost. 800,000 Bank of America customers added 1.1 million cards to the mobile payments service from late October to the end of 2014. (more…)

Bunnpris’ self scanning not successful
Self scanning is no success at Bunnpris. After two years, only ten percent of the customers at the teststore in Melhus has used the technique. (more…)