last week’s most read retail technology articles — Retail Technology Innovation Hub

Fei Wang departs Chief Technology Officer position at Saks Off 5th to recharge and embark on next chapter

Fei Wang has left Saks Off 5th where he served as Chief Technology Officer.

Saks Off 5th, formerly Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, is an American off-price department store chain founded in 1990, and a sister brand to the luxury department store chain Saks Fifth Avenue.

Prior to his time there, Wang spent almost 12 years at Amazon, where he held various positions, including Principal Engineer.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Today marked my last day at Saks Off 5th, where I have served for the past three years. I am deeply grateful to the leadership, business partners, and tech teams for their incredible support and collaboration.”

“Transitioning from a big tech company to embedding myself within a retail environment has been an enlightening journey. I have gained a profound understanding of how technology drives business growth, addresses enterprise pain points, and enhances the customer journey.”

He added: “I am particularly proud of what my team has achieved over the past three years.”

“From developing a robust data platform and a high performance native app to ensuring fast guaranteed delivery, global inventory availability, CDP, personalisation, marketing optimisation and customer engagement – the list goes on. Our collective efforts have significantly enhanced the customer experience.”

“As I take a small break to recharge, I am excited to embark on my next chapter. Stay tuned!”

Instacart announces first ever global launch of AI powered smart trolley Caper Carts with Aldi

Instacart and Aldi South Group are to expand their partnership globally.

This includes the roll-out of Instacart’s Connected Stores technologies across the retailer’s stores in the US, including In-Store mode and Carrot Tags, as well as fulfilment technology to power e-commerce orders.

And in a European first, Aldi South Group is testing Caper Carts in Austria, Instacart’s AI powered smart carts designed to ease the checkout process and personalise the shopping experience for customers. 

Since 2017, Aldi has partnered with Instacart to provide same-day delivery for its customers in the US and will now deploy several Connected Stores technologies to further digitise its stores including: 

• In-Store mode: This helps customers see what’s in-stock, get important details about items on their list, sort items by aisle, and access in-store promotions and discounts through the Instacart app.

• Carrot Tags: These have pick-to-light capabilities, meaning that Instacart shoppers can select an item on their phone and the corresponding shelf label will flash. Carrot Tags have launched in more than 100 Aldi stores in Illinois and Ohio and will roll-out nationwide in the coming months.

• Pickup fulfilment technology: By leveraging the technology behind the Instacart Shopper app, Aldi South Group is streamlining fulfilment to power its e-commerce pickup orders.

• Caper Carts: Customers can find the carts near the store entrance, start shopping by adding items directly into the cart, and keep an eye on their running total via the digital screen. Checkout is available through a “fast lane” if the customer is paying by card.