6. Polytag QR code technology expands to more than 60 Ocado own brand food, drink and household products
Polytag has bolstered its partnership with Ocado Retail, with the online grocery retailer expanding its range of products that use the firm’s technology.
Over 60 of Ocado’s food, drink, and household product ranges now feature Polytag’s Digital Link QR codes, enabling consumers to delve deeper into product information and sustainability practices with a simple scan.
The expanded range of Polytag enabled packaging follows the success of the project Polytag ran with Ocado Retail in 2023 to deliver a nationwide digital deposit return scheme (DDRS) trial.
Over eight weeks, 20,000 20p rewards were given to consumers that had purchased – and recycled – Ocado’s milk bottles via standard kerbside collection methods. Post-trial surveys revealed that 93% of the pilot users felt ‘positively’ towards the idea of a DDRS in the UK.
The initiative will now see the online grocer package dry food and cleaning products in refillable containers to reduce single-use plastic and encourage reuse behaviours. Polytag’s QR codes will be used to educate customers on how to take part in the refill scheme and return their products.
7. Burberry taps latest in web 3D and augmented reality technology for first virtual scarf try on experience
Burberry has announced a new immersive AR experience.
This festive season, it is launching its first virtual scarf try on offering.
In a LinkedIn post, Seema Kukadia, Digital Innovation Manager at Burberry, said: “Using the latest in web 3D and augmented reality technology, our new immersive experience encourages customers to virtually explore Burberry’s iconic scarves and visualise how the brand’s best known accessory will look.”
Available online via Burberry.com and in select stores, customers can use their mobile phone camera to view the scarf styled on themselves in real-time.
The experience has been developed in partnership with WANNA, a provider of AR and 3D experiences for luxury brands.
8. Boots becomes the first retailer to tap LiveRamp omnichannel retail media partnership with Criteo in UK
LiveRamp has announced a tie up with Criteo, and Boots is onboard as a launch partner.
Uniting Boots’ Advantage Card data with online exposure and offline sales data, the collaboration aims to provide advertisers with more transparent attribution across the retailer’s digital and physical retail environments for improved ROAS.
Ollie Shayer, Omni-Media Director, Boots UK and Boots Media Group, says: “I am proud Boots is at the forefront of this groundbreaking collaboration with two of our key retail media partners. As omnichannel behaviour among consumers accelerates, we now possess unparalleled insights into our customers’ shopping journeys.”
“This powerful partnership empowers our brand partners to fully grasp the true omnichannel impact of their on-site activities on Boots.com, driving enhanced performance and deeper consumer understanding.”
9. Marks and Spencer ramps up Beauty Takeback Scheme, in partnership with HANDLE, as retailer adds 60 more stores
M&S has expanded its Beauty Takeback Scheme, in partnership with HANDLE, to an additional 60 stores across the UK, bringing the total number to 100.
Dedicated beauty takeback scheme boxes are now available in new locations including Birmingham Bullring, Cardiff, and Inverness.
Launched in June 2023 as part of the retailer’s Plan A roadmap to Net Zero, the scheme enables customers to recycle any form of plastic or aluminium beauty packaging – from bottles and tubes to caps, pumps, and tubs – from any retailer, by dropping their used beauty packaging into boxes located within the store’s beauty section.
Since launching, the scheme has processed over 1.6 tonnes of beauty packaging which otherwise might have ended up in landfill. As part of M&S’ partnership with HANDLE, this year it has produced a wide-toothed hair comb, made from at least 98% of the recycled packaging collected by M&S. The comb will be available to purchase online and in selected stores for £8.
10. Majid Al Futtaim Precision Media business enhances engagement between brands and shoppers using AI
Majid Al Futtaim, a shopping mall, communities, retail, and leisure specialist across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, has announced the launch of Precision Media, a new digital business offering that leverages AI powered technology to improve the way brands engage with customers.
The business offers a suite of retail media solutions, including in-store touchpoints across the Group’s 450 Carrefour and retail grocery stores in 13 different countries around the region: in addition to its numerous, e-commerce assets.
Precision Media also provides partner brands with offsite advertising solutions, enabling engagement with Majid Al Futtaim consumers on partner networks, outside of the Group’s ecosystem.
More than 150 brands and advertising agencies are currently accessing Precision Media, leveraging Majid Al Futtaim’s network to drive tailored outreach to millions of potential consumers, including the 600 million annual visitors to its physical assets, 270 million online sessions, and the 20.5 million members subscribed to both Majid Al Futtaim’s SHARE loyalty programme and MyClub platform.