Asda partners with Hark and SeeChange in the future of retail

Asda has launched an innovative project at its Stevenage tech store as part of a series of trials that will connect the in-store experience.

The project will seek to harness insights gained through 207 in-store sensors, allowing the supermarket to quickly detect things like spillages, out of stock products, or the need to open more checkouts to manage queues.

Asda will also use this technology to understand how it can make the in-store experience more convenient for colleagues and customers, with the potential to include other applications if there is demand for this.

In order to make this possible, the grocer has teamed up with Leeds-based Internet of Things (IoT) software provider, Hark, and Manchester-based AI software provider, SeeChange. Asda will use Hark’s cloud-based platform to understand real-time data and analytics that will give feedback on everything from on-shelf stock availability to pinch points in the store.

Hark’s platform will help to analyse in-store behaviours and use the data to suggest ways to improve customer flow, understand how shoppers interact with items and make improvements to the overall customer experience.

In time, the aim is to integrate Hark’s platform with other devices and systems in store, such as electronic shelf edge labels and self-checkouts, to further optimise the customer and colleague experience.

Charlotte Gidney, Asda’s Innovation Project Manager, said:  “We want to create a frictionless in-store experience for customers, from the moment that they step into the store to the moment they leave, which is why we’re working with Hark and SeeChange to harness the power of their retail expertise that will help us understand the best way to connect every element of the in-store journey.

“Initially the project will look at how customers are shopping in store, taking these learnings and working on key projects that will make the experience of shopping with Asda even more convenient.

“As we move to phase two of this exciting journey, we’ll look to evolve the technology and integrate this with our wider ecosystem, so we can understand how the insight gained will benefit colleagues and customers.”

Jordan Appleson, Hark’s CEO & Co-founder: “It is so exciting to be a part of the digital transformation of Asda’s Stevenage store. The project brings together truly powerful machine-vision and analytics technology and continues to be a pleasure for our team to work on.”

Jason Souloglou, SeeChange CEO, said: “We are delighted to be part of Asda’s journey to build a modern, in store experience, and give them access to the future of retail using our advanced computer-vision and scenario-recognition technology. It’s really great to be working with such innovative and capable teams at both Hark and Asda.”

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About Asda Stores Ltd.

Founded in the 1960s in Yorkshire, Asda is one of Britain’s leading retailers and helps customers save money and live better in stores, online and through their mobile devices.

Each week more than 18 million customers visit its 645 stores – including 30 Supercentres, 392 Superstores, 155 Supermarkets, 33 Asda Living stores, and 35 standalone petrol stations – and are served by over 140,000 colleagues. www.asda.com and www.george.com deliver to 99% of the UK’s homes and to its 538 click and collect sites across the UK.

Its main office is in Leeds, Yorkshire and its George clothing division is in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. Asda was acquired by the Issa Brothers and TDR Capital Ltd in 2021, returning the supermarket to British ownership.

About SeeChange

SeeChange is a leader in AI-powered software, enabling retailers to improve customer experience and optimise operations. SeeChange’s enterprise solutions help customers to understand their bricks and mortar stores from entrance to checkout and react in real time, bringing unrivalled value. Visit www.seechange.com to learn more.

About Hark

Hark helps enterprises improve efficiency, reduce waste and maximise yield by connecting to, providing visibility of, and automatically controlling assets

such as energy meters, building management systems and industrial systems.

The Hark Platform securely streams data from your entire estate at an asset-specific level and analyses that data in real time, providing actionable information for Energy Managers and Asset Operators. Our platform’s intuitive user interface allows for tailored views and custom dashboards reducing the time spent searching for performance reports and insights into consumption.

The Hark Platform can understand any kind of data including; energy and power quality, Temperature, Humidity, CO2 and more by connecting to your assets out in the field including Energy Meters, HVAC systems, Lighting Systems and more.

Backed by partners such as Arm, Microsoft and Dell, we provide a best in class experience to help companies save money and optimise their operations to drive positive change.