Progressive Grocer, May 31, 2023

Following a successful pilot, Morton Williams, a grocery retailer with 17 stores in the New York metropolitan area, has initially ordered from A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. 100 specially designed 75-liter Cust2Mate smart carts tailored for deployment in urban supermarkets. The pilot of the platform-as-a-service solution took place at Morton Williams’ West End Avenue store in the New York City borough of Manhattan.

“We are excited to expand our implementation of the Cust2Mate smart cart solution in our stores to elevate the shopping experience for our valued customers,” noted Avi Kaner, CEO of Bronx, N.Y.-based Morton Williams. “By incorporating innovative technology into our operations, we are better positioned to meet the evolving needs of our customers, saving them time and money. We believe that this partnership with A2Z Cust2Mate will further strengthen our competitive edge in the market.”

The agreement encompasses an upfront payment, a guaranteed monthly payment and a revenue-share agreement on added-value solutions such as advertising. This collaboration aims to empower Morton Williams to optimize its operations, enhance customer experiences and generate additional revenue.

“We are delighted to partner with Morton Williams, a respected leader in the food retail industry,” said Guy Mordoch, CEO of Tel Aviv-based A2Z’s subsidiary Cust2Mate. “This order reflects Morton Williams’ confidence in our Cust2Mate smart-cart solution and its ability to deliver tangible benefits to their customers and business. As we continue to expand our presence in the market, we remain committed to providing innovative technology solutions that drive growth and transformation for our clients.”

Article From:
https://progressivegrocer.com/news-briefs/2023-05-31?article=morton-williams-deploying-smart-carts

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CNME Editor Mark Forker secured an exclusive interview with Guy Mordoch, CEO of smart cart platform Cust2Mate, to find out more about how the Israeli start-up company is primed to completely disrupt and transform experiences in the global retail sector.

tahawultech.com, June 27, 2023

Guy Mordoch has enjoyed a phenomenal career in business.

In a decorated and distinguished career, one spanning two decades, he has worked for some of the world’s biggest multinational corporations in places such as Tokyo, Singapore and London.

However, Mordoch has now decided to change direction and move away from the corporate world and pursue a new challenge with mature start-up company Cust2Mate.

In April of this year, Mordoch was appointed as the new CEO of Cust2Mate, an Israeli-based user-friendly self-checkout ‘smart cart’ technology provider that is revolutionising customer experiences in the retail sector.

In a candid interview with CNME, Mordoch discusses his vision and aspirations for the company, one which he believes will completely ‘disrupt’ the retail industry on a global scale.

He kickstarted the conversation by outlining the capabilities of Cust2Mate’s smart cart technology.

“Cust2Mate is the leading ‘smart cart’ solution provider to the retail industry. The fundamental basis of the smart cart is the self-checkout capabilities it has, but it is also infused with a lot more value-added services that is being driven by data in real-time. I believe that our smart cart solves most of the pain points that are faced by retailers. If you examine it from a consumer perspective, we make the shopping experience a lot more enjoyable and time efficient. There are a lot of applications on the smart cart that only serve to enhance the experience. From a retailer perspective we are significantly helping them to optimise their operational efficiency and reduce their operational costs,” said Mordoch.

Mordoch added that the data provided to the retailer in ‘real-time’ empowers retailers better manage their inventory, and real estate in-store.

“We enable the retailer to utilise the real estate in a much more effective way. We also help the retailer to significantly increase their revenues, because we see that the average basket size of a smart cart is 30% higher than that of a traditional cart. We help generate personalised promotions in real time based on the shoppers’ habits and location in the store. In addition to this, a third of the screen is dedicated to advertising, which can either be done by the retailer, or through advertising that we sell to the CPGs and manufacturers. All these factors help retailers increase revenue and gives their customers better shopping experiences,” said Mordoch.

One of the biggest flaws since self-checkouts were introduced has been their inability to combat theft and fraud.

However, as Mordoch points out the sophisticated technology used by Cust2Mate makes theft almost impossible.

“It’s almost impossible to steal when using the Cust2Mate smart cart. We have implemented four different security measures on the cart that gives the retailer 100% bullet proof protection. Once a customer scans a product, and puts it into the basket there is an AI camera in the basket that identifies if that’s the correct item that has just been scanned. We also have a security scale within the basket, so if I am supposed to put in a product that weighs 1.2kg, and I put something in that weighs 1.1kg, then that will raise a red flag. In addition, we are in the process of implementing RFID for high price SKUs. These security measures that are built in are completely seamless to the customer, and doesn’t in any way impact on their experience at all. As I aforementioned above the technology deployed by Cust2Mate only enhances the shopping experience,” said Mordoch.

In terms of adoption of new technologies, Mordoch conceded that it is human nature to resist change.

He spent a large chunk of his career in the telecommunications sector, and he referenced the fact that when the telco industry underwent huge digital transformation around 10 years ago, they faced constraints in terms of adoption.

We know that some retailers have had their fingers burnt with previous self-checkout technology, so was it hard to convince them to adopt this new technology by Cust2Mate?

“The way we are helping our retail customers overcome this fear of technology is to conduct a POC phase. I’ll put 5,10, or 20 carts into a store, agree on the KPIs with the customer and when the KPIs are achieved after 30-60 days, we move to a full roll-out. Customers love our technology. We generate a lot of data on the carts and we can see that the shoppers absolutely love the smart cart experience. We can see that almost 60% of the traffic is returning customers, so effectively what this means is that people that use the smart cart overwhelmingly want to come back and use it again. So, even if you have a retailer that is a little bit conservative when it comes to new technology like smart carts, when they see that the average basket size is bigger, the valuable data which is generated, and customers really like the experience, then it’s a no-brainer for them to add more smart carts to their fleet in-store,” said Mordoch.

He added that the access to data in real-time was completely transforming the relationship dynamic between the retailer and the customer.

“Data is the name of the game, and we know that traditionally the consumer only meets the retailer at the end of the journey. However, with the smart cart the retailer meets the customer when they come into the store, and that really is a huge difference to the entire experience. It’s completely transformative for both the retailer and the consumer,” said Mordoch.

Cust2Mate have had huge success in Israel, and recently penned a significant deal with the largest DIY chain in the country. It has had wins internationally too, and also signed a deal with a convenience store chain that has 16 outlets in Manhattan.

However, as Mordoch pointed out, a lot of Cust2Mate’s focus over the last few years has understandably been on the product.

Mordoch’s job is to change their strategy and move away from an approach he described as ‘opportunistic’.

“My role as CEO is to change the strategy and our overall direction as a company. I think since our inception from a market perspective we were very, very opportunistic. Israel is an easy market for us, and we had a lot of success there. However, everything that we did globally was on an opportunistic basis. Essentially, what that means is we didn’t really have a strategy outside of Israel. I have a made a number of decisions since assuming the reigns as CEO, and the first of those is to make Israel my showcase market. The second decision that I want to take is based on the fact that we see around 50-60% of the smart carts globally are based in the United States. Cust2Mate is a subsidiary of A2Z, which is publicly traded on the NASDAQ. Most of my investors are in the US, so I need to have a bigger presence in the US and I need to increase our investments in this market, because it represents the biggest smart cart market globally,” said Mordoch.

Mordoch is planning on hiring a local sales team in the United States, that will lead the penetration of the smart cart market for them.

“There are many Israeli companies that believe they can conquer the world from Tel-Aviv, but I don’t believe in that. I firmly believe that you need to have local people on the ground., so our local sales and pre/sales team is going to be a key driver for us in terms of really cracking the US marketplace,” said Mordoch.

As referenced at the beginning of the interview, Mordoch has enjoyed a storied and fabled career with some of the biggest companies in the world, so why in the twilight of his career has he chosen to enter the volatile world of start-ups?

“When I’m asked why I joined a start-up company, the joke I tell people is, when you work for a big company, you make good money, but you’re not rich. I wanted to take the knowledge that I acquired from working for so many large corporations and implement it into a start-up company. The reason I came to Cust2Mate is because I feel that the company is really going to completely disrupt the retail industry. The beautiful thing is in our space it is a blue ocean, and the potential of the market is astronomical,” said Mordoch.

Mordoch declared that he doesn’t want Cust2Mate to be a hardware company, or a smart cart manufacturer.

“I want to have the best smart carts that are easy to use, but the whole idea here is the customer experience element – and the data capability, and value-added services that we can deliver on top of the cart. We changed our business model too. We no longer sell carts. I don’t want to sell carts. We have moved to a subscription-based model, and we can add additional services to that. The customer will pay more for value-added services based on data. I’m strengthening my product team right now, and I’m hiring a lot more data scientists, AI experts and computer vision personnel to develop this value proposition, which is based on unique services that are based on the data coming from the smart carts,” said Mordoch.

Mordoch concluded by saying a big advantage the company has is the fact they don’t need to sell the concept because the needs are there.

“We don’t need to educate the market on why they should adopt the technology. We just need to build the right strategy and execute it. I love a challenge, but this company already has great technology, a great product, and a proven track record of success. My focus is to take the company to be the global smart cart platform leader, and I believe as I said we will completely disrupt the global retail sector,” said Mordoch.

Article From:
https://www.tahawultech.com/interviews/i-believe-we-will-completely-disrupt-the-global-retail-sector-guy-mordoch-ceo-of-cust2mate/

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Israeli customers will soon be using smart carts – with a touch screen, cameras and barcode reader – to shop for household essentials.

A2Z Smart Technologies is supplying 1,000 of them to HaStok’s 40 outlets across the country.

Every item added to the smart carts is recognized and added to a displayed shopping list, automatically calculating the total cost of the purchase in real-time. Users can also pay for their purchases through the cart itself.

“We are thrilled to partner with HaStok and bring the significant benefits of our smart cart solution to Hastok and their customers,” said Guy Mordoch, CEO of A2Z’s subsidiary, Cust2Mate, which developed the smart carts.

“This new vertical is an exciting opportunity for A2Z to expand our reach and make shopping more convenient and efficient for consumers demonstrating value for any retail shopping, grocery and convenience stores.”

Ofer Barak, CEO of HaStok, said, “We are excited to be working with A2Z to bring their innovative smart cart solution to our customers. We believe Cust2Mate will provide our customers with a seamless shopping experience and help increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, and simultaneously increase our sales and reduce our operating costs.”

A2Z has been designing smart systems for Israel’s defense and security forces, including automotive fire-prevention systems, and remote-controlled bomb disposal and firefighting robots, since 1988.

Founder Joseph Ben Tsur established Cust2Mate in 2016 to utilize the technology for the retail sector.

Article From:
https://nocamels.com/2023/05/smart-carts-for-israeli-household-stores/

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Article From:
https://retailtechinnovationhub.com/home/2023/10/31/a2z-cust2mate-subsidiary-bags-first-purchase-order-to-deliver-smart-carts-to-monoprix-stores

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These carts offer features such as decision-making support, access to shopping lists and messages, diverse payment methods, and a large screen.

The Jerusalem Post, November 22, 2023

In a strategic move, Israeli smart shopping cart developer Cust2mate is set to bring its cutting-edge smart shopping carts to Southeast Asia, marking its expansion into the lucrative markets of Malaysia and Thailand. Approximately 20,000 smart carts are poised to make their way into leading retail chains across the region by 2025.Cust2mate’s smart carts employ artificial intelligence  and advanced technologies to transform the retail customer journey. These carts offer features such as decision-making support, access to shopping lists and messages, diverse payment methods, and a large screen for targeted advertising, contributing to an enhanced shopping experience. Notably, the smart carts eliminate traditional checkout lines through built-in touch screens, barcode readers, security scales, and cameras that record the shopping process. Among the prominent retail chains set to embrace Cust2mate’s technology are Jaya Grocer, the third-largest supermarket chain in Malaysia, SOGO, the second-largest department store chain in Malaysia, Central Group, the largest retail conglomerate in Thailand, Lotus’s, the largest hypermarket chain in Thailand, The Mall, the second-largest shopping mall chain in Thailand, and The Food Purveyor Group, a prominent Malaysian food retailer. Facilitating this expansion is the strategic partnership with HEX 1011, a leading integrator of technological solutions for retail chains.

In recent months, Cust2mate has undergone strategic adjustments to its go-to-market approach, focusing on an aggressive expansion plan. With a new hardware release, the company is pursuing an ambitious vision, particularly in North America, where the company has invested significantly, hiring a sales team and partnering with local firms to promote its smart shopping carts aggressively.

Company has momentum in region already

In the EMEA region, the company has experienced notable momentum, securing strategic deals in France. The company is actively pursuing opportunities in the UK, Spain, Italy, Romania, and Belgium, with advanced-stage discussions hinting at upcoming wins. The Israeli market, Cust2mate’s home ground, remains a stronghold, with partnerships and orders from major retailers like Yohananof.

“Today, what’s going on in the store is a black hole for retailers,” explained CEO Guy Mordoch, noting that smart carts change this dynamic, providing retailers with continuous insights into customer movements throughout their entire store visit. “We believe that as we implement more and more retail chains, we get to understand the pain points of the retail industry worldwide.”

Article From:
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/article-774594

The post Cust2Mate’s new deal to bring 20,000 Israeli smart carts to Southeast Asia by 2025 appeared first on Cust2Mate 3.0.

The Marker, January 02, 2024

חוויית הקניות הקמעונאית משנה את פניה במהירות. עד לאחרונה, תהליך הקניות ברוב החנויות בעולם התנהל באותה שיטה מסורתית: הלקוח לוקח עגלה, מניח בתוכה מוצרים ואחר כך משלם עליהם בקופה. אך דור חדש של פתרונות קמעונאות חכמים מחולל מהפכה בחוויית הקניות המוכרת. בעזרת מערכות חכמות שמייעלות ומשפרות את תהליך הקניות, אותם פתרונות מעצבים מחדש את עולם הקמעונאות

עגלה חכמה דור 3.0 של קאסטומייט | צילום: Cust2mate“.

מהפכה בתחום הקמעונאות

לדברי מורדוך, עגלות חכמות נועדו לפתור כמה מהבעיות המשמעותיות ביותר שניצבות בפני עולם הקמעונאות. “בסופו של דבר, קמעונאים רוצים להגדיל הכנסות ורווחיות, לשפר את חוויית הלקוח, לצמצם את עלויות התפעול של החנויות עצמן ולמנוע גניבות. הרלוונטיות של האתגרים הללו רק גברה בשנים האחרונות

דיברת על הגדלת ההכנסות והרווחיות

“העגלה יכולה לייצר הכנסות נוספות לקמעונאים. על המסך של העגלה ניתן לשדר פרסומות מותאמות אישית, כאשר הפרסומת יכולה להתבסס על המיקום של הלקוח בתוך החנות. למשל, לקוח שהולך באזור המשקאות ומקבל הצעה למבצע על שישיית דיאט קולה. מכיוון שהעגלה יודעת גם אילו מוצרים הוכנסו לעגלה, יש לנו גם יכולת לבחון את היעילות של הפרסומות

פתרון היברידי ואינטגרטיבי

בניגוד לחברות אחרות בעולמות הקמעונאות החכמה, הצוות שמאחורי קאסטומייט מורכב מאנשי מקצוע בעלי ניסיון עשיר בעולמות הקמעונאות. “אנחנו לא חברה טכנולוגית, אלא חברת קמעונאות שהביאה פתרון מבוסס טכנולוגיה”, מבהיר מורדוך. “הפתרון שלנו הוא גם היברידי וגם אינטגרטיבי: העגלה שפיתחנו משלבת בינה מלאכותית, אבל לא תלויה בבינה המלאכותית

מורדוך מעריך כי מהפכת העגלות החכמות צוברת תאוצה בשנים האחרונות. “אנחנו רואים שבתעשייה מתחילים להבין שזה הדבר הבא. כמעט כל השחקנים בתעשיית הקמעונאות התחילו לבדוק את תחום העגלות החכמות. יש כאלה שכבר נמצאים בשלבים מתקדמים של פיילוט, כמו למשל קרפור, שאיתם אנחנו עובדים. ברור לכולם שזה הכיוון העתידי של תחום הקמעונאות

אני מאמין שבתוך ארבע-חמש שנים יימכרו בעולם מאות אלפי עגלות בכל שנה ואני משוכנע שהנתח שלנו מהשוק הזה יהיה משמעותי מאוד. אנחנו מתכוונים לשמור על המעמד שלנו כחברה מובילה ולהצעיד קדימה את היכולות של עולם הקמעונאות

Article From:
https://www.themarker.com/labels/hightechbook23/2024-01-02/ty-article-labels/0000018c-afec-db94-afbd-affd66d70000

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