X5 Retail Group joins new alliance to identify retail start-ups | Progresiv

X5 Retail Group, Beeline, M.Video-Eldorado, and Hoff have partnered on the creation of a joint project to scout and adopt innovations from tech start-ups in Russia. The Retail Innovation Tech Alliance (RITA) will look for new technology solutions in Russia as well as on major global start-up platforms. All partners will finance the project equally.

The joint committee will select a Russian operator who will coordinate with partners and arrange for the search and selection of promising solutions in Russia. All partners will share best practices and case studies on start-ups with each other. Lafayette Plug and Play, one of the leading international accelerators, is being considered as a project partner for scouting innovation in Europe, while Axis, another market leader, may be engaged to look for start-ups in Israel.

All RITA partners will consider technology solutions in different business areas, including ecommerce, transportation and logistics, consumer experience, quality of goods, point-of-sale operations, back-office automation, marketing, digital entertainment, Internet of Things and others. (www.kantarretailiq.com)