News Briefs

Product return companies Loop and ReBound have partnered to integrate global logistics capabilities, elevate omnichannel returns, and reduce costs. 

The partnership will expand capabilities related to return shipments, advanced local processing, and consolidation. 

It brings together the intelligent technology and logistics capabilities of ReBound — which handles over 100 million return transactions annually — with Loop’s optimized consumer experience within returns and exchanges, with native integration capabilities for Shopify. 

• More technology news: Learn why BlueConic acquired Jebbit

The partnership will optimize returns operations, drive brand loyalty and increased retention, and ensure participating companies have a well-integrated tech stack with a comprehensive reverse logistics program, said Jonathan Poma, CEO at Loop.

“Both Loop and ReBound will be able to benefit from the other’s extensive partner network. Working together, we will redefine the e-commerce returns journey for brands who want a competitive advantage in the online retail industry,” Schoenmaker said.

Customer data platform company BlueConic has acquired first-party data-capture technology provider Jebbit. 

Jebbit’s AI-powered interactive tools to manage first-party data, including custom quizzes, surveys, and lookbooks, will be able to integrate with enterprise data within BlueConic’s platform.  

Combined, the companies account for over 500 global customers. 

"We are thrilled to band together with Jebbit, enhancing our capacity to serve our dedicated marketers and strategists,” said Cory Munchbach, CEO of BlueConic. “Together, we’re combining our strengths to offer an unmatched range of capabilities that empower our customers to glean deeper insights, take decisive actions, and accelerate growth. With our platforms, marketers are able to unlock the potential of their data.” 

• See more M&A activity from the CPG industry

“Our mission at Jebbit has always been to make digital experiences assumption-free by directly engaging people about their interests, motivations, and preferences in an enjoyable, engaging, and value-driven way,” said Tom Coburn, CEO and co-founder of Jebbit. “Every marketer strives to understand the multi-dimensional nature of their customer. With the power of BlueConic and Jebbit, users will be able to leverage diverse types of data and redefine the concept of a customer profile.” 

Collaborative commerce platform Crisp is being recognized for its capabilities in pinpointing demand, boosting efficiency, and reducing waste in the supply chain and logistics. The company received a SupplyTech Breakthrough Award from independent market intelligence firm SupplyTech Breakthrough. 

“Crisp represents a breakthrough in supply chain visibility and data-driven retail execution. We’re pleased to name them ‘Overall Data Solution of the Year’ as their platform strengthens relationships with retail partners and frees up supply chain teams to focus on higher-value tasks that positively affect the end-consumer,” said Bryan Vaughn, managing director of the awards.

Capabilities include:

• Integration of real-time inventory and point-of-sale data from 40-plus retail and distribution channels for a centralized view into product movement and cross-channel sale
• Data cleaning and harmonization service
• Adherence to the security requirements of every retailer and distributor data portal, including data encryption and secure warehouse storage
• Data delivery to any cloud or BI application, where it can be combined with third-party data sets
• Analytics and demand predictability, and optimized inventory and assortments

"The easier you make it for suppliers to access their data, the better they can operate and service the retailer or distributor,” said Are Traasdahl, CEO and founder of Crisp. “This SupplyTech Breakthrough award is a testament to the mission-critical insights we deliver and the quality of our future-forward technology that empowers brands to implement a collaborative commerce approach, where advanced analysis improves forecasting, pricing strategies, inventory management, and expansion plans.”

SAP recently announced a series of partnerships that are helping to drive growth in artificial intelligence-powered capabilities. The company is working with Google Cloud, Meta, Mistral AI, and NVIDIA to "use the power of AI-ready technology to innovate at speed and deliver richer real-world results."

Through a collaboration with Google, the companies will pair AI assistant and cloud technology with integrated business planning. This will help enterprises better predict and mitigate supply chain risks to minimize disruptions and maintain optimal inventory levels. 

With Meta’s Llama 3 platform, the company will also be able to generate scripts to render customized analytics within SAP’s analytics cloud solution and translate enterprise business requirements into tangible outcomes.

• Also read: AWS and SAP Expand Partnership With Generative AI ERP Integration

NVIDIA also lends an infrastructure that will help SAP run, scale, and manage its AI assistant capabilities as SAP embeds Joule in the ABAP Cloud model to generate ABAP code for SAP developers. Partnering with NVIDIA also allows the company to simulate complex manufacturing processes through digital twins. 

"Today's AI announcements and partnerships build on our commitment to deliver revolutionary technology that drives real-world results, helping customers unleash the agility and ingenuity they need to succeed in today's fast-moving business landscape," said Christian Klein, SAP CEO. 

Retail data platform provider Crisp has acquired SetSight and Lumidata, both of which work with retail agencies, brokers, and brands to provide sales and supply chain data to CPGs selling through major retailers. 

SetSight’s and Lumidata’s agency and supplier customers represent over 2,500 CPG brands, according to Crisp. 

• See also: How CPGs Can Unlock the Power of Personalization Through Data Clean Rooms
   

Crisp said the acquisitions will enable it to ingest and share retail data and insights with CPG brands looking to optimize inventory, merchandising, and marketing. Its customers are expected to gain greater visibility into their products’ performance across store locations in order to optimize operations. 

They’re also expected to receive a more holistic view of their business to reduce out of stocks and align their supply with consumer demand across various channels. 

Logility and Deloitte Canada are working together to bring generative AI capabilities to supply chain planning. The companies are developing use cases to accelerate tech growth in demand, supply, inventory, and order fulfillment. 

The companies looked to bring new capabilities to tackle workforce challenges, unpredictable markets, siloed systems, and overall complexities related to data and supply chain analysis. Generative AI tech thus far, say the companies, have not had the data sources and understanding of complex supply chains to drive operational shifts in this area of business. 

• Also read: Gartner: Why AI Misconceptions May Hurt Supply Chain Tech Talent

The companies’ supply chain-focused technology will integrate via natural language interactions, allowing companies to tap into the Logility platform without investing significantly in data science resources.

Allan Dow, president of Logility, said the partnership will help develop next-level decision-making capabilities, bridging the gap between complex data and human understanding to make strategic decisions in seconds. 

Jas Jaaj, managing partner, AI and data for Deloitte Canada, said the companies are looking to empower businesses through data-driven decisions.