Top-tier German Retailer REWE Uses Catch’s AI Platform to Strengthen Shoppers’ Experiences

Catch “The Google and ChatGPT of supermarkets” providing smart personal assistance to every shopper, improves shopping experience, product search, and navigation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9of13D86hdo

German retail giant REWE has signed an agreement with Catch, a retail-focused AI-company, to test the digitization of the shopping experience. The Catch AI is a multichannel platform operates across smart carts, smartphones, self-checkout kiosks, and more. The agreement was signed with REWE digital’s Innovation Hub “Research & Innovation”, which drives the integration of advanced technologies into supermarket operations.

In the first phase, the solution was implemented in 110 carts in REWE Center, the largest supermarket format of the retailer, in Cologne. Each cart equipped with a tablet delivering “Catch smart personal assistant” to individual shoppers; it allows shoppers to scan their handwritten shopping lists or digitally transfer their shopping lists using the tablet. It does not require registration or app download, enabling complete anonymity throughout the shopping process. Catch’s AI engines decodes and processes the information, creating a unique, real-time shopper profile, which updates during the entire shopping journey.

The product search engine speeds navigation to desired products and offers deals and additional products based on shoppers’ preferences. For example, a shopper that profiled as a shopper that customer looking for vegan products will receive suggestions for additional vegan products.

On the retailer side, the system provides valuable insights including in-store walking paths, consumer preferences, responsiveness to offers, pre-planned versus spontaneous shopping, and the time spent by customers near each item – all without collecting personal data.

“Retailers constantly seek improved customer experiences while shoppers especially in the competitive German market have high expectations regarding convenience, service and speed. Demanding challenges while still offering a large range of thousands of products and attractive offers.״ says Shlomi Dayan, co-founder and CEO of Catch. We bring existing capabilities from the online world into the offline world, addressing a massive market of $11.5 trillion in physical purchases, which is still 10x higher than online purchases.”

Itai Lishner, co-founder and CTO of Catch, adds: “The issue of privacy is of great importance to shoppers around the world and particularly in Germany. Shoppers are reluctant to provide identification details and are often unwilling to forfeit benefits. That’s why we’ve developed an AI-based platform that can characterize shoppers without the need for personal information and without requiring them to register or provide personal details.”

With a turnover of 28.4 billion euros (2022), more than 160,000 employees nationwide and 3,800 stores in Germany, REWE is one of the leading companies in German food retailing. The REWE stores are operated as branches or by independent REWE retailers.

Catch was founded in 2022 by Shlomi Dayan, CEO, and Itai Lishner, CTO, both former executives at TRAX, with nearly two decades of experience in management roles and leading business and technology development teams. Itai’s PhD research focused on developing prediction modules and decision-making with AI. The company launched its product in May 2023 and currently employs 19 people in its R&D center in Israel and offices in Germany, continuing expansion and hiring new employees. Catch is available at Israel’s Tiv Taam stores and other locations worldwide, regularly serving more than 120,000 active shoppers and delivering a volume of over a million personalized messages and deals each month.

Credit photo: Dan Peretz