Grocery AI company Focal Systems enters UK market with ‘Self Driving Store’

Focal Systems, a company specialising in retail automation, has entered the UK retail market, having joined the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and opened its first office in Europe.

Founded in 2015 in San Francisco, US, Focal Systems has pioneered the ‘Self Driving Store’ Operating System (FocalOS), to help retailers improve margins, increase sustainability, and better serve customers.

Already proven with several leading retailers, including Walmart who will have it live in every one of their stores in Canada by the end of 2022, the team said it will be announcing the launch of multiple partnerships with leading UK retailers in the coming months.

“We are honoured to join retailers and grocers of all sizes across the UK and to work in partnership with the BRC to drive innovation for our shared economies,” said Jeremy Pugh, VP GTM, Focal Systems.

“Focal’s mission is to automate retail globally. Given the severity of the current labour and supply chain challenges that UK retailers face, there is nobody who needs this technology more. Our partnership with the BRC will enable us to best help the UK retail community overcome these challenges and continue to serve their customers.”

Tony DeNunzio, chairman for the BRC, added: “Artificial intelligence is transforming industries and retailers are still wrapping their minds around how to use it. As Focal has found, when you focus on core tasks, the ROI is so high and can be so powerful.”

“Retailers need to be thinking very hard about AI because they have razor-thin margins. How do I use this new technology? How do I fulfill all the different channels? That’s where Focal works so beautifully because it's a win, win, win. It’s good for the customers because it increases product availability, it’s good for the retailer because it lowers cost, improves efficiency, and drives profitability, and it’s good for brands because they sell more.”

Focal has raised more than $40 million (£33.6m) in venture capital funding to date and has scaled its solutions to retailers spanning three continents. The company said major retailers have shown a 50x in ROI with the implementation of its technology.