Five retail technology investments that should be on your radar

These companies are leading the way in providing innovative retail systems powered customer experiences, including Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and REWE Far East.

1. Morrisons

Morrisons is testing out a store with no checkouts or staff, known internally as Project Sarah, at its Bradford head office.

Britain's fourth largest supermarket, which is currently at the centre of a takeover battle, is working with US venture AiFi on the initiative.

Customers (or Morrisons staff members in the case of this trial) download an app on to their smartphone which must be scanned on entry.

Digital cameras then track where people are in the store and record which items they place in their bags.

2. Loop Neighborhood

Autonomous shopping venture AiFi has ramped up its partnership with US retailer Loop Neighborhood to introduce its computer vision, camera only platform into stores in California, starting with two Bay Area locations.

This follows a tie up to design an autonomous gas station store, using AiFi’s NanoStore model in Campbell, California in 2019.

3. REWE Far East

Topo Solutions is developing a new digital supply chain management platform for REWE Far East, the sourcing arm of food retailer REWE Group in Asia.

The solution uses visual interfaces and drag and drop features, replacing the need for extensive coding.

4. Boots

Boots has gone live with its first dispensing robot in the retailer’s pharmacies in Ireland.

5. M&S

Marks & Spencer is set to become the first major UK retailer to launch same-day clothing deliveries nationwide.

The move would make M&S faster than competitors such as Asos and Next.

Chief Executive Steve Rowe told the Times it would show how bricks and mortar retailers could use their stores as an advantage in a digital first age.

He said: “People think of the store portfolio as being an albatross around our neck but I don't think it is.”

“I think we are going to have a multi-channel proposition so we can be where our customers want and they can choose how quickly they want it.”