Walmart hits Zepeto and chalks up an immersive commerce first: this week's coolest retail technology plays

RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail’ systems launches and deployments from the past week, including Walmart, Zepeto, Netflix, EE, Amazon, Carrefour, Just Eat, Sensei, MC Sonae, Zara, Bambuser, Intermarché, and SymphonyAI.

Walkbase

STRATACACHE company Walkbase, an in-store analytics solutions provider for retailers, has unveiled new millimeter wave sensor technology.

On display this week at NRF in New York, it provides retailers and premises owners a way to accurately measure in-store customer behaviour without collecting or divulging the personal identifying information (PII) of customers. 

“For retailers looking to track shopper activity in their store, without the risk of collecting unauthorised data, the millimeter wave solution is essential," says Ben Reynolds, Vice President Business Development, Walkbase.

“This is the first time that millimeter wave technology has been used in retail and, after years of development, we are so proud to be sharing Walkbase’s highly scalable solution with retailers and brands attending NRF.”

Walmart

Walmart has launched Zepeto's first ever e-commerce experience for real world items.

In a LInkedIn post, Justin Breton, Head of Brand Marketing Innovation at Walmart, said: "You read it here first… 2025 is the year of immersive commerce! Users are now able to buy real-world No Boundaries items directly on Zepeto by logging in to their Walmart account for a secure buying experience. The purchase of each real-world item also comes with a free virtual twin."

"This is our third drop since launching on Zepeto in October. In a short period of time, we’ve learned what resonates with the community, what tactics drive increased engagement, and so much more. Here are some results to date: 3.6M+ try-ons of our 20 previous virtual items; 1.87M+ pieces of user generated content shared; 180K+ item likes and 67K+ item saves for future purchase. All data provided by GEEIQ.”

He added: "Our strategy to continue investing in emerging platforms and immersive commerce isn’t because they're shiny new objects to test with. It’s driven by data and insights about the next generation of consumers, such as: 56% of Gen Z say visiting a brand’s virtual experience improves perception; 53% of Gen Z gamers spend more than $20 every month on virtual items; 42% of Gen Z use their virtual avatar to test fashion items they might buy IRL.”

The launch is complemented by ten new items, available for real-world or virtual purchase, from the spring No Boundaries collection and a self-love themed photobooth backdrop for additional content creation."

Netflix and EE

EE is partnering with Netflix to bring the world of Squid Game 2 to life in Westfield White City from this Friday and throughout the weekend.

In an exclusive tie up for EE, Squid Game fans can immerse themselves in the South Korean show and be in with the chance to win exclusive prizes such as a limited edition 'Game Over' Xbox controller, as the EE Studio store transforms to mark the launch of the latest series.

Over the three days, the Pink Guards will descend on Westfield White City to march shoppers into the store, with everyone who enters the Studio able to win a prize. Fans of the show can play the famous piggy bank, redesigned as a 'money grabber' game, for a chance to win Squid Game merchandise. 

The new ‘Squid Game: Unleashed’ mobile game will be available to play on tablets around the store, while the new Squid Game 2 modes in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 will be playable in the EE Studio Gaming Zone.

The Gaming Zone will also become a hive of Squid Game 2 competition, with winners of each Red Light, Green Light game winning Call of Duty points, which can be redeemed against the new Squid Game operator bundles in Call of Duty, and be in with a chance to win one of the limited edition Game Over Xbox controllers, of which there are only 456 in the world. 

The top Red Light, Green Light player over the whole weekend will win an Xbox Series X 1TB Console, three months Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription and a limited edition Game Over Xbox controller.

Zara

Bambuser has announced ts first launch in China with a dedicated platform for Zara that integrates livestream shopping and video commerce across its e-commerce channels.

The partnership is timed with the launch of Zara’s ‘Chinese New Year’ collection, which was launched on 9th January, and is available for purchase through shoppable livestreams.

In China, 54.7% of consumers shop through livestreams, according to the 53rd Statistical Report on China’s Internet Development. Bambuser’s platform enables brands to integrate shoppable videos and livestreams across their online channels.

“China is the dominant market for live shopping, which is traditionally run on marketplaces and third party platforms. However, brands are increasingly shifting toward direct-to-consumer (D2C) strategies to offer the same engaging live video shopping experiences on their own platform," says Maryam Ghahremani, CEO at Bambuser. 

“Zara is one such brand embracing this shift, and our expansion into this market is empowering Zara and other brands on their D2C journey, enabling them to deliver seamless, high quality livestreams directly to their audiences in every channel.”

In 2024, Zara teamed up with Bambuser to launch ‘ZaraStreaming’, a debut livestream shopping event that allowed western-based consumers to buy directly from a live video experience. The pair lay claim to thousands of customers being drawn in by the appearance of supermodel Cindy Crawford and her daughter, Kaia Gerber.

Carrefour and Just Eat

Carrefour and Just Eat have expanded their home delivery services partnership to Spain 

Customers in the country can now access over 4,500 Carrefour products, including fresh, refrigerated, and frozen items, as well as beauty, personal care, cleaning supplies, pet food and more - with deliveries within 30 minutes.

Iñigo Barea Egaña, Country Manager at Just Eat Spain, says: “We work to enhance convenience for our users by broadening the range of products available, with the grocery segment being one of Just Eat Spain’s major focuses. Thanks to this strategic alliance with Carrefour, we can offer our customers an even wider selection of products, with the convenience of home delivery in minutes and the quality assurance that our users expect and deserve.”

GoWish

Capital D has acquired a significant stake in GoWish (also known as Ønskeskyen in Denmark), a social commerce platform.

The transaction secures GoWish both an undisclosed capital increase from Capital D as well as a partial buy-out of existing investors in the ccmpany who are reinvesting in the next chapter of its journey.

Founded in 2015, it has grown its user base to approximately ten million registered users across its platforms worldwide, and has carved a niche for itself in Scandinavia with four million plus registered users in Denmark, Norway and Sweden. It says that more than 50% of the Danish population has signed up to its app.

In March 2023,  it started its expansion campaign into new geographies, namely Norway, Sweden, the US, the UK and Germany with over two-thirds of total users now situated outside of Denmark. In the US, within a few months of launching in the market, GoWish had registered over 3.7 million users across the country.

GoWish CEO Casper Ravn-Sørensen and Co-founder Mads Dahlerup say: “We’re thrilled to welcome Capital D as a strategic investor in GoWish. We see this as the beginning of a promising partnership to empower the future of social shopping and enable a swiftly growing global audience to create wishlists, share inspiration and buy gifts or goods at the best prices online.”

“GoWish is not only in the business of making dreams come true, but also to make double gifting, unspent gift cards and returns a thing of the past. We see a huge potential for this combined value proposition and thus we believe that this is only the beginning of a global journey.”

Amazon

Amazon has announced the expansion of zero exhaust emission deliveries in the UK, with its largest ever order of electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs). For the first time, its packages are now also being transported at scale on the UK’s electric rail network. In addition, the company has launched on foot customer deliveries for the first time in central London, with trolleys that can be restocked while on the go.

“Decarbonising our transport network is key in helping us achieve our goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions across our operations by 2040 and today’s announcement is an exciting and major step forward for us in this mission, says Nicola Fyfe, EU VP at Amazon Logistics.

“The combination of our - and the UK’s - biggest ever order of eHGVs, the UK’s electric rail network now being used to transport customer packages, and the launch of restocking on the move on-foot deliveries, all alongside our partners’ fleet of electric vans and e-cargo bikes, will help us move more customer orders across our fulfilment network with zero exhaust emissions. This is a win for our customers, the environment and our business.”

Sensei and MC Sonae

Sensei has partnered with MC Sonae on the opening of a new Continente Bom Dia location, in Leiria, Portugal, pitched as the world’s largest autonomous supermarket.

In a LinkedIn post, Sensei said: "This revolutionary achievement is a record breaker on so many levels, setting a new benchmark for the future of retail: 1.676 cameras; 1,200 sq m2; 2,000 scales; 21 servers; 10.000 SKU’s."

"With democratic entry (no app or card tapping needed), assisted sales (fresh fish counter), simplified real-time basket checkout, discrepancy detection (a first!), and many more, bringing the shopping journey to a whole new level."

It concluded: "We changed everything, challenging the retail status quo, without changing anything – except for the groundbreaking checkout process, it’s just a really simple, smooth and seamless shopping experience."

Instacart

Instacart has announced new partnerships with two Point of Sale (PoS) providers: DUMAC Business Systems, and TRUNO Retail Technology Solutions. The pair will offer Caper Carts - Instacart’s AI powered smart carts - to their grocer networks, providing end-to-end PoS integration from sales through to implementation. 

Caper Carts let customers automatically scan items as they shop, track spending for budget management, and access discounts directly on the cart. DUMAC and TRUNO provide a turnkey service, including Caper Cart referrals, implementation, maintenance, and ongoing technical support.

“Grocers are the backbone of communities across the US, and we’re committed to getting them the tools and technology they need to succeed,” says Nick Nickitas, General Manager of Local Independent Grocery at Instacart.

"By teaming up with established PoS leaders like DUMAC and TRUNO, we're making it easier than ever for grocers of all sizes to partner with Instacart, unlocking a modern shopping experience with Caper Carts while serving their communities.” 

Intermarché

French retailer Intermarché is deploying SymphonyAI’s AI-based CINDE Connected Retail Platform.

This builds on an initial deployment within the supply chain during which Intermarché first used SymphonyAI’s AI capability for demand forecasting. 

All of its 39 distribution centres now benefit from real-time inventory optimisation and replenishment. Central to this operation is Demand Suite.

“In this industry, there are many headwinds that grocers have to confront. SymphonyAI remains one of our most reliable partners that enable us to adapt and overcome market challenges," says Thomas Darbois, Director General of STIME at Intermarché. 

"Their solutions already underpin key elements of our business, but with CINDE Connected Retail they have offered an achievable version of the future by leveraging predictive and generative AI in a way that will transform our operations.”

“SymphonyAI clearly understands how generative AI can transform our operation and I look forward to seeing its impact across many areas including consumer insights, pricing and promotion, assortment optimisation, forecasting and replenishment, and store operations. The idea that CINDE Connected Retail could shrink the store owner’s technology dependence to a Generative AI capability held in the hand is revolutionary."