AI robotics moves beyond pilot and single site phase: last week’s biggest technology plays at a glance
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Rohlik Group, Grubhub, Avride, Wonder, Instacart, Zalando, Amazon, Tesco, bol, Asda, Frasers Group, Shoprite Group, Ikea, and Krystal Restaurants.
Rohlik Group
Sereact, a specialist in AI driven robotics, and Rohlik Group, a European online grocer, are teaming up.
A roll-out begins with 24 robots across Rohlik’s German and Austrian brands - Knuspr and Gurkerl - operating in Berlin and Vienna fulfilment centres, with Frankfurt to follow. The programme is designed to expand quickly, with both companies aiming to deploy more than 100 robots as the partnership grows.
This will allow Rohlik to optimise key parameters such as throughput, reliability, and the coordination between fresh and dry food zones.
“Rohlik is showing how AI robotics can scale beyond pilots and single sites,” says Ralf Gulde, CEO at Sereact. “With 24 additional robots committed and a roadmap targeting more than 100 across its European network, Rohlik is setting a new benchmark for what large scale robotic fulfilment can look like in grocery e-commerce.”
Grubhub, Avride and Wonder
Grubhub is expanding its partnership with Avride to launch a robot delivery pilot for customers ordering from Wonder's Jersey City location.
This marks the first time Grubhub has offered autonomous delivery in its marketplace outside of college campuses - and the first time Wonder is bringing robot delivery to its customers.
During the pilot, customers can place orders from Wonder's Jersey City location through the Grubhub platform as usual. If an eligible delivery address is within a set range of the restaurant, they will have the option to choose delivery via an Avride robot.
Following the pilot, Grubhub plans to implement any learnings and expand autonomous delivery to additional markets nationwide.
Uber Technologies and Hibbett
Uber Technologies and Hibbett have announced a new partnership bringing the omnichannel retailer’s selection of athletic inspired fashion, footwear and accessories to the Uber Eats platform.
Consumers across the US can shop from nearly 900 Hibbett locations nationwide. Uber One members enjoy added perks, including $0 delivery fees on eligible orders.
“We’re thrilled to share our new partnership with Uber Eats - a collaboration that reimagines what it means to shop locally,” says Bill Quinn, CIO at Hibbett.
”By bringing together the agility and speed customers love from Uber Eats with the trusted Hibbett shopping experience, we’re creating a new convenient way to shop for athletic inspired fashion, the latest sneaker drops from brands like Nike and Jordan and much more. This initiative isn’t just about faster delivery, it’s about more access for our local communities.”
Kanzen
Skincare breand Kanzen has announced the launch of Live Shopping Studios in Birmingham. It says that this makes it the first brand led TikTok Shop partner to open a dedicated live commerce space.
After amassing over 400 million impressions across TikTok Shop and achieving viral success, Kanzen has now built custom live studios with a “shop like” feel, where brands can produce live shopping experiences backed by expert support.
Kanzen Studios is spearheaded by David Connor, CEO at Kanzen. He says, “The fact that we’re able to bring a studio of this magnitude to Birmingham is a huge moment for me, both personally and professionally.”
The project is also backed by a team including Marketing Director Matthew Bellingham who formerly helped Warrior Supplements grow from $0 to $1 million in just four months and supported Give Me Cosmetics in generating £200,000 in a single live. Also joining the team is Paivi Korvela, former Unilever Senior Executive and TikTok Shop insider.
Instacart
Instacart reports that a growing number of independent grocers across the US are adopting its enterprise technology offerings, including Caper Carts, Storefront Pro, and FoodStorm.
“Independent grocers have always been passionate about the communities they serve and now they’re leading the charge in retail innovation to give their customers a more seamless, easy, and affordable shopping experience," says Nick Nickitas, General Manager of Independent Grocery and Mid-Market Retail Partnerships at Instacart.
“Instacart empowers grocers to deliver the best experience possible for their guests while streamlining operations, driving incremental revenue, and strengthening their competitive edge both in-store and online.”
Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Company
Piggly Wiggly Alabama Distributing Company (PWADC), a supermarket warehouse co-op servicing more than 240 stores in the southeast United States, is offering its retail members the eGrowcery digital commerce platform.
“eGrowcery gives our retailers an all in one unified commerce platform for both online and in-store shopping. Importantly, its focus and customer support structure is designed to prioritise retailer success, which is also our top priority,” says Christopher Brown, President and CEO at PWADC.
“We are committed to giving Piggly Wiggly Alabama’s independent retail members the digital tools they need to compete effectively with the e-commerce programmes being offered by national chains and marketplaces. By combining their entrepreneurial spirit with PWADC’s support and our solutions, these retailers will grow market share, improve shopper engagement and boost their bottom lines," says Patrick Hughes, CEO at eGrowcery.
Amazon
Amazon has unveiled new smart glasses designed to assist drivers in navigating their routes and completing deliveries.
The AI powered technology provides hands free navigation, package scanning, and hazard detection directly in drivers’ field of view, eliminating the need to look down at their smartphones while making deliveries.
The glasses feature computer vision technology that guides drivers from their vehicles to customers’ doorsteps with turn by turn walking navigation.
“I felt safer the whole time because the glasses have the info right in my field of view,” says Kaleb M., who works for Maddox Logistics Corporation in Omaha, Nebraska, and tested the technology. “Instead of having to look down at a phone, you can keep your eyes forward and look past the display - you’re always focused on what’s ahead.”
Elsewhere, Blue Jay coordinates multiple robotic arms to pick, stow, and consolidate items in one streamlined workspace, with the aim of reducing repetitive lifting and reaching by employees while accelerating delivery speeds.
And Project Eluna acts like an extra teammate for operations managers, using agentic AI to anticipate bottlenecks and provide data backed recommendations.
Blue Jay is currently being tested in South Carolina and Project Eluna is launching this holiday season in Tennessee.
Ikea
The experience has gone live in 17 countries: Spain, Czech, Hungary, Slovakia, Portugal, Korea, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Italy, Australia, Canada, and Japan, with plans to expand to additional markets by the end of the year.
By FY26, Ikea aims to generate over 1.75 million kitchen projects annually while significantly reducing times for appointments.
“This is a complete rethinking of how people plan and buy their kitchens. It makes the process inspiring, accessible, and truly customer centric,” says Parag Parekh, Global CDO, Ikea Retail (Ingka Group).
Customers can explore the new kitchen planning experience directly through the Ikea app or the web.
Norgesgruppen
It says that this marks a significant milestone in the company’s transition towards a direct engagement model in the region, reinforcing its ambition to be the preferred partner for in-store communication and digital transformation.
“We've seen the power of our direct sales model in other regions, and that proven success is now the blueprint for our strategy in the Nordic and Baltic markets. This agreement is a clear result of our commitment to this regional focus, and we look forward to deepening our partnerships and customer support there,” says Magnus Larsson, President and CEO at Pricer.
The new partnership will leverage Pricer’s suite of electronic shelf labels and gradually the cloud-based retail operating platform Pricer Plaza to enhance in-store operational efficiency, optimise pricing, and improve the customer experience.
Shoprite Group
Africa's largest retailer, Shoprite Group, is rolling out YOOBIC’s digital workplace platform across its network of more than 3,600 stores. The solution called One Shoprite is now live in the majority of its South African locations and is being deployed to Shoprite's workforce to enhance store efficiency.
It is using YOOBIC to consolidate critical frontline functions, including task management, operational communications, and employee engagement, into a single platform.
The goal is to streamline daily operations, including key grocery store processes like floor inspections, promotion execution, checklists, action plans, new product launches, and product recalls, to maintain consistent customer experiences across all its locations.
Walmart
Walmart and Avery Dennison have announced a new tie up to advance the use of radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in fresh categories.
Looking to help develop a solution to a longstanding industry challenge of using RFID technology in high moisture, cold environments, like meat cases, Walmart teamed with Avery Dennison to create and test what is pitched as a first of its kind sensor technology that brings RFID enabled labels to the meat department.
By using Avery Dennison’s RFID solutions in meat, along with bakery and the deli department, Walmart associates can track inventory faster and more accurately, making sure products stay stocked and ready when customers want them.
With digital use by dates right at their fingertips, associates can also rotate products more efficiently and make smarter markdown decisions, helping cut down on unsold food.
PayPal
PayPal is using Rokt to power post-purchase advertisements. This integration populates advertisements following peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions on "Thank You" pages across PayPal and Venmo as well as on merchant confirmation pages through Honey.
Rokt's e-commerce solution uses machine learning to present customers with relevant, high value curated offers the moment the transaction is completed.
"PayPal is a pioneer in digital commerce, and we're proud to support the company's vision to create more value across every touchpoint on the transaction journey," says Bruce Buchanan, CEO and Co-Founder at Rokt.
"By delivering tailored offers to consumers on PayPal and Venmo, we're helping unlock the full potential of their owned surfaces by creating smarter experiences for consumers and measurable results for advertisers."
"Advertisers are looking for the next signal, and it's clear that the strongest signals are now real transactions tied to identity," says Mark Grether, Senior Vice President at PayPal Ads.
"By offering post-purchase engagements, we can surprise and delight consumers to buy when they're already in the shopping mindset, providing added value for all of our customers - consumers and advertisers."
City Plumbing
City Plumbing (CP), part of the Highbourne Group, has partnered with Virtualstock to extend its product range and meet growth targets. It says that, within just a few weeks of going live, it will have added thousands of new products to its online range.
CP initially adopted Virtualstock’s order management system to streamline supplier onboarding and extend its range in existing categories. It claims to have significantly expanded the products on offer, while avoiding the inventory risks typically associated with range expansion.
The initiative has prompted CP to broaden the use of Virtualstock across warehouse operations, new supplier relationships, and even new product categories - appealing to a wider customer base beyond its traditional trade audience.
With minimal integration required, the platform delivers real-time visibility of stock and orders across multiple brands, enabling CP to manage and sell seamlessly across its entire portfolio.
Krystal Restaurants
PAR Technology reports that Krystal Restaurants, a US Southern slider chain, has selected PAR Punchh to power its new loyalty programme, Club Krystal.
With nearly 300 locations across 11 states and recent openings in Texas, South Carolina, and Alabama, the brand sought a loyalty solution that could deliver personalised savings, frictionless experiences, and meaningful rewards to guests across every channel.
“We’re focused on creating moments that matter for our guests. That starts with recognising and rewarding them in ways that feel personal,” says Caroline Patheja, Sr. Marketing Manager at Krystal.
“We’ve already seen great feedback from both team members and guests on how easy the programme is to use, and we’re excited about what’s ahead. Punchh gives us the tools to deliver those personalised experiences while scaling seamlessly as we grow.”
Marco's Pizza
NCR Voyix has been selected by Marco’s Technology Services (an affiliate of Marco’s Franchising) as its preferred technology provider for the brand’s new international locations.
Marco’s Pizza, which has more than 1,200 stores in the US, starts its implementation with a new store opening in Mexico before the end of the year followed by at least five additional new sites internationally.
To support this expansion, it will deploy NCR Voyix’s Aloha Essentials platform architecture, featuring PoS technology, hardware, software, professional services and wall to wall support desk coverage.
“As we expand beyond the US, we looked for a technology company that can match our pace and ambition,” says Tony Libardi, President and Co-CEO at Marco’s Pizza. “NCR Voyix brings the innovation, reliability, and global infrastructure we need to scale efficiently while maintaining the high standards our customers expect. This is a key step in our journey to further expand beyond the US.”
LT Foods Americas
LT Foods Americas, a rice and rice-based foods specialist, has partnered with Demand Chain AI in a bid to strengthen planning, category management and data capabilities in North America.
Since late 2023, Demand Chain AI has worked with it on demand planning, master data management, and category management, helping LT Foods Americas optimise operations and support its brands, including Daawat, Royal and Golden Star, as well as its portfolio of organic and ready-to-heat products.
“Demand Chain AI has become a trusted partner for LT Foods,” says Andrew Cops, SVP – Sales & Marketing at LT Foods Americas. “Their practical expertise, responsiveness and ability to support us across a wide range of initiatives have made them a preferred partner for us as we continue to expand our business and strengthen our operational foundation.”
Zalando
Nomagic, a provider of AI powered robotics for warehouses and the fulfilment sector, has been selected by Zalando as the online fashion and lifestyle retailer looks to boost operational excellence at its fulfilment centres and support employees with daily tasks.
The robots (named Richard) carry out item level picking, scanning and induction to automated pocket sorters.
Following a pilot project that included an average of 10 000 picks/day, a total of nine robots will be live in 2025, with a double digit number planned for deployment in 2026. Zalando has also made a minority investment into Nomagic as part of its previously announced $44 million Series B round.
Tesco
Kenshoo Skai, an omnichannel advertising platform for commerce media, has announced a new partnership with Tesco Media and Insight Platform, powered by dunnhumby and operated via Epsilon Retail Media.
Through this integration, advertisers can manage Tesco sponsored product ads directly in Kenshoo Skai, while leveraging Celeste, Kenshoo Skai’s GenAI marketing agent purpose built for commerce media, to streamline workflows, drive campaign performance, and respond to changes in real-time.
By consolidating Tesco campaigns alongside 300+ global retailers and publishers, Kenshoo Skai says that it enables marketers to plan, activate, measure and fine-tune all of their campaigns in one centralised place.
“With grocery shopping representing some of the most frequent and high intent consumer interactions, Tesco Media offers advertisers a powerful way to reach customers where loyalty and purchase decisions are being made,” says Simon Piper, Executive Vice President EMEA at Kenshoo Skai.
“By bringing Tesco into Kenshoo Skai’s omnichannel platform, brands and agencies can now expand their retail media strategies with precision, automate for stronger returns, and prove the impact of their investment across the entire commerce journey.”
Morrisons
Morrisons is partnering with VusionGroup to roll-out electronic shelf labels across all of its 497 stores, becoming the first large UK supermarket group to adopt the technology across its entire estate.
VusionGroup will install 10.8 million smart electronic shelf labels in total.
These will eliminate traditional paper labels throughout the store, providfing price and product information. ESLs will also ensure Morrisons More Card savings and offers are instantly communicated to customers at the shelf edge.
The technology will integrate with Morrisons digital shelf-edge cameras, to guide colleagues to product gaps, speeding up shelf replenishment and integrating with e-commerce applications to make online picking easier and more accurate.
Morrisons will also work with VusionGroup to explore how to leverage the data generated across various initiatives, with the aim of identifying new opportunities to enhance store operations and customer experience.
Central Co-op
Central Co-op, the largest independent retail co-operative in the UK, says it has prevented more than 8,800 tonnes of food waste over three years since partnering with Retail Insight.
The pair first teamed up in 2021.
Retail Insight’s WasteInsight solution uses AI and data driven insights to address the full food waste lifecycle, from forecasting and expiration management to dynamic markdowns and donation opportunities. This enables Central Co-op to sell more stock at reduced prices, minimise waste and boost in-store productivity.
Results to date since 2023 include: 8,796 tonnes of food waste avoided; 20,977,826 meals saved; 32,449,817 reduced-to-clear units sold; 23,750 tonnes of CO₂e emissions avoided.
Ben Grove, Senior Operational Excellence Manager at Central Co-op, comments: “Reducing food waste is a key part of our journey to net zero and reflects our wider commitment to sustainability, fairness and supporting the communities we serve.”
“Partnering with Retail Insight has enabled us to make a real difference - cutting carbon, keeping good food in circulation and offering better value to our members and customers. It’s a clear example of how we’re delivering on our co-operative purpose while building a more sustainable future.”
Evri and Quadient
Quadient reports an extended partnership with Evri.
Under the new agreement, Evri will be activating 2,000 additional Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers across the UK in the coming months.
As part of the collaboration, it will adopt a significant share of Quadient’s open locker network in the UK, including its Drop Box functionality.
“We’re committed to providing innovative delivery solutions that meet the needs of our customers.” says Pauline Potter, Director of Transformation at Evri. “By reinforcing our relationship with Quadient, we are enhancing our network of pick-up and drop-off locations, making parcel delivery and returns more accessible and convenient for consumers.”
“This forms part of our wider ambition to grow our ParcelShop and Locker network to over 25,000 locations by 2030, a move that will more than double Evri parcel drop off locations for customers and clients. Our choice of Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers aligns with our mission to stay ahead of growing parcel volumes and deliver a seamless experience for our customers.”
bol
bol, an online retailer in the Netherlands and Belgium, is testing out Sereact’s AI driven robots in its supply chain.
In a LinkedIn post, Sereact said: “At bol, one of Europe’s biggest e-commerce players, every second counts. With over 500,000 SKUs to handle in their warehouse in Waalwijk, they needed more than speed, they needed reliability and adaptability.”
“Together with bol’s logistics team, we deployed our AI driven robots in their toughest environment: a live, brownfield operation with complex integrations and unpredictable items. The results? Robots that can recognise and route items in real-time. Vision tech smart enough to skip items like bins with tricky labels and send them straight to reject. A system that doesn’t just automate, it learns.”
Hugo Driesse, Logistic Process Engineer at bol, commented: “We want to test with the robots in our real production area. That's why we put this robot here on our most difficult area with the most integrations and the most difficult handlings.”
“We're learning about the KPIs and what's possible with the robot because for future business cases it's important that you have the right numbers. With Sereact, it was arranged very quickly.”
Kroger
Worldpay has signed an exclusive agreement to provide Kroger with payment processing services for in-store, online and mobile transactions.
Kroger serves over 11 million customers daily through e-commerce and grocery stores under a variety of banner names.
"We are pleased to be selected by Kroger to provide our full suite of innovative payment solutions,” says Jason Pavona, General Manager, North America, at Worldpay.
“As payments methods continue to evolve, we look forward to helping keep it at the leading edge of commerce innovation. Time and time again, industry leaders like Kroger continue to choose us as their preferred payments provider because of our collaborative approach and deep expertise in optimising the payments experience.”
Bealls
Bealls, which operates more than 660 stores across the United States, has announced a new in-store payments integration with Flexa.
This will see it became the first national retailer to accept digital currencies from any crypto wallet app across more than a dozen blockchains simultaneously, supporting a range of assets from stable coins to meme coins. Shoppers will be able to pay using popular digital currencies across bealls, Bealls Florida, and Home Centric banners.
“The retail legacy that Bealls has built over the last 110 years is simply incredible, and it’s no surprise that a company with this much staying power is now adopting the most important payments technology evolution the world has ever seen,” says Trevor Filter, Co-founder at Flexa.
“We’ve truly enjoyed getting to know the Bealls team over the last few years and are delighted to have Flexa play such an important supporting role in their journey going forward.”
The integration will use Flexa Payments, a solution that provides merchants with a way to accept over 99 digital currencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoins like USDC, from more than 300 digital currency wallets. Designed to integrate directly with existing retail systems, Flexa Payments works across mobile, in-app, and in-store contexts, with the promise of sub-second transaction speeds and automatic updates as new currencies and wallet apps are introduced.
“Digital currency will reshape how the world transacts, and Bealls is proud to be at the forefront of that transformation. Our partnership with Flexa is about more than payments; it’s about preparing for the future of commerce and continuing to innovate for the next 110 years,” says Matt Beall, Chairman and CEO at Bealls Inc.
Frasers Group
Frasers Group recently opened Sports Direct Liverpool on Church Street, a flagship destination that brings together Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ under one roof.
The store is the first in its portfolio designed with ELEVATE, Frasers Group’s proprietary retail media platform, in mind, with the aim of turning every touchpoint into a real-time, data driven media channel for brands.
20+ new screens are now installed across Sports Direct, Everlast Gyms+, and FLANNELS in Liverpool.
Over the next three years, Frasers Group plans to deploy 1,000 new screens across its store estate as an initial target, as part of a three year programme of retail media expansion including expansion into Europe by year three.
M&M’s
M&M’s has launched an AR Halloween sweepstakes initiative powered by Blippar, enabling people to scan, play, and enter for a chance to win a trip to Disneyland Paris.
Check it out here 👇👇👇
Blackpool Football Club
Blackpool Football Club's Bloomfield Road ground has become a Boxbar Tech venue as it looks to elevate the bar experience for fans.
The project involved: Fixed wall installation, three points of sale and six serving taps, triple the number of serving points within the existing space, serving capacity of up to 720 pints per hour, San Miguel and Guinness, and payments integrated with Global Payments.
In a LinkedIn post, Boxbar Tech said: "The result? Faster service. Happier fans. And a smoother matchday experience. It’s been fantastic collaborating with the team at Blackpool FC, who are so committed in driving real innovation and investing in the supporter experience. There’s an exciting energy around the club and we’re proud to be a part of that journey."
YEEP!
YEEP! is laying claim to the launch of the UK's first and largest solar powered parcel locker network, with over 700 currently live nationwide.
Like its existing battery powered units, the new lockers are plug free, requiring no mains connection or groundworks. They are powered by integrated solar panels and long life rechargeable batteries that eliminate the need for replacements, reducing maintenance while extending their lifespan.
“This is another leap forward for YEEP! parcel lockers in the UK,” says Noël Shapton, YEEP! CEO and Co-Founder. “By harnessing solar power, we’ve created lockers that are not only convenient and sustainable, but truly self-sufficient, offering the same fast, flexible service for users while being completely hassle free for hosts.”
Asda
Asda has continued the roll-out of new Express convenience stores this week, by launching nine new locations. The UK grocery giant says that the move reflects an ambition to strengthen its presence in high footfall urban areas, residential neighbourhoods, and transport hubs - locations where the retailer has traditionally had a limited presence.
Seven new London stores will open this week at Tower Bridge, Greenwich, Limehouse Station, Harringay, Deptford, Whetstone and the former Arsenal FC club shop at Finsbury Park station.
Outside the capital, two new locations will also launch in Botley (Southampton) and Stoke, bolstering Asda’s presence across southern and central England.
Open daily from 6am to 11pm, customers can expect a full range of fresh, ambient and chilled groceries, alongside beers, wines and spirits.
Additional services include Costa Coffee machines, ATMs, Amazon collections and returns, and on-demand delivery options through the likes of Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo.
All new stores will also be equipped with electronic shelf edge labels (ESLs) from day one.
Duchy Stores
Duchy Stores, a convenience retailer in Manchester, has introduced RETaiL AI into its store - a system designed with in-store experiences and security in mind.
In a LInkedIn post, Amit Patel, Managing Director at Duchy Stores, said: “With Retail AI, we’re now equipped with: Theft and suspicious behavior detection – advanced AI powered monitoring to help us keep our store safe and secure; Smart anti-theft alarms - instant alerts to prevent potential losses before they happen.”
He added: “Custom music integration - creating the perfect atmosphere for our customers.; Personalised voiceovers - adding a warm, human touch to our in-store announcements. This innovative system not only enhances our operational efficiency but also helps us provide a safer, more enjoyable, and more personalised shopping experience. We’re proud to stay at the forefront of retail innovation - and this is just the beginning.”
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