Topshop hits the catwalk and Deliveroo gets festive: 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 McDonald’s, QVC UK, TikTok Shop, Aldi South, TCS, Abercrombie & Fitch, Primark, Debenhams Group, Uber Technologies, PacSun, Camping World, Lush, American Express and Big Yellow Self Storage.
Topshop
THG Studios and Topshop are partnering to deliver what is pitched as the world’s first AI driven immersive, shoppable catwalk. The event will be presented in collaboration with headline sponsor, PayPal and technology partner, Google Cloud.
It will take place on 26th February 2026 at THG Studios in Manchester and be certified by the WRCA (World Record Certification Agency). Scheduled between London Fashion Week and the BRIT Awards, it celebrates the North West’s growing influence on the UK fashion and creative industries.
The experience is designed as a collision of physical and digital worlds, brought to life by Google Cloud’s technology, guiding guests through a series of immersive zones. Attendees will engage with AI generated models, and every look will be instantly shoppable. It will be shared with a guest list of creators, industry leaders and cultural figures.
Hannah Pym, Chief Brand and Marketing Officer, THG Ingenuity, says: “The world’s first AI driven immersive, shoppable catwalk is our ‘runway to the future’, exploring the future of tech, fashion, beauty and beyond through an immersive in-person fashion inspired experience.”
“Uniting with an iconic brand like Topshop is a statement of our ambition. In collaboration with a global leader in digital payments PayPal, we are creating a new global benchmark for fashion experiences, fusing physical and digital to build connections that matter.”
“The future of fashion is being designed right here in Manchester, and this event is a testament to the creative and technological power of the North, proving that innovation is thriving outside traditional capitals.”
Black Mirror
A new official cult TV series Black Mirror merchandise store has launched for Black Friday.
The Cyber Weekend launch marks the beginning of a multi-year partnership between Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content specialist, Banijay Entertainment, and IV Creative, an agency known for its design, production and fulfilment work on Coca-Cola’s ‘Share-a-Coke’ campaign.
The new online store, powered by Shopify, will feature a range of merchandise inspired by Black Mirror, including hoodies, T-shirts, hats, and posters as part of the first drop. The collection aims to capture the show’s darkly satirical and dystopian tone, with the website itself offering an immersive experience that mirrors the distinctive glitches and aesthetic of the series.
Future merchandise launches will include new products, expanded designs and limited edition pieces that pay homage to standout episodes and moments from across the show’s history.
Josephine Ogundero, Sales Manager, Licensing and Merchandising, Banijay Rights, says: “Black Mirror has become a defining part of modern culture, and this new store is a chance to offer fans a way to engage with the brand beyond the screen. This partnership with IV Creative empowers us to deliver something truly special with the series.”
Amy Lennox, CEO at IV Creative, says: “Together with Banijay Rights we are bringing Black Mirror fans a new collection that really reflects the show’s unique identity. Using our state-of-the-art printing capabilities, we’ve been able to produce high quality, detailed designs with vibrant colours and special finishes.”
McDonald’s
To celebrate the launch of the final season of Stranger Things on Netflix, McDonald’s is unveiling a new campaign designed to transport fans straight to Hawkins, or rather, to an upside down version of Hawkins, where everything feels familiar but comes with a Méqui sized craving.
The campaign created by GALERIA.ag hits the screens as a Stranger Things menu arrives in restaurants across Brazil.
“This collab between McDonald’s and Netflix for Stranger Things goes way beyond a simple partnership - it’s two universes coming together that people already have a real emotional connection with,” says Ilca Sierra, Marketing Director for the Brazil Division at Arcos Dorados.
“Méqui has always been part of the conversations that count, whether on social media or in everyday life, and bringing that same warmth and nostalgia to a cultural hit like Stranger Things is really special. We blended flavour, 80s vibes and the atmosphere that defined a generation to create an experience that speaks straight to fans. It just proves that watching the show always feels more complete with Méqui.”
The campaign kicks off with a stunt where every McDonald’s sign in Brazil and in select countries across Latin America starts flickering, in a nod to the opening of the film, which feels like a “lost episode” of Stranger Things.
It also unfolds inside a restaurant where classic arcade machines wrap around the ordering kiosks. The brand’s flagship in São Paulo has also been completely taken over by the Upside Down.
Aldi South
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has extended its partnership with Aldi South to manage the retailer’s infrastructure and application services.
The agreement covers its operations across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy, the United Kingdom and Ireland, the United States and Australia.
TCS will deploy its AI enabled Cloud Operations Solution and digital services with the aim of stabilising, moderning, and optimising Aldi South’s IT infrastructure, enhancing cyber resilience, accelerating automation and boosting operational efficiency.
Daniel Koch, International Technology Officer, Aldi DX, says: “We are pleased to extend our collaboration with TCS to accelerate our digital transformation. Together, we will modernise infrastructure, drive automation, and deliver improved outcomes for our business and customers worldwide.”
“This partnership ensures that Aldi South is well positioned to respond with agility to the evolving demands of global retail.”
Deliveroo
Deliveroo is launching a Christmas tree delivery service across the UK. Users will be able to order fresh fir Christmas trees from local suppliers on the company’s app and have them delivered straight to their door, same day.
This is rolling out over the next week in select cities across the UK, including London, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Coventry, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle.
Tree sizes range from 3 feet up to 12 feet, with prices starting at £59.99. Once an order is placed on the app, it will be delivered directly by the local supplier of choice’s own delivery fleet, as part of Deliveroo’s Marketplace+ offering. Some partners will also offer an optional installation service.
“As Christmas fast approaches, we’re thrilled to make it even easier for our customers to get into the festive spirit,” says Suzy McClintock, Vice President of New Verticals at Deliveroo. “We know the run up to Christmas can be a hectic time and there aren't enough hours in the day, so between ordering in pizzas for Friendsmas, getting a top up of mince pies, and now getting your Christmas tree, Deliveroo has you covered.”
QVC UK and TikTok Shop
Live shopping specialist QVC UK teamed up with TikTok Shop for a ten hour live broadcast on Thursday, 27th November, the day before Black Friday - or Black Friday Eve.
Streaming directly from QVC UK’s glass fronted studio at its Chiswick HQ, the event ran from 10:00 to 20:00, allowing shoppers to tune in via its TikTok channel (@qvcuk) or scan and shop through QR codes displayed at the venue.
The broadcast included co-hosting duties by presenters Molly Squire and Jess Woods as they bring Neom, Elemis, bareMinerals, Le Creuset, Ninja and other premium brands to their Black Friday Eve event.
It featured QVC UK presenters showcasing and demonstrating products throughout the day, joined by buyers from the company to share why these are great products, with exclusive offers and flash sales running live on TikTok Shop.
Since launching on TikTok Shop in March 2025, QVC UK says it has delivered more than 50 live streams and attracted over 10,000 new shoppers, while also re-engaging long standing customers who have followed the brand for years. Highlights include a fashion launch with Dannii Minogue and QVC’s most successful TikTok Live to date with Elemis, which doubled previous best seller records.
DoorDash
DoorDash is expanding its retail selection in Canada with three new partnerships bringing Pet Valu, Miniso, and Mastermind Toys to the platform.
It says that the move reflects the continued shift of consumers seeking on demand delivery across categories beyond restaurants and grocery.
"We’re always looking for ways to make our customers’ experience even better, by bringing together the right tools, features, and partners that make shopping with us simple and enjoyable,” says Khalid Aberhouch, CEO at Miniso Canada
“Teaming up with DoorDash is an exciting step forward, giving our customers faster and easier access to their favorite Miniso products and the latest collaboration items whenever they want. We’re excited to bring even joy and fun to more people this holiday season."
“Holiday gifting is at the heart of what we do at Mastermind Toys,” says Danielle Bazely, Senior Director of Marketing at Mastermind Toys. “For more than four decades, we’ve helped families discover presents that feel personal, playful, and memorable during the most magical time of the year.”
OBI
VusionGroup reports a new deployment of its technologies with OBI Germany, a provider of home improvement supplies, across over 200 stores.
"We are constantly looking for ways to optimise the in-store experience for our customers and to empower our store teams with state-of-the-art tools. Partnering with VusionGroup allows us to significantly optimise our in-store processes, ensuring our staff can focus on delivering even better customer service,” comments Stefanie Kristes, Senior Expert, Retail & Enterprise Solutions, at OBI.
OBI will implement VusionGroup's electronic shelf labels (integrated into the existing Cisco-Meraki wireless infrastructure) and VusionCloud platform. These solutions will streamline price changes and enable OBI to deploy information to its associates in stores through ESLs, directly at the shelf-edge. It will also reduce manual efforts, and improve overall efficiency.
Primark
Primark has gone live with a proof of concept for self-checkouts that accept both cash and card payments at its store in York.
The retailer started to roll-out self-checkouts across its stores in 2022. But while some shoppers welcomed the quicker and easier process, others were unhappy about the limited number of traditional tills and the inability to pay with cash.
So it’s no great surprise to that this trial is getting underway, and it will be interesting to see whether it will move beyond the York store and across the UK estate.
In a LinkedIn post, Connor Button, Product Leader at Primark, said: “An amazing thing happened in York this week; the launch of our proof of concept for cash amd card self-checkouts.”
He added: “A fantastic initiative where Technology and Retail Operations have collaborated together to deliver an innovative and cost effective solution that will drive learnings on customer behaviour and operational execution.”
“I'm excited on the positive impact this will have on further elevating our great customer and colleague experience. It has been great working with so many talented people to deliver a fantastic outcome.”
East of England Co-op
East of England Co-op reports the relaunch of Snappy Shopper’s on demand delivery service in five of its Food stores. It says that this is part of a renewed focus on enhanced accessibility and flexibility for customers across its region.
In a LinkedIn post, the retailer said: “The new partnership sees Snappy Shopper orders fulfilled through a technical agreement with Nash who will coordinate deliveries on our behalf. This approach provides a more scalable, sustainable and efficient delivery model, allowing us to expand our reach.”
It added: “We relaunched last Monday and we can already see our members and customers are delighted to have Snappy Shopper back in our Barking Road, Costessey, Earls Colne, Mersea Road and Rushmere Food stores.”
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch held a Q3 earnings call this week, during which CEO Fran Horowitz announced a partnership with Cymbio and PayPal, making it one of the first brands in the world to be purchasable within AI chats like Perplexity.
"We're very excited about a new partnership with PayPal and Cymbio, our technology and marketplace sales partner that will enable agentic commerce and AI answer engines like Perplexity, where customers can seamlessly complete transactions directly within their AI conversation without even leaving the chat,” said Horowitz.
US users exploring Perplexity's shopping experience can transition from research to purchase, leveraging PayPal’s identity verification, purchase and seller protection, and payment processing, without leaving the answer engine. In addition to Abercrombie & Fitch, Ashley Furniture, Fabletics, Adorama and NewEgg are onboard, with more to come.
“We are building for the next era of commerce by connecting PayPal’s trusted payments and buyer protection directly to AI powered shopping,” says Michelle Gill, General Manager, Small Business and Financial Services, at PayPal.
“Our collaboration with Perplexity is the opening act of our innovation in commerce for the agentic era. This is the continuation of our decades long commitment to make AI driven commerce seamless and interoperable across every platform.”
Debenhams Group
Debenhams Group, home to Debenhams, PrettyLittleThing, boohoo, boohooMAN, and Karen Millen, reports the renewal of its long-term partnership with Mirakl, a provider of e-commerce software solutions. This includes a new retail media platform, powered by Mirakl Ads.
Debenhams Group’s marketplace operations are powered by an integrated technology system, combining in-house proprietary tech with partnerships such as Mirakl. As part of this system, the latter’s platform has supported the company’s international expansion into the US and Australia and enabled thousands of curated brand partners to onboard and sell their products across these markets.
With the launch of Mirakl Ads, all 15,000+ brands already selling on Debenhams' marketplace now have access to self-service advertising tools to promote their products to Debenhams' 300 million annual visitors.
Uber Technologies, PacSun, Camping World and Lush
Uber Technologies has announced the addition of PacSun, Camping World and Lush to its apps, expanding its retail selection.
Starting this week, shoppers across the US can order from hundreds of PacSun, Camping World, and Lush locations through the Uber, Uber Eats, and Postmates apps, finding items ranging from fashion and beauty products, to outdoor gear, to packaging and office essentials.
Uber One members get $0 delivery fees on eligible retail orders† and other ongoing benefits.
“As we expand retail delivery across Uber and Uber Eats, we’re making it easier than ever for customers to discover and shop the brands they love - all in one place - while also demonstrating our ability to support an increasingly diverse range of retail partners,” says Hashim Amin, Head of Retail for North America at Uber.
“From fashion at PacSun to outdoor gear at Camping World and self-care favorites at Lush, Uber is becoming a seamless shopping destination for whatever customers need, whenever they need it.”
Since the start of the year, Uber has added more than 1,000 new retailers around the world, and over 50,000 retail locations across the US.
American Express and Big Yellow Self Storage
American Express and Big Yellow Self Storage have signed a new agreement meaning Amex is now accepted as a payment method both in-store and online at the UK company.
Big Yellow opened its first store in Richmond, London in May 1999 and 26 years later, has grown to a network of 111 locations nationwide, including 23 branded as Armadillo Self Storage. As well as being used by domestic customers, it works with businesses, large and small.
Under the new agreement, Amex Cardmembers can now pay for storage and packing materials using their Amex card. Exclusive offers and discounts for spending with Big Yellow will also be available for card members in the coming weeks.
Morrisons
Bauer Media Outdoor UK has secured a new contract with UK grocery giant, Morrisons, with plans to install and operate 300 digital screens across its nationwide supermarket estate, rolling out from Q1 2026.
This marks a seven-year partnership and Morrisons’ first move into the digital out of home space.
In a LinkedIn post, Colin Horan, Strategic Partner, FMCG at Bauer Media Outdoor, said: “The network will feature our state-of-the-art Waferlite digital screens at store entrances, giving brands the opportunity to speak directly to shoppers at the most influential moment in their purchase journey.”
He added: "This reinforces our position as the UK’s largest DOOH retail network and represents a significant expansion of our footprint alongside the established Adshel Live network. It strengthens our ability to connect the shopper journey from streets to store, offering brands a powerful platform that delivers both nationwide reach and meaningful retail impact.”
“A big moment for our business, and an exciting one for the advertisers we work with.”
7-Eleven
Swiftly has announced a new collaboration with 7-Eleven in the alcohol cashback market.
The programme has officially launched across the US and is now available at participating 7-Eleven and Speedway stores nationwide, bringing Swiftly’s Alcohol Cashback solution to 10,500+ convenience retail locations and millions of shoppers nationwide.
By leveraging Swiftly’s proprietary retail media and shopper engagement platform, it delivers state specific, real-time offers on beer, wine, and spirits directly to consumers’ mobile devices.
Shoppers purchase qualifying products, scan their loyalty card, or enter their phone number at checkout, and receive near-instant cashback payouts via PayPal, Venmo or digital prepaid Visa.
As part of the roll-out, these offers will be supported by coordinated in-store signage and displays.
Temu
Parcel2Go, a parcel delivery comparison site, and online marketplace, Temu, have announced a new partnership to give the latter’s sellers in the UK access to a wider range of delivery options.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Temu to make shipping more affordable and flexible for UK sellers,” says Andy Currall, Head of Product at Parcel2Go.
“By integrating our Smart Send platform, Temu merchants can make deliveries easier and focus on growing their business with confidence.”
Sellers can now access Parcel2Go’s delivery options through Smart Send, which allows them to manage Temu orders alongside sales from other platforms such as Amazon, Shopify and eBay.
IFF
IFF, an American firm that creates products across the likes of scent, nutrition, enzymes, soy proteins, and probiotics categories, has implemented a Colibri robot in its Chin Bee, Singapore production facility. This can produce fragrance sample batches on demand in minutes.
It is claimed that the system handles multiple ingredients simultaneously, operates four times faster and significantly boosts automation. This means more capacity, faster sample delivery and better lead time, with the aim of meeting customer demand for speed in a rapidly evolving fragrance landscape, IFF says.
“The installation of this new automation system at IFF Chin Bee underscores our commitment to continued investment in Greater Asia, one of the fastest growing fragrance markets globally,” says Ramon Brentan, Vice President, Regional General Manager, Greater Asia, Scent. “It strengthens our ability to support demand in the region with enhanced speed, quality and precision.”
Auchan Retail
Auchan Retail is rolling out 50,000 IBM Smart Green Pallets across warehouses and stores.
The pallets are recyclable, lighter than standard offerings, and fitted with connected sensors that track geolocation, temperature and shocks in real-time.
The technology allows the retailer to: better preserve the freshness and quality of products, especially refrigerated products; limit the risk of food waste; reduce the emissions linked to our logistics flows and therefore the environmental impact; improve the daily life of the teams, thanks to lighter and easier to handle pallets.
Franck Descamps, Director of Logistics Procurement at Auchan Retail, says: "We are taking a new step towards a more responsible, more connected and future oriented supply chain."
Lincolnshire Co-op
Electronic shelf edge labels (ESELs) are being rolled out across all 100 Lincolnshire Co-op food stores, as part of a £4 million food technology transformation project.
Approximately, food store colleagues manually change 550 labels a week which can rise to 2,000 during an ambient promotion changeover week. Moving to a digital system removes the need for colleagues to print and replace labels manually, meaning hours of their time will be saved to help shoppers and colleagues can also react faster to pricing changes.
The electronic labels will also save over £100,000 on paper, toner and printing per year, contributing to Lincolnshire Co-op's sustainability strategy.
They were first trialled in Lincolnshire Co-op's The Bridge Food store in Newark during October.
Jane Wheeler, The Bridge Food Store Manager, says: “I can’t speak highly enough of the new electronic labels - they’re easy to use and incredibly reliable. It’s a massive but positive change to how the team continues to deliver exceptional customer service and, when new promotions arrive, we’re confident our store will be ready to trade.”
Asda
Asda is testing out new Zebra Technologies TC53E-RFID solutions in stores.
The mobile device features integrated short range UHF RFID functionality. Made with 25% post-consumer recycled plastic and equipped with the SE4720 1D/2D Scan Engine, this aims to enhance worker capabilities and versatility in indoor environments.
In a LinkedIn post, Max Parker at Technical Product Owner at Asda, said: "After an exceptional week, we’ve started the pilot of the new TC53E-RFID within our first store. It’s as if Christmas has come early."
"With RFID capability built into it, a larger screen and a generally quicker device our colleagues will be pleased to see the older clients dissapear."
JD Sports Fashion
JD Sports Fashion is extending its partnership with Fluent Commerce by deploying its distributed order management (DOM) solution across Hibbett, a US retailer specialising in sports fashion, whose acquisition JD announced in July 2024.
As part of a broader e-commerce digital transformation, Hibbett will implement Fluent Order Management and Big Inventory, with a strong focus on Global Inventory and Product Availability modules to support omnichannel experiences such as buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS), ship-from-store, and drop-ship fulfillment options.
Headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, Hibbett operates approximately 1,000 stores across 36 states under the Hibbett fascia offering footwear, athleisure apparel, and accessories from leading brands including Nike, Jordan, and adidas.
Thomas Hindré, SVP EMEA at Fluent Commerce, says: “We are proud to support JD Group as its preferred OMS partner, and delighted that Hibbett has chosen our solution, renowned for its speed, agility, and reliability."
Jetan Chowk, Chief Technology & Transformation Officer at JD Sports Fashion, says: “Fluent Commerce's proven performance and seamless delivery for JD and with other large scale retail networks made them the ideal partner. Its platform provides the agility we need to reduce operational complexity as we continue to grow our global business.”
Bombas
That was quickly followed by Bombas Boca Raton. And last week, a third location opened at The Domain in Austin. All three are powered by Shopify and Leap technology.
"These stories get me so hyped. What started as an online business - selling just one product - has scaled to a household name, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue and donating over 150 million essential items to people in need. All in just over a decade," says Harley Finkelstein, Shopify President.
"But there’s something even cooler going on behind the scenes here. The Bombas stores are all powered by a new integration between Shopify and Leap that takes care of everything: location sourcing, store design, operational setup, marketing, analytics… the list goes on. And thanks to our partnership with ShopSimon Malls, our merchants get access to insanely high value retail spaces that would be out of reach for most SMB brands."
"Moving into physical retail is notoriously high risk, but this is another example of how we’re bringing down the barriers to entry and supercharging scale potential for entrepreneurs. Three flagship stores opening across some of North America’s most coveted retail addresses in just four weeks. And all in time for the biggest shopping weekend of the year. Bombas, let’s go."
TravisMathew
Golf apparel retailer TravisMathew reports completion of a major digital project.
Over the past few months, its global and European teams have partnered to deliver what is labelled "a complex but critical replatform" - transitioning from SAP Hybris to Shopify while maintaining direct SAP integration.
In a LinkedIn post, Dylan van der Walt, Head of E-commerce at TravisMathew owner Callaway Golf Europe, said: "No small feat. For anyone who’s operated in these ecosystems, you’ll understand the challenges intimately: Legacy environments weighed down by technical debt; Limited agility for local market execution; Slow, resource heavy development lifecycles; Barriers to experimentation and optimisation; High operating costs and constrained technical capacity."
He added: "Real constraints that can hold back subsidiaries within larger global organisations - and we’ve felt them, as have our customers. This launch marks our first major step in rewriting that narrative."
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