Carrefour BuyBye speeds up in Belgium as Reckon.ai microstore launches

A second Carrefour BuyBye AI powered microstore has gone live in Belgium, the result of a partnership with Accor Group that taps Reckon.ai technology.

In a LinkedIn post, Arnaud Lesne, Director of Innovation & Partnerships at Carrefour Belgium, said: "Following our successful launch at Ibis Roissy CDG last July, we are scaling up with our very first international location at IBIS Hotel Brussels Midi station."

"We are bringing the future of retail to the heart of Brussels: a seamless, autonomous, and 24/7 shopping experience driven by cutting-edge AI. It’s a proud moment to see our vision for smooth travel retail expanding across borders."

Rutger Planken

Reckon.ai recently appointed Rutger Planken as CEO. This followed the departure of founders Ana Pinto (CEO) and Paulo Ribeiro (CTO).

In a LInkedIn post, Reckon.ai, a Portugal-based startup, said: “Rutger brings extensive experience and deep industry insight, having served as EVP & GM Europe at 365 Retail Markets, following a successful tenure at Unilever. We thank Ana and Paulo for their efforts in bringing Reckon.ai to life and look ahead to the next phase of growth.”

Planken commented: “The unattended retail market is close to my heart, and this was an opportunity too good to pass up. I’d like to thank the team and investors for the warm welcome.”

RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH proudly presents the first edition of its AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by VenHub Global, 3D Cloud and EdTech Innovation Hub.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 29th January. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.