DIY delivery and AR powered beauty vending machines: check out 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 Snapchat, L’Oreal, Ikea, McDonald's, Waitrose & Partners, Polytag, Currys, Onvo, Rovertown, Tesco, Deliveroo, Tailored Brands, Invent.ai, DPD, DoorDash, Coco Robotics, Snappy Shopper, and Gander.

Deliveroo and Tesco

Deliveroo is launching a new white label delivery solution for grocers and retailers, allowing them to leverage its tech and rider network to offer rapid deliveries through their own online channels.

Tesco is the launch partner as it pilots its Whoosh offering in Ireland for the first time.

The three stores in the trial are Donnybrook, Spencer Dock, and Newmarket Yards, with plans to expand over the coming months. Customers in a 4.5 km radius of these stores will have access to more than 3,000 products and with the option to receive their orders in as little as 45 minutes.

DoorDash and Coco Robotics

DoorDash and Coco Robotics have announced an expansion of their partnership to offer sidewalk robot delivery for customers in select US markets.

This builds on a pilot programme with Wolt - DoorDash’s international arm - where Coco robots have been making deliveries in Helsinki since earlier this year. The US rollout is now live in Los Angeles and Chicago, where eligible customers can see the availability of Coco’s fleet of emissions-free sidewalk robots and may have one assigned to their order from nearly 600 participating merchants through the DoorDash app.

During the initial pilot phase, Coco completed over 100,000 deliveries for DoorDash customers.

“Not every delivery needs a two tonne car just to deliver two chicken sandwiches,” says Harrison Shih, Senior Director at DoorDash Labs. “We believe the future of delivery will be multi-modal, and we’re thrilled to partner with Coco to expand sidewalk robot deliveries that complement the Dasher network as we continue to enhance the DoorDash experience for customers and merchants.”

Currys

Currys has appointed Ryan den Rooijen as Managing Director of AI and Monetisation.

Rooijen has advised various organisations on how to effectively harness data, analytics, and AI, and has worked as a software engineer, data scientist, Chief Data Officer, Chief E-commerce Officer, and Chief Strategy Officer at the likes of Qodea and Chalhoub Group.

“With many enterprises still treating generative AI like an expensive autocomplete rather than a force for real transformation, Ryan’s appointment as MD of AI and Monetisation signals a real step change in our approach,” says Andy Gamble, CITO at Currys.

“Most organisations are thinking too small. AI isn’t just a productivity tool; it’s a catalyst for reinventing business models. It’s not about making processes faster - it’s about redefining them. The real breakthrough comes when AI moves beyond automation and becomes a thought partner, driving decision-making, innovation, and entirely new ways of working. Not to mention, the incredible potential of AI enabled products to unlock entirely new revenue streams for retailers.”

Snapchat and L’Oreal

Snapchat has announced a collaboration with L’Oreal’s Colour Protect haircare range, which is now available in a refillable pouch and with a new key ingredient Vitamin Cg.

From 11th-13th April, people will be able to visit a pop-up AR powered beauty vending machine at Westfield Shopping Centre in White City, West London to win a free refill of L’Oreal’s ELVIVE Colour Protect Shampoo. 

Using a custom gamified Snapchat Lens, consumers will play a game to lock in their colour in order to unlock a free refill. A key objective of the campaign is to drive a behaviour change in a deeply established haircare category. In a category obsessed with 'what's new', L’Oreal says its wants to celebrate the act of refilling your old shampoo bottle.

The campaign is supported by a 360-degree brand media activity running from 26th March to 22nd April, across TV, OOH, digital and social. 

Mattel

Google Cloud has released results from its partnership with Mattel.

The toy and family entertainment company says it is now synthesising millions of consumer touchpoints in real-time to enhance data driven product innovation and insights and hyper-personalise its engagement with its global fanbase. 

Joseph Vinhais, SVP Quality Safety & Sustainability at Mattel, says: "With Google Cloud, we've unleashed the power of our customer data, transforming millions of interactions - from social media buzz to direct customer feedback - into actionable insights, and, forging greater connections with our fans." 

Matt Renner, President, Global Revenue at Google Cloud, says: “Mattel’s dedication to fostering connections with its global audience is inspiring. By harnessing the power of Google Cloud’s advanced analytics and AI capabilities, Mattel is not just listening to its customers; it's also anticipating their needs, translating feedback into tangible product enhancements and personalised experiences.”

McDonald's

Trying something new can be uncomfortable, but it is necessary in a social media centric world.

So says McDonald's Social Media Manager, Stella Leynerman, who has spent the last year working on the company's A Minecraft Movie campaign - a project, she notes, that "reflects the heart and soul every single person on the team poured into it".

In a LinkedIn post, she said: "I could talk about how special this campaign was (because it truly was), but instead, I want to hit on a few lessons I've learned from the brilliant team around me."

This includes the need to take risks: "an integrated Gen Z/Gen A social approach, new audience targeting on Community, a unique paid media strategy, and McDonald’s first ever Twitch stream. Not everything went perfectly, but we learned. And we’ll do it better next time."

Waitrose & Partners

Waitrose & Partners has joined Polytag’s Ecotrace Programme, which is aimed at transforming the tracking and recycling of single-use plastic packaging in the UK.

As a member, Waitrose will gain access to the Polytag dashboard – an online hub which displays live barcode level lifecycle data on plastic packaging materials as they enter the recycling stream.

The Ecotrace Programme was launched in the summer of 2024. With its partners, Polytag is deploying its invisible UV Tag detection technology in 12 Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs). These units, which are retrofitted to conveyors, detect packaging that has been ‘marked’ with Polytag’s invisible UV Tags, applied at speed using fluorescent ink.

As Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation comes into force, retailers and brands will need to take responsibility for the recycling of their packaging materials.

Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag, says: “Waitrose joins us at a pivotal moment as we approach our goal of installing PDUs at 12 sites within the first year of our Ecotrace Programme. This is an incredible achievement that will empower FMCG brands, retailers and waste management companies by providing invaluable access to granular barcode-level data on 50% of the UK’s waste recycling stream.”

“This wouldn’t be possible without the support of partners like Waitrose, who share our vision for transforming the way plastic waste is tracked and recycled. Their participation marks a major milestone for us, and we’re incredibly proud to be working together to drive meaningful change in recycling rates and bring the industry together to revolutionise data capture and how we interact with single-use plastic. We would also love to hear from other industry leaders that are interested in joining the programme to work towards a more circular economy.”

Ikea

Ikea is exploring ways to enhance delivery services that cater for varying budgets, with its latest initiative involving the retailer doing one part of the process, whilst customers do another.

“Not everyone has access to a car in urban locations, and public transport isn’t always ideal for large items,” says Alastair Morgan, Global Core Services Manager at Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer.

“Ikea aims to serve the many, but traditional home delivery isn’t always suitable. We’re exploring DIY delivery solutions to offer more accessible, affordable, and convenient take home options. This initiative reduces dependency on delivery services, increases customer satisfaction, and aligns with our vision for a more sustainable, customer-centric retail experience.”

Ikea is testing several rentable solutions at its Utrecht store in the Netherlands, Westbahnhof Vienna in Austria, and Gallerian Stockholm in Sweden. These include a trolley for short distances by foot or bus; an electric four-wheel bike with a storage box; an electric cargo bike, and an electric trailer for walking or attaching to a bike.

Onvo

Onvo, a convenience store retailer with 41 locations across Pennsylvania and upstate New York, has announced the launch of a new mobile app.

"We’re committed to creating memorable experiences at every stop,” says Harman Aulakh, Vice President - Marketing at Onvo. “Launching this app is a significant step forward for our brand, amplifying our ability to reward loyal guests, strengthen our community ties, and deliver meaningful value to everyone who visits.

Introduced in 2020 as part of a rebranding of Liberty Travel Plazas, the Onvo brand has seen investment in store designs and proprietary food offerings. The new mobile app extends this into the digital realm.

Onvo Rewards, powered by Paytronix, enables guests to earn Hoots - Onvo’s loyalty currency - on fuel and in-store purchases, unlock personalised deals, and track and redeem rewards. The app also integrates PDI Age Verification, enabling targeted offers on age restricted items within a compliant, in-app experience.

Built on the Rovertown platform, it provides the flexibility to manage dynamic coupons, deliver targeted push notifications, and promote app exclusive offers. This May, Onvo will leverage the app to run a summer sweepstakes initiative, featuring prizes like a Caribbean cruise, sports tickets, and exclusive products. Additionally, through its partnership with Penn State Athletics, users gain exclusive offers and experiences tied to the Nittany Lions.

“Our guests choose Onvo for convenience, quality, and value,” says Aulakh. “This next-generation app is designed to reward their loyalty, enrich their visits, and deliver more moments of delight. It represents not just where we are today, but where we’re heading tomorrow.”

Tailored Brands

Tailored Brands, a menswear retailer with brands like Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank, and Moores, has implemented invent.ai’s AI driven inventory optimisation platform across its tuxedo rental business.

With over 1,000 stores, Tailored Brands needed a solution to streamline the complexity of managing inventory across its rental supply chain. It says that it transformed its demand forecasting and inventory planning capabilities with invent.ai in just 90 days, resulting in improved on-shelf availability, reduced substitutions and enhanced customer satisfaction. 

“Inventory optimisation means growing your sales and customer service while lowering inventory investment,” says Scott Vifquain, Chief Technology Officer at Tailored Brands. “It’s doing more with less. Invent.ai’s solution not only helped us grow customer satisfaction and service on a lower inventory base, but also avoided disappointing the customer with substitutions. We saw great results very quickly.”

Snappy Shopper and Gander

Snappy Shopper, a UK local convenience grocery delivery app, reports a 14% uplift in average basket value across participating stores through its partnership with Gander. First launched in 2023, the collaboration enables retailers to offer reduced to clear items through the Snappy Shopper app, making in-store discounts accessible online for the first time.

13% of all orders at participating stores now include Gander products, and baskets featuring Gander items contain an average of 21 products, compared to 14 in non-Gander orders. By making reduced to clear products visible in real-time on the app, Snappy Shopper and Gander are helping stores cut food waste and enabling customers - particularly those on tighter budgets - to access everyday essentials at lower prices.

Real-time synchronisation between the two platforms ensures that customers always see the latest reductions available in-store. THis bridges the gap between physical and online retail, while helping retailers unlock new value from existing stock.

DPD

Parcel delivery company DPD is conducting electric HGV road trials with MAN, with the aim of introducing heavy duty electric trucks later this year. 

DPD is running road trials with the MAN eTGX which has a range of up to 800 kms and a charging capacity of up to 750 kW. The truck will be based at its Hinckley hub 4 where, following a full induction and driver training, it will be assigned to a DPD route for operational testing, towing a standard trailer. 

In 2023, DPD converted the majority of its 1,600 HGVs to HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil). 95% of DPD's HGV fleet is now running on HVO, reducing emissions by 83% compared to diesel. The transition to electric trucks presents an additional challenge, as DPD has operated double decker trailers for many years, which reduce the number of vehicles on the road by increasing parcel capacity and reducing the accompanying emissions.

DPD is working with MAN to develop a configuration capable of pulling double decker trailers and the first vehicle with that spec will be on test with DPD later this year.

Lotte and Ocado

South Korea’s Lotte has launched a new online grocery app, Lotte Mart Zetta, powered by the Ocado Smart Platform. Users across the country can now tap Ocado’s end-to-end solutions, including webshop functionality, AI powered fulfilment software for stores, and last mile routing technology. 

Kang Sung-hyun, CEO at Lotte Mart and Super, says: "Through synergy between Lotte Mart's grocery competitiveness and Ocado's cutting-edge technology, we will establish ourselves as a core brand with an overwhelming advantage in the domestic online food market and be reborn as the number one on- and offline grocery market.”

Ocado Group's first CFC (customer fulfilment centre) will go live in 2026 in Busan, the first of six such facilities planned nationwide.

Adriano Araujo, President APAC, Ocado Solutions, says: “This is a big milestone for our partnership with Lotte. South Korea is one of the most dynamic online grocery markets in the world, and we are excited for Lotte customers to experience an Ocado powered quality of service for the first time.”

“Lotte is a leader in the South Korean grocery market and an amazing partner. With the platform now live and our first CFC due to launch in early 2026, we are now well underway in our ambition for them to become the leading online grocer in the market.”

Maison de Vapotage

Vape industry firm Maison de Vapotage has launched a new partnership with Privately and rolled out the latter’s AI powered age verification technology AgeAI across tobacconists in France. 

The collaboration will help retailers comply with regulations on the sale of age restricted products such as vapes, tobacco, alcohol, and gaming scratch cards. As of 31st March, AgeAI was active in more than 40 stores across France and performing over 10,000 daily age check transactions.

Maison de Vapotage’s products are currently present in more than 9,000 tobacconists, and the company expects to deploy AgeAI in hundreds of those shops immediately, with thousands to follow by the end of 2025.

“Tabacs are facing immense pressure to ensure age restricted products are not sold to minors,” says Vincent Durieux, founder of Maison de Vapotage. “But with individual shops serving up to 2,000 customers daily, visual age checks are neither realistic nor effective. AgeAI gives our clients a simple, fast and accurate way to verify age and stay compliant – without the risk or conflict resulting from unnecessary age checks.”

Amazon

Amazon is reportedly building a team of eight individuals, which includes its own employees and members of Covariant, to design and build humanoid robots. The team will increase in size over the coming weeks.

That’s according to Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive, who, in a LinkedIn post, states his belief that the US online retail giant entering this market will lower the valuation of Figure and other robot manufacturers.

Citing unnamed sources, Ladd flags up use cases for the robots that include loading and unloading trailers, moving pallets, fulfilling orders, and other tasks that occur inside Amazon's warehouses. The company is also creating use cases for leveraging the robots inside of homes, hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and other uses. Incorporating Alexa into the robots will be tested.

He adds: “The plan is to use simulation to assess different designs. For example, one version of a planned humanoid robot will leverage wheels, while other designs will be bipedal and able to walk. Simulation will take place by early fall if not sooner.  It’s possible that one or more design prototypes “can be ready later in the year,” according to a team member.”

He observes: “I'm glad Amazon is entering the humanoid robot business. Unlike other companies in the market, it should be able to build robots that legitimately can work in warehouses and in manufacturing plants. Its robots for use in homes, hospitals and other businesses, should also be much more practical than the humanoid robots that have been created.”