A glimpse into future of brand-consumer connections: RTIH flags up 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, Decathlon, Bambuser, Veho, RIVR, Home Bargains, Rohlik Group, Oh Polly, Perfect Corp., Treet, Nestlé UK&I, and Google Cloud.

Walmart

Walmart Unlimited, a gamified mini-series, has returned with a third and final chapter.

This made its debut earlier in the year, brought to you by Walmart, Unity and Spatial in collaboration with animators and producers Martian Blueberry and game development studio PIGIAMA KASAMA.

The first episode introduced characters inspired by Walmart’s real-life suppliers, including A Dozen Cousins founder Ibraheem Basir.

It’s the US retail giant’s latest attempt to tap immersive commerce - a form of online shopping that combines VR with 3D visualisations and gamification - to connect with the next generation of consumers.

Decathlon

Decathlon has partnered with Bambuser to expand Visio Store, a service that allows customers to schedule appointments with sales associates via video conference to receive guidance in choosing their sports equipment.

After a period of testing in its e-bike category, Decathlon has expanded its video service to ten additional product categories, including fitness, mountaineering, and golf, exclusively for the French market. 

Customers can book appointments at decathlon.fr, directly from the product page or the dedicated service page. After email confirmation, the customer is connected with a human sales advisor, trained directly by the sports design teams to present and compare products and guide customers to those that best meet their needs.

Walmart (again)

Walmart is rolling out Everyday Health Signals, a new digital platform powered by AI that makes it easier for customers to eat healthier.

Developed initially for health plans and benefit managers, customers can choose to opt in to connect their Walmart.com account and receive AI driven insights to enhance their well-being. The platform was built by the US retail giant and is powered by a custom built personalisation engine, among other technologies.

Once people opt in, the platform analyses their Walmart.com retail history to deliver practical tips, like nutrition analysis and shopping lists.

Walmart is kicking off this initiative for Medicare Advantage members with NationsBenefits, where eligible members can receive free, personalised guidance that aligns with their wellness goals. It is expanding the platform to more health plans and benefits managers. 

Veho and RIVR

Veho, which ships for the likes of Sephora and Warby Parker, and automation and AI firm RIVR have announced a US-based initiative that aims to improve e-commerce delivery experience and efficiency through the use of parcel robots.

The deployment begins this week in Austin, with plans to expand to additional markets later this year based upon learnings during the initial trial.

The robots are not intended to replace human delivery drivers. But rather enable humans to deliver more parcels, faster, with less physical strain. The ability for humans to work with and manage robots performing deliveries may be particularly valuable in dense areas with many deliveries but limited parking, it is claimed.

Home Bargains

Home Bargains, a UK-based discount retailer, has announced the official opening of its automated distribution centre.

Spanning approximately one million square feet, the new site will operate around the clock to support 300 Home Bargains stores and employ 1,000 colleagues.

Located just off Junction 8 of the M62, the site is accessible via road, public transport, and a dedicated footway/cycleway that links it to St Helens, Warrington, and the wider Omega Business Park. 

Owner TJ Morris has invested around £400 million in this development - a key step in the company’sgrowth strategy and its mission to expand the reach of Home Bargains stores across the UK.

The automation system, developed in partnership with WITRON, incorporates order picking technology. Up to 80% of stock picking is now automated. 

Construction began in April 2022, and the first store deliveries were dispatched on 5th May 2025. By the end of the ramp-up phase in August 2025, logistics capacity is projected to grow by over 57%.

TJ Morris has started work on its next DC  in Doncaster, which will be a copy of the site in St Helens, with the same automated systems. The Doncaster site is scheduled to open in 2028 and will provide capacity to deliver to a further 300+ stores.

Nestlé UK&I and Google Cloud

Nestlé UK&I, Google Cloud, and food charities including FareShare and Zest (formerly The Wonki Collective) have unveiled what is pitched as a first of its kind AI solution designed to help identify and redistribute up to 1.5 million surplus meals to UK communities.

The initiative, part of Innovate UK’s £1.9 million BridgeAI programme, connects food manufacturers, logistics providers and charities using AI (Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and BigQuery), to cut waste, reduce emissions and drive systemic food chain change.

This solution, spearheaded by climate tech firm Sustainable Ventures, is already showing promise, according to those involved: at one Nestlé factory, early Zest tech trials cut food waste by 87% in just two weeks.

Rohlik Group

Rohlik Group reports that, after four months of preparation and execution, all 12 of its AutoStore systems are now fully operated by its own control system: ARCOS - developed in-house, designed around the European e-grocery specialist’s processes, and optimised for speed, efficiency, and agility.

In a LinkedIn post, Jindřich Vašák, Product Owner at Rohlik Group, said: “What makes this achievement special? Zero downtime: Every single migration was executed without disrupting running operations. In DACH, we performed full migrations on Sundays – each site in about six hours. In Czech Republic, where Sundays aren’t an option, we migrated overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in under four hours – ensuring the morning shift could start as usual.”

Oh Polly

Oh Polly has launched Pre-loved, a fully branded resale marketplace, hosted in partnership with Treet.

In a LinkedIn post, Oh Polly said: "There’s already a thriving resale market for Oh Polly on platforms like Depop and Vinted. By bringing this experience in-house, we’re giving customers a seamless, brand led alternative, while encouraging circular fashion and helping extend the life cycle of our garments. We’re also offering 110% store credit to customers who sell their items through Oh Polly Pre-loved, turning second-hand sales into new Oh Polly moments."

It added: "This initiative supports our wider commitment to reducing waste and promoting conscious consumption. It provides an outlet for customers to re-home items that fall outside of our return policy - giving pieces a second life rather than ending up in landfill."

UST

UST, a digital transformation solutions specialist, hosted its annual Zero-Waste Hackathon 2025 on 22nd May, bringing together bright young minds from across the globe to design innovative tech solutions to reduce food waste across the supply chain.

UST received 88 entries from around the world for this, including submissions from university students, professionals, innovators, and changemakers who came together to participate in this event. The top ten teams hailed from India, Spain, the US, and the UK. Of these, the top five joined the final round in person at the UST London office, while the remaining five participated virtually.

Each team discussed pressing business challenges in the hospitality sector, with a focus on buffet food waste. To address these problems, their solutions made use of AI technologies, complete with coded implementations. Numerous solutions demonstrated how technology can have a lasting impact and were highly compatible with UST's AI + ESG vision.

Perfect Corp.

Perfect Corp. has announced the launch of AI Clothes Try-on, a generative AI powered experience for virtual fashion shopping.

This lets shoppers see exactly how any look complements their unique body shape, complexion and style. They can mix and match separate pieces, preview full outfit swaps, and experiment with fabrics, prints and colourways, all rendered in photorealistic detail.

AI Clothes Try-on is available through both the YouCam Makeup mobile app and the YouCam Online Editor, Perfect Corp.’s web-based editing platform. For brands and developers, the solution is also accessible through the YouCam Online Editor AI Clothes Try-on API.

Walmart (again)

Walmart has announced the opening of its largest centralised prescription processing facility to date in Frederick, Maryland. The 102,000 square foot site is designed to fulfill up to 100,000 prescriptions a day, supporting more than 700 stores across 16 states and Washington, D.C.

The US retail giant says that, with this launch, it continues to scale its Central Fill operations to meet growing demand for faster, more convenient pharmacy services including online shopping with fast delivery of prescriptions as well as pharmacist provided clinical services including immunisations and testing and treatment for strep throat, flu and Covid.

Two more facilities are in development - one in Phoenix, Arizona, and another in Republic, Missouri - and are expected to open in 2026.