Ocado Group reigns in Spain with Bon Preu deal: RTIH presents June's biggest retail technology plays at a glance
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from June, including DoorDash, Asos, Celonis, Walmart, Scandit, Snappy Shopper, Foodhub, Glovo, Favor, Thoughtworks, Ikea, Cleveron, IGA, VusionGroup, StrongPoint, THG Ingenuity, Five Below, Pret a Manger, FreedomPay, Co-op, and Royal Mail.
Asos
Process mining specialist, Celonis, has announced an expanded collaboration with Asos involving its supply chain operations.
Through the Celonis Process Intelligence platform, Asos says it is connecting its end-to-end supply chain to provide full visibility, transparency and accountability, enabling reductions in process variation, increasing speed to market, and improving the customer experience.
“Asos is a prime example of how leading retailers can use Process Intelligence to transform their operations,” says Rupal Karia, General Manager for UKI and MEA at Celonis. “With Celonis, it gets unprecedented visibility into its end-to-end supply chain and can identify and act upon opportunities for improvement in real-time. Together, we’re unlocking the full potential of Asos supply chain to deliver faster, smarter, and more efficient operations at scale.”
Walmart
Scandit has announced the renewal of its relationship with Walmart.
Since first being deployed in 2022, Scandit’s Smart Data Capture software has been integrated into several Walmart associate apps, helping to optimise operational tasks like order fulfillment, stock replenishment, out-of-stock detection, product information look up and receipt checks for self-checkout customers.
Scandit CEO and Co-founder Samuel Mueller, comments: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Walmart. Empowering associates by putting best-in-class technology in their hands is how retailers can drive meaningful change.”
The user interface of the MyWalmart app, designed by Walmart with input from Scandit, streamlines associate onboarding and helps make associates’ day-to-day tasks easier, regardless of role, tenure, and workflow.
EDEKA Beckesepp
Diebold Nixdorf has equipped a new EDEKA Beckesepp store in Waltershofen, Germany with self-service checkouts featuring its Smart Vision technology-based solutions for automated fruit and vegetable recognition and age verification.
With Vynamic Smart Vision | Fresh Produce Recognition, customers can capture products without barcodes, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, directly at the self-service checkout. A camera placed on top of the scale, combined with algorithms, identifies items and their quantities, which is then shown on the display. This eliminates the manual selection of fresh produce for customers or weighing and affixing a price label in the fresh produce section.
The Vynamic Smart Vision I Age Verification solution allows customers to automatically check their age.
When an age restricted item is scanned, customers are given the option to opt for automatic age recognition. Once consent is given, a camera installed in the system analyses the customer's facial characteristics using AI algorithms to determine their age.
The transaction can be continued if the customer’s age is above a predefined threshold. The attendants in the store during daytime operations can check customers who fall below this age limit or opt out of automatic age recognition. This system is GDPR compliant as the process does not involve facial recognition, nor does it store images or other customer information.
If customers wish to purchase age restricted items outside of the daytime opening hours, access to the store happens via an ID card, which then authorises them to make the purchase.
The new EDEKA Beckesepp #store is equipped with DN #SCOs featuring Smart Vision technology-based solutions for automated fruit and vegetable recognition and age verification.
— Diebold Nixdorf (@DieboldNixdorf) June 24, 2025
Learn more about the faster, more intuitive shopping experience here: https://t.co/v5RsVJzZsA pic.twitter.com/mkXTswrmWl
Snappy Shopper and Foodhub
Over 1,000 retailers are now connected to the Foodhub marketplace via UK quick commerce platform Snappy Shopper, with more opting in every week.
Following a pilot, Snappy Shopper has scaled up its roll-out, with coverage expanding across the UK. It says early adopters in retail are seeing strong initial success, with an uplift of 10% in weekly GMV derived from the Foodhub platform - processed through its system, integrations, reporting and terminals.
Charlie, of Premier Carrick, says: “Customers today expect the convenience of ordering everything online, including groceries and takeaways, the two go hand in hand. Being a part of a platform like Foodhub opens up new opportunities for our store to reach a wider audience beyond our physical location.”
“From my perspective, it's been completely seamless. Orders from different platforms all come through the same device so there’s no extra work. Most importantly for us, no separate cashing up. It’s a huge help for our drivers, who receive the full delivery fee with a smooth and reliable payment process. The whole setup just works brilliantly.”
Glovo
Spain-based quick commerce specialist and technology company Glovo has announced a new round of app updates focused on personalising the user experience and enhancing product discovery.
Daniel Alonso, Chief Product Officer at Glovo, says: “We are handing the keys of personalisation to our users. While we will showcase the most relevant content for them, we will also enable them to shape their homepage as they want.”
Glovo, which turns ten this year, is launching a new gifting journey inside the app, with a dedicated landing page and chatbot powered by AI that will help customers find the perfect gift. It’s designed to solve a common frustration: wanting to order or send a thoughtful gift, but not knowing where to start.
The new virtual assistant guides customers based on three simple inputs: occasion, recipient, and budget. Users can then swipe through suggestions, like or dismiss options, and add to cart, all in one journey.
Monoprix
Monoprix, a French retail chain and part of the Casino Group, has selected RELEX Solutions and Accenture as it looks to transform the planning and replenishment of its textile, home, and leisure categories.
Within a few months, RELEX tech will service the entire store network (400 stores) and two distribution centres with the goal of driving increased global revenue and margin through AI powered demand forecasting and replenishment.
Monoprix is known for its wide variety of products, including food, fashion, beauty, and home goods. It has over 30,000 SKUs and operates several smaller store format brands including Monoprix and Monop. By leveraging AI, it says it will be better placed to manage its mix of permanent and seasonal items, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency and sustainability by reducing waste through excess inventory.
StrongPoint
StrongPoint has announced the launch of RetailQ, an analytics service for grocery retailers.
RetailQ taps digital simulation and virtual pick bots to help grocery retailers identify cost savings and improve efficiency in their in-store picking operations. By digitally modelling every step of the fulfillment process, it enables them to test different scenarios, quantify the impact of operational changes, optimise workflows and reveal hidden inefficiencies.
Favor
Technology consultancy, Thoughtworks, reports that Favor, a Texas-based on-demand delivery app owned by H-E-B, has launched a new Shop & Deliver platform - a B2B (business-to-business) service.
“Together with Thoughtworks, we are excited to release this innovative platform to meet the growing demand for fast and convenient delivery service for both customers and runners across Texas,” says Steve Romney, Chief Technology Officer, Favor Delivery. “The new Shop and Deliver service is part of our continued commitment to providing exceptional customer service, quality and convenience.”
Shop & Deliver offers features such as real-time inventory updates and streamlines data flow to manage simultaneous shopping and delivery tasks. The platform provides a scalable technology, which increases Favor’s capacity, flexibility and speed to serve a network of over 100,000 runners (contract delivery drivers) and customers in more than 400 communities across Texas.
📦 @Favor Delivery just launched “Shop & Deliver” — a new B2B platform co-created with Thoughtworks to reimagine delivery and fulfillment in Texas.
— Thoughtworks (@thoughtworks) June 18, 2025
✅ Real-time inventory
✅ Scalable tech for 100K+ Runners
✅ Seamless customer experience
Read more: https://t.co/R555EuUyNw pic.twitter.com/PYCiyspxrH
Albertsons Media Collective
Albertsons Media Collective, the retail media arm of Albertsons Companies, has announced the launch of its in-store digital display network during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France.
In partnership with STRATACACHE, Albertsons Media Collective will power its new solution through a fleet of digital screens, with the aim of promoting product discovery and creating media offerings that allow brand partners of all sizes to engage their customers.
“We’ve identified a significant opportunity to enhance our in-store customers' shopping experience by delivering relevant and impactful messaging at the point of purchase,” says Jennifer Saenz, Chief Commercial Officer at Albertsons Cos. “Our partnership with STRATACACHE enables brand partners to engage directly with our shoppers at this key moment, providing them with compelling offers, meal inspiration and timely information.”
A pilot will launch this summer in select Albertsons Cos. stores in two key regions, featuring large format premium displays in high traffic areas at impactful touchpoints during the customer journey, such as the entrance and produce department.
Five Below
Invent.ai has been selected by US retailer Five Below to optimise demand forecasting and replenishment through AI driven technology.
Five Below currently operates over 1,800 stores in the United States. It needed an inventory optimisation solution that could account for its diverse product categories and objectives, and opted for invent.ai’s retail planning suite.
“Invent.ai has been a game-changer for our operations, helping streamline replenishment processes across a wide range of product categories and a large store network,” says Graham Poliner, Chief Strategy and Analytics Officer at Five Below.
“We expect invent.ai’s algorithms to continue to help us optimise inventory levels, reduce stockouts and overstocking while ensuring that each location has the right products at the right time. The invent.ai team has been an exceptional partner, working closely with Five Below to tailor the capabilities to our unique needs.”
IGA
VusionGroup reports installation of its electronic shelf label (ESL) solution for grocery retailer, IGA, with over 8,500 of these deployed across its French's Forest store, located north of Brisbane, Australia.
This automates pricing and promotions across all categories, streamlining operations and giving staff more time to focus on stock management and delivering exceptional customer service.
In a LinkedIn post, John Koy, Senior Account Executive at VusionGroup, said: “What makes this project even more special is that IGA French's Forest reopened on 14th May, just a year after a devastating fire tore through the complex. Store owner Joseph set us the challenge of delivering the entire project in just 4 weeks - and we’re thrilled to have met that deadline, ensuring the store was ready for the grand re-opening.”
“A big thank you to WorldSmart for their support, to Metcash for their invaluable guidance, Think Retail & Design for their creative work, and to the Strikeforce AMC Team for their excellent support with the installation. Congratulations to Joseph and his team on the re-opening and here’s to a bright future with smarter, more efficient retail.”
THG Ingenuity
THG Ingenuity’s THG Fulfil offshoot has announced a partnership with robotics provider, Libiao, which, it claims, is set to boost its capacity by 75%.
430 T-sorting robots will be operational at its Manchester warehouse facility in September, prividing THG Fulfil with the capacity to output c1 million units per day, a move that boosts its ability to manage peak demand ahead of the holiday season.
Tom Killeen, COO, THG Ingenuity, says: “We have always believed that fulfilment is a core driver of customer excellence and brand reputation. Our collaboration with Libiao further solidifies our commitment to providing brands and retailers with industry leading, scalable automation solutions that optimise everything from pick and pack to final mile delivery, ultimately enhancing customer experience and driving loyalty.”
“Our unique approach, which often sees 95% of all units sold moving through some form of automation, combined with our late NDD cut-off times of up to 1am, is truly what sets us apart. We are committed to investing in the future of logistics, while empowering our clients to meet and exceed evolving consumer expectations with unparalleled efficiency.”
Oh Polly
Algolia, an AI native search and discovery platform, has announced a collaboration with Oh Polly, an online destination for women’s fashion.
Lauren Muir, Product Owner at Oh Polly, says: “We’re dedicated to offering customers ‘something a little bit extra,’ and we knew our search experience had to embody that same commitment. In just six days, Algolia transformed our search performance, driving significant improvements across our key metrics and taking our customer experience to the next level.”
Oh Polly shoppers using Algolia’s AI powered search convert at 3.5x the rate, with an average purchase value 172% higher, and a bounce rate that is 144% lower than those that don’t.
Algolia’s Dynamic Re-Ranking feature boosts Oh Polly’s search results, automatically enhancing relevancy without the need for manual intervention. With more time on their hands, Oh Polly’s e-commerce team now focuses on unlocking valuable insights from Algolia’s customer search data – insights that were previously out of reach.
Ocado Group and Bon Preu
Ocado Group and Bon Preu have announced an expansion of their partnership, with plans to construct a customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Parets del Vallès, near Barcelona, to serve customers in the Catalonia region.
Bon Preu was Ocado's first international partner, signing a deal in 2017 to grow an online proposition in Catalonia, drawing on the latter’s experience as an online and logistics operator in the UK. It has deployed Ocado's technology across its e-commerce supply chain.
Gregor Ulitzka, Europe President at Ocado Solutions, says: "Today is an exciting moment as we enter a new phase with our longest standing international partner. Our partnership with Bon Preu is an amazing example of a retailer using the full strategic toolkit that we offer.”
“They have already developed a market leading online proposition in Catalonia with Ocado's In-Store Fulfilment technology and will now benefit from a highly automated CFC, offering an enhanced customer proposition and a significantly lower cost-to-serve. We look forward to continuing to work together to deliver unbeatable experiences online to customers in the Catalonia region."
We are proud to announce an expansion of our partnership with our first international partner @BonPreuEsclat , who will build a new CFC serving Catalonia! #OcadoGroup #BonPreu #Catalonia #Spain #onlinegrocery (1/3) pic.twitter.com/nsQJjiS4bB
— Ocado Group (@OcadoGroup) June 18, 2025
Ikea
A new service launched this month at Ikea Rhodes in Sydney, allowing customers to shop and pick up their orders during the early morning or late into the evening.
54 new pick-up lockers have landed in the car park, located near the existing Ikea Click and Collect area.
Customers can pick up their orders all day and into the night, from 3am until midnight. The lockers will be used for orders big and small, with space for everything from must have home furnishing accessories to larger flatpack furniture items.
Customers need to select ‘pick-up locker’ when they place their order online, via the Ikea app, via remote shopping or in-store. Once the option is selected, they are sent an email notification when their order is ready, with a unique pin number they can use to open the locker at any time of their choosing.
The cost is the same as Click & Collect - free for Ikea Family members, or prices starting at $5 for non-members.
Co-op and Royal Mail
Co-op and Royal Mail have inked a partnership deal to roll-out parcel lockers at the convenience retailer’s stores. The first ones will launch in summer, with plans for lockers at 100 stores.
These will allow people to drop off pre-labelled Royal Mail parcels and returns 24/7. Collection will also be available at the lockers soon.
They provide label printing, meaning customers need to pay for postage online and print the label by scanning a QR code at the locker, or request a QR code if they are returning a purchase. Royal Mail’s prices start from £1.55 online for a small parcel that fits through the letterbox.
Royal Mail launched its own parcel locker network in December to meet growing demand for convenient parcel drop-off and collection options from online shoppers and increasing numbers of people selling on secondhand marketplaces.
Kurt Geiger
NewStore reports that Kurt Geiger is now live on its Omnichannel PoS solution across more than 70 owned stores, outlets, and airport locations in the United Kingdom and the United States.
The roll-out spans the Kurt Geiger and Carvela brands, with the retailer replacing three legacy in-store systems with a mobile-based solution.
Store associates now have the ability to complete transactions and deliver seamless omnichannel experiences, including endless aisle, ship-to-store, and buy online pickup in-store and buy online return in-store, using only an iPhone or iPad.
Pret A Manger
FreedomPay has announced a payments partnership with food and coffee retailer Pret A Manger.
The collaboration is currently powering Pret in three major markets - the United Kingdom, United States and Hong Kong with further deployments planned in Europe later in 2025.
Chris Matthews, Global Retail Technology Director at Pret A Manger, says; "We are committed to providing a frictionless and enjoyable experience for our customers.”
“Partnering with FreedomPay allows us to leverage their best-in-class technology to ensure secure and reliable payment processing, no matter where our customers are in the world. This partnership is a key ingredient in our recipe for international success, allowing us to focus on what we do best: delivering delicious, freshly made food and organic coffee."
East of England Co-op
East of England Co-op this month opened a new food store in Ipswich train station.
“Hugely significant new store opening this week for East of England Co-op - cutting edge technology and a great location in perfect harmony,” says Rob Smith, Technology Officer at East of England Co-op.
Ashley Hollingsworth, Operating Model Manager, adds: “Extremely excited about the launch of our concept store - a huge step forward in efficiency. From eSELs and headsets to self-service only tills, cashless and officeless operations, and not forgetting our new digital processes, we’re proudly advancing on our paperless journey.”
“This milestone has involved cross-functional collaboration across multiple departments. Thank you all for your incredible support in delivering what will soon be our most efficient food store to date.”
DoorDash and Flytrex
DoorDash and Flytrex have announced the launch of a drone delivery service in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, expanding upon a pilot programme.
Customers in parts of Little Elm and Frisco can now order food from dozens of local and national restaurants, including from Papa Johns King Road location and The Brass Tap, between 8:00am and 9:30pm, with delivery via Flytrex’s autonomous drone fleet.
This marks Flytrex’s first third-party app integration, enabling customers to place orders directly through the DoorDash app. Eligible customers can select drone delivery at checkout, with orders prepared at restaurants and flown to their homes. The service currently reaches over 30,000 households and more than 100,000 residents, with additional sites launching soon.
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