Clint the cleaning robot turns heads at East of England Co-op store as retailer explores new technology

East of England Co-op has been testing out a cleaning robot (named Clint) at its Stanway Food store.

In a LinkedIn post, the retailer said: "Clint certainly turned some heads as they cruised up and down the aisles, even stopping for a few selfies along the way. We're always exploring new technologies to help us work smarter and create the best experience for our colleagues, members and customers."

Ashley Hollingsworth, Operations Business Partner at East of England Co-op, added: "I’m extremely excited to explore this concept. I want to express my sincere gratitude to David from Cleanbrite UK and Metabots for their unwavering support of this trial."

"Of course, I also want to extend my heartfelt appreciation to East of England Co-op's Lucia Carty, Sean Lumsden and Luke Warren CMIOSH for their invaluable assistance in bringing this trial to life. Additionally, I want to thank Rob Miller and his team at our Stanway branch for their exceptional support."

Just Eat

East of England Co-op has hit 60 food stores on Just Eat.

"We’re excited to share that 60 of our East of England Co-op food stores are now live on Just Eat, bringing even more convenience to the communities we serve," it said.

"This milestone follows the launch of six additional stores last month, helping more customers access everyday essentials from their local East of England Co-op with the tap of a button. We’re proud to keep growing and evolving to meet the needs of our communities, wherever and however they choose to shop.”

“A huge thank you to our teams for making this happen and to our members and customers for continuing to support us both in-store and online."

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Automation and on demand delivery will be key focus areas at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.