Including Scala, Currys, Nextail, and Tesco: last week’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Scotta, Nextail, Coborn's, Toolstation, Google Cloud, New Look, Fanatics, Asda, Just Eat UK, Debenhams Group, and Auror.

Scala

Digital signage and integrated solutions specialist, Scala, officially opened its new 142 square metres showroom in Central London last week.

Located just a short walk from Angel underground station, the showroom will serve as a hub for technology demonstrations, partner meetings, and educational initiatives, all supporting Scala’s presence in the UK and across the wider European market.  

“Scala technology can be found across London; in iconic landmarks as well as transport hubs, banks and high end retailers, so it feels fitting and tremendous to be opening a dedicated showroom in the capital,” says Harry Horn, General Manager EMEA, Scala.

“This is a dedicated space where we can share our latest solutions and collaborate with our partners as we work together to create top customer service experiences. We hope that the hands-on interaction offered by the showroom will inspire clients and partners to consider how technology can be used creatively, efficiently and effectively across a variety of sectors to better serve customers and grow revenues.”

Scotta

Spanish menswear brand Scotta has partnered with Nextail, an AI driven merchandise execution platform purpose built for fashion.

The retailer has 40 bricks and mortar stores in key Spanish cities such as Madrid, Seville, and Valencia, along with a growing e-commerce presence.

To support its growth, it has chosen Nextail’s in-season inventory solutions to tackle process related inefficiencies and gain the agility needed to scale effectively across stores, corners and online channels.

EG America

EG America, an operator of 1,500 convenience stores across the US, has partnered with Vroom Delivery, to offer its customers online ordering and delivery. The tie up sees Vroom managing EG America’s third-party marketplaces, including DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.

Five hundred stores across EG America’s network are now live, with additional location roll-outs expected. The programme leverages Vroom’s Automated Menu Management (AMM), which automatically populates each store’s menu with every product available in-store - no manual updates required.

Vroom’s integration with DoorDash’s Retail API means that DoorDash customers will be able to quickly and easily find any one of the thousands of products in EG America’s catalogue when they search for specific products in the app.

Vroom’s integration with PDI’s Commerce API will allow orders to flow directly to EG America’s back office with correct pricing and markups, eliminating the need to manually ring up orders at the register.

Coborn's

DIGITS is partnering with Coborn's to launch the grocery chain’s retail media network this autumn.

In a LinkedIn post, David Glaza, Founder and CEO at DIGITS, said: “For those of you who know the grocery space, this one is a big deal. Regional grocers are leaning in, and Coborn’s is stepping up with a smart, brand friendly approach to retail media.”

He added: “What’s coming in 2025? On-site display, off-site 1P programmatic, targeted email, and digital coupons through Birdzi. All of it fully managed by DIGITS so brands can focus on strategy, not execution.”

“In 2026, they’ll build on this foundation with in-store activations, sponsored search, social, and more. This is the type of partnership that shows regional grocers don’t need to be huge to be competitive. They just need the right strategy and the right team behind them. Let’s go!”

Debenhams Group

Debenhams Group, the online retail company behind brands including Debenhams, PrettyLittleThing, boohoo, boohooMAN, and Karen Millen, has selected Mangopay’s wallet infrastructure to support the next phase of its marketplace growth.

The multi-year partnership will debut with Debenhams.

Debenhams operates a marketplace that connects customers with a community of more than 15,000 premium brands. The new infrastructure will enhance the way it manages multi-seller payments and real-time fund distribution on the platform, as well as the automation of reconciliation and invoicing. 

Tesco

Tesco is investing in a new distribution centre at DP World London Gateway, which it expects to open in 2029. 

It will be working with logistics partner Witron on this.

Andrew Woolfenden, Tesco UK Distribution & Fulfilment Director, says:  “Our distribution network is vital for ensuring customers receive products at the right place, time and condition.”

“As demand grows across our store network, we're excited to partner with Witron and DP World to develop a distribution centre that leverages the latest technology, enhancing our supply chain and supporting our decarbonisation goals. By locating at London Gateway, we can also take full advantage of the seaport and rail infrastructure." 

Amazon and Dr. Berg

Amazon reports that Buy with Prime, its direct-to-customer (DTC) offering, is now available on Dr. Berg Nutritionals, a health supplements provider.

For US-based Prime members, this unlocks more brands beyond the Amazon store. They can shop directly from a brand’s online store using membership benefits including fast, free delivery, returns, 24/7 shopper support with participating companies, and a convenient checkout experience.

“We’re in the business of making health simple - and now, with Buy with Prime, getting your favourite supplements is simpler than ever,” says Karl Canto, Vice President of E-commerce and Digital Advertising at Dr. Berg. “Our customers get their favourite supplements with Prime delivery speeds and the ease of shopping right on our site. It’s convenience without compromise.”

Sterlingbuild

Roof windows and rooflights retailer, Sterlingbuild, has migrated its 40,000-SKU e-commerce platform to Adobe Commerce Cloud, with its partner, objectsource.

This follows Sterlingbuild’s acquisition by JJ Roofing Supplies in 2023 and represents an upgrade from its legacy bespoke .NET platform, which had become unstable and difficult to manage since its launch in 2014.  

KAYALI

Wincanton has bagged a new contract with KAYALI to provide B2B fulfilment services for the fragrance brand.

KAYALI will tap Wincanton’s expertise in providing fast growing brands with fulfilment services, particularly during vital peak periods. Services will be based at the latter’s specialist facility in Northampton. 

Carl Moore, Managing Director - eFulfilment, at Wincanton, says: “We’re delighted to be starting our journey with KAYALI as it embarks on a new chapter in its story. Our experience and proven services in the beauty industry will provide KAYALI with the assurance it needs to continue its growth in the UK fragrance sector.”

Marijana Pavicic, VP Operations at KAYALI, says: "Partnering with Wincanton marks an exciting milestone for us as we continue expanding our presence in the UK. Their deep expertise in beauty logistics gives us the confidence to scale efficiently while delivering a premium experience to our customers.”

Currys

Currys has announced the roll-out of a new crime reporting tool to all its UK&I stores, following a trial.

The technology and electrical retailer conducted a 12-week trial, across two different regions. It identified ten repeat offenders and resulted in three arrests. The Auror tool also prevented stock loss, saving over £20k worth of product. These results contributed to the decision to proceed with the full roll-out.

Since Currys announced its largest annual investment in store safety measures earlier this year, it claims there has been a 58% reduction in reported aggressive thefts, compared to the year before.

With the Auror solution, stores can record information about crimes and the perpetrators, which are then matched and connected with offences nationwide. As a result, store colleagues are better informed about current threats, and law enforcement has more comprehensive information to build cases.

New Look

New Look has rolled out over 400 smart lockers, in partnership with eLocker, across its distribution centre.

These sit across eight locations in the warehouse, allowing employees access to equipment whenever and wherever they need it.

Rob Galbraith, Head of Supply & Change Management at New Look, says: “In our fast paced distribution centre, we needed a solution that enabled our handheld terminals to be tracked and organised within seconds. eLocker helps us reduce wait times for our New Lookers and makes everyday tasks easier to complete."

Toolstation

Google Cloud is partnering with Toolstation, a UK supplier of tools and building materials, to enhance its digital commerce experience with artificial intelligence.

By implementing Google Cloud's Vertex AI Search for Commerce, supported by Gemini models, Toolstation says it is better able to understand and serve its trade and DIY customers, a move that has driven a 5.5% increase in search-based revenue and a 10% lift in click-through rates.

With a large portion of its business driven through its website and app, Toolstation recognised an opportunity to create a best-in-class product discovery journey. The company sought to solve a core challenge in its industry: interpreting the complex, trade specific slang and synonyms its customers use to find products - terms which often led to irrelevant results and required thousands of manual workarounds.

Southern Co-op

Lobyco has announced a new multi-year relationship with Southern Co-op to enhance its membership proposition with a new loyalty app consisting of features such as games, challenges, and new promotions capabilities.

Southern Co-op is a regional, independent cooperative operating a network of more than 300 food, funeral, and Starbucks coffee branches across the south of England. The new app aims to simplify rewards, improve value for customers, and elevate engagement through games, challenges, and a dynamic promotions platform. 

Graham & Brown

Graham & Brown, a UK wall coverings and home décor company, says that it has achieved measurable improvements in customer experience, revenue growth, operational efficiency and digital maturity since launching its B2B e-commerce site on BigCommerce. 

Within a 12 week period, Graham & Brown launched a fully functioning B2B e-commerce site in January. Adoption was rapid with 90% of key accounts having embraced the new digital channel, in the first few months, underlying the demand for a more efficient, customer centric buying experience. 

It then expanded the platform beyond the UK, launching in Ireland and the broader European market by March. It supports multi-currency transactions in GBP, USD, EUR, AUD, and NZD.

Central to the firm's digital transformation was a focus on delivering a better customer experience. By engaging real customers in the build process, Graham & Brown gained direct insights into day-to-day user needs, enabling the development of features specifically tailored to the B2B buyer.

Chelsea FC and Fanatics

Chelsea FC has announced a long-term extension and expansion of its partnership with Fanatics, a digital sports platform and specialist in licensed sports merchandise.

The aim here is to deliver an enhanced online shopping experience for Chelsea fans, featuring upgraded site capabilities, exclusive content, and a wider range of products.

Under the expanded partnership, Fanatics will continue to operate Chelsea’s global e-commerce operations and will obtain further design and manufacturing rights to develop new fan apparel ranges.

The new site features enhanced product content, imagery and search functions utilising AI technology, faster checkout, and multiple language and payment offerings. Fans will also have access to exclusive merchandise, with the club utilising Fanatics’ supply chain to create bespoke products celebrating iconic moments on the pitch.   

Gelson's

Southern California grocery chain, Gelson’s, is partnering with Upshop to deploy an analytical approach to its market, using data, artificial intelligence, and operational insight as it looks to punch above its weight.

By adopting Upshop’s platform, Gelson’s says it will infuse intelligence into its forecasting, total store ordering, production planning, and real-time inventory processes, ensuring every location is tuned into local demand dynamics.

This means shoppers will find what they want, when they want it, all while store teams benefit from tools that simplify workflows, reduce waste, and increase efficiency.

“In a competitive grocery landscape, scale isn't everything - intelligence is,” says Ryan Adams, President and CEO at Gelson’s Markets. “With Upshop’s embedded platform and AI driven capabilities, we’re empowering our stores to be hyper-responsive, efficient, and focused on the guest experience. It’s how Gelson’s can compete at the highest level.”

Asda

Asda has announced a nationwide roll-out of a two in one PoS clip in its 610 stores in partnership with Harrison Retail for the UK grocery retail giant’s Rollback Price campaign.

This is designed for use across both ambient and chilled areas of the store. The company produced over 1.4 million clips, delivering them on an accelerated timeline to Asda’s print partner and packing in store-ready quantities to support efficient implementation. 

The clip securely holds marketing print directly to the shelf edge.

Rolf Whiteman, Sales Director at Harrison Retail, says: “Our collaboration with Asda is a great example of how intelligent PoS design and agile production can support large scale retail campaigns with real operational impact.” 

Just Eat UK

Just Eat UK is launching its new membership service, Just Eat+, giving customers unlimited free deliveries. People can sign up with a one off £5.99 payment for 90 days.

Claire Pointon, UK&I Managing Director at Just Eat, says: “We’re thrilled to be launching Just Eat+ - which is designed to make everyday ordering that bit easier and more rewarding.”

“Whether it’s a quick dinner for the family or a last minute order for summer essentials, our new membership gives customers more flexibility, with greater value and access to exclusive perks, all with no delivery fees. With thousands of restaurants, supermarkets, and shops to choose from, Just Eat+ helps people get whatever they need, whenever they need it.”