A milestone for the UK recycling industry: 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 M&S, Polytag, Zalando, Uber Eats, Gopuff, Peter Piper Pizza, Lidl GB, Currys, Snappy Shopper, Joe & The Juice, and Nobody's Child.
M&S
Polytag reports that Marks & Spencer has become the first retailer to bring invisible UV tags to shelf, applying them to labels on its four-pint milk products, now available in stores across the UK.
Once recycled by households, the bottles will enter recycling facilities where they will be scanned by Polytag’s Plastic Detection Units, with the retailer able to view live recycling data.
Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag, says: "Retailers and brands can no longer afford to lose sight of packaging the moment it leaves their supply chain. With EPR now in effect, we’re entering a new era where real data is not just helpful, it’s essential.”
“By tagging products and tracking their journey through the recycling system, we’re creating a clear line of sight from shelf to sorting facility. M&S taking this first to shelf step signals not only a commitment to transparency, but a real shift in how the industry approaches responsibility. It’s a major milestone for the Ecotrace Programme and for the wider UK recycling industry.”
Currys
Currys has launched a new colleague led ideas platform, the Pitch, powered by AI.
Since its launch across the retailer's supply chain and services teams, the initiative has gained momentum, with over 450 ideas submitted to date. More than 100 of these are already in progress with 41% delivering measurable results, saving over 3,000 hours and unlocking six-figure cost efficiencies. Colleague engagement is strong too, with adoption rates tracking 3% above the market average.
As a result, Currys has set plans to expand the platform, which is fully embedded in Microsoft Teams, to an additional 9,000 colleagues, bringing the total number of users to 14,000 by the end of this financial year. The investment spans stores, support functions, digital operations, contact centres and extends to Currys’ third-party partner, Concentrix.
The system is powered by AI, which streamlines the ideas by automatically grouping similar suggestions and surfacing trends. This approach helps teams save time, spot patterns faster and collect the best ideas from the outset.
Built on Sideways 6’s Microsoft integrated platform, the Pitch aims to make it easy for colleagues to suggest improvements, flag inefficiencies and solve everyday problems.
Zalando
Omniva reports that it is now the exclusive delivery partner for Zalando in the Baltics.
“This is more than just a business deal - it’s a clear sign that an Estonian company can compete and win at the highest level of European e-commerce,” says Kristo Kõivumägi, Head of Sales at Omniva Estonia and EU.
All Zalando orders in the Baltics will be delivered through Omniva's network of parcel machines and courier services.
“We are very pleased to partner with Omniva, a company highly preferred by our customers in the Baltics. This collaboration improves our delivery speed by enabling Saturday delivery in all three countries. It also allows us to simplify our return process, offering a convenient label-less return option for an enhanced customer experience,” says Mariliis Karu, Market Development and Strategy Lead at Zalando.
The Range
Quadient has announced a partnership with The Range, a UK retailer operating more than 200 stores nationwide.
This will see Parcel Pending by Quadient parcel lockers being rolled out across The Range stores, in cities and towns including London, Birmingham, Swansea and Blackburn.
Available to all carriers and service providers, the lockers provide 24/7 access for deliveries, returns, and exchanges. They can also facilitate temporary item storage and services such as prescription collection, retail Click and Collect orders, spare parts retrieval, and key handovers.
The partnership boosts Quadient’s footprint in the UK, with a goal to achieve 5,000 lockers nationwide by 2027.
Snappy Shopper and OccaStore
A new collaboration is bringing together Snappy Shopper’s last mile delivery platform, Snappy Media’s in-app advertising capabilities and OccaStore’s end-to-end distribution model - including logistics, retail sell-in and merchandising - with a focus on the sports nutrition category.
Emerging brands often face barriers breaking into retail, from limited shelf space to low visibility with local shoppers. This partnership aims to remove those hurdles by integrating challenger brands directly into Snappy’s retail network, supported by targeted digital marketing.
The first wave of challenger brand roll-outs will focus on high growth categories such as sports nutrition, energy and functional foods. Retailers within the Snappy network will get access to trending products, while brands will gain retail exposure and access to measurable marketing tools to drive trial and repeat purchases.
Bringing new challenger and emerging categories to local @SnappyShopperUK convenience stores
— Greg Deacon (@gregdeacon) July 17, 2025
Expanding Snappy Media to be more than just Media! https://t.co/S9OWWciuGF
Uber Eats
Uber Eats has announced the arrival of more grocery and convenience selection for consumers shopping with SNAP benefits across the US.
Wegmans, Gopuff and Family Dollar are now accepting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme) EBT (Electronic Benefits Transfer) payment for purchases made on the platform.
Eligible customers can now use their SNAP EBT benefits to order groceries from participating locations through the Uber Eats app, with payments powered by Forage.
RaceWay
RaceWay, a US convenience retailer with over 240 locations that operates as a franchisor for parent company RaceTrac, has selected PAR Technology as its technology partner for the launch of its new customer loyalty programme, RaceWay Rewards.
“Our team is excited to unveil our first customer loyalty programme, RaceWay Rewards, which will enable us to further strengthen customer connections while still providing our signature ‘hometown store’ identity," says Kamran Din, Director of Revenue Growth Management at RaceWay.
“Our partnership with PAR allows us to leverage personalised, data driven technology to turn every customer engagement into an opportunity to build brand loyalty.”
Peter Piper Pizza
SoundHound AI and Peter Piper Pizza, a fast food and family entertainment specialist, have announced a collaboration that allows guests to place phone orders for pick-up through a conversational voice AI agent.
The new system understands natural speech and is trained on Peter Piper Pizza’s full menu.
Now live across all of its locations in Arizona and Albuquerque, NM, the platform ensures that every phone call is answered no matter how busy the restaurant is. The voice AI agent handles multiple calls simultaneously, freeing up in-store teams to focus on preparing food and customer service.
Joe & The Juice
Urban juice bar and coffee concept Joe & The Juice has announced a partnership with Adyen focused on the FinTech firm’s proprietary multimedia countertop SFO1 payment terminal.
It has been working with Adyen for over a decade. As it accelerates its expansion in the US market, particularly in key cities like New York, it is turning to the company’s technology to improve the in-store experience.
The deployment of SFO1 terminals enables it to tap real-time data and feedback. It is using them not just to simplify checkout, but to gather insights that help inform store experiences, shape its marketing approach, and ultimately, build long-term customer loyalty in a highly competitive F&B landscape.
“Adyen has been a trusted partner and leveraging their financial technology to expand internationally was an easy decision,” says Nicolai Schnack, CTO at Joe & The Juice. "The new SFO1 terminal allows us to adapt to various market environments, enhancing our in-store experience to match the retail environment. It enables us to meet customers where they are, fostering a global connection to the brand."
Pedal & Post
Last mile logistics specialist Pedal & Post has announced the launch of its second city hub in the UK. Having gone live in Oxford, it is now hitting London, serving areas spanning the likes of the city, Southwark, Lambeth, Westminster, Tower Hamlets, and Lewisham.
In an online post, Pedal & Post says that its logistics hubs are designed to be “a foot in the door at first, visible, welcoming, and functional…We’re aiming to provide a community asset, showcasing a cleaner, quieter, and more people-friendly way to move goods across the city. With a growing fleet of cutting-edge e-cargo bikes, trikes and 100% electric vans, we can handle everything from daily retail drops and floristry orders to pharmaceutical and medical logistics and food deliveries.”
The London operations are expected to complete over 100,000 zero emission deliveries annually to start. Deliveries run seven days a week, with same-day and next-day options. Pedal & Post also deploys microhub infrastructure, e-commerce integrated tech, and real-time tracking.
Gopuff
On demand delivery firm Gopuff has announced the expansion of its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP) EBT payment options, allowing customers to check out using SNAP benefits on both its website and via the Uber Eats app.
“With the ability to deliver fresh, affordable groceries straight to customers’ doors in as fast as 15 minutes, Gopuff is uniquely positioned to help improve food access through SNAP," says Yakir Gola, co-CEO and co-founder at Gopuff.
"Since we began accepting SNAP benefits a few months ago, we’ve seen a great deal of SNAP orders coming from food deserts and areas with high concentrations of individuals with disabilities or seniors. Today, we're proud to further expand access to Gopuff for SNAP recipients by allowing purchases throughout our website and the Uber Eats app."
Customers across the US can use SNAP EBT benefits to pay for groceries across multiple shopping channels, with all payments powered by Forage.
America 🤝 Gopuff pic.twitter.com/48YORDsfvE
— Gopuff (@gopuff) July 4, 2025
REMA 1000
GK Software reports that REMA 1000, a Norwegian grocery retailer, has chosen it as a technology partner for its in-store operations.
The tie up centres on the roll-out across 680+ stores of GK CLOUD4RETAIL, a platform that enables retailers to create consistent, personalised shopping experiences across all touchpoints. Implementation of the technology is now underway.
“We’re honoured that REMA 1000 has placed its trust in us. This collaboration was built on shared ambitions for customer centric innovation and teamwork. Together, we are setting a new standard for grocery retail,” says Michael Scheibner, CEO at GK Software, a Fujitsu company.
Lidl GB
Lidl GB is gearing up to launch a trial in four stores of a new self-scanning mobile app feature.
In a LinkedIn post, it said: “We’re building retail innovation into the heart of the Lidl experience. This September, we’re launching a new self-scanning feature within the Lidl Plus app - part of our ongoing investment in technology to make shopping easier, faster, and more flexible for our customers.”
People will be able to scan as they shop, track spend and savings in real-time, and checkout faster via self-service. This is launching first through a friends and family trial across four stores – with a full roll-out to follow next year.
“This isn’t a one off update. It’s the next step in a much bigger plan,” Lidl GB said. “From self-checkouts to loyalty led digital tools, we’re rethinking the entire in-store experience - and investing for the long-term to bring our customers more choice, more control, and more convenience.”
Konzum
Konzum, a retailer operating in Croatia, has chosen to partner with Instaleap as it looks to scale its e-grocery operations.
Konzum is Croatia's largest supermarket chain, with over 700 stores throughout the country and more than 10,000 employees.
In a LinkedIn post, Bas Groot, VP International at Instaleap, said: "This partnership embodies what Instaleap stands for, building lasting partnerships with forward thinking retailers to transform e-commerce operations: faster, smarter, and at scale.”
“Konzum joins a growing network of retail leaders choosing Instaleap to optimise fulfillment and drive real operational impact. This marks a meaningful step forward in our mission to shape the future of digital grocery logistics. To the teams at Instaleap and Konzum - thank you for your trust, collaboration, and relentless focus."
The Agent
The Agent reports the adoption of Akeneo’s Supplier Data Manager (SDM) solution, with the aim of streamlining and enhancing the onboarding of its supplier product data.
The company works with both emerging and established apparel, accessories and footwear brands, including Le Coq Sportif, Herschel Supply Co and Aigle, to grow online sales on third-party marketplaces across Europe and the UK including Zalando, About You, Amazon and Decathlon. It manages the entire marketplace selling process, or a collaborative partnership with tailored services, from catalogue integration to performance optimisation.
The Agent receives product data from hundreds of brands, managing thousands of SKUs each season - often across multiple languages and formats. Prior to implementing Akeneo’s SDM solution, this process was handled using spreadsheets and email and was prone to inaccuracies, often leading to an extended time to market due to the need for multiple manual reviews and checks.
Nobody's Child
Nobody's Child has gone live with a new e-commerce site.
In a LinkedIn post, Helena Hastings, E-commerce Trading Lead at Nobody's Child, said: "Thrilled to see our new website go live in May after six months leading the project on the Nobody’s Child side. It’s a huge step forward for the brand and one I’m really proud of."
"Massive thanks to the brilliant team at Limesharp for being such great partners, and to the amazing team at Nobody’s Child for bringing it to life. The new site reflects our rapid growth and purpose led mission, combining creativity with commercial results."
"Special shout-outs to Peter Immelman (Senior Account Director at Rogerwilco) who was incredible throughout, and to Ed Jones (Lead UI/UX Designer at Limesharp) for bringing our vision to life through beautifully considered design.”
Continue reading…