Savvy shoppers embrace in-store robotics: presenting the retail technology week in numbers
Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including Simbe, Walmart, Evri, Asda, Royal Mail, Motor Fuel Group, Checkout.com, Polytag, M&S, and the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
18...Earlier this year, we reported that Rob Barnes was exiting Asda and the role of CIO. Barnes, who joined the UK grocery giant from Marks and Spencer, has now completed his last working day there.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “It has been a privilege to serve a business during such a pivotal period of change, and it has taken me a few days to reflect and consider what we’ve achieved in this time. Looking back on the last 18 months, the team have achieved the impossible.”
This included rolling out NCR Voyix to all assisted and self-service tills in stores, converting over half of stores onto new SAP, Zebra Technologies and other store systems/processes including new shelf edge ticketing, and launching a new e-commerce platform, now serving all of George online and over half the grocery home shopping stores via Salesforce and Blue Yonder.
2...Walmart has announced the creation of two new leadership roles with the goal of accelerating AI driven innovation across the business.
According to Doug McMillon, President and CEO at Walmart, the aim here is to “move smarter and faster, putting AI and world class product management and design at the centre of everything we do”.
“I’m excited to welcome Daniel Danker as EVP, AI Acceleration, Product and Design. In this new global role Daniel will accelerate our AI transformation and lead all product management and design across the enterprise,” he says.
“In addition, we’re also creating a new EVP, AI Platforms role reporting to Suresh Kumar (Global Chief Technology Officer and Chief Development Officer). This visionary role will help us build the future with AI, increase productivity, speed and innovation, own the AI platforms, and architect our intelligent systems stack to power our future.”
He concludes: “Artificial intelligence is changing how we work. I look forward to working with Daniel and seeing how these changes strengthen our business and improve experiences for our customers, members and fellow associates.”
4...Winter Gardens Blackpool, an entertainment complex in Lancashire, England, which includes a theatre, ballroom and conference facilities, has teamed up with Boxbar Tech to deploy four new self-serve bars, with go live taking place at the Betfred World Matchplay Darts tournament.
In a LinkedIn post, it said: “Taking just 30 seconds to order, pay for and pour two pints, these fast track bars, used alongside our traditional bars, will allow us to serve more customers faster than ever before.
Being used for the first time at the Betfred World Matchplay Darts, the self-serve bars have enabled our team to shorten queueing time and serve more fans without them missing any of the action.”
It added: “With a simple and straightforward five step customer flow, the fully branded mobile bars will not only allow us to serve higher volumes at future gigs and events but also to elevate customer experiences across the entire venue.”
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807 million...Evri says that it delivered record adjusted EBITDA and parcel volumes for the year to 1st March 2025, driven by a £57 million operational investment to improve service, broad-based growth across its divisions and new client wins.
It lays claim to parcel volumes of more than 807 million over the 52 weeks, up from c. 730 million in 2023-24. This represents a 25% increase in parcel numbers in the last two years.
Growth in 2024-25 was supported by deals with consumer-to-consumer marketplaces, such as eBay and Vinted, as the trend in selling second-hand items online shows no sign of slowing down. New client wins saw the business diversify into new sectors including fresh food, car parts and floristry.
Its adjusted EBITDA1 increased by almost a fifth to £341 million during the period when it was acquired by Apollo Funds in August 2024.
48%...Simbe has released findings from a survey of over 1,000 US grocery shoppers. This uncovers a critical and often overlooked factor shaping retail loyalty: execution at the shelf.
While overall satisfaction with grocery retailers remains high, many shoppers hesitate to actively recommend their primary store, pointing to a growing “execution trust gap” fueled by price mismatches, stockouts, and inconsistencies between digital and in-store experiences.
According to the survey, in-store automation is key to restoring shopper trust. Most of those who have seen retail robots in action report an improved perception of the store and a higher likelihood of returning, which signals growing consumer confidence and favourability for technology that enhances their shopping experience.
“Shoppers’ loyalty hinges not just on the price on the shelf, but whether it matches at checkout, and if the product is actually in-stock,” says Brad Bogolea, CEO and Co-Founder at Simbe. “Operational execution is now one of the strongest signals of a retailer’s brand reliability - and a key driver of long-term trust. It’s encouraging to see how clearly customers are embracing in-store robotics as part of that improved shopping experience.”
Key findings from the survey include:
48% of shoppers have experienced pricing mismatches or promotional errors at checkout, a common point of frustration that silently erodes trust.
One in three encounter out-of-stocks at least “sometimes,” particularly during promotional periods.
Online order issues are widespread: 25% report delays, and 20% cite frequent substitutions or inaccuracies.
Among those who have seen in-store robots, 97% say the technology either improves or maintains their perception of the store. Similarly, 99% say the presence of robots makes them more likely or as likely to shop there again.
28% and 23%...New data from digital payments specialist Checkout.com has revealed a significant spike in spending on second-hand and vintage outfits around the UK’s festival season.
The company reported the largest spike in purchases of vintage and second-hand fashion items on 26th May, with a 28% increase in sales compared to the weekly average. This peak occurred exactly one month ahead of popular festival Glastonbury, which suggests consumers may have been shopping in advance to allow for outfit planning and delivery times.
Checkout.com also noticed a 23% increase in second-hand sales in the week leading up to 2nd June and again in the week of 30th June. It says this reflects pre-event purchasing ahead of Latitude Festival in July.
500...Royal Mail and Motor Fuel Group are teaming up to introduce parcel lockers at over 500 petrol stations across the UK. The first are now open at Motor Fuel Group forecourts in Shepton Mallet and Canterbury.
Motor Fuel Group is the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator. Operating nationwide, it is also the largest open ultra-rapid EV charging network in the UK, the biggest car valeting operator with 900+ sites and a food to go retailer. Royal Mail launched its locker network in December on top of its doorstep services.
These offer a parcel drop off service, and soon they will include collection options. The lockers also feature label printing. 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.
7...The seventh edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, 3D Cloud, EdTech Innovation Hub, and Retail Technology Show, is now open for entries.
The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories 👉 here.
Our latest winners will be revealed at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 16th October.
We're hugely pleased to announce @VistaTechSup as Headline and Drinks Reception Sponsor at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards. Welcome onboard, guys! #RTIHAwards25 https://t.co/8GCmjjn4nQ pic.twitter.com/2LplgXg5jo
— RTIH Innovation Awards (@AwardsRtih) June 13, 2025
160 million and 100...Amazon wasn’t the only game in town when it came to Prime Day savings (8th-11th July) this year. Including the likes of Argos, JD Williams, and Boots, various UK and global retailers rolled out competing promotions, hoping to ride the Prime Day wave, with many seeing success.
But did shoppers know to look beyond Amazon for deals? And do they associate mid-July with widespread savings, the way they do around Black Friday? New data from Constructire suggests the answer is: not yet.
The company analysed over 160 million search queries across more than 100 retail sites during Prime Day 2024 and 2025. The data shows:
Amazon’s Prime Day dominance is clear. While many retailers ran competing sales, Constructor’s data shows shoppers weren’t looking for them. There was no increase in sales-related searches (such as for “sale,” “promo” or “clearance”) on non-Amazon sites during the Prime Day period this year or last.
That’s a sharp contrast to Black Friday. Across the same set of retailers, promo related search activity jumped by 1.5x during Black Friday 2024 - signalling shopper expectations around discounts at many different stores.
Deal hunting searches vary across categories year-round. For instance, beauty shoppers are more likely to search for “sale,” fashion shoppers look for “sale” and “clearance,” and home improvement shoppers lean on terms like “offer” and “outlet.”
7...UK listed retailers issued seven profit warnings during Q2 2025, more than double the amount recorded in the previous quarter, according to a report from EY Parthenon.
Silvia Rindone, EY Partner and UK&I Retail Lead, says: “This spike highlights both softening consumer demand and the deeper structural headwinds facing the sector. Retailers we speak to tell us that falling sales are currently indicative of a longer-term shift, with consumers becoming more value focused and less brand loyal, which leaves cost pressured retailers in a bind."
“Despite ongoing pressures, including the rise in national insurance contributions and the national living wage, alongside tariffs, investment in technology including AI remains essential. The winners will be those who get the basics right, such as range, service, and pricing, whilst continuing to build for the future with leaner models, sharper propositions and digital resilience.”
31...Store Computer Technology (SCT) has announced the retirement of its Managing Director, John Hogan, effective 17th July, after 31 years with the organisation.
Since opening the company in 1994, Hogan has played a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction and growth of the business, which was acquired by Vista Technology Support in 2024.
He comments: "Being part of a team, who have had the privilege of counting Ireland’s leading retail and leisure businesses as long-term customers, has been a great honour and sense of satisfaction, both to me personally and all in SCT. I would like to sincerely thank all colleagues, suppliers and customers who supported SCT over the past 30 years for their unwavering support. I believe we have ‘grown up together’ over that period."
"Our culture of ‘customer service first’ has always been a core principle and remains so as we look forward to the next stage of the journey supporting you from within the Vista family. With professional dedicated management and a skilled support team, I know SCT will continue to deliver the highest standard of customer support services into the future."
James Pepper CEO at Vista, comments: “It’s been an absolute privilege to have worked with John as a business partner initially and then more recently as a colleague, over the years I have observed and admired what John has achieved with his colleagues at SCT.”
1...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.”
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