Reimagining the student shopping experience: 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 Amazon, Gallery, Asda, Carrefour, Pacvue, B&Q, Royal Mail, Fresha, Nkuku, Wincanton, Poshmark, Royal Mail, GK Software, Guitar Center, Brookshire Brothers, and Cognira.
Poshmark
BNPL big hitter Klarna, and Poshmark, a fashion resale marketplace, report that the former's US app users can now list eligible purchases on Poshmark, automatically populating item details and images.
“As families prepare for back to school, Klarna and Poshmark are making it easier than ever to unlock the value of items they no longer use,” says David Sykes, Chief Commercial Officer at Klarna.
“With just a few taps, shoppers can list items directly from the Klarna app to Poshmark - clearing out space and giving everyday items a second life.”
"The back to school season is the perfect time for refreshing wardrobes, and we're thrilled to team up with Klarna to make that easier and more sustainable than ever," says Manish Chandra, Founder and CEO at Poshmark. "This partnership isn't just about convenience; it's about making it incredibly simple and fun to shop the largest network of closets across America, all while empowering individuals to earn from their style."
Guitar Center
Guitar Center has launched Rig Advisor, claiming that the move make it the first music retailer to introduce an AI powered shopping assistant directly onto the store floor.
Now live in locations in the US, Rig Advisor is a mobile-based tool that helps customers discover, compare, and explore gear in real-time by prioritising products available at that specific store location.
“Rig Advisor is like having a professional gear consultant in the palm of your hand, delivering lightning fast answers as you explore our music stores,” says Gabe Dalporto, CEO at Guitar Center. “It will turn our stores into tech powered music hubs where creativity, curiosity, and inspiration lead the way.”
Don’t turn your back on the new @Epiphone limited-edition Les Paul Standard ’60s Quilt. This sparkling six-string features a cool Ocean Water Perimeter finish and deep, sparkling tones. Don’t miss your chance to reel one in, only at Guitar Center. pic.twitter.com/E7swL98Isn
— Guitar Center (@guitarcenter) July 26, 2025
Amazon
A new Amazon Just Walk Out store is now live at the University of British Columbia in Canada.
This offers a 24/7 cashier free shopping experience to students, staff, faculty, and visitors. A variety of products are available, including sweet, salty, and savory snacks, gourmet hot beverages, cold drinks, ice cream, fresh and frozen meals, and personal care items.
Overhead cameras and shelf sensors track when items are picked up or returned. Products are automatically added to or removed from a shopper’s virtual cart, ensuring customers are charged only for what they take.
To access the store, customers swipe a valid credit card to open the secure gates. Once inside, they can shop and exit when done. Their credit card is automatically charged for the items they take upon exiting.
In a LinkedIn post, Garett Buchholz, Account Executive at Gallery, which specialises in building concession and retail experiences with a focus on offering convenience, simplifying transactions and blending into environments, said: “This is another step forward in reimagining the student experience - offering a smarter, more efficient way for the UBC community to fuel up and keep going.”
Asda
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.
Carrefour
Pacvue has announced a partnership with retail media platform Unlimitail that kicks off this summer in France with Carrefour, marking what is pitched as the first self-service tech integration of its kind with a top three European grocery retailer.
The European collaboration will enable brands and agencies to activate campaigns across Unlimitail’s network via Pacvue’s commerce operating system. It also opens access to global and regional budgets through Pacvue’s platform.
“Our mission is to make omnichannel retail media simpler, smarter, and more impactful for brands. Partnering with Pacvue, the worldwide leading commerce platform, does exactly that, by allowing us to expand the accessibility of our retailer's inventories to more global agencies and advertisers,” says Thibault Hennion, COO at Unlimitail.
“This global connectivity, powered by Pacvue tools, is a significant step in steering the European markets towards the most mature countries in retail media. More than ever, we are committed to lead the way in helping brands put retail media at the core of their marketing and commerce strategies.”
Brookshire Brothers
Cognira has announced a new partnership with Brookshire Brothers, an employee owned grocery retailer in Texas with more than 100 stores. The latter will implement PromoAI, Cognira’s AI powered platform for promotion planning, optimisation and analysis.
“We’re pleased to announce our partnership with Cognira on the implementation of its PromoAI solution,” says John Alston, President and CEO at Brookshire Brothers.
“After extensive research it was clear that the robust capabilities of the Cognira solution were the answer to solving for our promotion management initiatives. Their collaborative approach to understanding our organisation and charting a path for success has been exemplary and we look forward to working together as we continue to innovate in the future.”
B&Q
B&Q is now offering a Click & Collect service for items sold by third-party sellers on the retailer’s B&Q Marketplace offering.
In what is claimed to be a UK first, a pilot has just kicked off and will be followed by a wider, phased roll-out across 300 B&Q stores by October.
In a LinkedIn post, Aimé Matondo Fundani, Marketplace Director at B&Q, said: “Our customers can now order an even broader range of products online and choose to collect them at their local B&Q store, making shopping on our marketplace more flexible and convenient.”
COSMOS Pharmaceutical
Japanese drugstore chain, COSMOS Pharmaceutical Corporation, is working with RELEX Solutions to improve its supply chain operations with AI driven forecasting and replenishment capabilities.
RELEX is looking to help it boost product availability while reducing inventory, and build a scalable platform to support continued growth.
COSMOS operates across Japan with its "Everyday Low Price" strategy, offering daily necessities, medicines, and food items through its mega drugstore format. The company manages a wide assortment across its retail network and logistics centres, requiring accurate demand forecasting and replenishment planning to maintain product availability while keeping optimal inventory levels.
RELEX Solutions Positioned as Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide AI-driven Retail Assortment Planning Solutions 2025 Vendor Assessment report.
— RELEX Solutions (@RelexSolutions) January 13, 2025
Press release: https://t.co/gwrXNSshDZ#supplychain #assortmentplanning #retail #ai pic.twitter.com/mG86Wxyvxs
Lincolnshire Co-op
Lincolnshire Co-op has partnered with Trust Retail, a Trust Payments company, to implement an inventory management system.
The aim here is to increase stock file accuracy to drive sales while simultaneously helping to optimise stock levels across all 99 food store and filling station outlets across greater Lincolnshire.
The system will provide accurate stock information for quick commerce customers purchasing through third-party platforms such as Just Eat and Uber Eats. Additionally, it will reduce store workload by automating manual processes and simplify operations through technology that integrates with existing systems.
Implementation is underway, with plans for an initial launch across all locations in early 2026.
Nkuku
British logistics provider Wincanton has extended its omnichannel partnership with ethical homeware retailer and certified B Corp Nkuku for another five years.
Under the new deal, Wincanton will continue to provide B2B and B2C fulfilment services from its facility in Northamptonshire. This includes the receipt of stock, storage and dispatch of goods directly to Nkuku’s e-commerce customers and high street retailers.
Fresha
Beauty booking platform Fresha has adopted rich communication services (RCS) messaging powered by cloud communication provider Twilio and Google, aiming to build customer trust and drive growth.
Fresha’s system facilitates more than 700,000 daily beauty and wellness appointments for 130,000 partners across 120 countries. It has been working with Twilio since 2016 and recently upgraded from an SMS messaging service to RCS.
The platform has reported improvements as a result of the change, including a 41.3% read rate on appointment messages, a 7.1% increase in customer reviews, a 5.3% increase in tipping and a 6% increase in the number of customers confirming their appointments.
Royal Mail and Motor Fuel Group
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.
BUTLERS
Lifestyle brand BUTLERS has teamed up with Retail7, a subsidiary of GK Software, to roll-out a new checkout solution for over 100 stores in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The project not only included the implementation of classic PoS functions, but also integration into existing central systems and ensuring compliance with all fiscal requirements.
“RETAIL7 has achieved an extraordinary feat. Not only did they deliver a completely new PoS solution in a very short time, but the team also understood our business immediately and configured the standard solution to our requirements as quickly as possible, thus ensuring the continued operation of our stores,” says André Martens, who manages BUTLERS together with Ricky Schneidewind as Managing Director.
Return-It
Return-It reports the opening of a new Express & GO station for used beverage containers at the Real Canadian Superstore located at 7550 King George Blvd, Surrey, a city in British Columbia.
“We’re excited to announce the launch of a new Express & GO station in Surrey,” says Cindy Coutts, President and CEO at Return-It. “Our goal is to make recycling as simple and convenient as possible. By working with trusted retail partners, we can integrate sustainable action into daily life by offering secure return locations where people shop.”
People can create a free Express account online, place unsorted containers in a sealed clear/transparent bag, print a label at the station and place the bag in the station. Return-It will sort, count the containers and refund the deposit to their account within ten business days, which can be redeemed via e-Transfer or cheque, and can also be donated to local charities.
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