Body worn cameras and retail media networks: 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 Ann Summers, PizzaForno, Quadient, Shell Service Stations, Hy-Vee, Exotec, Kroger, Flashfood, Footasylum, Oh Polly, Bojangles, Jigsaw, and Sitoo.

Bojangles

American fast food firm Bojangles is expanding its Spanish language ordering capabilities for online ordering, its mobile app, in-store kiosks and drive-thru AI assistant, known as Bo-Linda.

At the drive-thru, Bo-Linda offers a fully Spanish spoken experience at more than 400 locations, with Bojangles claiming that it is one of the first major QSR brands to deliver bilingual functionality at this scale. Additionally, about 35 locations will feature kiosks with this option.

“This is about more than just technology - it’s about making every guest feel welcomed and understood,” says Jose Armario, CEO at Bojangles. “As a Hispanic leader, I take pride in ensuring our brand reflects the communities we serve. Language should never be a barrier to hospitality.”

Ann Summers

Ann Summers is working with Reveal Media to test out employee body worn cameras in some of its stores.

In a LinkedIn post, the retailer said: “It's no secret that over the past few years the rising incidents of antisocial behaviour and theft in stores has become increasingly challenging for retail teams. The personal safety and wellbeing of our colleagues is absolutely essential, so creating safe spaces for both them and our customers is a priority.”

It added: “We are partnering up with the brilliant Reveal Media to trial body worn cameras across a number of locations. Our intention is for this solution to reinforce a culture of respect, and significantly reduce the issues faced in store, ultimately ensuring our teams feel safe and supported.”

PizzaForno

PizzaForno, an automated pizzeria founded in 2018, reports expansion across college campuses in Southern California. The company has officially made its debut at LA City College, with other schools in Los Angeles County soon to follow.

PizzaForno is also currently available at Rio Hondo College, located at the police shooting academy range, with the second machine arriving on the main campus at the end of July. The roll-out will continue with Long Beach State, where two machines will launch in early August.

“Our goal is to bring college students 24/7 access to affordable and quality pizza, especially during late hours when other options on campus are closed,” says Travis Musser, Master Licensee for PizzaForno Southern California and Washington State.

“Pizza is the number one food choice among college students, so this expansion perfectly fills that gap. By bringing PizzaForno machines to West Coast campuses, we’re helping schools provide a convenient solution that meets students' busy schedules.”

“From our machines on East Coast campuses, we’ve seen that 70% of pizza sales happens between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Having food available round the clock keeps students safer on campus - they don’t have to leave at 2 in the morning just to grab something to eat. We’re excited to continue our expansion and aspire to have multiple PizzaForno machines on every college campus in Southern California.”

Pepperoni pizza for just around $12, a convenient deal in Toronto 🤝 pic.twitter.com/BprAAMvlgq

— PizzaForno (@Thepizzaforno) June 17, 2024

Oh Polly

Oh Polly has notched up a company first with the roll-out of interactive product detail pages (PDPs) on its e-commerce site.

In a LinkedIn post, it said: “Exciting updates to share as our teams continue to push boundaries. We officially launched our first-ever interactive PDPs as part of our ‘Soft Season ‘collection, allowing products to interact on our website, creating an immersive and dynamic storytelling experience.”

It added: “A huge well done to our teams for their visionary thinking and flawless execution in transforming a traditionally static touchpoint into a viral moment! We’re just getting started - stay tuned for more to come.”

Quadient and Shell Service Stations

Quadient has announced a new partnership with Shell Service Stations, which has over 540 petrol forecourt locations throughout the UK.

Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers are being deployed across the UK, with the first 200 installations now rolling out, marking another step in Quadient’s mission to scale up to 5,000 open access units nationwide by 2027. 

Accessible to all carriers and service providers, these offer a platform for 24/7 delivery, returns, and exchanges. They also operate as service points, accommodating temporary storage and services such as prescription pickup, Click and Collect retail orders, spare part distribution, and key collection.

Hy-Vee

Hy-Vee’s retail media network, RedMedia, has joined Rippl, a Bridg powered national consortium of regional grocers and convenience stores in the US.

Hy-Vee is one of the largest supermarket chains in the US Midwest, operating across nine states. The addition of RedMedia introduces more than 285 of its grocery stores to Rippl’s network.

The latter has previously linked with grocers including Wegmans, Schnuck Markets, Lowes Foods, Giant Eagle, Associated Food Stores and Food City. The consortium spans 58,000 locations and over 140 million shoppers.

“This partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration,” says Enrique Muñoz Torres, General Manager at Bridg, a division of commerce media platform Cardlytics. “We are delighted to welcome Hy-Vee and its growing retail media network, which further strengthens Rippl and provides advertisers and agencies with even greater reach and access to shopper audiences.”

“RedMedia has the unique capability to enhance brand optimisation and expand reach within our diverse customer base," says Kathryn Mazza, President at Hy-Vee's RedMedia and Chief Marketing Officer at Hy-Vee. "Our partnership with Rippl enables us to offer suppliers a top-tier solution and allow them to connect with shoppers exactly where they are making their purchasing decisions."

Tesco

LiveRamp has announced an expanded partnership with Tesco. To provide more personalised and informative advertising campaigns to its customers, the UK grocery giant is utilising LiveRamp’s data collaboration platform across its grocery, home and clothing, mobile and the retail media divisions.

With 23 million UK households part of Tesco’s Clubcard scheme, it has unique and extensive first-party data that provides a deeper understanding of its consumers’ shopping preferences. This includes the physical and digital touchpoints interacted with on their path to purchase.

In line with the industry’s increasing reliance on first-party data over third-party cookies, Tesco says it required a futureproofed and customer first privacy solution that could activate its data deterministically in paid media as well as provide the flexibility and control to collaborate with different brand, agency and platform partners at scale.

Footasylum

Footwear and sportswear retailer Footasylum reports deployment of Zipline’s retail operations platform.

In a LinkedIn post, Shannon Osman, Head of Retail at Footasylum, said: “Thrilled to announce that we have just launched Zipline. This platform is a game changer for our store teams. Streamlining communication, improving visibility, and making it easier than ever to deliver an exceptional customer experience.”

She added: “Huge thanks to everyone who made this possible, especially the team at Zipline who have been incredibly supportive throughout this process.”

WINNERS 🏆 Congratulations to the @lionesses on winning the Womens Euros, you’ve done us proud 👏 #footasylum #womenseuros #lionesses #weuro2025 pic.twitter.com/kBLmI2886p

— FOOTASYLUM (@Footasylum) July 27, 2025

Exotec

Warehouse robotics specialist Exotec has announced the opening of new offices in the UK and Munich and the installation of demo centres in Atlanta and Korea. It also reports its first customer in Poland, installing its Skypod System at ILS Logistics in Zakroczym, part of the Inter Cars Group.

The European company is also expanding closer to home. In June, it opened its new office and demo centre at the LabCampus at Munich Airport, which serves as a regional hub for Central Europe. The showroom is suitable for demonstrations of the Skypod system, as well as for training courses.

Kroger and Flashfood

Grocery app Flashfood has partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Division of The Kroger Co. for a pilot across 16 Richmond area Kroger stores. The roll-out promises shoppers significant savings on groceries while supporting Kroger’s commitment to sustainability, affordability and healthy food access.

Customers can purchase fresh groceries in surplus or nearing their best by date, including meat, dairy, produce, and baked goods, at discounted rates through the Flashfood app. Items are then picked up from designated zones inside participating stores.

“Kroger’s leadership in operational excellence makes them an incredible partner to demonstrate what Flashfood can deliver when executed at scale,” says Jordan Schenck, CEO at Flashfood.

“We’re thrilled to be kicking off this partnership and to support Kroger’s impactful Zero Hunger, Zero Waste programme. Together, we’re not only expanding access to fresh, affordable groceries in Richmond - we’re also demonstrating how innovation can leverage surplus and end of life food to serve communities, support retailers and keep good food out of landfills.”

The Midcounties Co-operative

With retail crime increasing nationally and concerns about colleague safety an industry wide challenge, VoCoVo has supported The Midcounties Co-operative to ensure its team remains supported and connected at all times.

The Midcounties Co-operative is a consumer co-operative with 6,000+ colleagues spread across over 220 food retail stores in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, the West Midlands, Worcestershire and the surrounding counties.

It also operates Travel, Childcare and Utilities businesses, and is made up of over 700,000 members.

Colleague safety is one of the biggest challenges facing the in-store retail industry. The BRC describes the situation as “out of control”, with incidents of retail violence and abuse growing year on year.

The Midcounties Co-operative is one of the retailers that has been battling this issue. With rising incidences of abuse and theft in stores, it wanted to find a solution that would support their colleagues.

According to Alan Cratchley, Safe Stores Manager at The Midcounties Co-operative, incidents of crime were taking place on an hourly basis in some stores, leading it to explore tools that could help combat the impact of rising incidents and ensure support for its retail teams.

Jigsaw

Jigsaw is rolling out Sitoo's in-store unified commerce technology.

In a LinkedIn post, James O'Hare, VP UK at Sitoo, said: "We are live! Visited a Jigsaw store in Nottingham earlier this week as they went live with Sitoo. The amazing project team at both Jigsaw and Sitoo have worked so tirelessly on this roll-out, and so to hear how well it had gone on day one was amazing and testament to all their hard work."

He added: "It felt like a real moment for me in store on Tuesday because such a massive part of what drives me and Sitoo as a business is the impact a great PoS solution can have on store teams. The feedback that’s come in across their stores nationwide has been. We are just getting started, more roll-outs to come as unified commerce begins to take off in the UK."