AI assistants, smart carts, and live shopping: check out this week's coolest retail tech plays

RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail’ systems launches and deployments from the past week, including Starbucks, Walmart, CITY Furniture, 3D Cloud, Asda, Focal Systems, BIPA, A2Z Cust2Mate, Waitrose & Partners, Shopic, AiFi, and Vue.

Yochananof

A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions Corp. reports a $55 million purchase order with Yochananof, an Israel  supermarket chain, coveing the deployment of 5,000 Cust2Mate 3.0 smart shopping carts across its network.

The PO is comprised of an upfront payment and monthly charges per cart, for at least 60 months. In addition, both companies have entered into a data, retail media and digital services agreement.

The deployment will see up to 250 units allocated to each large store and 100 units to medium sized sites. It has kicked off and will follow a monthly cadence of cart deployments to be completed by end of 2026.

"This partnership represents a revolution in retail innovation," says Gadi Graus, CEO at A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions. "Through this breakthrough collaboration, smart carts will become the predominant shopping route for customers at Yochananof stores, setting a new standard for retail technology integration."

Starbucks

NomadGo reports deployment of its Inventory AI solution in more than 11,000 Starbucks locations across North America.

The technology combines computer vision, 3D spatial intelligence, and augmented reality to automate inventory counting using smartphones and tablets.

Inventory AI recognises and counts items, such as milk jugs or coffee bags, while overlaying real-time data using augmented reality for instant validation. NomadGo runs directly on the handheld device, enabling responsiveness even without a network connection.

Starbucks is integrating this into all company owned and operated coffeehouses across North America by the end of September. “This technology streamlines a critical but time-intensive task,” says Deb Hall Lefevre, Starbucks Chief Technology Officer. “With faster, more accurate inventory counts, our partners can spend more time focusing on what matters: crafting high quality beverages and connecting with customers.”

Walmart and WeTheHobby

TalkShopLive is powering Walmart’s new weekly series, Collector’s Night, streaming exclusively on Walmart Live, and beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

Presented in partnership with WeTheHobby, a sports card and collectibles community in the US, the series will every Thursday deliver live box breaks, surprise giveaways, and exclusive drops.

“Collectibles represent a critical and exciting area of investment and growth for Walmart,” says Mayank Hajela, GM Collectibles, Walmart U.S. “With demand continuing to surge, we’re committed to building experiences that not only serve collectors but redefine what they expect from us. Collector’s Night is a powerful step forward in making Walmart a true destination for this growing category.”

CITY Furniture

CITY Furniture has launched the 3D Cloud Sectional Configurator on CITYfurniture.com. The hybrid shopping experience enables customers and sales associates to build sectionals, review dimensions, download WebAR OnDemand, exclusively available from 3D Cloud.

The configurator is accessible directly from e-commerce product detail pages, and is available for use with a store associate during showroom visits. The goal is to drive more sales by enabling both customers and associates to create custom configurations of any size and to complete the purchase online or in a store.

The Nixon and CITYMod sectional families are now available for configuration, with more coming soon. Until now, CITY Furniture has sold only pre-set sectional combinations online.

"The 3D Cloud Sectional Configurator makes designing a custom sectional in any possible configuration simple and enjoyable," says Andrew Koenig, CEO at CITY Furniture. "Customers can explore options, confirm live measurements, and see the fit at home before they buy.”

“We are already seeing strong engagement, with customers spending nearly seven minutes in the experience and around 10% of product page visitors choosing to customise a sectional in the tool. 3D Cloud has been an excellent innovation partner as we continue to raise the bar on customer experience.”

Central Co-op, Lincolnshire, Midcounties co-operatives

SymphonyAI reports that Central Co-op, Lincolnshire, and Midcounties co-operatives have deployed its Connected Retail platform in a bid to modernise operations, localise assortments, and enhance the member experience across more than 700 stores serving over 1.3 million shoppers.

Using generative and predictive AI, this delivers real-time intelligence across inventory management, shelf execution, and supply chain operations.

“With SymphonyAI’s range and space planning, we can quickly adjust our assortments to meet changing member shopper preferences while automating labour intensive tasks to allow our teams to focus on delivering exceptional service,” says Jacob Isherwood, CIO, Midcounties Co-op.

“Our priority is to keep shelves stocked with the right products, reduce waste, and minimise overhead costs. With SymphonyAI’s platform, we’re able to enhance our operational efficiency and meet the evolving needs of our shoppers,” says Steve Leach, COO, Lincolnshire Co-op.

Merchmix

Merchmix has unveiled what is pitched as the world’s first agentic SaaS retail platform - a solution that, the company says, doesn’t just analyse retail data, but uses AI to ingest 200+ external sources, and delivers agentic workflows to act on it.

By autonomously optimising stock levels, sending supplier alerts, raising purchase orders, or reconfiguring in-store layouts in real-time, Merchmix claims to eliminate one of retail’s most costly inefficiencies: stock optimisation.

It unites planning, buying, merchandising, and store operations in one platform. Retailers can ask: “Which SKUs will sell out in Manchester this weekend?” or “What if I move 10% of stock online?” - and Merchmix delivers both the analysis and takes action with autonomous agentic workflows.

"Launching new international markets at Marks & Spencer taught me every customer base in each country behaves differently, and those nuances are expensive to get wrong,” says Nicola Bond, Co-Founder and CEO at Merchmix who has 18 years expertise spanning retail and tech including senior buying roles at Asos, Debenhams and Best and Less.

“We’ve built the colleague every retailer wishes they had - one who never sleeps, knows the data inside-out, and helps you make the right call to protect margin and growth whether you’re a buyer, merchandiser, or store manager.”

AiFi and Miami Freedom Park

AiFi is working with Miami Freedom Park, a 25,000-seat soccer specific stadium currently under construction in Miami, Florida.

It is planned to be the home of Major League Soccer club Inter Miami CF. In 2022, final approval was given by the City of Miami to build a stadium on the current site of the Melreese golfcourse, close to Miami International Airport. This is set to open for the 2026 MLS season.

In a LinkedIn post, Richard Wallace, Head of Sales and Partnerships, Americas at AiFi, said: “Big news from the sunshine state. AiFi has been selected to provide frictionless commerce at Miami Freedom Park so fans can experience faster, more seamless ordering at concessions when the stadium opens next year.”

“Stoked to see this come to life over the coming months and expand our footprint in Major League Soccer.”

Suntop

Coro’s fruit juice brand Suntop, in partnership with Appetite Creative, has launched a new connected packaging experience to kick off the back to school season with prizes and rewards for its new 'Mega Back to School 2025' campaign.

This aims to develop a fun, engaging instant win experience that drives sales and expands Suntop's reach to include Gen Z consumers. The promotion, in partnership with the anime One Piece, is a show about pirates featuring the main character named Luffy.

Customers who get Suntop products, can scan the QR code on the packaging and register with their information to instantly enter the draw for prizes. These include trips to Japan, PlayStation 5, tablets and Funko Pops for One Piece characters, plus digital wallpapers that everyone wins upon completing their entries. 

“We wanted to develop a fun, engaging and secure instant win experience that drives sales and expands Suntop’s reach to Gen Z. As society increasingly embraces technology, it's crucial to tailor marketing strategies to align with consumer preferences, maximising the potential for impactful results. Our new back to school connected packaging campaign delivers this business goal perfectly," says Omar Shehata, Brand Manager at Suntop.

Asos

TrusTrace has announced a partnership with Asos that aims to enhance the fast fashion online retailer’s supply chain transparency and resilience, strengthen risk management, and support compliance across its global value chain.

As part of its Fashion with Integrity strategy, Asos says it is investing in robust traceability infrastructure to gain real-time visibility into its supply chain, down to farm level (Tier 5).

By integrating TrusTrace’s AI enhanced platform, it is looking to streamline operations across risk, compliance, and impact management, ensuring timely access to trusted data that enables proactive decision-making, due diligence and compliance.

“Our partnership with TrusTrace is a key milestone in our updated Fashion with Integrity programme,” says Elena Martínez Ortiz, EVP of Product at Asos. “TrusTrace enables us to improve product traceability, helping us meet compliance standards, understand and address risks, and boost resilience in our supply chain by supporting our suppliers to implement improvements.”

Roper St. Francis Health Care and Amazon

A new Palmetto Market store has opened at Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital in the US. A café and retail space using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, this is the second market of its kind in Roper St. Francis Health Care’s healthcare system.

Located in the Medical Office Building, visitors, patients and teammates can purchase fresh meals, snacks, beverages, flowers and gifts without standing in line or checking out at a cash register.

People authenticate their payment method at the door to gain access, then pick their desired items. The AI powered technology automatically tracks items in each shopper’s virtual cart as they take or return items, and automatically charges them when they walk out the door.

The store uses computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning to automatically detect selected items and charge the customer’s card or hospital badge upon exit.

A full service Starbucks counter, which will be staffed with baristas, is also available daily from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

what3words

Using OpenAI’s technology, what3words AI offers a voice enabled assistant capable of helping retailers, e-commerce, and logistics companies achieve a quicker way of managing large volumes of location data. 

The AI chat instantly recognises and understands what3words addresses from natural language, both typed and spoken.

what3words says the innovation will help reduce failed deliveries, make last mile navigation smoother and allow for address management at scale. 

Asda

Asda has deployed AI powered cameras from Focal Systems that scan shelves on an hourly basis to detect in-stocks, out-of-stocks, lows, and if products are in the wrong spot.

A trial is currently underway at five of the UK grocery giant’s stores.

The cameras are placed on poles on top shelves in stores and can monitor around eight feet of shelf space opposite.

Shout out to Steve Dresser, CEO at Grocery Insight, for bringing this to our attention.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I remain unconvinced on this technology. Battery life requires the swap out of physical batteries, the resolution on the images is low and it's far too easy to game this system also. (IE facing over). It relies on stores informing Focal the plan has been changed (why?) and fundamentally it will always end up with central teams monitoring the stores.”

He added: “Sure they may not at the start, but there's the optionality....I remain concerned by the ability to zero stock files based on imagery alone and alert after alert each hour just makes teams responsive, not reactive.”

BIPA

REWE Group owned BIPA, a drugstore retailer in Austria, has launched Haidi, an AI assistant for its employees.

In a LinkedIn post, Alexander Huber, Head of Digital Business Hub at REWE International, said: "Milestone reached! As the first company in Austria, we at BIPA together with the REWE International Cloud Team and Google Cloud, have developed a revolutionary AI assistant that makes internal knowledge accessible to all store employees."

"What makes Haidi special? Natural language input - questions like in a normal conversation; Multilingual - German, English, Turkish, Hungarian; Intelligent answers - No hit lists, but coherent solutions; Immediate help - From exchange processes to BIPA benefits; Data protection compliant - Secure on Google Cloud infrastructure."

He concluded: "What makes me particularly proud: the idea came from the team, the implementation was real co-creation. New colleagues in particular benefit enormously - Haidi democratises knowledge and makes it so much easier to get started. A big thank you to everyone who thought, tested and made possible."

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham & National Ice Centre

Motorpoint Arena Nottingham & National Ice Centre, an entertainment and sports venue in the East Midlands, has introduced a new Grab & Glide Bar, powered by Amazon Just Walk Out technology.

In a LinkedIn post, it said: “The future of fast service has arrived at Motorpoint Arena Nottingham with our new checkout-free bar powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. The first of its kind in Nottingham.”

“As part of our ongoing investment in the customer experience, Grab & Glide has been introduced to make getting food and drinks quicker and easier than ever. With average purchase times of just seven seconds, no tills, and no queues, it’s a simple tap, grab, and glide. That means less time waiting and more time enjoying the event atmosphere.

Vue

Vue has opened a new cinema in Castleford, West Yorkshire.

The company took over a 14 screen Cineworld venue at Castleford's Xscape Yorkshire leisure complex after it closed earlier this year.

Reopening on Thursday, It is only the second Vue in the UK to bring a new large format offering, EPIC by Vue, to customers. This features HDR By Barco 4k laser projection and Dolby Atmos three-dimensional audio experience.

It also includes a new retail concept, Vue Your Way, allowing customers to scan their ticket and move around a food and drink area, selecting items before paying at self-checkout terminals.

Waitrose

Waitrose & Partners has gone live with a pilot involving a Shopic AI and computer vision technology powered smart trolley.

A trial is underway at the UK grocery retailer's Bracknell site.

A Waitrose spokesperson told RTIH: “This works in a similar way to our scan, pay, go handsets, with a bigger screen, that identifies every item placed into or removed from the cart, and with a real-time tally of products and prices so shoppers can keep track of purchases.”

Shoppers attach a handlebar like device to a regular Waitrose trolley. They use this to scan barcodes on products before putting them in their trolley. The smart cart then identifies the products.

People must weigh loose produce at one of the store’s in-aisle scales and scan the barcode. Bakery products need to be chosen from the device’s screen before being placed in the trolley, while reduced goods need their yellow stickers scanned.

The Waitrose spokesperson added: “We're exploring options for more frictionless payment for our customers, while still maintaining conventional checkouts for customers who value interaction with our partners”.

Mattel

Mattel has announced the early access launch of Masters of the Universe: He-Man Heroes.

Players can search “He-Man Heroes” or enter Island Code “2416-8649-3961” to explore a new world that brings the characters of Eternia into a collectible role playing game. Masters of the Universe: He-Man Heroes marks Mattel’s first entry into the Fortnite creator platform.

Ron Friedman, Vice President of Mattel Future Lab, says: “He-Man has always stood for power, heroism, and imaginative adventure. Masters of the Universe: He-Man Heroes brings Eternia to Fortnite in a fresh way that is easy to jump into, but has plenty of strategy for those who want to dig deeper, creating an experience that’s fun, fast, and unmistakably He-Man.”

“This launch expands Mattel’s presence to one of today’s most dynamic and influential gaming platforms, using interactive storytelling to build community and enjoy Masters of the Universe as never before.”

Aldi

Aldi is making changes to its Shop & Go checkout-free stores, moving from a tap in to a hybrid experience.

In a LinkedIn post, Lennart Hoffmann, Lead Engineer Seamless Stores at Aldi DX, said: “Since opening our first checkout-free Shop & Go store in London in 2022, we have continuously evolved the customer experience to make shopping faster, easier, and more convenient. After introducing tap in during December 2023, we are excited to announce the next big step in our journey: Shop & Go is going hybrid.”

He added: “Our new hybrid store model puts customer choice at the forefront - keeping the ease of checkout-free shopping while bringing the concept closer to the traditional Aldi shopping experience.”

As with any other Aldi store, customers can now just walk in. At the exit, they can choose how they want to pay: use the retailer’s app or tap on a fast lane, or try new self-checkout terminals. These let people manually scan their items or use an AiFi powered checkout system.

Hoffmann added: “This evolution reflects our commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of our customers. We’re offering more flexibility to suit different shopping preferences while maintaining speed and convenience. We’re proud of this milestone and look forward to welcoming customers to the new Shop & Go experience.”