Tesco F&F notches up an in-store virtual try-on first: this week's biggest retail technology stories
It's Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail tech space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past few days, including Walmart, Iceland Foods, JB Hi-Fi, Vusion, Halfords, H&M, Lincolnshire Co-op, The Barcode Warehouse, JD Sports, Paul Smith, Sitoo, and the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
1. Tesco teams with AIUTA to test out virtual try-on technology for F&F clothing in Sandhurst Extra store
Tesco is introducing new virtual try-on technology for the first time, as part of a trial at its Sandhurst Extra store. Powered by AIUTA tech, the experience lets customers virtually try on around 1,500 items of F&F clothing across womenswear and menswear by taking a photo or uploading a photo of themselves onto a digital try-on screen in the clothing department, or selecting a digital model to view clothes in different sizes.
The trial is designed to understand how Tesco can help customers browsing in-store to discover new styles and feel more confident before they buy.
The virtual try-on screen forms part of a wider F&F refresh at Sandhurst Extra, which includes new changing rooms and a dedicated service hub for easier checking out and returns. Customers will also see a larger F&F range in-store and a refreshed look and feel with new signage, updated lighting and a focus on showcasing the F&F range across womenswear, menswear and childrenswear.
2. Walmart head honcho John Furner looks to draw a line in the sand on AI, technology and pricing
John Furner, President and CEO at Walmart, has written an open letter to the US retail giant's customers about AI and pricing. "For more than 50 years, our pricing principle has been Every Day Low Prices (EDLP). Prices can change. We lower them when we can pass savings along. Sometimes they rise because an item costs more to buy or transport,” he writes.
“But using someone’s income, shopping history or moment of need to charge them more would violate the EDLP promise our business model is built on. We won’t do it. YOU are at the heart of our why and our relationship with you has always been built on trust. For decades, our associates have built that trust, one interaction at a time. So, as technology improves, we’re putting the same attention on trust and serving you as we do when you walk into our stores and clubs."
He adds: "I've heard concerns about companies using that information and technology to charge you more. want to tell you where we stand: We price the product, not the person. Many of you have seen the digital shelf labels in our stores and some have asked why we have them. A shelf price should match what rings up at checkout. Digital shelf labels help us do that more consistently by displaying the right price. They also save associates time replacing paper tags. It may sound like an easy task, but as someone who has had to change those paper tags by hand over the years, I can tell you it’s a time-consuming and unrewarding task. Our associates would much rather be helping you, our customers."
AI, Furner notes, has added new ways for Walmart to serve its customers and members. But there are also questions about the information it has access to.
“Understanding our customers and members is what makes us special and allows us to better serve them. For years, that has taken place in our stores and clubs as we help each customer with their individual needs. We want to offer that same level of personalised care when our customers shop online with Sparky, our AI shopping assistant. When you engage with Sparky, that’s an invitation to serve you better, not to use your personal information to set a personalised price. We’ve never used the relationships our associates have with customers to charge more, and we won’t do that with AI,” Furner says.
He concludes: “With that in mind, I want to share three commitments you can count on as technology changes: We don't set different prices based on who you are or the time of day, and we won't. Your income, shopping history, urgency or what we think you could pay won't change the price. And whether you’re buying groceries or electronics on a hot afternoon or in a sudden rush for an item, it's never a reason to charge you more. We'll hold our shopping tools to the same promise.”
“We won't use the information you share with us on Sparky or otherwise to raise your price or hide lower priced options that meet your needs. We’ll continue to use your information responsibly and respect your choices. You decide whether to share additional details for more personalised help. We’ll continue to be clear about how we use that information, protect it and honor the choices you make. When you do share, we will focus that data on ways that better serve you. Our people will continue to oversee pricing, and we'll monitor and test our technology against these commitments.
3. H&M overhauls onsite search across more than 60 markets in technology partnership with Voyado
H&M has overhauled its onsite search across more than 60 markets, working with Voyado. The retailer says that the move away from keyword matching to an intent driven model has reduced soft exits (where shoppers drift off because of friction rather than choice) by 80% and cut customer exits from search by 30%.
Rather than matching search terms to product names, the new setup reads a range of signals at once: stock availability, add to bag actions, purchase behaviour, product newness, revenue performance and customer intent and updates rankings in real-time.
“As our business grew, we needed a more intelligent approach to search, ranking, and discovery. We found Voyado to be the best fit for us.” says Lars Gezelius, Acting Global Head of Digital at H&M.
Erica Sandelin Ekelund, CEO at Voyado, says: "Search is a clear signal of what customers actually want. When a customer searches, they’re not browsing - they’re telling you. And many retailers are throwing that signal away. H&M recognised the value and used it to rebuild their customer experience from the ground up, and the numbers confirm they were right. The most successful retailers won’t be those with the most extensive catalogues. They’ll be the ones who understand their customers and what they actually came for.”
4. Iceland Foods taps Retail Insight AI powered solution as retailer tackles growing food waste problem
Iceland Foods has partnered with Retail Insight to deploy its AI powered WasteInsight solution as part of the retailer's focus on reducing food waste.
General Manager of EMEA and APAC at Retail Insight, Martin Rigby, says: "Retailers have access to more operational data than ever before, but data only creates value when it enables better decisions. The opportunity is to move from reporting what has already happened to identifying where action is needed before waste occurs.”
"We are delighted to be working with Iceland to support its continued focus on reducing food waste. By combining AI with operational insight, WasteInsight helps surface the products and actions that matter most, enabling colleagues to intervene earlier and with greater confidence."
Iceland Foods’ Stores Director, Steve Shirley, says: "Reducing food waste remains an important priority for Iceland. We are continually looking at ways to improve how we use operational data to support our colleagues in making faster, better informed decisions in stores.”
"Working with Retail Insight will help us explore how AI driven operational intelligence can support our waste reduction objectives while improving consistency across our store operations."
5. JD Sports updates on RFID programme as Germany goes live and 1,000 stores milestone is reached
Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports, has taken to social media to provide an update on the retailer’s RFID programme, which involves various countries and thousands of stores.
In a LinkedIn post, McGrath said: “This week, our final country goes live with RFID, Germany. And with that, everything we directly control will be live for phase one of our RFID programme. When I look back at what we’ve achieved, the numbers are pretty incredible: 1,000 stores directly launched in 14 months. And across the wider global group, working alongside our counterparts around the world: 2,700 stores live out of 4,800 in that same period, 192 stores a month!”
He added: “But the numbers only tell part of this story. RFID isn’t just about scanners, tags and technology. It’s about changing behaviours, processes and mindsets. We’ve done things that were uncomfortable. Challenged established ways of working. Asked people to rethink processes they’d used for years. And, most importantly, brought people with us on the journey. And we haven't done that alone.”
6. Australian consumer electronics retailer JB Hi-Fi taps Vusion digital shelf-edge tech across stores
Vusion has announced a new roll-out initiative at Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi’s stores. Under the agreement, JB Hi-Fi plans to deploy Vusion’s digital shelf-edge technology in Australia following a pilot phase, as well as a full roll-out across its New Zealand store network.
“We are focused on innovation that delivers efficiencies to our store operations and supports our teams in serving customers,” says Cameron Trainor, MD at JB Hi-Fi Australia. “Our collaboration with Vusion gives us a scalable technology platform to support store teams, strengthen execution and advance the next phase of our strategy.”
“We are very proud to support JB Hi-Fi as it takes this important step toward a more connected store network,” says Pierre Demoures, SEVP & COO at Vusion. “Australia is a key market for Vusion and JB Hi-Fi is one of the region’s most distinctive retailers. This agreement shows how connected store infrastructure can help leading retailers modernise operations while preserving the store experience that makes them unique.”
7. Fabeltics exec and CX and AI specialist Jack Roberts joins RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel for 2026
We're hugely pleased to announce the addition of Jack Roberts to the judging panel for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards. Jack is Senior Global Director of GMS Technology at Fabletics, where he leads the global technology strategy supporting customer experience across its portfolio of brands.
With more than 15 years of industry experience, Jack has led large scale transformation across customer engagement, automation and AI, with a focus on translating emerging technology into measurable business and customer outcomes. His work has received international industry recognition, and he is a regular conference speaker and customer advisory board member, contributing to the wider conversation on the future of customer experience and AI.
Welcome onboard, Jack!
Further information on our judging panel can be found here. In addition to Jack, it includes representatives from Ingka Group/Ikea, JD Sports Fashion, Batteries Plus, Holland & Barrett, Walmart, CVS Health, Amazon, Boots, C&C Group, Warner Bros. Discovery, East of England Co-op, PoundFun, Austen & Blake, and Gordon Ramsay Restaurants.
8. The Barcode Warehouse teams with Lincolnshire Co-op on self-checkouts roll-out across food stores
The Barcode Warehouse is working with Lincolnshire Co-op on the roll-out of a new self-checkout solution. Lincolnshire Co-op, which operates more than 220 outlets across Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties, including food stores, pharmacies, post offices and travel branches, is expanding self-service checkout options across its food store estate as part of its investment in enhancing customer experience.
Andy Warman, Chief Commercial and Transformation Officer at Lincolnshire Co-op, says: “The introduction of self-checkouts across our food stores represents an important step in enhancing the shopping experience for our customers. Working with The Barcode Warehouse, we have delivered a solution that provides greater convenience, reduces queuing times, and gives customers more choice in how they shop. This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to continuing to deliver high standards of customer service and embracing innovation technology that adds value for our communities.”
The Barcode Warehouse has supplied and supported the retailer's in-store technology estate for more than three years. Today, it supplies Point of Sale equipment, handheld devices for stock management and pricing updates, reduced to clear printing solutions and managed services support across the business.
9. Halfords taps Blink technology as it takes wraps off new internal communications platform
Halfords has unveiled Pulse, the retailer’s new internal communications platform, powered by Blink. Designed to connect colleagues across the entire Halfords Group, Pulse brings together communications, recognition, resources, and key tools into one mobile first experience.
A spokesperson for Halfords said: “Whether colleagues are serving customers in our stores and garages, supporting operations in our distribution centres, or working behind the scenes from our support centres, the Blink platform provides a simpler way for our One Halfords Family to stay informed, connected, and engaged.”
“A huge thank you to the Blink team for their partnership throughout the project. Their expertise, innovative solutions, and collaborative approach have helped turn a shared vision into reality, and their support has been invaluable from planning through to launch. We're also incredibly grateful to the many Halfords colleagues who have contributed to bringing Pulse to life - this has been a true cross-functional, team effort driven by a shared ambition to create a better colleague experience for everyone.”
They added: “Today is just the beginning, and we're excited to see colleagues across the group start connecting, sharing, recognising, and celebrating together on Pulse. Helping our One Halfords Family stay connected and keep the nation moving, together.”
10. Paul Smith wraps deployment of Sitoo technology across all its stores and global markets
Paul Smith has completed its roll-out of Sitoo’s cloud native unified commerce and PoS platform for fashion and lifestyle retailers across 31 stores in eight countries. In a LinkedIn post, Sitoo said: “A major milestone with an amazing customer!”
It added: “After months of close collaboration, it’s fantastic to see Sitoo now live across all Paul Smith stores and markets - and even more exciting to think about what comes next. A huge thank you to the brilliant teams at Paul Smith and Sitoo who made this milestone possible. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and excited to continue working closely as our partnership grows. Here’s to the next chapter!”
