Superdrug gets physical and Sainsbury's bins Chop Chop: the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail tech news? Then this is the article for you. Including Upside, The Save Mart Companies, EE, Gather AI, Amazon, InPost, Alipay, Lazada, Locus, and Wonder.

200...Upside reports a partnership with The Save Mart Companies across approximately 200 stores in California and Nevada under the Save Mart, Lucky, and FoodMaxx banners.

Upside’s platform reaches more than 35 million consumers and connects them with personalised cash back offers at over 100,000 grocery, restaurant, and fuel locations.

“Our customers expect both quality and value, and balancing those priorities has become more important than ever,” says Tamara Pattison, Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at The Save Mart Companies. “Upside enables us to reach new shoppers while showcasing the exceptional value and experience our stores offer.”

“Engaging shoppers consistently has become harder as grocery trips spread across more retailers,” says Nick Worswick, President of Retailer Go-To-Market at Upside. “We help regional grocers win those trips back in a measurable way.”

$40 million...Gather AI, a specialist in AI for logistics, has raised $40 million in Series B funding led by Smith Point Capital Management. This includes participation from Bain Capital Ventures, Tribeca Venture Partners, Bling Capital, Dundee Venture Capital, XRC Ventures, and new investor The Hillman Company. To date, the company has raised $74 million.

“Gather AI is redefining how the physical world gets measured, understood, and operated,” says Keith Block, Founder and CEO of Smith Point Capital Management and former Salesforce co-CEO..

“What the team have built isn’t just a better way to count inventory; it’s a foundational intelligence layer for the modern supply chain. We believe Gather AI will become the system of record for every warehouse, factory, and yard, and we’re thrilled to help accelerate that future.”

11...EE is claiming an industry first with the launch of Stay Safe with AI appointments in a select number of its stores.

In a LinkedIn post, Asif Aziz, Retail Director at EE/BT Group, said: “Technology is such a big part of everyday life, whether work, school, staying in touch with loved ones or discovering new interests. But while there are many ways tech can be used for good, there are also very real risks, especially for young people.”

He added: “That's why 11 of our EE stores across Essex are offering first of their kind ‘Stay Safe with AI’ appointments. The sessions, developed in partnership with Essex Police and with support from online safety experts Internet Matters, are designed to help young people, their families and teachers have the confidence to use AI safely, with our expert in-store guides trained to support customers every step of the way.”

“It's all part of our commitment to help families across the UK manage their digital wellbeing through personalised support. Big thanks to our brilliant teams for bringing these sessions to life, you are making a real difference to your communities.”

4,500 and 2,000...Amazon Pharmacy is set to expand its same-day prescription delivery service to nearly 4,500 US cities and towns by the end of 2026, adding around 2,000 new communities over the course of the year.

This includes bringing access to new states including Idaho and Massachusetts.

"Patients shouldn't have to choose between speed, cost, and convenience when it comes to their medication, regardless of where they live," says John Love, Vice President at Amazon Pharmacy.

"By combining our pharmacy expertise with our logistics network, we're removing critical barriers and helping patients start treatment faster, setting a new standard for accessible, digital forward pharmacy care."

30...Health and beauty retailer, Superdrug, has announced plans to open 30 new stores in 2026, extending its footprint across the UK. The expansion will create approximately 600 new jobs.

It says that it continues to see strong customer demand for experience led physical retail as it invests in large format destination stores and retail park locations.

Confirmed openings on new sites include Dundee Gallagher Retail Park, Kilmarnock Retail Park, East Kilbride, Strathkelvin Retail Park and Linwood Phoenix Retail Park in Scotland; White Rose Leeds, Crawley, Waterlooville Retail Park, Newport Retail Park, Isle of Wight in England; Cwmbran Retail Park in Wales.

Each new store will be designed to immerse, inform and engage customers, with the aim of offering far more than a traditional health and beauty shop. Superdrug’s latest experience stores allow customers to discover trending beauty brands, access expert advice and get treatments such as ear piercing, manicures and eyebrow threading at Superdrug Beauty Studios.

Alongside new openings, plans are afoot to do 60 store refits during 2026.

£1.6 billion...Valentine’s Day spending in the UK is set to rise by 12% to £1.6 billion. Research (carried out across 1,000 UK shoppers) from retail and shopper marketing agency, Savvy, suggests all retail categories will grow, with the strongest performances coming from non-alcoholic drinks, beauty products, clothing and flowers.

42% of Brits plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2026. 68% are prepared to trade up to premium food or drink for the occasion, and 66% are happy to spend more to make the day feel special. However, this appetite for premium does not come at the expense of value. A matching 68% will actively look for discounts or offers on food and drink in the run-up to 14th February.  

120 million...Alipay reports that AI Pay, a solution that enables payment through AI agents, exceeded 120 million transactions in the past week.

Launched in 2025, this has expanded into various use cases, including AI agents in apps and mini programmes for bricks and mortar retailers like Luckin Coffee, as well as in AI smart glasses like Rokid.

In December, Alipay collaborated with Rokid to enable developers to integrate AI payment into the AI agents they build on Rokid’s Lingzhu platform. Based on the MCP model, developers can access this capability and deploy it on smart devices through natural language rather than complex coding.

In January, Alipay launched the Agentic Commerce Trust Protocol with partners, including Alibaba’s consumer facing AI application Qwen App and Taobao Instant Commerce. Qwen App became the first platform to adopt the Protocol, connecting with Taobao Instant Commerce and Alipay’s AI payment service. Users can chat with Qwen App’s AI to place food and beverage orders directly within the app.

According to a press release issued by Alipay: “As digital services evolve in this AI era, Chinese consumers are developing new expectations for convenient and intelligent payment methods.”

$9.2 billion...A consortium fronted by Advent and FedEx is set to buy InPost for 15.60 euros per share, valuing the European parcel locker company at 7.8 billion euros ($9.2 billion). The transaction to expected to close in the second half of this year.

Advent and FedEx will each own a 37% stake in the parcel locker specialist. The investment company of InPost’s founder and Chief Executive Rafał Brzoska will own 16% and PPF, the Czech investment firm of the Kellner family, will hold the remaining 10%. Advent bought a majority stake in InPost from Brzoska in 2017 before listing the business in Amsterdam in 2021, in what was one of the largest European IPOs of the year.

“Building on our success in Poland, this transaction will support our next phase of growth as we continue to grow across Europe,” says Rafał Brzoska, CEO/Founder at InPost.

“By partnering with the long‑term financial and strategic investors of the consortium who know our business and the industry well, we benefit from the expertise, stability and resources needed to capitalise on the strong tailwinds including increasing e-commerce penetration, rising consumer demand for speed and convenience and the shift towards more sustainable delivery solutions.”

“Together, we will strengthen our network and reach more consumers with enhanced fast and flexible delivery options as we continue our objective of redefining the European e-commerce sector. I remain fully committed to leading InPost in the years ahead.”

“Our headquarters, our brand, business management and the core of our innovation capabilities will remain in Poland, which continues to be the blueprint for our successful strategy. With the support of our partners, I believe we can unlock InPost’s full potential and further grow our position as an e-commerce enabler in Western Europe.”

2...A second Amazon Now site has gone live in London. This is a new ultra-fast delivery service offering thousands of groceries and household essentials in about 30 minutes or less. It is being tested in select postcodes in Southwark and East and Central London, with plans to roll-out further in the coming months.

Amazon Now is available seven days a week through the retailer’s app and website. Customers in eligible postcodes can shop such everyday essentials as milk, eggs, fresh fruit amd veg, toothpaste, pet treats, nappies, and over-the-counter medicines.

In a LinkedIn post, Elisa Michelin Salomon, Ops Lead, EU Amazon Now, said: “I’m incredibly proud to share that we have launched QLD3, the second Amazon Now site in London, less than three weeks after the first launch. A major milestone that reflects the speed, focus, and teamwork powering Amazon Now.”

She added: “With QLD3 live, fresh groceries and everyday essentials can now be delivered in as fast as 30 minutes across East-Central London, including Canary Wharf, Bethnal Green, Shoreditch, Hoxton and Holborn, while Southwark remains already available from our first launch. And we’re just getting started - already working to extend coverage further in the coming months.”

30...Lazada, an e-commerce platform operating in Southeast Asia, has launched a speedy grocery delivery service within its RedMart supermarket arm.

In a LinkedIn post, Craig Massingham, Product Design Leader at Lazada, said: “RedMart Now is live! Groceries in as fast as 30 minutes. Most grocery trips aren’t planned. They happen when you realise you’re missing snacks before guests arrive, or essentials right before dinner. Those moments are driven by urgency, not weekly planning. That’s why we launched RedMart Now.”

Going live in select postcodes in Singapore, this builds on RedMart’s Express, two-hour, and six-hour delivery options. “Together, these services allow us to support a wider range of shopping missions; from planned stock ups to truly last minute needs,” said Massingham. “From a product and design perspective, this wasn’t just about speed. It was about expanding what RedMart represents.”

100...Wonder, a food delivery and technology startup founded in 2018 and fronted by former Walmart U.S. eCommerce executive, Marc Lore, has opened its 100th location Stateside.

In a LinkedIn post, Mo Morrill, Vice President - Wonder - North America, said: “Being part of something that has never been done before is what motivated me to join Wonder. Our concept is just that and yesterday we did something else that’s never been done before. Opened our 100th location in less than three years of existence!”

He added: “So very proud to be part of this team. So proud of my teams. So proud of our leadership and the hundereds of people who are behind each of these openings. Thrilled to be part of the Annapolis MD and Huntington NY communities. 100 down, the next 100 starts next week with our first three Massachusetts locations.”

4% and 83%...UK consumers are placing far greater value on delivery accuracy and communication than on speed, challenging assumptions about same-day delivery as a competitive differentiator, according to research by logistics technology company, Locus.

The firm surveyed 2,000 people and found that that just 4% of consumers expect same-day delivery, while 83% consider a delivery window of two to four days to be reasonable. Nearly 83% of respondents said they expect parcels to arrive within one to four days. 

94% of UK shoppers, meanwhile, are frustrated when parcels are marked as ‘delivered’ but have not arrived, making communication failures the single most widespread pain point in the delivery experience. This outranks even damaged goods, cited by 93%, and parcels left in unsafe locations, reported by 92% of respondents. 

Nishith Rastogi, Founder and CEO at Locus, says: “The shift in consumer expectation places logistics providers and retailers under increasing pressure to improve the quality, not just the pace, of last mile communication. Consumers are signalling a clear preference for realistic delivery windows, accurate tracking and proactive updates over ambitious speed claims that cannot be consistently upheld.”

50...Sainsbury’s has pulled its on demand delivery service, Chop Chop, which it launched in 2016 and had been available at 50 stores across the UK.

Quick commerce orders will now be made through Sainsbury’s main app. Chop Chop was its answer to same‑day offerings like Tesco’s Whoosh. Whilst the plug has been pulled, Sainsbury’s continues to work with the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats on speedy deliveries.

Its Head of Experience Design, Jim Banks, said: “Customers shouldn’t have to think about which app to use. One place to do the weekly shop. One place to get groceries in as little as 60 minutes.”

"Less friction. Less mental load. More getting on with life. This is a big step forward in simplifying our ecosystem, making shopping feel easier, calmer, and more human.”

80%...Amazon reports that customers in cities including Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Nottingham can now shop groceries via its Iceland partnership, with the launch in Belfast marking the first time customers can tap the service in Northern Ireland. 

The launch is part of Amazon’s expansion of partnerships with Iceland, Morrisons, and Co-op. In 2026, it claims that it is on track to more than double the number of UK Prime members who have access to three or more online grocery delivery options, reaching more than 80% of them with access to at least one grocery partner. 

The move follows the recent launch of Amazon Now, delivering groceries and household essentials in about 30 minutes or less to customers in eligible London postcodes. 

£8.47 billion...UK online spending hit £8.47 billion in January, up 0.9% year-on-year, as shoppers splashed out on fitness equipment (up 73% compared to normal levels), health and nutrition products (up 42%), and apparel (up 23%), according to research by Adobe Digital Insights.

“As well as looking after their finances, our data also shows that consumers are making a healthy start to the new year, with fitness apparel, sporting goods, and wellness supplements all performing well,” says Vivek Pandya, lead analyst, Adobe Digital Insights. 

“Traffic from GenAI sources to retail sites also continued to grow in January, with many UK shoppers turning their health and wellness searches into purchases. By supporting product pages and offers with more informative content, retailers will rank more favourably in GenAI recommendations.”