Just Eat tests out food delivery robots in UK: last week’s biggest technology plays at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail technology deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Starbucks, Adyen, JD.com, Alipay, Wildberries, Kroger, Message, Sitoo, Instacart, Giant Eagle, Wesco, Colruyt Group, and Amazon.

Starbucks

Adyen has partnered with Starbucks on a project involving its payment infrastructure in Europe and the UK. A European roll-out will span 943 Starbucks stores across the UK, Austria, and Switzerland, supported by 2,375 Adyen payment terminals. 

This expansion builds on a partnership between Adyen and Alsea, Starbucks’ licensee, for which the former powers payments for Alsea Mexico.

Key here is the implementation of Adyen’s Store and Forward functionality. This feature allows customers to continue accepting payments and providing uninterrupted service during network outages.

“Starbucks operates at an extraordinary scale, where every second of uptime matters,” says Alexa von Bismarck, President EMEA at Adyen.

“By moving to a single, unified payments platform, Starbucks has been able to simplify its in-store operations while gaining the resilience needed to serve customers without interruption. From rapid roll-out across hundreds of stores to built-in offline reliability, this partnership shows how modern payments infrastructure can directly protect revenue and elevate the in-store experience.”

“The quality of our coffee and service are at the heart of everything we do, and our technology must be just as reliable,” says John Elliott, VP Technology, EMEA at Starbucks. “Our partnership with Adyen, ensures that our payment technology is just as robust as our service. This stability allows our teams to stay focused on our guests and the coffee they love, without technical issues getting in the way.”

JD.com

JD.com has launched JoyExpress, a new same day delivery service now operating in the UK and across Europe, initially for the Joybuy brand. 

JoyExpress promises speedy delivery on over 100,000 branded products, including Apple, Braun, De’Longhi, LEGO, L’Oréal, Nutribullet, and Samsung. Joybuy also has a partnership with British supermarket, Morrisons, offering fresh produce and home essentials, straight to customers’ doors.  

Operating from more than 60 warehouses and depots across Europe, including the UK, JoyExpress combines delivery teams with JD Logistics’ proprietary technology and integrated services, including large item delivery and installation, cold chain, and end-to-end supply chain management.

“JoyExpress offers Europe a new delivery and logistics choice,” says Axel Eggenwirth, Senior Director, Last Mile Europe at JD Logistics. “We look forward to bringing our industry leading technology and capabilities to the market and consumers across France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK, while enhancing our supply chain logistics capabilities in sectors such as electronics, home appliances, fast moving consumer goods and groceries.”

“With JoyExpress, Joybuy customers will have access to a cutting-edge, world class fulfilment team for all their delivery needs. It will help deliver Joybuy’s seamless, trusted, and joyful shopping experience to customers in Europe.”

While the initial focus is on Joybuy, plans are afoot to also offer delivery support to business partners.

Just Eat

Just Eat Takeaway.com has launched a trial in Bristol and Milton Keynes, with robot powered deliveries rolling from high street restaurants to customers’ doors.

This follows robotics trials in Switzerland, and sits alongside ongoing drone trials in Ireland.

Loblaw

Loblaw Companies is integrating its PC Express grocery delivery app into OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT.

Canadians can explore menu ideas, curate ingredients for meals and select suggested products from their local stores.

Loblaw will also equip its colleagues with ChatGPT Enterprise. This builds on its use of OpenAI models to build proprietary AI solutions across its business, such as Robin, an AI powered assistant for store owners and managers, as well as agentic solutions in supply chain management to improve inventory accuracy and logistics.

“Our team is pioneering incredible digital and AI innovation across our business, placing us at the forefront of leveraging technology to enable first-in-class customer and colleague experiences,” says Per Bank, President and CEO at Loblaw Companies. “As we continue to accelerate this work, it creates meaningful opportunities to elevate our retail leadership and meet the constantly evolving needs of our customers.”

Gander and ShopMate

Food waste reduction platform Gander has announced a new integration with ShopMate, a UK-based EPoS provider. This enables ShopMate retailers to connect with the Gander platform, making it easier for stores to identify reduced to clear products and share live availability with local shoppers in real-time.

ShopMate currently provides EPoS services to more than 4,200 retailers across the UK and is used by independent convenience stores, many of which operate under a symbol brand.

Brian Eagle-Brown, Managing Director at ShopMate, says: “Retailers are under increasing pressure to manage costs, reduce waste and operate more efficiently, without adding complexity in-store. Integrating with Gander allows ShopMate users a practical solution to improve commercial returns and reduce food waste.”

The integration also complements ShopMate’s existing connectivity with Snappy Shopper, with the aim of helping retailers link EPoS, local e-commerce and waste reduction into a more joined up digital ecosystem.

From a retailer perspective, the integration leverages the ShopMate handheld scanner and mobile receipt printer to identify products to be displayed with Gander, allowing stores to participate without disrupting day to day workflows.

Uber Direct and Inovretail

This Valentine’s Day, Uber Direct, Uber’s white label delivery solution, and Inovretail’s Seeplus order fulfilment platform, worked with 18 London florists to provide 1,000 free same-day flower deliveries to customers between 13th and 14th February. 

Customers ordering online were able to choose same-day delivery at checkout and specify the time they wanted their order to arrive at its destination. No delivery fee was added to the total cost and all deliveries were fulfilled by Uber’s courier network. Customers could also track deliveries in real-time.

Caroline Varga, Regional Manager, Uber Direct EMEA, says: "City life moves fast, but romance shouldn't be left behind. With over three-quarters of consumers now seeking out rapid delivery for their flower orders, local retailers need a logistics engine that can keep up.”

“Leveraging Uber Direct’s best-in-class delivery infrastructure, we are delighted to be partnering with Inovretail and 18 London florists to turn that demand into reality - supporting the art of the romantic gesture by providing free, same-day delivery to 1,000 Londoners this Valentine’s Day."

Mini Rodini

Mini Rodini has signed up to Trimco Group’s green tech solution, ProductDNA, supporting the next stage of its traceability and compliance journey. Beginning with ProductDNA’s global textile regulations compliance and translations service, this partnership will help it meet a range of international textile requirements.

It will also introduce digital labelling solutions that can feed into future Digital Product Passport (DPP) requirements, expected under upcoming ESPR textile delegated acts. These developments will support the brand in displaying fibre content and care instructions in all relevant market languages through QR code enabled digital twins.

“As a brand, we have always believed that children’s wear should be made with as little impact on the planet as possible,” says Founder and Creative Director Cassandra Rhodin. “Sustainability isn’t a trend for Mini Rodini, it’s part of our foundation and something we work on every day.”

Alipay

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.”

Wildberries

Wildberries has introduced a series of AI tools on its online marketplace that aim to enhance the user experience. It has rolled out animated product listings, virtual fitting rooms for customers and AI generated product summaries.

Established in 2004 in Russia, Wildberries operates in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, while also partnering with sellers in China and the UAE.

It has introduced a new service for marketplace sellers called Video Covers, which uses a neural network to animate product images or create AI generated videos for product listings. Sellers can transform static images, such as a sweater modelled by a human model, into "live" photos or short videos.

The AI adds slight movements like head turns, smiles, or other subtle motions to highlight the product’s attributes. This makes it easier for customers to see how the product functions in real life, while helping sellers to avoid additional costs on professional video production.

Eileen Fisher

Eileen Fisher has selected the Aptos ONE PoS platform as it looks to unify customer interactions across channels, increase operational agility and elevate the in-store experience. 

Its clothes are sold in more than 50 of its own stores in North America, online at eileenfisher.com and in over 400 department and specialty stores globally. Its clothing is designed to be part of a circular manufacturing model, starting with sustainable materials, then taking back its clothes to be resold through Renew, the company’s take back programme.

It says that it is replacing its legacy PoS system with a cloud-based, mobile first solution that will provide more personal, informed and frictionless interactions.

The Save Mart Companies

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.”

L.L.Bean

L.L.Bean, an outdoor lifestyle retailer, has selected Amperity to power personalisation initiatives across customer experiences.

“We pride ourselves on creating experiences that inspire people to get outside,” says Emily Elting, Director of Insights & Analytics at L.L.Bean.

“By partnering with Amperity, we can better understand our customers’ needs, act on insights in real-time, and ensure every interaction reflects the quality and craftsmanship our brand is known for.”

Multi-channel activations include email, direct mail, web personalisation, loyalty marketing, and catalogues.

“L.L.Bean has always set a high bar for how they show up for their customers,” says Rob Ferguson, CRO at Amperity. “With Amperity, they can recognise customers wherever they engage and deliver personalised experiences that feel consistent, relevant, and timely across every channel.”

Wesco

Wesco, a US convenience retailer in Western Michigan, reports that it has expanded its online offering with digital commerce provider Vroom Delivery to include third party marketplace orders with DoorDash.

Online sales have grown from $3 million per year in 2024 to nearly $6 million per year in less than two years, averaging over $100,000 per store per year from its 57 locations.

Wesco first began offering online ordering with Vroom Delivery in 2018. Initially, the retailer was offering online ordering for pickup from a dozen of its stores that offered prepared food such as pizza and subs. Over time, Wesco added delivery and expanded to its full network and added other Vroom features such as online SNAP/EBT payments, which now make up as much as 20% of its customer base at some locations.

More recently, it tapped into Vroom’s third-party order aggregation platform to automate marketplace orders through DoorDash. Loyalty customers can also earn GoWesco rewards when ordering on DoorDash through Vroom’s Marketplace Loyalty Proxy. Wesco utilises the Automated Menu Management (AMM) system to automatically populate its menus across all channels, and eliminate the need for employees to ring orders up at the register. 

Toast and Instacart

Toast and Instacart have announced a partnership in the United States. The tie up aims to enable retailers to easily onboard and sync their bricks and mortar inventory to the Instacart Marketplace, and provide restaurants a "just in time" solution for essential supplies.

“Whether helping a local grocery shop reach new customers online or enabling a restaurant to ensure the kitchen never runs out of key ingredients during a Friday night rush, this partnership with Instacart aims to help our customers never miss a beat as they run - and grow - their businesses,” says Steve Fredette, Co-Founder and President at Toast.

“We’re enabling our retail and restaurant customers to tap into North America’s largest grocery delivery marketplaces - right from the Toast platform - giving our customers a powerful way to help grow their revenue streams and manage their businesses more efficiently.”

“This partnership brings together two platforms that play complementary roles in how retailers and restaurants operate and grow,” says Ryan Hamburger, Vice President of Commercial Partnerships at Instacart.

“We’re looking forward to expanding our breadth of retailers by welcoming Toast’s retail partners to the Instacart Marketplace and giving Toast restaurants access to our marketplace via Instacart Business for a fast and flexible way to source produce and other essentials to meet last minute needs.”

The pair plan to pilot these initiatives during early 2026, with a full roll-out to all US customers expected later this year.

Giant Eagle

Swiftly has announced a partnership with Giant Eagle, a US food and pharmacy retailer, involving its Alcohol Cashback programme.

“Alcohol promotions have been one of the most outdated and fragmented areas of retail,” says Henry Kim, CEO at Swiftly.

“This partnership with Giant Eagle represents a major advancement in how leading retailers are leveraging technology to simplify execution, capture new revenue opportunities, and modernise their customer experience in a complex regulatory environment. It’s a strong example of how collaboration and innovation can deliver measurable value across the entire retail ecosystem.”

“Our focus has always been on convenience, innovation, and delivering meaningful value to our guests,” says Justin Weinstein, EVP and Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer at Giant Eagle.

“Partnering with Swiftly allows us to enhance our rebate process with new digital capabilities while deepening engagement with both our customers and supplier partners. This collaboration also supports our broader digital strategy to make every aspect of the shopping experience more seamless and rewarding.”

Amazon

Amazon has launched Pay by Bank, a new payment method on amazon.co.uk that allows customers to complete retail purchases directly from their UK bank accounts, with the ability to do so for their Prime membership coming soon.

This avoids the need to enter or store card details by establishing a connection between customers and their existing banks. Security is maintained through the customer's own banking app, using their established biometric authentication or PIN verification systems.

The service also offers refund processing, promising the return of funds to customers' bank accounts within minutes after Amazon confirms receipt of returned items.

“Pay by Bank gives customers a new payment option, and a number of benefits including faster refunds," says Jonathan Boumphrey, Country Manager for UK & Ireland at Amazon. “It takes just seconds to setup and is part of our continuous work to enhance the shopping experience for customers and provide even more ways to pay securely.”

“The streamlined setup process takes just seconds, with customers selecting their bank from a list that includes more than 99% of UK banks. Pay by Bank also provides a checkout experience that customers will find familiar if they use mobile banking apps, but with the added advantage of expedited refunds and permanent payment credentials.”

The move supports the UK's National Payment Vision framework, which encourages the adoption of account-to-account (A2A) payments in e-commerce as part of the country's push to foster more efficient, secure, and competitive payment options for consumers and businesses.

Colruyt Group

Colruyt Group has selected NCR Voyix as a platform partner. The tie up will see the retailer replace its current system with the Voyix Commerce Platform.

In a LinkedIn post, NCR Voyix said: “This milestone reflects the continued trust leading retailers place in our unified platform strategy. We look forward to beginning our work with Colruyt Group.”

“With EuroShop 2026 approaching, momentum across Europe is stronger than ever. We’re energised by the conversations shaping the future of retail and the opportunity to help move the industry forward. More to come.”

Kroger

Corvus Robotics has announced the launch of Corvus One for Cold Chain, an autonomous inventory management system that operates continuously in freezer environments ranging from minus-20 degrees Fahrenheit to ambient temperatures.

“Operating autonomous aerial systems continuously in freezer environments is an engineering challenge most robotics platforms were never designed to handle,” says Jackie Wu, Chief Executive Officer at Corvus Robotics.

“Corvus One for Cold Chain required re-architecting thermal management, sensing, flight stability, and onboard perception so the system could maintain autonomy and accuracy despite frost, glare, airflow, and extreme temperature swings. The result is a system that performs reliably in environments that have historically defeated automation.”

Kroger is using Corvus One for Cold Chain in live freezer operations, where, the retailer says, the system is delivering consistent inventory visibility and reducing reliance on manual cycle counts in sub-zero environments.

Instacart and  1-800-Flowers.com

Instacart reports its first nationwide pureplay floral partnership with 1-800-Flowers.com. Customers throughout the US can now order fresh bouquets and gifts from the retailer directly through the Instacart app for fast delivery from more than 700 participating florist locations across the 1-800-Flowers.com network.

“We are excited to welcome 1-800-Flowers.com to the Instacart app to offer our customers convenient access to fresh flowers, just in time for one of the most important holidays for floral delivery,” says Blake Wallace, Vice President of Retail Partnerships at Instacart.

“Through this partnership, our customers will have more flexibility and variety to send gifts to family, friends, and loved ones, offering the same speed and reliability they expect from Instacart for life's special moments.”

Message

Sitoo, a cloud native PoS and unified commerce platform, has announced a new partnership with Danish omnichannel fashion retailer Message.

In a LinkedIn post, Sitoo said: “We have new friends! And they’re curators of stylish, accessible fashion across Denmark and beyond. Message is a Danish multi-brand fashion retailer, founded in 1980, offering clothes, accessories, footwear, and more. It operates both through physical stores and an online presence, bringing together Danish and international design under one roof. Message is known for combining trend, quality, and value in one place.”

It added: “In its work, sustainability and responsibility are more than afterthoughts. It requires its suppliers to commit to a code of donduct that protects labour rights, reduces environmental impact, and upholds animal welfare. It has made strides in sustainable denim, no-fur policies, and support of global initiatives to make fashion better.”

Message is using Sitoo’s technology to connect the dots between behind the scenes operations and the customer experience. It says that, by simplifying the systems behind the scenes, store associates can spend less time on admin and more time on helping customers.

Sitoo concluded: “We’re pleased to join hands with a brand that blends fashion, purpose, and community, and are excited for what comes next.”

Amazon

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.”

Arena Milano

The Winter Olympics 2026 are up and running and one of the venues, Arena Milano, features checkout free stores powered by AiFi technology.

In a LinkedIn post, Chryssi Soteriades, Regional Sales Executive at AiFi, said: “Proud moment to celebrate the launch of Arena Milano, a truly world class venue setting a new benchmark for live entertainment, technology, and fan experience. Openings its doors to the Olympics ice hockey game this week.”

She added: “This launch represents a series of important firsts, from cutting-edge design and operations to the first four of six AiFi frictionless checkout stores in Italy, delivered to the highest global standards. This is a milestone moment for the Italian market and a clear signal of where the future of venues is heading.”

“Excited for what comes next, and proud to have been part of this landmark launch! Big thanks to the AiFi team for delivering the impossible flawlessly every time.”

Durham University

Durham University has partnered with Lolly to implement a new electronic Point of Sale (EPoS) system across its campus.

This has seen the deployment of more than 90 EPoS terminals across 30 sites, supporting a large and diverse catering operation. The new system is used by over 190 EPoS and 65 back office users.

Paul Taylor, Head of Operations at Durham University, says: “This partnership represents an important step forward for our catering operations. The roll-out has delivered a modern and flexible EPoS platform that supports our teams across multiple sites and provides a strong foundation for future innovation. We’re pleased to be working with a partner that understands the complexity and scale of a university environment.”

Restaurant Brands Europe

Restaurant Brands Europe (RBE), a quick service restaurant (QSR) operator in Southern Europe, is working with RELEX Solutions to improve demand forecasting and automate ingredient replenishment across its restaurant network.

The deployment will support more than 1,350 Burger King, Popeyes, and Tim Hortons locations across Spain, Italy, and Portugal. 

RBE previously worked with a planning tool complemented by some manual processes. This approach supported the company’s growth, but the acceleration of expansion and increasing operational complexity made it necessary to evolve toward a more scalable and automated solution capable of responding consistently to changes in restaurant level demand.

RELEX generates order proposals based on local demand, helping ensure locations have the right ingredients when needed and reducing excess inventory and food waste across restaurants with different demand patterns. 

“We needed a planning system that could support our scale today and adapt as we continue to expand,” says Alejandro Gutiérrez Álvarez, Director of Operations Strategy at Restaurant Brands Europe. “Improving forecast accuracy and automating ordering will help our teams focus on running restaurants, while giving us better control over availability and waste across all markets.” 

Wayfair

Affirm is ramping up its partnership with Wayfair, bringing the FinTech firm’s financial products to shoppers in the UK and Canada.

This builds on their recently expanded partnership, which brought Affirm to Wayfair’s online and in-store checkouts across the US last October.

"Home is deeply personal, and we want every part of the shopping experience, including how customers pay, to reflect that," says Curtis Crawford, Head of FinTech and Loyalty at Wayfair.

"Since first partnering with Affirm nearly a decade ago, we've seen how much our customers value having flexible, transparent payment options. Expanding Affirm to the UK and Canada means more shoppers can invest in their homes in a way that works for them, with no hidden fees or surprises."