Retail technology innovation of the week: Exotec bags Stadium as first Swedish customer

Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a series brought to you by RTIH, and sponsored by 3D Cloud, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.

Every week, we will showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, alongside the publication of the 2026 report later this year.

And this week we’re focusing on Stadium which is investing in a new automated logistics centre in Norrköping, Sweden. The facility will be equipped with Exotec’s Skypod system and will be the company's first wholly owned distribution hub.

Skypod will be at the heart of the new warehouse, hosting over 240 autonomous robots that move in three dimensions, horizontally and vertically up to a height of 12 metres. With more than 170,000 storage locations, Stadium’s logistics centre will have the capacity to handle both large order peaks and long-term company growth.

Daniel Johansson, Supply Chain Director at Stadium, says: “We needed a solution that gives us full control over our store logistics and is flexible enough to grow with us. With Exotec's Skypod system, we can streamline deliveries to our stores and scale up capacity as the business grows.”

Construction of the centre is due to start in 2026 and represents a multi-million-pound investment for the sports retailer. The system is planned to be fully operational in the first quarter of 2028. Stadium is Exotec's first Swedish customer.

And honourable mentions this week to...

Ikea Finland

Ikea Finland is piloting two new free accessibility solutions at its Vantaa store over the next year.

In a LinkedIn post, Catharina van den Houwe, ED&I Leader at Ikea, said:  “We know that many people with disabilities face barriers when shopping, and we’re committed to making the Ikea experience more equal and accessible, acknowledging there is still much more to do.”

“Ikea Finland is piloting two new free accessibility solutions at our Vantaa store. The aim of the pilot is to make the shopping experience easier and more predictable for customers with disabilities or other functional limitations who need personal shopping assistance during their visit to the store.”

This involves:

An assisted shopping service for customers with a disability who need individual shopping support. A trained co-worker walks alongside the customer during a pre-booked 1.5-hour shopping visit and supports them with their shopping.

A NaviLens solution, where NaviLens codes have been placed in the store. The codes can be read with the free NaviLens mobile application, which provides audio descriptions of the locations of the departments and their product groups, for example. The app serves as a tool to support navigation for visually impaired customers.

Shoppers can book the assisted shopping service at Ikea Vantaa through the booking calendar on its website. They can also use the “Plan your visit” section on Ikea.fi, where they’ll find information about store accessibility and accessibility services.

Just Eat and Amazon

Just Eat Takeaway.com in the UK has announced a collaboration with Alexa+, Amazon’s new generative AI powered voice assistant. Customers will be able to order from its 100,000 partner brands through any enabled Alexa+ device.

This builds on the launch of voice ordering within the Just Eat app. Amazon and Just Eat say they will work together in 2026 to bring the service to customers.

Mert Öztekin, Chief Technology Officer at Just Eat, comments: "Convenience matters to our customers, and providing them the option to order via Alexa enabled devices offers just that. Whether it’s asking Alexa to order your regular to arrive at dinner-time or finding out what’s on offer on your local high street - Alexa+ will unlock the very best of Just Eat for millions of customers.”

"The UK is home to some of the most engaged Alexa customers in the world, and we're excited to introduce them to Alexa+ - our next-generation AI assistant that's more conversational and capable than ever before," says Meryem Tom, Managing Director, UK and Ireland (Amazon). 

"We're looking forward to bringing Just Eat to Alexa+, as we know it'll deliver real utility to our UK customers, whether they want to explore new cuisines or simply reorder their regular takeaway with a quick conversation."