Smart carts in Belgium and inclusive solutions in Finland: last week’s biggest tech plays
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail technology deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Colruyt Group, Coop Sweden, VenHub Global, Kingfisher, Google Cloud, Lowe's, RELEX Solutions, VoCoVo, Kroger, Fulfil, GoWish, and Snapchat.
Colruyt Group
Colruyt Group is rolling out its smart cart self-scanning shopping trolley to Belgian stores in Kessel-Lo and Waterloo. This follows an initial launch at a location in Halle.
Geert Elen, Head of Innovation at Colruyt Group, says: “We listened to our customers and developed our smart cart tailored to them. Doing the weekly shopping efficiently, keeping control of the budget, and saving time are particularly important to our customers. Market research shows that customers cite these as the major benefits of the smart cart. In addition, they enjoy using the technology.”
Elen adds: “Moreover, a smart shopping cart has a loyal following. When we look at users on a weekly basis, we see that eight out of ten customers have used the cart before and are now familiar with it. During peak times such as Friday and Saturday, we see that customers even wait to use a smart cart. We therefore look forward to making more of them available to our customers in the future and thus further increasing usage.”
Coop Sweden
Coop Sweden has chosen HonestBox as the technology platform supplier for its 24/7 unmanned and hybrid stores programme.
“It feels exciting to start the collaboration with HonestBox, which has unmanned solutions as a niche. So far, everything has gone very smoothly and we see that our pilot stores are stable in operation,” says Vilma Reponen, Product Owner at Coop Sweden.
The first pilot stores are now in operation. The next step in the collaboration is to continue the migration of existing stores and the roll-out to new units.
“We are very proud that Coop Sweden has chosen us as a partner. Being trusted to both take over existing stores and be part of Coop's continued expansion clearly shows the strength of our platform and our offering,” says Magnus Berglund, CEO/Partner at HonestBox.
VenHub Global
VenHub Global reports that it will open in April a second and significantly larger production and assembly facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This will operate in conjunction with the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards winner’s headquarters and existing operations in Las Vegas, creating an expanded production hub that integrates engineering, manufacturing, testing, and deployment preparation under one roof. It says that the additional capacity will enable it to accelerate smart store production and support broader US wide roll-out efforts.
“The significant production capacity enabled by our second, larger facility in Las Vegas is a pivotal step forward for our ability to scale smart store deployments,” says Shahan Ohanessian, CEO at VenHub.
“Demand for our smart stores continues to grow as retail operators are seeking smarter ways to serve customers while also being able to manage their operations more efficiently. Expanding our production capabilities in Las Vegas with this larger, state-of-the-art facility allows us to move faster, deliver our smart stores more effectively and support our growing list of partners who are bringing VenHub smart stores into their communities.”
Ohanessian adds: “Retail is continuing to evolve quickly. Consumers expect convenience, speed, and access at all hours, while operators are searching for solutions that address this demand while also reducing overhead and simplifying their operations.”
“VenHub smart stores are leading the evolution of autonomous retail to address both of these challenges. By expanding our production capacity, we are building the infrastructure necessary to bring autonomous retail to more cities and neighbourhoods across the country.”
LOOOK.AI
LOOOK.AI has introduced a new feature enabling real-time AI clothing try-on within its smart mirror platform, allowing fashion brands and retailers to showcase entire collections without traditional 3D modelling or product development.
“What was a long-time dream of the fashion industry brands, has finally become a reality. We are excited about the integration of Decart SDK into our smart mirror platform, and unlocking a higher quality real-time AI clothing try-on experience, instant addition of an unlimited number of clothing items with no development needed and never before seen seamless navigation that allows the user to easily switch between tens of items,” says Dmytro Kornilov, LOOOK.AI CEO.
“Most virtual try-on platforms depend on manually created 3D assets and long production cycles,” says Kfir Aberman, Founding Member at Decart. “Our real-time generative models allow these experiences to be created directly from simple images, eliminating traditional 3D pipelines and enabling scalable, high-fidelity try-on across entire retail catalogues.”
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."
Zalando
Zalando is deploying up to 50 AI driven Nomagic robots across its European fulfilment network. The units, named Richard, specialise in item level picking, scanning, and induction into automated pocket sorters.
Using Nomagic’s AI and computer vision, the robots recognise materials and shapes to adjust their grip in real-time. By continuously learning and adapting to shifting inventory, the technology will play a key role in managing the vast, high rotation assortment of fashion and lifestyle products within Zalando’s fulfilment centres.
“The testing phase with Nomagic proved that their robotics are an excellent fit for Zalando's logistics centres. Following the quick and successful deployment of the first ten units, we have decided to scale our partnership, gradually rolling out more robots as our network evolves,” says Marcus Daute, Vice President Logistics Network at Zalando.
“The sheer scale of our operations demands smart automation that works with our people, not alongside them. By delegating simple processes to AI powered robots, we achieve the operational excellence our customers and business partners expect while supporting employees’ growth.”
Kroger
Kroger is partnering with Fulfil to pilot its automated micro-fulfillment solution inside a US West Coast location, according to a LinkedIn post courtesy of Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.
In the post, Ladd states that sources from Kroger have confirmed the retailer is additionally in discussions with Blue Collar Robotics, a startup that leverages teleoperated robots to pick groceries and fulfill online grocery orders. The robots will also replenish shelves with products.
“Both of these decisions are a wise move by Kroger. Great job!” Ladd commented. “Fulfil is the same company that Amazon and Whole Foods Market partnered with to open an MFC inside a Whole Foods store in PA.”
He added: “Will this drive Amazon to acquire Fulfil? I've written multiple posts about Fulfil, and I recommended to Amazon to partner with or acquire it three years ago. The challenge for Kroger is that Amazon and Walmart are accelerating their investments in technology and micro-fulfillment to deliver online grocery orders in one to three hours.”
“Kroger partnered with Ocado Group to open automated customer fulfillment centres (CFC) but the CFCs are unable to fulfill and deliver orders in one to three hours. Even same-day deliveries are a challenge for the CFCs due to their locations. Ocado has announced they're piloting store-based automation beginning in 2026, and Kroger appears to be one of the companies that will pilot their in-store micro-fulfillment solution.”
Ladd believes that Kroger should pilot an AutoStore, and assess solutions from Veloq and Oda, in addition to Fulfill and Ocado's SBA. “I believe H-E-B has the most advanced automated MFC capabilities out of any grocery retailer in the world. HEB's MFCs are powered by AutoStore. I support the partnership with Fulfil, but I would have preferred for Kroger to pilot Fulfil's solution two years ago.”
He concluded: “Amazon and Walmart have multiple pilots planned as well related to MFCs. For example, Amazon is piloting a 50,000 square feet MFC in the Supercenter they're opening near Chicago in 2027. Walmart is piloting SymMicro MFCs from Symbotic. DoorDash is testing its own robotics and autonomous vehicle solutions related to online grocery fulfillment. They should be revealed by early 2027 if DoorDash is successful. Kroger has no time to waste.”
Kroger and Fulfil did not respond to our request for comment.
GoWish and Snapchat
Danish wishlist app and social shopping specialist GoWish, which recently hit nine million registered American users, reports record breaking results with Snapchat and its First Snap ad format in the US.
Through a targeted campaign harnessing First Snap, the company reached more than 45 million unique users in the country during one day and generated some of the best results this placement can deliver, according to a newly published Success Story by Snap.
The breakthrough came through a collaboration with American content creator Kouvr on Snapchat, where GoWish tapped First Snap, where a sponsored video is placed directly in users’ chat feeds, which according to Snap resulted in a 111% increase in profile views and boosted GoWish’s follower count by 21%.
“We are in the process of cracking the code in the US market, and this is happening in part by investing in new advertising formats and innovative collaborations with content creators. By using First Snap in the US, we were able to simultaneously create impact and brand authority among more than 45 million people, and that kind of exposure gives us the momentum to bridge the gap between broad awareness and concrete conversions - which is often what many companies trying to break through ‘over there’ struggle with”, says Casper Ravn-Sørensen, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at GoWish, who adds that on the day of the Snap campaign, well over 130,000 new downloads were recorded in a 24 hour period.
Lowe's
RELEX Solutions is extending its relationship with Lowe’s Companies and Accenture to unify Lowe’s inventory replenishment and allocation platform.
The partnership, featuring RELEX’s AI driven technology and Lowe’s proprietary supply chain technology, aims to enhance efficiency, improve inventory availability, and drive productivity across Lowe’s stores, merchandising, and supply chain operations.
Building on RELEX’s support of Lowe’s seasonal businesses through its allocation platform, this latest initiative will see Lowe’s expand its use of the company’s AI powered replenishment capabilities across its full assortment of products and nationwide network of stores and distribution centres. Additionally, Lowe’s is partnering with Accenture to provide support for integrating RELEX across its supply chain.
“Expanding our use of RELEX accelerates Lowe’s transformation toward a fully integrated, AI driven inventory platform,” says Margi Vagell, Lowe’s Executive Vice President, Supply Chain. “By partnering with RELEX and Accenture, we will equip our teams with enhanced tools that help us respond more quickly to customer demand, improve product availability and deliver a better experience for our DIY and Pro customers.”
Kingfisher
Kingfisher and Google Cloud have announced a multi-year partnership that aims to improve the online shopping experience for the former’s customers using agentic AI.
Kingfisher says it is looking to move beyond traditional keyword search on its sites, including B&Q, Castorama France and Poland, and Brico Dépôt France, and toward enabling proactive, AI driven shopping assistants.
The deal focuses on two key areas: Kingfisher is upgrading to Vertex AI Search for Commerce; the partnership with Google Cloud will help it unlock its extensive product and data catalogues to build Al shopping agents.
Thierry Garnier, CEO at Kingfisher, says: “Through this partnership with Google Cloud, we are enabling our customers to search for and buy home improvement products with AI, delivering a fully personalised and easy shopping experience.”
“These investments put Kingfisher at the forefront of AI powered shopping, delivering meaningful innovation as part of our expanding digital ecosystem, and helping us to meet rapidly evolving customer needs.”
Papa Johns
Deliverect has announced a partnership with Papa Johns that aims to modernise its delivery operations across the US.
In a LinkedIn post, Zhong Xu, Co-founder and CEO at Deliverect, said: “This is a massive milestone for us as we scale our AI powered Smart Dispatch platform to over +3,500 US restaurants with Papa Johns. This roll-out builds on the fantastic momentum we’ve already established powering Papa Johns in the UK, further solidifying our global partnership.”
He added: “With this addition, we now proudly power the top seven of the largest pizza chains in the world. By unifying in-house and third-party fulfillment into one intelligent hub, Papa Johns is prioritising a faster, more reliable experience for every customer. Huge thanks to the entire team for their trust in us.”
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.
Boots
UK health, beauty and wellness retailer, Boots, has entered a partnership with XPO Logistics.
XPO Logistics will be its new long-term logistics partner, supporting the integration of its supply chain, leveraging new technologies with the aim of improving customer visibility, and driving sustainable efficiencies.
Since March 2024, XPO has been managing the primary transport distribution of products from two UK-based Boots service centres. This includes the 279-acre site situated at Boots HQ in Beeston, Nottingham, and the other, just 30 miles across the East Midlands at Burton-on-Trent.
The new supply chain operation facilitates the distribution of goods from both sites to various Boots Cross Dock Centres at scale across the UK and Ireland. The retailer also benefits from 23 dedicated XPO Logistics support staff and two new operational fleets of varying sizes. One fleet will be assigned for product distribution based on scheduled routes, while the other will be a smaller fleet for dedicated shunting activity at both the Beeston and Burton sites.
Overall, the new operation comprises 50 trunking drivers, 35 trunking vehicles, 22 shunt drivers, and 10 shunt vehicles, operating seven days a week Boots will also gain improved visibility through new track and trace technology and XPO’s system to monitor its carbon footprint.
Lowe's
Lowe's has introduced a new associate powered annual subscription offering to its MyLowe's Rewards loyalty members called HomeCare+.
For $99 a year, the retailer will offer seven in-home services that aim to make it easier for homeowners to manage essential up-keep tasks on a regular basis. The programme will be available across more than 75% of homes in the US.
"HomeCare+ is all about simplifying home improvement and making it easier for our customers," says Jen Wilson, Lowe's Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer.
"Bringing together a simple, affordable subscription with something that truly sets Lowe's apart - the expertise of our red vest associates - is how we will deepen loyalty with our customers. And as AI plays a bigger role in people's lives, and ultimately in their homes, leaning into the power of human connection uniquely positions Lowe's as the most helpful brand in home improvement."
THG Fulfil
THG Fulfil, a provider of e-commerce fulfilment and courier management solutions, has announced the launch of its new native application for Shopify. This zero code integration allows brands on Shopify to connect with THG Fulfil’s global network, providing access to logistics and end-to-end fulfilment and courier management services without complex development.
Key benefits include a global reach (250 courier services across 195 countries), and automation and an advanced technology suite.
Tom Killeen, COO, THG Ingenuity, says: “Our goal is to provide ambitious brands with a competitive edge, and this native Shopify integration does precisely that. We are democratising access to enterprise level fulfilment.”
“Shopify merchants can now plug their operations directly into our advanced, automated infrastructure and global courier network. This allows brands to scale fearlessly, knowing their fulfilment is powered by a solution that is built for e-commerce, optimised for efficiency, and dedicated to providing a superior end-to-end customer experience.”
Tortilla
Tortilla, a European fast casual Mexican restaurant group, has returned to Deliveroo following time away from the platform. The on demand delivery partnership will span 60 of its restaurants across the UK.
Tortilla is set to collaborate with Deliveroo on its Family Dinneroo initiative, offering shareable meals for between up to four people, with the ability to customise to suit individual needs. These menus are available between 4.30pm and 6.30pm on Monday to Thursday, and are exclusive to the Deliveroo app.
Rob Harris, Chief Revenue Office, Deliveroo, says: "We are excited to welcome Tortilla back to Deliveroo and we look forward to helping them achieve their growth ambitions. It’s a partnership that’s about more than delivery, it’s about reaching new customers and building a loyal customer base together through innovative initiatives like Family Dinneroo and offering great value to Deliveroo Plus subscribers."
Perry Ellis
Perry Ellis, a North American manufacturer and marketer of apparel whose portfolio of brands includes Original Penguin, Rafaella, Cubavera, Ben Hogan, and Farah, has deployed an automated post‑picking validation system based on RAIN RFID tunnels at its distribution centre in the Atlanta area.
The project targets final order validation after picking and just before shipment to wholesale customers and retail networks. While picking operations were already supported by pick‑to‑light systems, final verification still relied heavily on manual checks, making it difficult to detect discrepancies before shipments left the facility.
Chargebacks caused by missing or excess items are among the most common penalties imposed by retailers, often reaching up to 20% of the invoice value and resulting in losses that can amount to tens of thousands of dollars per shipment.
Perry Ellis implemented high density RFID tunnels, integrated into its existing conveyor lines. The solution automatically validates the contents of each open box after picking, comparing in real-time the items detected by RFID with the expected order data.
The system combines Clustag MOT Station RFID tunnels, capable of processing up to 1,000 boxes per hour and reading up to 600 items per box, The entire process is orchestrated by Zentup, Clustag's middleware platform, fully integrated with Perry Ellis’ Manhattan WMS, enabling real‑time EPC level validation and allowing only compliant orders to proceed to shipping.
Stadium
Stadium has announced its investment 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.
Evri, Tesco and MFG
Evri Group, a UK parcel delivery company, reports the launch of the first wave of its owned locker network in partnership with grocery retailer Tesco, alongside a new nationwide partnership with Motor Fuel Group (MFG), the UK’s largest independent forecourt operator.
The roll-out includes 500 new locker locations at petrol stations across the UK.
These offer pick up and drop off, contact free functionality, QR code access and print at locker capability, with this latest announcement building on Evri’s existing footprint of more than 11,000 ParcelShops and lockers across the UK, including services available in Post Office branches and Asda stores.
It follows the company’s announcement of a £50 million investment to more than double its ParcelShop and locker estate by 2030. Evri has partnered with Bloq.it on the development of these new lockers, commissioning at least 1,000 units.
JD.com
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has launched its Joybuy online marketplace in the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
This is part of its move to internationalise its business, which also includes inking a deal to buy German electronics retailer Ceconomy, owner of the MediaMarkt and Saturn brands, for $2.52 billion. Offering on demand delivery and international brands, it is also an attempt to compete with Amazon in Europe and standout from other Chinese rivals such as AliExpress and Temu.
In a LinkedIn post, JD.com said: “This is a major milestone in our mission to bring a wide selection of quality, well known brands, delivered efficiently and quickly to our customers in Europe, who don't just want to buy, they want to Joybuy.”
It added: “What makes it possible? Our more than 20 years of experience in retail and logistics, invested in our network of warehouses and depots across Europe, and designed to process orders efficiently and move them quickly from our shelves to your door. In many areas, customers can enjoy our Double 11 delivery promise: Order before 11am → delivered before 11pm the same day; Order after 11am → delivered the next day.”
“From the moment a customer clicks “order” to the moment their box of joy arrives, our teams work to make the process smooth, fast, and dependable - bringing the joy back to online retail. We’re proud of the work happening behind the scenes and grateful to the teams making it all possible across Europe.”
Co-op
VoCoVo, a retail communications specialist, has announced a new five-year partnership with convenience retailer Co-op, which will see its Series 5 (S5) Pro Headsets deployed to more than 2,300 stores nationwide.
Following a pilot across 114 stores, full roll-out commenced in February and is expected to be concluded next year. Co-op has worked with VoCoVo since 2017 and is upgrading its existing headset devices as part of a long-term investment in its in-store technology.
By enabling instant communication within stores and with Co-op’s Support Centre, the retailer says that teams can respond more quickly to customer needs, whether answering enquiries or requests for assistance, checking stock availability, managing parcel collections or handling online orders.
Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty has become the first US specialty beauty retailer to launch on TikTok Shop.
With a go live date of 17th March, this includes a curated assortment of brands that are only available at Ulta.
“The launch enables us to meet guests in the moments that inspire them, reduce friction between content and commerce, and drive incremental growth by welcoming new to Ulta Beauty shoppers into our community,” says Chief Merchandising and Digital Officer Linda Brindley.
It follows UK retailer John Lewis on to the platform. Earlier this month, John Lewis announced a 90-day pilot timed to help with Mother’s Day gifting, with the trial focusing on a curated edit of beauty and gifting items, instantly shoppable through TikTok Shop.
This included a final drop of its Mother’s Day Beauty Box, featuring a collection of beauty products from brands including Jo Malone London, Augustinus Bader and Estee Lauder.
Royal Mail
Royal Mail has unveiled its 1,000th red parcel locker. This is now live outside a Sainsbury's store in Weymouth.
This brings the total number of lockers available to its customers to 3,000, as they can also use 2,000 Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers across the UK. Royal Mail unveiled the first locker in its network in December 2024, outside its Mount Pleasant Mail Centre in London.
Since then, it has announced partnerships that have seen its lockers rolled out at: NewRiver REIT shopping centres and retail parks; Sainsbury's stores; Co-op stores; Motor Fuel Group petrol stations; UPP student accommodation; and Post Office branches (on a trial basis).
The lockers feature label printing, helping out customers who do not have access to a printer. To use them, customers can download a QR code for a return or for postage paid for online.
Miris
Miris, which was founded in 2024, is backed by IAG Capital Partners and headquartered in Culver City, CA., has announced the launch on 24th March of a public beta for its new 3D asset streaming platform.
As a managed service, 3D content owners can upload a 3D asset to Miris, enabling them to stream that asset to any device, instantly and at high fidelity, at costs comparable to video. The company says that this unlocks a wide range of use cases from retail product configurators, architectural visualisation, digital twins, and interactive retail.
Instead of sending rendered pixels, which requires GPU infrastructure on a per-user basis, or entire asset files, which requires user downloads and asset compression, Miris uses adaptive spatial streaming to achieve sub-second load times and horizontal scaling. The platform preconditions 3D assets for on-demand delivery and only transmits necessary geometric and texture data in real-time.
“Until now, companies had to choose between visual quality and cost at scale. We eliminated that choice,” says Sean Looper, CTO at Miris. “Miris is a fundamentally different approach that eliminates tradeoffs for developers. We’re excited to open the public beta and kickstart the future of 3D asset delivery.”
Developers with beta access can use the offering with sample assets or their own content. Documentation provides guidance on the integration process, and the entire flow is self-serve.
Snappy Shopper
Snappy Shopper has launched a new retail media network designed to give FMCG brands scalable access to independent convenience retailers.
The platform, Connect, allows brands to activate social media campaigns across hundreds of local retailer pages through a single centrally managed campaign.
Greg Deacon, VP of Snappy Media, says: “Independent retailers have built incredibly engaged local audiences, but until now brands haven’t had a scalable way to activate them nationally.”
“Snappy Media bridges that gap by combining the trust of local retailers with the scale and measurement brands expect from modern retail media. It gives brands authentic local reach while creating a new revenue stream for independent stores.”
Snappy Shopper says that it is currently working with a number of leading FMCG brands to activate campaigns across the network.
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