Retail tech innovation of the week: Co-op Live bags frictionless, autonomous shopping first

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 Co-op Live, an indoor arena in Manchester, England, sited in the Etihad Campus next to the City of Manchester Stadium, that has launched an autonomous market powered by AiFi’s spatial intelligence platform and Boxbar Tech’s self-serve beverage technology.

Built in partnership with Oak View Group (OVG), this has been engineered to maximise speed, throughput and convenience during peak event times. Located in Vertu Place on Level 00 inside Co-op Live, it features four entry gates and a frictionless checkout experience.

Pitched as Europe’s first fully frictionless, autonomous self-serve market, the location allows people to tap their card to enter, grab hot food, grab-and-go items and draught drinks from Boxbar Tech’s automated self-serve bar installation. There are queues, no tills, and no waiting.

Michalis Fragkiadakis, SVP of Hospitality Strategy, OVG International, says: “Co-op Live was designed to lead the way in how a modern arena can operate, and this new autonomous market is a powerful example of that ambition in action.”

“By integrating AiFi and Boxbar Tech’s technologies, we’re delivering a food and beverage experience that is faster, smarter and far more seamless for fans. It reflects Oak View Group’s commitment to redefining the standards of venue hospitality across all of our properties, and we’re proud to see Co-op Live setting the benchmark for what the future of service can look like.”

And an honourable mention this week to...

Ikea China has introduced self-driving vehicles in Anhui Province following a pilot. It worked with a local supplier to test self-driving vehicles that transport customer orders from an external warehouse to the Ikea Hefei store for self-pick-up, and to re-stock products in-store. From the start of testing until now, the vehicles have covered almost 75,600 km.

The retailer says that average waiting times for self-pick-up orders reduced from six hours to two. For the business, transportation costs between Ikea units were reduced by more than 50%, offering a potential cost-efficient model for smaller stores or future formats.

As a result, Ingka Group, the largest Ikea franchisee, is permanently adopting the service at Hefei. It is also evaluating which markets would benefit from this initiative where legislation and infrastructure are favourable. In China, autonomous deliveries to the customer are also currently being trialled.

“We want to make life at home better through simple, affordable and convenient solutions to the many. Improving customer experience is a clear priority for us. This latest solution has taught us how new technology can shorten waiting times, support our co-workers and reduce costs, while keeping prices as low as possible,” says David McCabe, Fulfilment & Core Services Manager at Ikea Retail, Ingka Group.

“Autonomous delivery is no longer just a concept. We are deploying it in daily operations in China, together with partners. The value is practical: smoother deliveries, better use of time, and a more efficient last mile,” says Susanne Waidzunas, Global Supply Manager, Inter Ikea Group.