Robot firsts, crypto breakthroughs and grocery bombshells: the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail technology news? Then this is the article for you. Including Simbe, Cart.com, Shopify, SportsShoes, Greggs, InPost, On, Sainsbury's, EE, Amazon, Wickes, and the Cardano Foundation.

3...EE is bringing its experiential format to London’s Oxford Street.

This is the third experiential store launched by EE in the capital, alongside the flagship Studio in Westfield, White City and Experience store in Westfield, Stratford.

The launch is part of the company’s £3 million investment into bricks and mortar retail over the last ten months as it rolls out the experiential format across the UK. The Oxford Street store has been designed to help customers get hands-on with the latest smart tech, while also providing expert support from staff for those looking for help with their devices. 

Asif Aziz, Retail Director at EE, comments: “We are so proud to bring our experiential format to one of the busiest retail destinations in the UK. The role of high streets is changing, and we know shoppers want more than just a transaction; they want experiences and personal connection.”

“We designed our Oxford Street Experience Local store to be a space where shoppers can get hands-on with the latest launches and discover how technology can enhance their every day, with the expert support of our fantastic EE Guides on the UK’s best network.”

137...The Cardano Foundation, a Swiss-based, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to advancing Cardano as a public digital infrastructure, reports the integration of the Cardano blockchain into DFX.swiss's platform.

At the core of this move is Open Crypto Pay, a crypto payment standard developed by DFX.swiss. Through the integration of Cardano, customers can now pay with the cryptocurrency ADA in 137 SPAR stores across Switzerland.

Payments are processed in real-time and without reliance on centralised exchanges. The payment function of Open Crypto Pay also allows ADA tokens from native ADA wallets to be used directly at the checkout for payment.

According to those involved, a key benefit for merchants lies in significantly lower transaction costs: compared to traditional card and payment providers, transaction fees can be reduced by around two thirds with Open Crypto Pay.

"We're witnessing the beginning of a fundamental shift in how value moves through society," says Frederik Gregaard, CEO at the Cardano Foundation. "When blockchain becomes invisible infrastructure - when paying with ADA is as natural as using a card - we've moved beyond the experimental phase into genuine financial transformation. This partnership is planting seeds for an ecosystem where digital and traditional finance aren't separate worlds, but one seamless experience."

$180 million...Cart.com, a unified commerce and logistics solutions provider, has announced a $180 million growth equity investment led by Springcoast Partners.

Springcoast is joining existing investors PayPal Ventures, Arsenal Growth Equity, Mercury Fund, and Oak HC/FT.

“This investment will strengthen our balance sheet and provide us with the flexibility to accelerate our strategic priorities,” says Omair Tariq, Chief Executive Officer at Cart.com. “We’ve built a platform that combines commerce software with a scaled logistics network, and we’re just getting started. With long-term capital and aligned partners, we believe we can accelerate innovation across our platform, expand our AI capabilities, continue improving automation across our operations, and pursue sustainable profitability as we grow.”

“In an increasingly fragmented commerce landscape, Cart.com has differentiated itself by uniting enterprise software with physical logistics,” says Evan Nawrocki, Principal at Springcoast Partners. “Their end-to-end offering and demonstrable ROI for enterprise customers makes them an outlier in commerce enablement technology. We’re excited to partner with Omair and the team to drive the next phase of profitable growth.”

1...Simbe says that it has become the first retail technology company to achieve UL 3300 certification, a standard for service, communication, information, education and entertainment robots, from UL Solutions for Tally, its shelf scanning autonomous mobile robot.

"Since 2015, we've designed Tally to earn trust from shoppers navigating aisles, store teams working alongside it, and the retailers deploying it at scale," says Jeff Gee, Chief Design Officer at Simbe.

"This UL 3300 certification confirms what our retail partners, and their store teams and customers, experience daily: Tally is retail's favourite robot because it operates safely in the real world. This milestone reflects our commitment to people ffirst automation."

As part of the UL 3300 evaluation, Tally passed over 40 safety tests focused on its ability to operate safely and reliably in retail settings.

14...UK running and fitness retailer, SportsShoes, has opened a flagship store at 113 Shoreditch High Street in London, its first retail space in over 14 years.

In a LinkedIn post, Maissa Fatté, Enterprise Sales Northern Europe at Shopify, said: “Huge congrats to SportsShoes.com for the opening of House of SportsShoes - an incredible experiential flagship in the lead up to the London Marathon this April.”

She added: “The store operates as a digital first hub for runners, offering an amazing shoe range, a running lab for gait analysis, and a dedicated events floor for community, athlete sessions and brand activations.”

“Love the ‘no bags, no hassle’ concept where customers try products in-store and have them delivered to their home the next day! The store tills are powered by Shopify PoS, making the in-store purchase even more hassle free.”

1...Warner Bros. Global Experiences is gearing up to open its first flagship shop in London, joining a King’s Cross location, as the UK’s only official Harry Potter retail destinations. 

This will open during the autumn and will be located at The Ribbon, 134-140 Oxford Street, covering 21,000 sq ft across two floors.   

Karl Durrant, WB’s SVP Worldwide Retail, says: “Harry Potter is deeply rooted in British storytelling, and this will give fans an exciting new way to experience this magical world in the city that features so prominently in the stories.  Offering a completely new retail experience for Harry Potter fans which will delight and entertain, it’s going to be very special.” 

The new location will join the collection of Harry Potter experiences owned and operated by Warner Bros. in London, including Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter.

15...Amazon has launched its Amazon Now service in Brazil, promising to deliver essentials and groceries in 15 minutes.

This went live this week in Sao Paulo and will expand to seven other cities by 9th March. "Brazil has become a priority among the countries in which Amazon invests in the world. It is the highest investment priority today," said Country Head Juliana Sztrajtman.

In making this move, Amazon has dropped a bombshell in the grocery delivery wars, according to Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “This isn’t just another same-day push, it’s ultra-fast quick commerce hitting a high priority market, leveraging Amazon’s optimised micro-fulfillment hubs and logistics muscle to deliver perishables at speeds that redefine convenience. The move is already pressuring local players like iFood, Rappi, and even Mercado Libre (whose stock dipped on the news).”

50%...Salvation Army charity shops across the UK have seen a 50% increase in Gift Aid sign-ups after introducing new digital technology.

The changes have been rolled out by Salvation Army Trading Company - the trading arm of The Salvation Army - in partnership with charity gift aid and retail technology specialist BMc Azurri, part of the Barron McCann group.

The changes mean customers now experience faster transactions, shorter queues, easier donation options and a more inclusive, modern retail environment. And the additional money raised helps support The Salvation Army’s work with vulnerable people in communities across the UK.

The technology has been introduced in more than 250 charity shops and donation centres. The charity decided to modernise its retail systems to deal with the increased volume of donations and also customer expectations.

Paper-based processes - particularly for Gift Aid sign-ups - were creating administrative delays, data errors and missed fundraising opportunities. Donors can now sign up online, via QR codes, on in-store devices or at self-service stations.

Mobile PoS systems have also been rolled out to help manage busy periods, particularly during donation centre openings and peak trading times. The technology reduces queues and allows staff and volunteers to process transactions more efficiently. Self-service donation points now enable donors to independently label and drop off items.

£2.2 billion...Greggs’ full-year sales rose 6.8% to £2.2 billion. Underlying operating profit fell by 4.0% to £188 million.

Aarin Chiekrie, Equity Analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown, says: “Greggs served up a strong finish to the year, with sales growth accelerating in the final quarter as customers tucked into more of its freshly baked goods. This comes as the group’s new scooped up market share, helped by improved menus, later opening hours, and 121 net new store openings over the year, although the latter was a touch lower than originally planned."

"But the cost picture has been a major challenge, largely driven by a handful of unhelpful changes to tax rules and minimum wages. Alongside that, setting up two new distribution centres in 2025 has been costly, and altogether, it’s led to full-year operating profits falling 4.0% to £188 million."

Chiekrie adds: "Despite the challenges, Greggs is working hard to build the foundations for future growth. The number of shops is set to rise from 2,739 to around 3,000 over the next few years as it looks to become more accessible to more people. Menus are being adapted to changing customer preferences, and shops are staying open later to cash in on more evening customers - the group’s fastest growing day-part. In fact, nearly 75% of its stores are now open beyond 5pm."

"The balance sheet is in a good position, and plenty of liquidity on hand. With cost inflation set to ease this year, guidance for underlying profits to remain broadly flat looks a touch conservative. Especially given that peak investment in building out its infrastructure for future growth has passed. As long as conditions don’t sour too much for the UK consumer, there could be more than tasty treats in store for Greggs.”

95%...New research from InPost shows that 95% of adults receive a parcel each month, with an average person receiving six, yet 40% miss at least one delivery. Trust in home delivery is eroding, making ‘parcel anxiety’ a routine part of online shopping.

Home delivery is also eating into people’s time and eroding their sense of control. Roughly one-third of parcels fail on the first attempt, forcing consumers to spend an average of 3.2 hours waiting at home and a further 2.3 hours sorting out missed deliveries.

Michael Rouse, CEO International, InPost UK, comments: “Home delivery should not require households to donate half a day to their doorbell. The data shows a meaningful loss in time and control for customers, plus further operational complications for merchants."

"The way the e-commerce industry presents delivery needs to change. It is not a back-end function, it is a core part of the brand experience. By giving shoppers a genuine choice at checkout, retailers can turn missed delivery friction into certainty, lowering costs while improving the experience. Until this happens, parcel anxiety will remain a defining feature of UK commerce.”

1...Wickes has announced the launch of Wickes Connected Retail Media, a new retail media network that goes live with both onsite and offsite capabilities.

Pitched as a first of its kind proposition in the home improvement category, this is designed to help brands connect with UK home improvement customers wherever they are browsing, researching or shopping for products. It has been developed in partnership with Epsilon and is powered by its COREid identity graph.

Gary Kibble, Chief Marketing and Digital Officer at Wickes, says: “We’re proud to launch Wickes Connected Retail Media in partnership with Epsilon, a major step forward for our business. This network makes it easier than ever for our customers to discover the brands and products that help them get their projects right.”

“From first time DIYers and design and installation customers to trade professionals managing multiple jobs each week, our shoppers have distinctive ways of researching, browsing and buying. We’re excited to see the impact this will have for brands and customers alike, connecting them at the moments that matter most.”

2...Swiss sportswear brand On has taken the wraps off a new LightSpray factory in South Korea.

Following the opening of its first factory in Zurich last year, the second location near Busan adds another 32 fully automated robots, set to increase global LightSpray production capacity 30-fold in 2026.

In a LinkedIn post, On said: “What began as a four-year development journey, followed by the opening of its first dedicated facility, LightSpray is now ready to scale.”

“The factory launch coincides with the introduction of the LightSpray Cloudmonster 3 Hyper - the first shoe upper sprayed at the new factory and the the ultimate companion for long runs and tempo runs, featuring full length Helion HF hyper foam and “Sprayed in Korea” visible on the inside sole. The shoe debuts with a limited release at on.com and in On retail stores in North America on 5th March.”

300...Sainsbury’s has announced plans to restructure its technology team and Argos delivery network, with the aim of creating more separation between the two businesses.

The move will involve the UK grocery giant cutting 300 head office jobs, most of which will be in technology and data, where it its “consolidating routine reporting tasks” and creating dedicated teams for Argos and Sainsbury's.

Local delivery hubs for Argos will be overhauled, with teams’ shifts being changed so they are working more regular hours with less overtime. There will also be changes to its store leadership, creating four new regional roles for the retailer's convenience stores.

Sainsbury's is moving into to the third year of a restructuring initiative, which it announced in February 2024 with plans to target £1 billion in cost savings.

A spokesperson said: "As we gear up for year three of our next level plan, we're strengthening our focus behind both Sainsbury's and Argos. By maximising the power of our data and technology, we're freeing up our teams to concentrate on what matters most - delivering great food, brilliant service and fantastic value for our customers."