Sainsbury's reboots and Amazon Now races ahead: this week's biggest retail technology stories
It's Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail tech space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past few days, including On, Wickes, Ikea China, Warner Bros. Global Experiences, Harry Potter, Co-op Live, AiFi, Boxbar Tech, EE, SportShoes.com, and Shopify.
1. Sainsbury's announces job cuts amid move to maximise power of its data and retail technology
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."
2. Amazon drops bombshell in grocery delivery wars as speedy service hits Brazil market
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).”
3. On reimagines shoe manufacturing process with launch of LightSpray factory in South Korea
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.”
4. Wickes launches home improvement focused retail media platform in conjunction with Epsilon
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.”
5. Ikea China deploys self-driving vehicles after retailer's pilot cuts average customer waiting times
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.
6. Warner Bros. Global Experiences preps first Harry Potter UK flagship store on Oxford Street, London
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.
7. Autonomous market goes live at Co-op Live arena powered by AiFi and Boxbar Tech solutions
Co-op Live, an indoor arena in Manchester, England, sited in the Etihad Campus next to the City of Manchester Stadium, 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.”
8. SportsShoes.com opens experiential flagship store in London powered by Shopify technology
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.”
9. EE enlists Love Island's Luke Trotman as it brings experiential store format to London’s Oxford Street
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.”
10. Cart.com pulls in major investment to help scale logistics network and expand AI capabilities
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.”
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