Walmart goes big on digital shelf labels: last week’s biggest technology plays at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail technology deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Pilot, NCR Voyix, THG Ingenuity, Evri, Amazon, Tesco, Attabotics, Ikea China, Rights & Brands, 3D Cloud, East of England Co-op, and Pepco Group.

Walmart

After rolling out digital shelf labels to approximately 2,300 US locations, Walmart is set to deploy the technology estate wide within the next year.

In an online post, the retailer said: "Walmart stores carry tens of thousands of items, and every single one needs to have a clear, accurate shelf price. Between new inventory, Rollbacks and markdowns, pricing updates stack up fast and can take hours, if not days, to complete." 

"Before DSLs, that meant walking up and down aisles swapping out paper tags by hand. Now, associates manage planned price changes through a centralised Walmart system, making it easier to keep shelf prices accurate and aligned with what customers see at checkout."

"Price updates are still people led and support Walmart’s Everyday Low Price (EDLP) promise. Associates review and push approved changes through a secure system, typically outside of shopping hours, so prices remain stable and consistent during the day. That means customers see clear, consistent prices at the shelf that match what they are charged at the register. This builds customer trust."

Pilot

NCR Voyix, a unified commerce specialist, and Pilot, North America’s largest travel centre operator, have announced a five‑year exclusive platform agreement.

Under the expanded partnership, Pilot will deploy Voyix PoS for convenience fuel retail, including both retail and commercial fuel solutions, along with a suite of additional platform capabilities.

“At a time when technology is moving at an unparalleled pace, we are excited to be leveraging this innovative platform to transform our PoS operating environment for the future, while simplifying and modernising our tech stack,” says Andy Lupo, Chief Technology Officer at Pilot.

“For a network of our size, the job is to keep stores running smoothly while making meaningful improvements fast, and NCR Voyix provides another way for us to serve our guests better every day by reimagining the store experience and innovating for the future.”

THG Ingenuity

THG Ingenuity has announced the official launch of its Gift With Purchase (GWP) channel, opening up a retail media solution to external brand partners. 

Over the past year, campaigns run through THG owned LOOKFANTASTIC and Myprotein have driven a 77% increase in add-to-basket rates, a 67% uplift in new brand partnerships, and a 1.1 percentage point improvement in conversion. This has translated directly into stronger commercial returns, with CPA driven revenue increasing by 6% year on year.

Ryan Sanderson, Retail Media Lead at THG Ingenuity, says:  ‘By opening this channel to external partners, we’re extending a proven, high growth model beyond LOOKFANTASTIC and Myprotein. Our success shows how strategically executed gifting can drive stronger partnerships, higher conversion, and sustainable revenue growth.”

Rachel Moss, Retail Media Director at LOOKFANTASTIC, says: “As we continue to evolve our retail media proposition, the development of GWP has been a key area of focus. Through our partnership with THG Ingenuity, GWP has generated meaningful incremental revenue for THG Beauty while elevating the customer experience via more engaging, value driven propositions. This customer first approach has positioned GWP as a strategic and important pillar for our retail media strategy.”

Evri

Bloq.it has inked a multi-year partnership with UK parcel delivery service Evri.

The pair are collaborating to boost Evri’s OOH network by installing Bloq.it’s NEXT smart lockers with integrated returns functionality and its new standalone returns solution, drop, around the country. The first roll-out is scheduled for March, beginning in East of England Co-op locations.

Miha Jagodic, CEO at Bloq.it, says: “Our recently launched drop devices bridge the gap between consumers and locations for drop-offs, just as our NEXT lockers do for parcel pick-up. The drop promise is all about the user convenience.”

“A major logistics company like Evri choosing to deploy these devices is an enormous vote of confidence in our technology and is part of our UK market consolidation efforts. Evri understands that dedicated returns infrastructure is essential to a modern and hybrid OOH network, whether as a standalone or part of a larger integrated parcel station. The combination of NEXT and drop is the basis of this network, and we’re proud to provide it.”

Liam Rogan, Head of Out of Home at Evri, says: “We have an ambitious plan to significantly expand our ParcelShop and Locker network, and are committed to offering greater delivery choices for the consumers, retail clients, and businesses that we serve.”

“This major multi-million-pound investment will establish one of the UK’s largest pick-up, drop-off networks in the UK. Our expanding network of locations is shaping the future of parcel delivery in the UK with smart technology and greater accessibility, and Bloq.it is a great partner to help scale it.”

Co-op LIve

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.”

SportsShoes.com

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.”

SPAR

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."

Amazon

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

This has gone live 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).”

Ikea China

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.

3D Cloud

3D Cloud reports that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued a Notice of Allowance for its AI powered chat-based product configuration technology.

This is for customisation of complex products through natural language conversation, generating real-time 3D visualisations.

The patent includes 20 allowed claims covering conversational single and multi-product configuration; intelligent validation of sizes, finishes, and optional features; dynamic assembly of 3D model components; in-scene placement; iterative modification through successive commands; and the ability to complete a purchase directly within the chat interface.

The technology allows customers to customise complex products through natural language within a chat experience. In response to user input, a rendering engine assembles structured data objects representing three-dimensional model components at run time, generating an accurate 3D visualisation directly within the interface. The system also evaluates product rules and compatibility across available options to ensure valid configurations.

"We are squarely focused on using AI to reduce friction and solve real problems for our customers," says Beck Besecker, CEO and Co-Founder at 3D Cloud. "Configuring complex products has historically been time-consuming and rigid. This innovation makes it more natural and efficient. I'm proud of the team for developing technology that simplifies the experience while maintaining the precision and scalability our enterprise partners require."

Tesco

Tesco has re-appointed WPP Media’s EssenceMediacom as its media agency partner across the UK and Central Eastern European markets, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic. The announcement follows a closed review process run by Tuffon Hall Consultancy.

The appointment will cover media planning and buying services, and also tech and data integration with WPP’s Open platform and Open Intelligence capability.  

Becky Brock, Group Managing Director: Customer at Tesco, says: “It’s great to be able to continue our partnership with EssenceMediacom and WPP following a thorough review process. We are looking forward to continuing to work with the team as we leverage new technologies to unlock more value for our customers and business from media planning and delivery.” 

Victoria Coach Station

Stasher has announced a partnership with Victoria Coach Station, the UK's busiest coach terminal, as its official online luggage storage booking provider.

"This partnership with Victoria Coach Station represents one of our most significant network additions to date," says Jacob Wedderburn-Day, CEO and Co-founder at Stasher. "As a London-based business, we understand the unique needs of UK travellers.”

“By digitising the booking experience at the nation's busiest coach station, we're solving multiple pain points: the uncertainty of availability, and the misconception that you can always store bags at your hotel, when the reality is that your hotel might be miles from where you need to be."

"We’re excited to be working in partnership with Stasher. Having them onboard will help us improve the services offered to coach passengers and others within London.” says Liam Wilson, Head of Coach Services at Transport for London. "Their technology will provide us with more modern ways of making our facilities available to Stasher customers and a new online audience.”  

Authentic Brands Group

Seel, an agentic post-purchase platform, has announced a partnership with Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), a sports, media, entertainment and lifestyle platform.

The tie up aims to deliver a more confident, streamlined post-purchase experience to Authentic’s portfolio, which includes names like Reebok, Juicy Couture, Champion, DC Shoes, Vince Camuto, Roxy and RVCA.

Authentic will integrate Seel’s Worry-Free Purchase programme, providing its shoppers with an added layer of protection against delivery issues such as missing or stolen packages. Seel handles all claims, refunds, and support directly, while providing support to the company’s customer service teams. It says that its AI driven instant claim process reviews and approves claims immediately.

“Delivering an exceptional customer experience is our priority,” says Adam Kronengold, Chief Digital Officer at Authentic. “Partnering with Seel allows us to enhance the journey beyond checkout and give our shoppers the confidence and peace of mind they expect from our portfolio of iconic brands.”

Salvation Army

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.

Attabotics

Attabotics, a Canadian provider of robotic cube storage solutions that aim to simplify goods-to-person fulfillment operations, has launched US manufacturing operations in central Kentucky, USA.

This builds on existing capacity in Calgary, Canada.

“Extending the manufacturing footprint is an important step in our mission to bring Attabotics technology to market in a way that best addresses the needs of customers,” says Bruce Robbins, Founder at LaFayette Systems, which acquired Attabotics in September 2025 after it collapsed into bankruptcy.

“Predictable lead times and costs are critical to the success of logistics projects, and this expansion ensures we have the operational infrastructure for Attabotics technology to reach its full potential.”

Rights & Brands

TrusTrace reports a partnership with Rights & Brands, a licensing agency representing character brands including Moomin, The Smurfs, The Beatles, and Pippi Longstocking, that aims to strengthen supply chain transparency and compliance across consumer products worldwide.

As regulatory requirements for product transparency and accountability continue to intensify, Rights & Brands has selected TrusTrace's platform to centralise compliance documentation, strengthen supplier oversight, and create greater visibility across its global network.

"The characters we represent have been loved by families for generations, and that trust comes with responsibility. Our partnership with TrusTrace allows us to better ensure that products bearing these iconic brands meet high standards of transparency in their supply chain to ensure ethical manufacturing and compliance. This is about protecting not just the integrity of these characters, but the people behind the products," says Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters.

The implementation will roll-out in three phases from January through June, starting with foundational documentation, including factory information, signed codes of conduct, and audit certificates. The platform will enable Rights & Brands to manage compliance requirements that vary significantly by brand, product category, and material type, from PVC safety documentation to social audit certificates.

East of England Co-op

East of England Co-op reports completion of an automation project involving The National Lottery.

In a LinkedIn post, the retailer said: “We’re on a journey to digitalise compliance and reduce time consuming tasks. This week we’re please to share some more great news in this space.”

“Our Data & Insights team has successfully automated The National Lottery sales and prizes reconciliation process, giving us improved visibility through a new central dashboard, provided by Pyramid Analytics. Saving our colleagues valuable time, so they can focus on serving our members and customers, remains a key priority. This change not only supports that goal, but also helps us reduce paper usage in our Food stores.”

It concluded: “A big well done to our colleagues Darren Tuffs, Richard Tedder and Ashley Hollingsworth for their work on this project. Also, a big thank you to our National Lottery partners, Allwyn UK for their support.”

Joseph Joseph

Joseph Joseph, a British brand known for kitchenware and home organisation products, is extending its partnership with XPO Logistics, to handle its global forwarding from China to XPO Logistics’ warehouse in Rugby, Warwickshire, UK.  

The pair have been working together for six months as Joseph Joseph boosts its logistics strategy to scale its UK and international operations across direct-to-consumer (D2C), business-to-business (B2B), retail and e-commerce channels. 

XPO Logistics will now manage its orders, supplier profiles, the logistics of moving freight from China to the UK, and the end delivery to the e-fulfilment hub in Rugby, UK. It will manage the entire supply chain, from source to end-customer delivery. 

XPO Logistics’ proprietary technology gives Joseph Joseph end-to-end visibility from order creation through delivery to the end customer. The portal connects every milestone in real-time: orders, purchase orders, container movements, customs milestones, arrivals, and final distribution. 

Behind the scenes, AI driven automation accelerates the customs clearance process by validating data, flagging discrepancies, and streamlining documentation before the shipment reaches the border.

Castore

Castore operates 35 Shopify stores globally and was managing pricing updates through overnight manual CSV uploads. During peak trading, updates were taking around five hours to complete, error rates sat at 30 to 35%, and teams were routinely working late into the night just to keep systems stable.

After deploying Patchworks’ iPaaS, it has: Reduced pricing execution time from five hours to around two minutes; Cut pricing error rates by over 90%, now sitting at 1 to 2%; Achieved zero error pricing days during peak trading; Eliminated overnight manual pricing work entirely; Stabilised API load across 35 Shopify storefronts without licence expansion.

Wickes

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.”

On

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.”

THG Studios

Marketing agency, THG Studios, is laying claim to a new global benchmark for interactive brand experience with its Runway to the Future event. The production has been officially certified as the World’s First AI Driven Immersive, Shoppable Catwalk by the WRCA (World Record Certification Agency).   

Headlined by British fashion brand Topshop and presented in collaboration with headline sponsor PayPal and technology partner Google Cloud, the production, which took place on 26th February, turned the traditional catwalk into a living, shoppable ecosystem.

A guest list of creators, marketing and technology industry leaders, and cultural figures used a bespoke event app built by THG Ingenuity, Front Row AI, to interact with the show, try on virtual outfits and purchase looks directly from the runway in real-time.  

The creative vision, from visual language to digital environments, was developed using AI assisted generative workflows. During the event, an AI host guided guests alongside digital content creator and entrepreneur, Patricia Bright, while interactive AI stylists, powered by Noonah, featuring Google Cloud technology, offered a virtual try-on experience. The runway itself featured a blend of human models and AI generated virtual avatars.

The show spotlighted key pieces from the latest Topshop and Topman collections, highlighting the brands’ continued focus on craft, detail and trend led design. The runway featured 30 in person models, with 85% of the collection shoppable on the night.

Pepco Group

Pepco Group, owner of the Pepco clothing brand and discount chain Dealz, has launched its new mobile app in Poland, with more European markets set to follow.

In a LinkedIn post, it said: “Today marks an important milestone in Pepco Group’s digital and data transformation. We have officially launched our new Pepco mobile app, starting in Poland, our largest and most digitally mature market. The app is a foundational building block of Pepco’s new digital ecosystem, connecting: Physical stores; Loyalty (Pepco Club); Data driven digital touchpoints.”

It added: “Built on a modern, composable and scalable architecture, the platform integrates over 20 advanced technologies and is designed for rapid roll-out across European markets. Learnings from Poland will directly inform future deployments, supporting scalable growth and long‑term value creation.”

“This achievement is the results of close collaboration across Pepco teams and with our strategic digital partner Future Mind, who worked with us from the ground up to design and develop a human-centered mobile experience grounded in real customer insight and long-term scalability.”

“At its core, the app strengthens customer engagement, enhances data driven decision‑making and future‑proofs the group as we continue our journey to become the most beloved retailer for young families in Europe.”