Uber Eats expands in Europe and Tesco goes all in on AI: last week's most read retail technology articles
Check out our most clicked retail technology articles from last week, including Tottenham Hotspur FC, Ocado Intelligent Automation, Iceland Foods, invent.ai, atis, Scala, Instacart, Instaleap, Amazon, QSIC, and Dollar General.
Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur lays claim to best digital experience in world football
Tottenham Hotspur FC this week launched two apps and a new website for both the club and its stadium. And it also make a bold claim: namely, that it is now offering the best digital experience in world football.
In a LinkedIn post, Rob Pickering, Chief Technology & Digital Officer, said: “That’s not marketing spin, or me talking my own book (ok, maybe a little bit) - the world class UX, feature rich delivery and connected nature of these apps backs it up - with more still to come through June as we get ready for the new season.”
He added: “We’ve split our single app into two. The new club app covers everything Spurs - news, content, ticketing, fully integrated SpursPlay, Overseas Supporter Club integration and a personalised experience built around what you care about.”
“The stadium app is your match day companion - digital wayfinding from the street to your seat (powered by Situm Indoor Positioning), robotic fan cameras to take match day selfies from your seat (powered by AMPLIFiCAM), integrated ticketing with Ticketmaster and a bunch of other capabilities that push us further towards our goal of being a 365-days-a-year destination.”
QSIC agrees partnership with Dollar General to support in-store audio at more than 12,000 locations
Dollar General has announced the roll-out of an AI enabled in-store audio network across approximately 6,000 DG stores in 48 US states.
Through a new partnership with QSIC, Dollar General says it will deliver more relevant, localised and measurable audio experiences to customers while providing brand partners with accountable, data driven advertising across its retail footprint.
This deployment will double DG’s existing in-store audio presence and increase measurement capabilities, bringing the total number of DG stores with in-store audio capabilities to 12,000 in Q2 2026.
“We’re constantly looking for innovative ways to help brands meaningfully connect with our customers, and by introducing an AI powered in-store audio network, we’re unlocking an entirely new layer of relevancy and accountability in the shopping experience,” says Austin Leonard, Vice President and General Manager at DG Media Network.
“This platform allows us to deliver localised, real-time messaging at scale across the thousands of communities we serve, especially in underserved and often overlooked rural areas. It’s a powerful way to create value for our brand partners while enhancing the in-store experience for the millions of customers who rely on Dollar General every day through more relevant, contextual messaging designed to add value, not noise, to their shopping trip.”
Ocado Intelligent Automation hits MODEX with launch of AI powered Ocado IQ software suite
These are: Two pick modes run concurrently across the warehouse, configured aisle by aisle based on density, velocity, and layout; Smart Bypass activates direct-to-pick routing, eliminating meet-up points and badge-in delays for fast operations; One system orchestrates every workflow - picking, tasking, routing, and error resolution, through a single interface.
The company claims that operators benefit from three times improvement in picking productivity, with ROI in as few as six months.
“Most software systems lock you into a single pick mode for every aisle in your warehouse. What elevates the Ocado IQ software suite is its two concurrent pick modes that free operators from the one-size-fits-all pick strategies of the past,” says Leah Holding, President, Ocado Group North America. “Ocado IQ turns picking inefficiency into high performance execution for every item, every aisle, and every associate.”
Just Eat exits and Uber Eats lands in Denmark starting with Copenhagen and Aarhus and Odense to follow
Uber Eats has gone live in Denmark. This is the first in a series of new market entries across Europe during 2026, with Greece, Austria, Romania, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Norway set to follow.
“Danes now have a new way to discover and order from their favourite restaurants,” says Matthew Price, Regional General Manager at Uber Eats.
“We believe it’s important that both consumers and restaurants have more choice. Our goal is to offer a reliable, easy to use experience, while being an attractive partner to restaurants offering them another way to reach customers and grow profitably,” he adds;
“Denmark is one of Europe’s most digital and dynamic markets, with high expectations for quality, convenience, and value. We see clear demand, and we’re launching with Uber One, offering benefits like no delivery fees and cashback across delivery and Uber rides.”
Price concludes: “We’re starting in Copenhagen, with Aarhus and Odense later this April, and this is just the beginning. We look forward to expanding across Denmark and into groceries, while staying focussed on the Eaters and partners we serve.”
Saskia de Jongh, VP, Regional General Manager, adds: “Denmark is one of the region’s most advanced and dynamic markets, with strong digital adoption and a vibrant food culture. It’s exactly the kind of market where we believe we can add value by bringing more choice for consumers and new opportunities for restaurants.”
London based restaurant brand atis gears up to launch app in May built on proprietary technology
atis is set to launch its first customer app this May. Built in-house over the past 18 months, this is powered by atis’ proprietary technology, giving the brand full control over Click and Collect ordering, loyalty and the end-to-end customer journey.
Around 50% of all orders are currently placed digitally, a figure expected to increase further following the launch. By integrating Click and Collect, loyalty and rewards within a single ecosystem, atis says that it is enhancing personalisation and building a more direct relationship with its customers.
The app integrates with the new loyalty programme, atis Insiders, enabling customers to skip the queue, earn and redeem rewards, save favourite build your own orders and access exclusive perks, including future secret menu items.
The company will roll-out a city wide activation across London, which will see 100 QR codes hidden for customers to discover via the app, with free meals available to those who find them first. Those that download the app during launch month will receive £5 off their first order.
Iceland Foods taps invent.ai platform for inventory and replenishment operations initiative
UK frozen food and grocery retailer, Iceland Foods, says it is boosting the way it manages inventory and replenishment with the help of invent.ai.
The move addresses the challenge of keeping thousands of SKUs consistently available across a nationwide network of stores and distribution centres. By leveraging invent.ai’s AI powered platform, Iceland can now turn complex sales, supply and demand data into real-time operational actions at scale, ensuring that the right products are in the right place at the right time.
The platform factors in seasonal demand, promotions, new product launches and one off anomalies. It automates replenishment decisions, with the aim of providing operational teams with optimised stock recommendations that reduce waste, minimising stockouts and maximising sales opportunities.
“AI is giving us the visibility and control we’ve never had before,” says Matt Downes, Supply Chain Director at Iceland Foods. “We can now keep shelves consistently stocked with the products our customers want, reduce lost sales and improve the overall shopping experience across every store and distribution centre.”
Tesco agrees AI partnership with Adobe as it looks to be more responsive to shoppers' needs
Adobe and Tesco have announced an AI partnership that aims to improve the shopping experience for customers with personalised prompts that offer individual recommendations, ideas and deals.
This includes a Tesco x Adobe Innovation Lab which will see the latter’s engineers working alongside the former’s personalisation and AI teams.
With more than 24 million Clubcard households, Tesco has established one of the largest loyalty and reward schemes in UK retail, with millions of customers receiving offers, product recommendations and recipe ideas.
Through its partnership with Adobe, it aims to accelerate personal engagement and improve the service it offers customers. Using technology like Adobe’s agentic AI capabilities and Adobe Firefly Foundry, Tesco’s personalisation and AI teams will be able to use its customer intelligence responsibly to help it to better anticipate customers’ needs, in order to serve up personalised content, offers and experiences across its digital channels.
Grocery retail technology specialist Instacart focuses on international expansion as it snaps up Instaleap
North American grocery technology company, Instacart, has announced its acquisition of Instaleap, a global enablement and fulfillment solutions services platform for online retailers. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Instaleap has established relationships with nearly 100 grocery retailers and marketplaces outside North America, including Cencosud, Continente, Jerónimo Martins, Lulu and SPAR. With operations in approximately 30 countries, it has a presence in Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
“We see a meaningful opportunity to expand internationally through an enterprise led strategy that empowers retailers across the globe to meet the evolving omnichannel needs of their customers,” says Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer at Instacart.
“We’ve already seen growing global demand for our online and in-store technologies, including Storefront Pro and Caper Carts, with early traction in Europe and Australia. With the addition of Instaleap’s technology, international expertise, and deep retail relationships, we can accelerate our international expansion and better serve retailers and consumers around the world.”
Tenth time at Retail Technology Show for London bound marketing tech and digital signage firm Scala
Marketing technology and digital signage company, Scala, is bringing its solutions to Retail Technology Show at Excel London on 22nd and 23rd April.
This appearance will be the tenth time that the firm, now in its 40th year, has appeared at the event, and you will find them on booth U10.
“This year the Scala EMEA team has demonstrated their expertise and skill as full service digital communication providers. We have deployed some truly stunning retail, hospitality and communications solutions with work that has been recognised and celebrated across Europe,” says Harry Horn, General Manager of Scala EMEA.
“We are taking on new clients and projects as well as working with existing partners to expand some of our most sensational display solutions to more locations. It is great to be returning to Retail Technology Show to show off what we have been working on and share the exciting projects that we have coming up.”
Life after Just Walk Out: Amazon continues Dash Carts push at Stateside Whole Foods Market stores
Amazon is continuing its roll-out of the newest generation of Amazon Dash Carts at Whole Foods Market stores in the US.
In a LinkedIn post, Leandro Balbinot, CTO and Head of Supply Chain at Amazon Grocery/Whole Foods, said: “If you are around downtown Austin, come to our Lamar location and check them out! While the skip the line checkout gets attention, the great experience is how Dash Cart keeps you informed throughout your shop.”
“You see your running total update in real-time as items go in or out of your cart, making it effortless to track your basket. The design philosophy? Don't eliminate interaction - enhance it by putting the right information at your fingertips exactly when you need it.”
He concluded: “This newest generation incorporates significant enhancements and new features specifically requested by customers for an even better in-store grocery shopping experience.”
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