Stores and shopping carts get smart: check out the stand out retail technology plays from March

RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his stand out ‘future of retail’ technology deployments and launches from March, including Groupe Dynamite, Carrefour, Walmart, Aldi USA, Instacart, REWE, Trigo, Uber Eats, Starship Technologies, Gap Inc., Colruyt Group, M&S, Just Eat, Amazon, Waitrose, Co-op, VoCoVo, Papa Johns, and John Lewis.

Groupe Dynamite

Fashion retailer Groupe Dynamite has opened a flagship store on Oxford Street, London, powered by Manhattan Associates technology.

In a LinkedIn post, David Stevens, Chief Technology Officer at Groupe Dynamite, said: "Another big milestone achieved in our journey. Today (Friday, 27th March) we opened up our Garage Clothing UK flagship on Oxford Street."

"The store looks fantastic and I'm excited about the technology that the team installed in the store including two storey video screens, Manhattan Associates mobile checkout, RFID to track inventory in real-time and more. A fantastic job by the store opening team, easily the best in the business! Looking forward to visiting the store at the end of April when I speak at Retail Technology Show 2026."

Carrefour

Carrefour has introduced an AI powered grocery shopping service on ChatGPT, becoming the first major European retailer to integrate its full product offering directly into the platform.

Users in France can now interact with ChatGPT to find recipes, check product availability, build a shopping basket, and select delivery options before completing their purchase on Carrefour’s e-commerce platform.

"Carrefour is targeting France's 26 million ChatGPT users with this integration. That's a massive new storefront that lives inside a chatbot," says Max Sinclair, Founder and CEO at Azoma.

"This is agentic commerce in action. AI handles meal planning, dietary filtering, and basket building on behalf of the shopper. No search results pages. No shelf placements. ChatGPT curates the entire basket through conversation. Carrefour's AI already uses purchase history to personalise recommendations. The longer shoppers use it, the more it learns their preferences, and the harder it becomes for new brands or retailers to break in."

He concludes: "The shift from search and scroll to ask and buy is accelerating. If you're a brand or retailer selling in European markets, when a shopper asks ChatGPT what to buy for dinner tonight, are you part of the answer?"

Walmart Mexico

Walmart de México y Centroamérica, the largest retailer in Mexico, is expanding its collaboration with Vusion to deploy the EdgeSense connected store platform across its Walmart Express stores and begin the transformation of its Supercenter fleet.

This initiative builds on a global collaboration between the pair, following the deployment of Vusion’s connected store technologies across Walmart US stores.

Under this agreement, Walmart Express stores will be fully deployed with EdgeSense technology by the end of 2026, marking the first large scale roll-out of the platform in Latin America. Following this phase, Walmart Mexico also plans to expand the deployment to Walmart Supercenters.

Across the initial deployment, Walmart Express stores will be equipped with more than 1.7 million electronic shelf labels and over 180,000 EdgeSense smart rails. Walmart Mexico will also begin a pilot deployment in its Bodega format, evaluating how EdgeSense technology can support additional store formats as part of the company’s long-term connected store strategy.

Aldi USA

Aldi USA has worked with Instacart on the launch of a redesigned website and mobile app. The aim here is to offer a more seamless, personalised way for customers to shop products online, powered by Instacart's Storefront Pro platform and fulfillment solutions.

Instacart first began powering fulfillment for Aldi USA in 2019, and is now the retailer's exclusive fulfillment partner across its website and app.

"Aldi is known for offering their customers incredible value, and we're proud to partner with them to make sure that value translates seamlessly into their digital experience," says Ryan Hamburger, Vice President of Commercial Partnerships at Instacart.

"What makes this partnership special is that it goes beyond e-commerce. By combining Storefront Pro and fulfillment into one integrated platform, we're helping Aldi USA. scale faster while preserving everything that makes their brand special. We're proud to deepen our partnership and support their continued expansion across the US."

REWE

REWE has opened a Pick & Go autonomous store in Hanover, Germany, powered by Trigo technology.

In a LinkedIn post, Daniel Gabay, CEO and Co-founder at Trigo said: “Together with the REWE team, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of what a seamless, checkout-free shopping experience can look like. It’s been an incredible journey shaping the future of retail alongside partners who share our vision for a superior shopper experience.”

“One of the most rewarding aspects of this partnership is the understanding that innovation is iterative. With every new store we open, we learn, improve, and fine-tune. We are continuously tweaking the setup and the technology together to find exactly what works best for the shoppers on the ground.”

REWE Group’s Alina Maria Klueger said: “What a great moment! The opening of our Pick&Go store in the Lister Meile in Hanover was not only another milestone - it was above all a result of real teamwork, enthusiasm and an impressive dose of verve.”

She added: “A huge thank you to all colleagues, partners and supporters who contributed with their expertise, commitment and energy to successfully get this project off the ground. Your commitment - from the initial idea to implementation on site - has shown what is possible when everyone pulls together. I am proud to be part of this team and look forward to everything we will achieve together. Here's to many more innovative steps in the future!”

M&S

M&S reports that it is giving its store managers and support centre colleagues AI and Agentic AI tools, with the aim of making tasks like accessing data and analysis quicker and simpler, freeing up time to focus on customers and colleagues.

The retailer is purchasing 11,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot licences, supported by a training and development programme. A partnership with Microsoft is supporting the use of AI at scale across the organisation.

M&S CEO Stuart Machin says: “We’re already embedding AI across M&S - supporting stock forecasting and ordering, generating marketing materials, and powering a colleague help hub with AI agents. Now 11,000 colleagues will have AI support at their fingertips, pulling together summaries from multiple sources and giving them the data, analytics and insights they need in seconds.”

“As we reshape M&S for growth, scaling the use of AI is central to our technology transformation and today's announcement is just one of the steps forward on that journey."

Decathlon

Exotec, a specialist in robotic solutions for warehouse logistics, has announced the deployment of a multi-site programme called Skyfleet for Decathlon.

This spans seven logistics platforms across five European countries: France, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Italy, and Germany.

After deploying its first Skypod robotic system at its Tilburg site in 2021, Decathlon chose to expand the partnership with a project that involved standardising store replenishment across the European continent.

Exotec developed a dedicated programme built on a harmonised, replicable, and scalable architecture; one that enables the roll-out of a standardised model while still adapting to each site’s specific requirements.

At every Decathlon site, Exotec integrates additional automated equipment to optimise intralogistics processes: automatic depalletisers, automated carton opening machines, RFID tunnels, automatic palletisers etc.

The Skyfleet programme has improved working conditions for Decathlon warehouse teams. For example, at the Northampton (UK) site, a picker would walk 10km per day, but within the new programme, they now walk just 1km per day. The number of workplace incidents related to order preparation has also sharply decreased, from one per 5.000 to 1 per 10.000.

The implementation has also enabled most Skyfleet sites to increase the number of Decathlon stores they supply. This is the case, for example, in Ferrières (France), now supplying 73 stores vs 37 previously, and in Setúbal (Portugal), which now supplies 73 stores vs 41 previously.

Uber Eats and Starship Technologies

Uber Eats and Starship Technologies are launching autonomous robot deliveries to 50,000 households in Sheffield.

This builds on a roll-out in Leeds last year. As part of the launch, Brits will also be able to submit their own 15-30 second long recordings of the track that the robots will play on the delivery to customers, for up to a month.

The nationwide search runs until 30th April, with Uber Eats unveiling the winning track and its composer in May. The composer will bag a cash prize of £3,000 and a year’s supply of Uber Eats credits. Anyone in the UK is encouraged to submit their jingle - including choirs, schools and social clubs - so long as the applying representative is over 18 years old. 

"Our robots have been a much loved part of daily life for communities across the UK since 2018: picking up shopping, dropping off essentials, there when people need them. Cutting out the short car trips that add up, our robots have already saved over 500,000 kg of emissions across Europe. We're proud to bring that everyday convenience to 50,000 people in Sheffield, making robot deliveries just another normal part of the day,” says Ahti Heinla, CEO and Co-founder at Starship.

"We’ve already proven that robots are a key part of the future of efficient, high tech delivery," says Merve Basci, General Manager at Uber Eats in the UK. "Now, we want to see if they can hold a tune. This moment is about more than just innovation; it’s about bringing a bit of unexpected joy to our customers’ doorsteps. Whether it’s a power ballad or a catchy hit, we’re letting the nation compose the soundtrack to their next takeaway."

Circa Resort & Casino

VenHub Global and Circa Resort & Casino have announced a partnership that will bring the former’s autonomous smart store offering to the latter’s guests. Measuring 66 feet x 10 feet by 10 feet, the installation will debut at Circa Resort later this spring.

Circa will introduce what is pitched as a first of its kind retail attraction comprised of three VenHub autonomous smart stores customised into a single, integrated, and continuously operating solution.

This will give guests the ability to autonomously browse and purchase food, snacks, alcohol, and smokeless tobacco products at any hour, without wait times, checkout lines etc.

“We’re always looking for ways to stay on the forefront of what’s next and deliver experiences our guests can’t find anywhere else,” says Derek Stevens, Founder and CEO, Circa Resort & Casino.

“This is more than a retail concept, it is a one of a kind attraction that brings together cutting-edge technology, convenience, and entertainment in a way that’s unique to Circa. Just like Stadium Swim and The World’s Largest Sportsbook, this is about creating a true destination moment, and we’re excited to partner with VenHub to introduce something entirely new to Las Vegas.”

Pandora

Hardis Supply Chain has announced a partnership with Pandora to support a warehouse management system (WMS) transformation project. The initiative is helping the jewellery retailer modernise and standardise warehouse operations across regions as part of a broader, end-to-end supply chain transformation.

Pandora has embarked on a programme spanning ERP, WMS, TMS, and global visibility platforms to support growth, sustainability goals, and an increasingly digital retail ecosystem.

With a complex global footprint that includes crafting facilities and distribution centres in Thailand, Europe, and North America, alongside an extensive third-party logistics (3PL) network, the company says that it required a scalable, flexible foundation capable of orchestrating operations across regions and channels.

“We needed a partner that would flex with us,” says Dawn Swackhamer, Vice President of Global Operations & Planning Technology at Pandora. “The big names can be rigid and don’t offer customization. Hardis was willing to configure and customise to meet our unique needs, and they do it very well.”

Hardis WMS is being deployed globally in phases, beginning with Europe and Thailand, with expansion planned next for Pandora’s North America distribution centre in the summer.

“Having a partner that understood our business in great detail made all the difference,” Swackhamer says. “Together, we designed, built, and tested something that truly worked for us.”

Gap Inc.

Gap Inc., the parent company of Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, has introduced two new AI technologies designed to boost the online shopping experience for its customers.

Built on Google Cloud data, these are personalised fit guidance from Bold Metrics’ Agent Sizing Protocol and support for Google’s new Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), in a bid to enable more seamless conversational and agentic commerce experiences. 

“We are not pursuing AI for novelty,” says Sven Gerjets, Chief Technology Officer, Gap Inc. “These partnerships are about solving real customer problems - helping shoppers feel confident about fit and making it easier to complete a purchase. They also reflect the holistic AI strategy we’ve built to scale intelligence across the enterprise in a disciplined way that drives measurable value over time.” 

Colruyt Group

Colruyt Group is rolling out its smart cart self-scanning shopping trolley to Belgian stores in Kessel-Lo and Waterloo. This follows an initial launch at a location in Halle.

Geert Elen, Head of Innovation at Colruyt Group, says: “We listened to our customers and developed our smart cart tailored to them. Doing the weekly shopping efficiently, keeping control of the budget, and saving time are particularly important to our customers. Market research shows that customers cite these as the major benefits of the smart cart. In addition, they enjoy using the technology.”

Elen adds: “Moreover, a smart shopping cart has a loyal following. When we look at users on a weekly basis, we see that eight out of ten customers have used the cart before and are now familiar with it. During peak times such as Friday and Saturday, we see that customers even wait to use a smart cart. We therefore look forward to making more of them available to our customers in the future and thus further increasing usage.”

Just Eat and Amazon

Just Eat Takeaway.com in the UK has announced a collaboration with Alexa+, Amazon’s new generative AI powered voice assistant. Customers will be able to order from its 100,000 partner brands through any enabled Alexa+ device.

This builds on the launch of voice ordering within the Just Eat app. Amazon and Just Eat say they will work together in 2026 to bring the service to customers.

Mert Öztekin, Chief Technology Officer at Just Eat, comments: "Convenience matters to our customers, and providing them the option to order via Alexa enabled devices offers just that. Whether it’s asking Alexa to order your regular to arrive at dinner-time or finding out what’s on offer on your local high street - Alexa+ will unlock the very best of Just Eat for millions of customers.”

"The UK is home to some of the most engaged Alexa customers in the world, and we're excited to introduce them to Alexa+ - our next-generation AI assistant that's more conversational and capable than ever before," says Meryem Tom, Managing Director, UK and Ireland (Amazon). 

"We're looking forward to bringing Just Eat to Alexa+, as we know it'll deliver real utility to our UK customers, whether they want to explore new cuisines or simply reorder their regular takeaway with a quick conversation."

Papa Johns

Deliverect has announced a partnership with Papa Johns that aims to modernise its delivery operations across the US.

In a LinkedIn post, Zhong Xu, Co-founder and CEO at Deliverect, said: “This is a massive milestone for us as we scale our AI powered Smart Dispatch platform to over +3,500 US restaurants with Papa Johns. This roll-out builds on the fantastic momentum we’ve already established powering Papa Johns in the UK, further solidifying our global partnership.”

He added: “With this addition, we now proudly power the top seven of the largest pizza chains in the world. By unifying in-house and third-party fulfillment into one intelligent hub, Papa Johns is prioritising a faster, more reliable experience for every customer. Huge thanks to the entire team for their trust in us.”

JoJo Maman Bébé

JoJo Maman Bébé, an omnichannel maternity wear and baby clothing retailer, has chosen Datitude as its data partner.

In a LinkedIn post, Datitude said: “We’re working together to simplify and unify JoJo Maman Bébé’s data - powering its business wide reporting so the teams can spend less time wrestling with data and more time using reports they trust.”

Phase one of the tie up will be live imminently, and work is underway on phase two. Datitude concluded: “Welcome, JoJo Maman Bébé, to our family of retail clients. It's a pleasure working with you.”

Waitrose

Waitrose has partnered with AI solutions specialist Satalia as it looks to optimise online delivery routes.

The aim here is to better plan delivery schedules, reduce travel times, and minimise fuel consumption across its fleet.

“Delivering the best possible experience for our customers has always been at the heart of what we do,” says James Lee, Head of Fulfilment at Waitrose “Working with Satalia allows us to offer even greater convenience, while taking another important step toward our goal of reducing emissions and operating more sustainably.”

“By harnessing AI powered technology, we can now offer customers more precise and convenient delivery times while significantly reducing our environmental impact. This is a brilliant example of how technology can help us deliver on our promises of both exceptional service and sustainability” said Pav Kalia, Head of Change Delivery and Technology.

John Lewis

John Lewis is investing in AI powered shopping and says it wants to become one of the first UK retailers to fully adopt and integrate the technology.  

The move will see its products served to customers looking for inspiration on AI platforms like Google Gemini and ChatGPT, starting later this year. John Lewis has extended its partnership with commercetools, a digital commerce platform, to utilise its new AI capabilities. 

It has also launched on TikTok Shop. Initially a 90-day pilot timed to help with Mother’s Day gifting, the trial focuses on a curated edit of beauty and gifting items, instantly shoppable through the platform. This includes a final drop of its Mother’s Day Beauty Box, featuring a collection of beauty products from brands including Jo Malone London, Augustinus Bader and Estee Lauder. 

Co-op

VoCoVo, a retail communications specialist, has announced a new five-year partnership with convenience retailer Co-op, which will see its Series 5 (S5) Pro Headsets deployed to more than 2,300 stores nationwide.

Following a pilot across 114 stores, full roll-out commenced in February and is expected to be concluded next year. Co-op has worked with VoCoVo since 2017 and is upgrading its existing headset devices as part of a long-term investment in its in-store technology.

By enabling instant communication within stores and with Co-op’s Support Centre, the retailer says that teams can respond more quickly to customer needs, whether answering enquiries or requests for assistance, checking stock availability, managing parcel collections or handling online orders.

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."

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.”

Kingfisher

Kingfisher and Google Cloud have announced a multi-year partnership that aims to improve the online shopping experience for the former’s customers using agentic AI.

Kingfisher says it is looking to move beyond traditional keyword search on its sites, including B&Q, Castorama France and Poland, and Brico Dépôt France, and toward enabling proactive, AI driven shopping assistants.

The deal focuses on two key areas: Kingfisher is upgrading to Vertex AI Search for Commerce; the partnership with Google Cloud will help it unlock its extensive product and data catalogues to build Al shopping agents.

Thierry Garnier, CEO at Kingfisher, says: “Through this partnership with Google Cloud, we are enabling our customers to search for and buy home improvement products with AI, delivering a fully personalised and easy shopping experience.”

“These investments put Kingfisher at the forefront of AI powered shopping, delivering meaningful innovation as part of our expanding digital ecosystem, and helping us to meet rapidly evolving customer needs.”

Zalando

Zalando is deploying up to 50 AI driven Nomagic robots across its European fulfilment network. The units, named Richard, specialise in item level picking, scanning, and induction into automated pocket sorters.

Using Nomagic’s AI and computer vision, the robots recognise materials and shapes to adjust their grip in real-time. By continuously learning and adapting to shifting inventory, the technology will play a key role in managing the vast, high rotation assortment of fashion and lifestyle products within Zalando’s fulfilment centres.

“The testing phase with Nomagic proved that their robotics are an excellent fit for Zalando's logistics centres. Following the quick and successful deployment of the first ten units, we have decided to scale our partnership, gradually rolling out more robots as our network evolves,” says Marcus Daute, Vice President Logistics Network at Zalando.

“The sheer scale of our operations demands smart automation that works with our people, not alongside them. By delegating simple processes to AI powered robots, we achieve the operational excellence our customers and business partners expect while supporting employees’ growth.”