Retail technology innovations of the week: K-Supermarket, VoCoVo, Lowe's and Zebra Technologies

Retail Technology Innovations of the Week is a series brought to you by RTIH, and sponsored by 3D Cloud, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.

Every week, we will showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, alongside the publication of the 2026 report later this year.

And this week we’re focusing on K-Supermarket which is piloting a talking AI assistant on digital billboards across three cities in Finland. Passersby can walk up, speak, and get personalised recipe ideas.

It is launching what is claimed to be the world’s first interactive public digital display that holds a two-way voice conversation with passersby.

The animated “Lil’ shop assistant” appears on shopping mall out-of-home screens in Helsinki, Lappeenranta, and Tampere, ready to suggest recipe ideas tailored to each person’s wishes.

While conversational screens have appeared in limited trials in parts of Asia and at select US events, this is the first known deployment in an open public space, with a voice driven AI assistant embedded in existing digital outdoor advertising infrastructure.

“We want to make everyday cooking easier in all kinds of ways and now we’re piloting a completely new kind of assistant to help with that. We’re genuinely excited to be part of developing this groundbreaking technology that offers real, tangible value in people’s daily lives,” says Milla Sorsakivi, Marketing Director at K-Supermarket.

And honourable mentions to...

VoCoVo

VoCoVo has announced the launch of the VoCoVo AI Gateway, a solution that enables retailers to securely integrate their existing AI directly into the company’s ecosystem. It says that this connection between AI platforms and in-store colleagues enables retailers to create their own digital assistants. 

With the AI Gateway, colleagues get AI driven insights delivered in real-time through their headset. With two-way communication, colleagues can ask questions hands-free on the shop floor and receive instant responses.

The solution is also AI agnostic, which enables retailers to connect with whichever AI tools they are using today or into the future. Data security is core to its approach, with retailers retaining ownership of all their own data.

Designed to meet strict security requirements, it eliminates the need to share data with third parties. VoCoVo says it provides a secure, security by design link between store colleagues and the retailer’s AI, with no data stored, processed or used for any purpose other than for secure transmission between the solution and the team’s headsets. Conversations are private and protected by advanced encryption, in line with data protection and governance requirements.

This new capability - delivered by the Series 5 Pro Headset - is informed directly by feedback from VoCoVo’s retail customer base. The solution enables retailers to maintain control over the AI systems they introduce to their stores, and the AI Gateway enhances the ROI from their AI without adding complexity.

For retailers embracing digital assistants, use cases for the AI Gateway range from integration with retailers' workflow management systems for equipment maintenance to stock checks for customer requested items.

Lowe's

Lowe’s has developed an automated paint selecting and buying system with Zebra Technologies.

And in doing so it has received a rave review from Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I had the pleasure of visiting a Lowe's store in Celina, TX, where they've unveiled their automated paint selecting and buying system. Currently, trying to buy paint in big box stores like Lowe's, The Home Depot, Menards, and independent paint stores, is a lengthy and frustrating process. Lowe's decided to improve the process and customer experience.”

He added: “The goal was clear: a modern, efficient, and intuitive process that meets the unique needs of both customers and associates. That required more than an off-the-shelf solution, it demanded a collaborator capable of fine-tuning every detail to match Lowe’s environment.”

“We knew we were going to need something bright, something that looked cool - a kiosk people would want to walk up to, engage with, and feel comfortable using,” commented Will Saake from Lowe's.

Zebra Technologies built and refined prototypes that the retailer could test in-store and collect real-world feedback to refine the design before expanding to more of its stores. Now, when a customer approaches the paint desk, they’re greeted by an interactive touchscreen that walks them through a short series of questions to select the right paint.

Once the order is ready, the system automatically sends a text message to the customer. Instead of waiting at the desk to take new requests, associates receive updates directly on their handheld devices. “The result is a smoother, more relaxed experience for everyone: customers can use the waiting time to browse other aisles or pick up supplies for their next project, while associates work efficiently and stay connected to the paint desk in real-time,” Ladd observed.

"It really simplifies the experience for both our customers and our associates,” added Saake. “We focus on the customer by focusing on the associate, giving them the tools they need to minimise time spent on repetitive tasks so they can spend more time with the customer. Zebra’s technology helps us do exactly that. What emerged was more than an equipment upgrade. The transformation changed how we sell and make paint.”

Ladd said: “I give the automated system an A+. I must also compliment Lowe's for how well the store looked. It was immaculate and the associates who ran the paint station were kind enough to walk me through everything so I could get the facts I needed to write this post. I encourage it to keep the innovation going. I believe it has exceptional potential to significantly reduce the amount of working capital it has tied up in inventory by implementing several innovations I evaluated at a Canadian Tire Corporation store.”