New beginnings, awards wins, and shining stars: the biggest retail technology stories from April
April is nearly done and dusted, May is on the horizon, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful month for the retail technology space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from April, including Vusion, RTS 2026, Tesco, Asda, Deliverect, Sobeys, Pricer, Marks & Spencer, Carrefour Israel, A2Z Cust2Mate, QSIC, Dollar General, and Bringg.
1. Connected stores firm Vusion emerges as winner of Retail Technology Show 2026 Innovation Awards
Vusion, a provider of AI powered digitalisation solutions for stores, has been announced as the winner of Retail Technology Show’s 2026 Innovation Awards.
The annual programme recognises standout solutions from across RTS 2026, which took place in London during April.
Chosen for its EdgeSense AI operating system, which connects more than 250 million endpoints globally, Vusion uses ESLs, AI cameras and sensors to power a single intelligent network. Deployed across several global retailers, including Carrefour, its platform automates pricing, optimises merchandising, improves inventory accuracy and reduces shrink.
2. Have your say and vote today! First ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100 List goes live, sponsored by 3D Cloud
In partnership with 3D Cloud, RTIH is pleased to announce the launch of its first ever Retail Technology Hot 100 List.
We have scoured the global retail technology world to bring you the hottest companies whose solutions and systems are helping drive the retail sector forward.
Our Founder and Editor, Scott Thompson, has drawn up a list of 150 companies that have consistently been on his radar over the past 12 months whilst bringing our community the latest retail tech news and views that matter. These companies operate across the omnichannel retail landscape (stores, online, mobile, supply chain, payments etc).
Our judging panel, including Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO, Holland & Barrett, Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports, and Paula Bobbett, Chief Data and Digital Officer, Boots, will now provide feedback on those who have the most innovative, forward thinking technology offerings and are best addressing retailers' current challenges, painpoints, and opportunities.
And there will also be a public vote, with our community of retail tech enthusiasts invited to select their top five picks (one vote per person). The public vote closes on Friday, 26th June.
Based on the judging panel's feedback and the public vote, we will then draw up our first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100, aka the 100 hottest global retail technology companies during 2026, which will be published across our website, social channels, and the next edition of our printed magazine (to be published in August).
"RITH has long been at the forefront of recognising exceptional performance in retail technology. We’re proud to support this programme and to play a part in elevating the role of retail tech in shaping the future of the customer experience," says Leigh Davidson, Managing Director, UK and International at 3D Cloud.
3. Shining stars: the latest edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List goes live at RTS 2026
The latest edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List is here, sponsored by 3D Cloud.
The list has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, to the point that we’ve decided publishing it once a year is no longer enough. Here, then, is the first edition for 2026, with some names dropping out of the top 100 and some new names coming in (the latter are flagged as new entries for ease of reference).
RTIH has scoured the retail technology world to find the most influential figures for this comprehensive round up of people and trends that shape the industry and help drive it forward.
We’re witnessing a seismic change in shopping habits. Retailers are doubling down on innovative technologies like AR, AI, machine learning, robotics, and automation, and finding ways to use them to boost business efficiency and make customer experiences more exciting and dynamic.
Which is where the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List comes in, presented, we should stress, in no particular order.
Such disruption requires new ways of problem solving and thought leaders who can both evangelise and execute on the likes of digital transformation and omnichannel excellence.
We hope you enjoy reading through it and, as always, if you would like to give feedback or believe that there are some glaring omissions, please feel free to get in touch via the form at the end of this article.
Many thanks to 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualisation software trusted by top furniture and DIY retailers, for sponsoring the report.
4. Marks and Spencer puts new digital wallet at heart of retailer's revamped Spark loyalty programme
M&S has launched a new look Sparks loyalty programme, with the retailer taking onboard feedback from thousands of customers who called for a more rewarding, personalised experience.
At the heart of this move is a new digital Sparks wallet where customers earn money rewards to spend across any part of M&S - from Food and Fashion to Home and Beauty. For the first time, the retailer will use a suite of AI and data capabilities to power Sparks including machine learning, and generative AI models coming soon after, that promise to deliver even more personalised offers and rewards.
Colleagues have also played a big role helping shape and refine the new Sparks experience with everyone given the opportunity to take part in a beta test for several weeks ahead of the launch.
M&S CEO Stuart Machin says: “Customers told us they want Sparks to be simple, rewarding and personalised, and we listened. New Sparks is built around a much more personalised experience, no tricksy pricing and real money rewards to thank our customers for shopping with us.”
“A stronger Sparks is another step forward on our journey as we invest for future growth. Powered by new and transformed data and AI capabilities, a new Sparks helps us get even closer to customers and deliver an even better M&S experience.”
5. Asda taps Deliverect technology to support UK grocery giant's on-demand delivery push
Deliverect has announced a partnership with Asda involving the UK grocery retailer’s on-demand operations across Asda Express and the wider store estate.
In a LinkedIn post, Joe Heather, Regional General Manager - Northern Europe at Deliverect, said:
“Asda continues to lead in the on-demand space, delivering strong performance at scale. We support this by enabling the digital commerce infrastructure behind it, helping to consolidate and scale operations across multiple on-demand channels.”
He added: “This comes down to building modern, flexible infrastructure for a world where on-demand is constantly evolving and expectations are only increasing. The focus is simplifying complexity across central operations, in-store execution, and engineering and integrations, enabling faster fulfilment, improved accuracy, and stronger unit economics.”
6. Carrefour Israel gears up to roll-out 4,000 A2Z Cust2Mate smart shopping carts nationwide
Global Retail, a Carrefour Group franchisee, and A2Z Cust2Mate Solutions Corp., have agreed a five-year agreement, valued at approximately $50 million, to deploy 4,000 smart carts across Carrefour Israel stores, alongside a data, retail media and digital services collaboration.
The deal positions Carrefour Israel as one of the first retailers in the world to implement smart cart technology at this scale.
The roll-out is set to begin in the third quarter of 2026 across six Carrefour Israel flagship stores and includes end to end delivery of smart carts, charging infrastructure, software systems, as well as full implementation, training, and long-term support.
"We are proud to lead by pioneering smart cart technology at this unprecedented commercial scale," says Michael Luboschitz, CEO at Carrefour Israel. "The agreement signed is expected to generate for Carrefour Israel profits of approximately $35 million.”
“Deployment of the Cust2Mate smart carts in our stores will grant our shoppers an improved shopper experience, enabling them to enjoy personalised and targeted promotions and a quicker checkout, increasing the same store year on year sales, and improving our operational efficiency, resulting in profits estimated at an additional tens of millions of dollars.”
“The future of retail is fundamentally technological, and we are proud to be the leaders driving that evolution. This agreement is a strategic signal of our commitment to digital transformation. By deploying the A2Z Cust2Mate platform, we are establishing a new global standard for connected, data driven, and personalised shopping experiences that are engineered for scale."
7. 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.”
8. Significant step as Tesco bins barcodes and embraces QR codes on own brand sausages
Tesco has replaced traditional barcodes with QR codes on 13 of its own brand sausage products.
Whilst shoppers will continue to checkout as usual, they can now access detailed product information by scanning the QR codes with their smartphones.
Tesco Development and Change Director Peter Draper says: “For customers, this is a tiny and almost invisible change at the checkout, but for the retail industry it’s a significant step forward. Moving to QR codes will help us reduce food waste, improve stock control and unlock new digital benefits for our customers.”
He adds: “Customers will continue to shop and pay in exactly the same way, but they’ll have the option to access far richer information about the products they buy simply by using their smartphones. Over time, this opens up exciting possibilities, such as personalised digital tools to help customers manage the food they buy and reduce waste at home.”
9. Pricer and JRTech Solutions ink digital store transformation deal with Canadian grocery retailer Sobeys
Pricer reports that its partner JRTech Solutions has signed an agreement with Canadian grocery retailer Sobeys. The contract includes the deployment of Pricer’s latest electronic shelf label (ESL) technology and the cloud-based platform Plaza across an estimated 300–350 stores.
The agreement covers the supply of multi-colour electronic shelf labels and the necessary store infrastructure, with a total hardware and infrastructure value of approximately $51 million (excluding Pricer Plaza). The deployment is scheduled for an 18-month period starting in May.
"We are very grateful for the trust and that Sobeys has once again chosen Pricer as its long-term strategic partner,” says Mats Arnehall, Chief Growth Officer at Pricer. "This deal confirms our leading position in the North American market and the value of our high performance system in high density retail environments. Our scalable cloud platform, Plaza, will be the intelligence behind every label, enabling Sobeys to act faster and work smarter."
“After years of close collaboration and shared success, we’re proud to grow our partnership with Sobeys even further with an expanded roll-out,” says Diego Mazzone, President and CEO at JRTech Solutions.
10. Bringg adds former Co-op E-commerce Director Chris Conway as Senior VP and GM for EMEA region
Last mile solutions specialist, Bringg, has appointed Chris Conway as Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEA. Conway will lead its commercial strategy, customer relationships, and go-to-market operations across the region.
Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Quick Commerce and Food Operating Board Member at Co-op, where he helped build and scale a £500 million-plus q-commerce operation delivering from nearly 2,000 stores.
Conway also founded Peckish, a rapid delivery app that gave independent retailers access to q-commerce technology. Ane he led Asda's online grocery business and ran the online commercial team at Morrisons.
“Chris built one of the UK's most successful delivery operations as a Bringg customer and decided to come over and build it for others,” says Guy Bloch, CEO at Bringg. “EMEA retailers are making increasingly complex delivery decisions, and Bringg is building AI capabilities that help them get those decisions right. Chris knows what that looks like from the operator's seat. That firsthand experience is exactly what the market needs to scale their last-mile capabilities.”
“On the retail side, I spent years trying to make last mile delivery a competitive advantage rather than a cost,” says Conway. “I know what it takes because I lived it. I've also seen how Bringg does it, starting from deep understanding of customers' problems and using automation and AI to improve last mile performance. That's the conversation I want to have with the market.”
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