Loop Neighborhood Markets claims agentic technology breakthrough as it taps Tote Genie AI agent

Tote reports a deployment of Genie, its Store Associate AI Agent, with Loop Neighborhood Markets.

Since launch, employees have used Genie to handle inquiries on customer service, PoS operations, maintenance, payments, and more, with zero escalations and 100% first contact resolution.

Founded in 2013 as a premium neighbourhood market, Loop has built its identity around fresh food, car washes, and the LoopBack Rewards loyalty programme.

"We're not interested in AI that just looks good in a pitch. Tote's Genie agent works in our stores, gives our associates the answers they need in the moment, and delivers results from day one. This is just the beginning of what agentic technology can do for our business," says Varish Goyal, President and CEO, Loop Neighborhood Markets.

Genie is available around the clock, supports multiple languages, and works via voice and chat, so every associate gets answers whenever or however they need them. Tote's architecture is modular by design. Loop deployed Genie independently of its PoS system.

"Loop is exactly the kind of operator that makes this work. Varish and his team hold technology to a high standard, and they've pushed us to make Genie genuinely useful at the store level. Deploying with zero escalations and 100% first contact resolution from day one is not a beta result. That is a production result, and it reflects what AI in convenience retail can actually deliver when it is built the right way," says Shyam Rao, Founder and CEO at Tote.

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.