Milestone for Morrisons and a first for Slim Chickens: presenting last week’s biggest technology plays

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail technology deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Castorama, Storfund, Asda, Evolve, Currys, Metapack, Aldi USA, Quadient, Vusion, Walmart, Vista Technology Support, Gold Star Chili, The Barcode Warehouse, and ShopperAI.

Castorama

Storfund has announced a new partnership with Castorama France. This sees its Daily Advance solution being embedded within the Castorama marketplace, making it available to businesses selling DIY, home and garden products via the French retailer.

The move boosts Storfund’s position in the French marketplace ecosystem, following partnerships with Back Market and Mirakl Connect. It also marks Storfund’s first launch with Kingfisher, the home improvement group which operates more than 1,900 stores across seven countries.

Séverine Geoffroy, Directrice Market Place, Castorama, comments: “Faster access to funds can make a huge difference for marketplace merchants - improving cash flow, unlocking growth, and helping sellers reinvest in stock and service more quickly. We’re excited that through our partnership with Storfund, merchants on the Castorama marketplace will now be able to access funds faster and scale with greater confidence.”

Asda

Asda has signed a new partnership with Evolve that, it is claimed, will see all 500 Asda Express sites receive faster, more reliable and resilient internet connections that are critical to the operation of its IT, payment and security systems. The multi-year deal involves more than 450 stores being upgraded this year.

Asda operates a variety of Express retail formats, from forecourts to high streets, and each has increasingly data hungry technology, from payment systems to digital media, including the demands of food-on-the-go franchise partners. Evolve is providing a fully managed service that aims to get sites online quicker, using a range of carriers and connections.

Ashley Cowley, Head of Technology Portfolio at Asda, says: "Our Express store expansion is a key part of our growth strategy, and we're committed to ensuring every location delivers the convenient, reliable service our customers depend on. Investing in a new, resilient connectivity infrastructure means our teams can focus on serving customers confidently, knowing the technology behind the scenes is working as it should.”

Currys

Metapack, an e-commerce delivery management specialist, has announced a partnership with UK retailer Currys. The deal brings Metapack’s technology to Currys’ customers, with the aim of giving shoppers delivery options at checkout and improved real-time visibility on every order.

“We’re pleased to be partnering with Metapack, making it easier than ever before for customers to shop with Currys,” says Simon Boss, Director of Logistics and Home Delivery at Currys. “The technology will help us respond quickly to demand and deliver a more seamless shopping experience for our customers. It’s just one part of our mission to help everyone enjoy amazing technology.”

“We are proud to be chosen by Currys, a British institution and one of the country's most trusted retail names,” says Mark Honeyben, SVP and Managing Director, Europe at ShipStation Global. “Currys understands what delivery has become: a genuine driver of loyalty, revenue and brand reputation. The retailers leading in this space are those treating every post purchase interaction as an opportunity, not an obligation, and our platform gives Currys the intelligence and scale to do precisely that.”

The Barcode Warehouse and ShopperAI

The Barcode Warehouse, a UK retail technology integrator and solutions provider, has partnered with ShopperAI to bring AI powered camera intelligence to UK retail. The ShopperAI solution aims to improve on-shelf availability, strengthen planogram compliance and deliver greater visibility of in-store activity using existing camera infrastructure, backed by The Barcode Warehouse’s experience in retail technology solutions and implementation.

ShopperAI has been deployed across live retail environments. It analyses live video feeds from existing in-store cameras to identify empty or low stock shelves and detect planogram compliance issues, such as missing or incorrectly placed products. This delivers consistent visibility across store estates while reducing the need for manual checks and photographic surveys. The platform also generates real-time alerts to highlight where intervention is needed, enabling store teams to respond faster, improve execution and maintain greater accountability on the shopfloor.

Gold Star Chili

PAR Technology reports that Gold Star Chili, a Cincinnati style chili chain operating across more than 55 locations in the US Tri-State region, has added PAR Ordering and Pay to its existing suite of Hardware, PARPOS, and Punchh.

“When a brand has spent 60 years earning guest trust, the technology behind the counter has to meet that same standard,” says Savneet Singh, CEO at PAR Technology. “Regional brands like Gold Star have built something incredibly valuable: deep guest loyalty and genuine, long-term connections to their communities. By adding PAR Ordering and PAR Pay, Gold Star can simplify operations, gain better visibility across every transaction, and deliver a more seamless guest experience, all while preserving the qualities that have made the brand successful for generations. The brand is the hero, and successful tech vendors understand and work to enhance this.”

“Gold Star Chili has been part of Cincinnati’s restaurant fabric for more than 60 years, and our guests expect us to honor that legacy while evolving with their expectations,” says Gold Star President and CEO Roger David. “PAR’s platform gives us what we’ve been looking for: loyalty, PoS, payments, and digital ordering all working as one, with the intelligence to turn that data into better decisions at every location.”

Aldi USA

Aldi USA reports completion of a digital transformation project covering its stores and DCs. In a LinkedIn post, Brent Laubaugh, Chief Operating Officer at Aldi USA, said: “I’m proud to share that, after years of planning and hard work by our teams, we have completed the digital transformation of our technology and systems across our entire network of 2,600+ stores and 26 distribution centres in the United States.”

The aim of the multi-year project, which included upgrades to replenishment, transportation, and warehouse management systems, is to provide improved supply chain visibility and lower the cost to serve customers. 

Laubaugh added: “Why does this matter? Effectively managing our supply chain is one of the most important ways that we can ensure a great shopping experience for our customers, delivering fresh, high-quality products at unbeatable prices.”

“As with any project of this scale, there were technical hurdles and challenges along the way, but the Aldi teams working on this project were resilient and never stopped collaborating. I am always amazed by what we can accomplish together with great people and great culture. I am so proud of our team; thank you to everyone who contributed, supported, and led this incredibly important initiative. Today is a day to celebrate! Congratulations to all on a job well done!”

EG On The Move

Serve First, an AI driven customer experience and performance management platform, has announced a new partnership with UK forecourt and convenience retail operator EG On The Move. This will see it help enhance customer experience across EG On The Move’s 187 UK sites.

The tie up includes plans to conduct over 1,200 mystery shopping visits per year, assessing customer experience at the forecourt level and within concessions, providing staff with the structured, actionable insight needed to deliver a consistent standard of service across every site.

Junaid Manjra, Director of Retail and Food Services at EG On The Move, says: “Our partnership with Serve First reflects wider shifts in the forecourt sector, as sites become increasingly sophisticated multi-brand, multi-service destinations. As this complexity grows, so does the challenge of delivering a consistent customer experience across large estates, placing greater emphasis on data led insight and execution at site level.”

“Serve First’s AI powered analytics platform stood out for its ability to translate complex data into clear, prioritised actions for our teams. Crucially, the platform has been designed for rapid adoption at the site level, enabling our forecourt managers to stay focused on performance rather than administration. Serve First's deep experience across the forecourt and wider retail sectors gave us confidence that we’re working with a partner who understands our operational challenges and can support us in consistently delivering the high-quality customer experience our customers expect.”

M&S

Lily AI has announced a partnership with Marks and Spencer. The retailer is using its tech to automate and improve the creation of structured product data at scale. It says that it has dramatically reduced the manual effort and multiple partners required to bring new items to market while ensuring every product is accurately attributed, categorised, and ready for discovery from day one. 

M&S deployed Lily AI’s Product Intelligence Platform to improve its Google shopping and organic search performance. By boosting its product feed with AI powered attributes, it claims to be driving stronger visibility, higher click through rates, and a meaningful lift in revenue from paid and organic channels.

"Lily AI has become a core part of how we manage and scale our product content at M&S. From setting up new items to optimising for Google, the platform delivers across the board. It’s already making a measurable difference to our efficiency and our commercial performance,” says Stephen Orford, Head of Online Experience, Marks & Spencer.

“In a world where your product feed is your storefront - on Google, in AI powered search, and across every channel the quality of your product content is a competitive advantage. Marks & Spencer gets that. And we’re proud to be their partner,” comments Purva Gupta, Co-founder and CEO at Lily AI.

Pizza Ranch

NCR Voyix has announced a platform agreement with Pizza Ranch, a restaurant chain in the United States. Under the agreement, NCR Voyix will serve as Pizza Ranch’s exclusive PoS technology partner across corporate owned restaurants and franchisee locations.

Pizza Ranch will deploy Aloha Next, NCR Voyix’s restaurant platform built on a microservices architecture, with the aim of creating a unified foundation for PoS, payments and in-store capabilities. 

"We look forward to rolling out NCR Voyix's Aloha Next PoS across Pizza Ranch starting in 2027. After seeing Aloha Next's capabilities firsthand, we're confident it will streamline operations for our franchisees and our Franchisee Support Center team alike. The platform gives us the speed to innovate faster, reduce friction across the guest and back of house experience, and stay focused on delivering the legendary hospitality Pizza Ranch is known for," says Jon Moss, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer at Pizza Ranch.

Morrisons

Quadient has announced the expansion of its partnership with Morrisons, bringing parcel collection and returns services to hundreds of supermarkets across the UK. This follows the deployment of Parcel Pending by Quadient lockers at Morrisons Daily stores.

Installations began in June, with an initial roll-out across 125 locations before extending across Morrisons’ network of c.500 supermarkets in the coming months. 

“The expansion of our partnership with Morrisons, one of the UK’s largest and trusted supermarket brands, reflects a shared vision of making everyday services more accessible for consumers,” says Katia Bourgeais-Crémel, EVP Parcel Locker Solutions Europe at Quadient. “By extending our open locker network across Morrisons supermarkets, we are helping consumers collect and return parcels as part of their normal routines, while providing retailers and carriers with a scale efficient delivery infrastructure. Together, we’re making out-of-home delivery more convenient and accessible across communities.”

"We are committed to providing services that make life easier for our customers and strengthen the role our stores play within local communities," says John Parry, Head of Popular & Useful Services at Morrisons. "Following the success of our Morrisons Daily partnership, expanding Quadient lockers into our supermarket estate is a natural next step. This partnership enables us to offer customers greater flexibility and convenience while enhancing the range of useful services available through our stores."

REWE To Go

Lekkerland, a subsidairy of the Rewe Group, has opened a new REWE To Go store at Berlin’s main train station. This features nine self-service checkouts and is open seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

In a LinkedIn post, Michael Mayer-Sonnenburg, Vice President REWE To Go Convenience Stores, said: “There are locations that are more than just a new opening. Maybe one or the other remembers my post a few weeks ago with a construction fence behind which not much could be seen. I am now all the more pleased to be able to say: our new REWE To Go at Berlin's main train station is open.”

The originally planned opening date, he noted, had to be postponed by a few days due to a technical challenge. “So it's all the nicer that we can finally open the doors today. Why is this location so special for us? With around 350,000 passengers a day, Berlin's main railway station is one of the most important transport hubs in Europe. Hardly any other place stands so much for mobility, dynamism and being on the road,” he added.

“This is exactly where we want to offer what our concept stands for with REWE To Go: fresh products, the highest level of convenience and a shopping experience that fits seamlessly into the everyday lives of our customers. At least as special as the location itself, however, are the people who made it possible. Behind this opening are months of intensive preparation, countless consultations and the extraordinary commitment of many colleagues. My sincere thanks go to our teams from Lekkerland SE and REWE To Go as well as our partners from DB InfraGO. Such projects show what is possible when people work together with passion, trust and a common goal.”

He concluded: “Now I'm looking forward to the best thing: the first reactions of our customers. I wish our entire team a great start and look forward to thousands of travelers stopping by us every day in the future. Here's to a successful start!”

Walmart

Walmart’s immersive virtual shopping platform, Realm, has graduated from an off-site pilot to an on-site experience.

In a LinkedIn post, Justin Breton, Head of Partnerships, Content & Emerging Experiences at Walmart, said: “This evolution brings immersive commerce directly into the shopping journey, making the experience feel more familiar to shoppers while preserving the joy of discovery that made Walmart Realm unique from the start.”

Back to school season, he added, felt like the perfect moment to introduce it, helping customers explore dorm room inspiration from social trends while shopping products at everyday low prices. This season's rooms include: Dopamine Dorm - a little whimsy, a lot of personality; Game Zone - fully equipped for finals and fun; Holistic Haven - a cozy sanctuary all you you; Midnight Archive - BYOB (Bring Your Own Book); Canopy Cottage - fresh nature inspired style.

Each room also features Walmart+, including access to its streaming partners as a benefit. And for a limited time, college students can save 50% on membership.

Breton added: “We also partnered with Walmart Connect to spotlight must have back to school essentials, such as Tide PODS, in select rooms, creating even more opportunities for customers to discover products in context. Proud of the team for continuing to evolve how inspiration and commerce come together and for pushing us (and the industry) to create shopping experiences that are as engaging as they are useful.”

Morrisons

Morrisons reports that it has installed its 100th store with digital shelf edge labels. In a LinkedIn post, Charlotte Rush, Senior Productivity Manager - Projects at Morrisons, said: "Reaching the 100 store milestone is a huge testament to the strength of our strategic partnership with Vusion."

"By digitising the shelf edge, we are using technology to enhance the customer journey while driving operational efficiency across our estate. We’ve eliminated thousands of manual paper updates, freeing up our store colleagues to focus on our customers. We are now utilising innovative Pick to Light functionality. By using flashing lights on the digital labels to guide our online picking teams directly to the correct items."

She concluded: "A big thank you to our in-store teams, our regional support teams, and the core project team who have supported this roll-out every step of the way, enabling us to scale to 100 stores at an incredible pace. Onward to the next 100 stores!"

Scandit

Scandit has announced Age Verified Self-Checkout, a new solution that enables retailers to automate and verify self-checkout purchases of age restricted items.

Built for retailers selling products such as alcohol, tobacco and medication, this, according to Scandit, delivers a fully autonomous checkout with no additional kiosk hardware needed. By turning a customer’s smartphone into an instant age check tool, it allows shoppers to verify their age in under ten seconds with no app download required, primarily via face estimation technology or scanning their ID as an alternative. 

“Retailers are under pressure to deliver faster, more convenient self-checkout experiences, yet age-restricted sales remain a persistent bottleneck and one that only intensifies as self-checkout fleets scale,” says Christian Floerkemeier, CTO and Co-founder at Scandit. 

“Today, retailers are forced to choose between absorbing the ongoing labour cost of manual checks or investing in proprietary hardware, neither of which scales efficiently. Age Verified Self-Checkout removes this trade-off by automating compliance in a fast, secure and hardware-free way, which reduces intervention and optimises labour.”

Slim Chickens

TRGC opened its first Slim Chickens restaurant in London Heathrow, Terminal 3 airside this past weekend. It worked with Vista Technology Support's new store opening team on this project.

In a LinkedIn post, Jon Knight, CEO at TRGC, said: "What an opening it was. The team were on point, on time, the food was top notch and the passengers extremely happy. Proud to be part of the team bringing premium QSR chicken to Heathrow."

James Pepper, CEO at Vista Technology Support, commented: "Congratulations to TRGC on the grand opening of Slim Chickens Heathrow T3. Well done to the TRGC and Vista Technology Support NSO project teams who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure everything was in place for opening day. The restaurant looks fantastic. Good luck to all colleagues in the weeks ahead and the busy summer travel period."

Founded in Arkansas, USA, Slim Chickens has built a significant following in the UK with its buttermilk marinated chicken tenders, crispy wings, fresh sandwiches and house dipping sauces. It launched its first store in the UK in 2020 and currently operates over 70 locations on these shores.

Taco Bell

Omilia has announced an agreement with Taco Bell to continue deploying its voice AI solution across the brand’s US drive-thru network. 

This builds on a partnership that began in 2023 and has since scaled to 890+ American restaurants across 38 states to date. The solution helps automate order taking at the drive-thru speaker, adapting to each location’s menu, real-time stock levels, and limited time offers.

“Omilia’s voice AI gives us the ability to ease team members’ workloads and provides them the flexibility to engage with customers in a more meaningful way,” says Dane Mathews, Global Chief Digital & Technology Officer at Taco Bell. “Omilia’s platform has proven itself at scale in select US restaurants, and continuing this strategic partnership supports our long-term digital and tech strategy.”