Robots love learning in UK as Wonder takes flight in US: 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 Starship Technologies, Sainsbury's, Facewatch, Co-op, LiveRamp, Instacart, New Look, Newegg, John Lewis Partnership, Lidl GB, SticksʹnʹSushi, and East of England Co-op.
Starship Technologies
Milton Keynes College has partnered with Starship Technologies to to promote its university level courses to local learners using autonomous delivery robots. The campaign will see these robots carry Milton Keynes College’s campaign artwork as part of a city wide roll-out.
Starship’s six wheeled robots are best known for delivering local Co-Op orders to MK residents’ doorsteps. The aim here is to reach people who are thinking about their next step after Level 3 study, looking for a local route into university level study or considering a career change.
The campaign also taps into one of Milton Keynes’ most recognisable local features. The artwork includes a bird’s eye view of Milton Keynes roads, with a playful nod to the city’s famous roundabouts layered into the campaign design.
Laura Black, Group Director for Adults, HE and South Central Institute of Technology, Milton Keynes College Group, says: “We’re very excited about this innovative new campaign, which will help to raise awareness of the fantastic university level courses available at Milton Keynes College. We offer a wide range of university level courses, including our new degrees validated by The Open University, higher level apprenticeships and Higher National Diplomas (HNDs) and Higher National Certificates (HNC).”
“Studying a university level course with Milton Keynes College allows students to benefit from expert tutors, excellent facilities and lower fees than most universities. So, do give the robots a wave if you see them, and visit our website if you’re interested in taking your learning to the next level at Milton Keynes College.”
Lisa Johnson, Vice President for Starship Technologies, says: “We love Milton Keynes - it’s our robots’ first home in the UK. We’re always on the lookout for things we can do to help MK organisations. We’re chuffed to bring Milton Keynes College’s message on university level study to local people. It’s a great partnership and Edison Media’s campaign suits our robots very well - they’ve never looked so stylish!”
Co-op
LiveRamp has announced the implementation of the first closed loop omnichannel measurement framework for Co-op. In collaboration with Google, LiveRamp enabled the retailer to deterministically link search ads to real-world store visits and food sales, proving the offline impact of its digital marketing investments.
Initial tests of the framework delivered the following results: +134% increase in-store sales; 77% uplift in incremental store visits; 39x return on investment for search.
Co-op faced an industry wide challenge. Standard digital metrics, including clicks, online orders, and revenue, did not capture the full value of paid search, especially for customers who completed their purchases in physical stores. It required a solution that could accurately measure the impact of digital activity on both online and offline outcomes, such as store visits and sales. It also needed to ensure privacy, scalability, sustainability, and a consistent, engaging brand experience.
Using LiveRamp’s Data Collaboration Platform, Co-op connected its Co-op Member programme data to Google’s advertising platform. This matched the first-party data to digital search campaigns, enabling the retailer to accurately measure the incremental impact of digital ads on offline transactions.
Co-op is now progressing with plans to develop personalised campaigns tailored to members’ specific interests and shopping behaviours, leveraging dynamic targeting to further enhance digital and physical engagement.
Nationwide
CaratIQ, an AI operating system built for jewellery stores, has announced a partnership with Nationwide, an Australasian company, representing more than 400 jewellery stores. Under the agreement, CaratIQ will become the exclusive provider for cloud-based PoS, clienteling CRM and AI powered retail technology for the Nationwide member group.
As part of the roll-out, CaratIQ has also integrated the Nationwide Repair Price Book and Retail Management Report, allowing members to access key Nationwide tools directly within the CaratIQ platform.
"We are incredibly excited to partner with Nationwide and expand our commitment to both the Australian and New Zealand jewellery markets," says Ryan Abdullah, Founder at CaratIQ. "Nationwide has built a trusted community of more than 400 jewellery stores, and this partnership allows us to bring purpose built technology to a major network of independent retailers. We see Australia & New Zealand as a significant growth markets for CaratIQ, and this is an important step in deepening our ties with jewellers across the region."
Romel Santos, a jewellery store owner and Nationwide member using CaratIQ, says: "As both a jewellery store owner and a Nationwide member, I've seen how much of a difference CaratIQ can make in a store," says Romel Santos. "It has helped us organise our operations, improve visibility across the business, and better manage customer relationships from one place. The AI tools are especially exciting because they help save time, surface useful insights, and support a more personalised customer experience. I'm excited to see CaratIQ roll out to the wider Nationwide group and believe it will be a valuable advantage for jewellers across Australia."
Lidl GB
Lidl GB is expanding its Lidl & Go self-scanning trial to 37 additional stores across the UK, following positive customer feedback from an initial seven store pilot. This will see the feature become available to shoppers across Scotland, the South East and the wider South of England throughout July.
Integrated within the Lidl Plus app, Lidl & Go allows customers to scan products as they shop, track their spending and savings in real-time, and complete their purchase more seamlessly at checkout. The feature is available directly through customers' own smartphones, with no requirement for dedicated in-store scanning devices. Feedback from the initial trial has shown particular appeal among customers shopping with children and those looking for greater flexibility during their shop.
Louise Weise, Chief Customer Officer, at Lidl GB, says: “The early response from the initial phase of Lidl & Go has been really encouraging. Customers are telling us they value the control and visibility it gives them over their spend, and the flexibility to shop at their own pace. This next wave of stores brings the feature to many more customers, and we’ll continue to take on board feedback to evolve the offering as we go.”
CeX Malaysia
Adyen has announced a partnership with British consumer electronics retailer CeX in Malaysia. Since July 2025, CeX Malaysia has been rolling out Adyen’s Unified Commerce solution for its e-commerce website and in-person payments in all 11 of its stores nationwide.
“As CeX Malaysia continues to grow, it is important for us to work with partners that can support our operational needs across channels and stores,” says Dan Brannigan, Head of Operations at CeX Malaysia.
“Working with Adyen as a single payment partner helps simplify reporting processes, reduce manual operational work, and provide greater visibility across transactions.”
CeX is working with Adyen to reconcile and settle transactions seamlessly across diverse payment methods including DuitNow, GrabPay, Mastercard, Visa, and JCB in one standardised format. Through Adyen’s platform, CeX Malaysia is also able to achieve a single overview of its transactions, and manage its terminal fleet across locations more easily.
DFS Group
Risilience reports that it is working with DFS, the UK sofa retailing group. The partnership will initially focus on strengthening DFS’s climate disclosure and reporting capability and making it easier to embed climate intelligence into business decision-making, while reinforcing the role of climate risk as a core business continuity consideration.
Kate Wright, Director of Sustainability at DFS Group, says: “Businesses today are operating in an environment of constant change, from evolving supply chains to increasing economic and geopolitical uncertainty. For us, it was important to move beyond a static assessment approach and build a more dynamic understanding of risk across our operations and supplier network. Risilience’s ability to translate climate risk into clear business insight will help strengthen internal decision making, support our reporting requirements, and reinforce resilience across the business as we continue to evolve and grow and unlock new opportunities.”
The engagement will assess risks across DFS Group’s facilities, suppliers, and raw materials, spanning both physical and policy related climate risks. Over time, the partnership is expected to expand into additional workstreams including location-based risk analysis and scenario modeling across the company’s estate and operations.
Bed Bath & Beyond
“Bed Bath & Beyond is where customers come for everything home, from the everyday essentials, to the perfect seasonal touches, to the projects that transform a room,” says Lisa Foley, Chief Operating Officer at Bed Bath & Beyond. “Affirm gives them the flexibility to pay their way and to bring their vision to life on a timeline that works for them.”
“Homes change as life changes,” says Pat Suh, SVP of Revenue at Affirm. “Whether someone is moving into their first apartment, preparing for a new baby, or creating space for a growing family, Affirm gives customers a clear, transparent way to pay over time and choose a payment plan that fits their budget.”
British Land
Ocean Outdoor UK has been appointed by British Land as its digital out of home (DOOH) media partner in London. The long-term contract covers three of British Land’s central London estates - Paddington Central, Regent’s Place and Broadgate and Liverpool Street in the City.
The first phase will see the roll-out of 33 small format full motion screens, extending The Loop, Ocean’s existing small format network across the capital to 114 in total.
British Land’s investment in DOOH supports the redevelopment of pedestrianised neighbourhoods like Broadgate. A mixed use retail and leisure destination adjacent to Liverpool Street Station, Broadgate accommodates a range of high end retailers including Reiss, Rolex and Tommy Hilfiger. A total of 98 million passengers travelled via Liverpool Street Station as of March 2025, making it Britain’s busiest rail station.
In Paddington Central, Ocean will also manage the advertising contract for the existing large format community LED screen which carries coverage of international sports events like Wimbledon and hosts film screening. There are discussions for similar community screens to be installed on a permanent basis in Regent’s Place and Broadgate.
Paddington Central sits behind Paddington Station in London’s West End, the station serving close to 70 million passengers a year. The canal side destination accommodates a diverse mix of offices, cafes, bars, cultural spaces and events. Regent’s Place is a cluster of offices, public spaces and residential homes on the north side of Euston Road in the borough of Camden.
Broadgate Central recently hosted the custom built freestanding Ocean Showcase. which took up a short residency during the launch of the retail, leisure and dining destination last year.
Sainsbury's
Sainsburys is to roll-out facial recognition software in over 150 stores before Christmas after a trial showed the technology stopped nine in ten repeat offenders from coming back.
The UK grocery giant currently has the AI powered system live in 55 locations in a partnership with Facewatch. Retailers upload reports of bad behaviour, such as shoplifting or violence, with moderators then reviewing camera footage and tagging suspects. When a flagged person enters a participating store, Facewatch pushes out an instant alert.
Despite Sainsbury’s stating that the trial has been a success, it hasn’t been all plain sailing. Earlier this year, a man was instructed to leave a Sainsbury's store in South East London without explanation, after staff incorrectly identified him as an offender flagged by the aforementioned technology. Facewatch later told him there were "no incidents or alerts associated with [him]" on its database, and Sainsbury's apologised for the "human error".
A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: "We have been in contact with the man to sincerely apologise for his experience in our Elephant and Castle store. This was not an issue with the facial recognition technology in use but a case of the wrong person being approached in-store."
They added nobody had been wrongly identified by Facewatch technology and this was the first instance of someone being wrongly approached by a store manager.
Wonder and Zipline
Wonder and Zipline have announced a partnership to bring on-demand drone delivery to Wonder locations across Texas. Beginning in January 2027, customers will be able to order meals via drone from select Wonder locations.
Ahead of its planned expansion into Texas in 2027, Wonder is developing the necessary infrastructure, including storefront construction, kitchen buildouts, logistics, and ordering technology. By the end of 2027, it expects the majority of its Texas locations will offer drone delivery, beginning in Dallas.
“We're constantly exploring new ways to make great food more accessible," says Tony Hoggett, CEO at Wonder North America. "Partnering with Zipline allows us to push the boundaries of what's possible, combining our innovative food technology platform with world class drone technology to reach customers in Texas through faster, more convenient delivery and serve them in entirely new ways."
Zipline's electric drones autonomously retrieve orders and fly them directly to customers' homes. To date, the company has completed more than 2.5 million autonomous deliveries worldwide across healthcare, food, and retail sectors, with more than 100,000 items available for order today in the US.
Wonder will also use the Zipline Dropbox, a pickup solution with indoor and outdoor loading capabilities. The Dropbox is flexible to different business layouts and can be rapidly added to locations with no construction. Orders are loaded into a drawer secured by a keypad, and then Zipline autonomously handles the rest, with no waiting and no interaction with drones.
Instacart and McKeever’s Market
Instacart’s Caper Carts now support EBT SNAP payments directly on-cart. This capability is live at McKeever’s Market in the Missouri/Kansas region, and aims to provide SNAP participants with the same ease and privacy as any other customer by enabling full checkout directly on the smart cart with their EBT card.
This builds on Caper Carts being the first smart carts to offer EBT SNAP eligible item tracking. The new capability is powered by Forage.
“Caper Carts have been an excellent way to make shopping more efficient for our customers, from helping them maximise their budgets with real-time budget tracking to showing our SNAP customers what items are eligible for benefit use,” says Tim Cosens, Chief Technology Officer at McKeever’s. “We’re excited to be the first retailer to make shopping smoother for SNAP households by enabling EBT card payment directly on Caper Carts.”
“Customers using Caper Carts tell us they love tracking their spending, discovering deals right in the aisle, and skipping the unload at checkout,” says David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart. “Adding EBT SNAP payments on Caper is another important step towards transforming the everyday grocery trip for families and ensuring every family has access to a seamless shopping experience. We’re proud to partner with retailers, like McKeever’s, that are embracing these new capabilities to better serve all of the communities.”
Heler Foods
Tetra Pak is working with British firm, Heler Foods, to create what is pitched as one of Europe’s most advanced cheesemaking plants using technology platform Tetra Pak Factory OS. This will mark the first time such tech has been installed in a Northern Europe creamery, with the new facility scheduled to be commissioned by January 2028.
The platform will provide real-time time monitoring of processing equipment, allowing it to autonomously adjust, with the aim of optimising cheese yield, improving product consistency, and enhancing operational efficiency.
Katrin Andersson, Managing Director North Europe at Tetra Pak, says: “At a time when food and beverage producers are under pressure to deliver savings across their operations, smart adoption of high performing equipment and AI driven manufacturing is key to future-proofing factories and providing certainty in an increasingly volatile market.”
“Businesses like Heler Foods are at the forefront of this, embracing our leading Tetra Pak Factory OS system as the future of food manufacturing. This deep customer collaboration combines the Heler family’s heritage in cheesemaking with the very latest in Tetra Pak’s automation and digitalisation capabilities to enhance food and beverage production, transforming their Nantwich creamery into one of the most advanced in Europe. This means less energy, less water and less waste, helping to take Heler Foods to the next level of efficiency, growth and quality.”
Keells
Keells, a supermarket operator in Sri Lanka, is rolling out Cybake ISB software across its in-store bakeries and fresh food counters. Colombo headquartered Keells was established in 1991 as a subsidiary of Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings. It operates bakeries in all its stores as well as prepared food counters for rice and curry dishes, salads, juice, doughnuts, and pizza.
Keells is currently using Cybake ISB in 23 stores, with final roll-out expected by September. This is deployed by supermarkets, retail bakery chains and forecourt operators to forecast, plan, and control the production of fresh food made in their stores.
Visal Perera, Head of Fresh Departments at Keells Supermarkets and Vice President of John Keells Group, says: “Our partnership with Cybake is an important step in the transformation of our prepared food business. As we continue to scale, having the right systems and processes in place is critical to ensuring consistent availability, reducing waste, and delivering a better experience for our customers. Cybake provides us with the visibility and planning capabilities needed to support our growth ambitions while maintaining operational excellence across our network."
SticksʹnʹSushi
Shift4 has announced a partnership with restaurant group SticksʹnʹSushi to provide integrated payment and ordering solutions across 32 locations in the UK and Europe.
Shift4's technology integrates into Sticks'n'Sushi's guest journey, combining end-to-end payment processing with mobile handheld devices that enable staff to take orders and payments directly at the table. The partnership also includes Dynamic Currency Conversion for both domestic and international guests.
“As restaurants scale, having best-in-class technology that enhances operations becomes a critical driver of growth while improving service for guests,” says Taylor Lauber, CEO at Shift4. “We’re proud to power SticksʹnʹSushi’s exceptional guest experience with our integrated payment and ordering technology.”
“In the modern hospitality industry, the payment experience is an integral part of the overall dining journey,” says Andreas Karlsson, CEO at SticksʹnʹSushi. “Shift4’s commitment to the guest experience aligns with our service ethos rooted in Omotenashi - the Japanese art of wholehearted hospitality. We look forward to implementing their flexible, scalable payments infrastructure across even more locations, so we can continue focusing on what matters most to us wherever we are: the guest.”
East of England Co-op
The East of England Co-op has partnered with Uber Eats on rapid grocery delivery for its members and customers, with the service now available from 33 food stores across East Anglia.
Through the Uber Eats platform, customers can order a wide range of fresh food, household products and grocery essentials to be delivered direct to their door.
The partnership forms part of an e-commerce and rapid delivery offering that also includes services such as Just Eat and Snappy Shopper. As part of the launch, East of England Co-op is offering £5 off when people spend £25 through Uber Eats.
Chief Commercial Officer for the East of England Co-op, Simon Dryell, says: “We're delighted to partner with Uber Eats and launch the service across 33 of our Food stores. Convenience will always be a key priority for us, and by working with Uber Eats we're able to offer our members and customers even more choice in how they shop with us. This partnership helps us meet the changing needs of our communities, ensuring customers can access the products they need quickly and easily from their local East of England Co-op."
New Look
New Look has announced a partnership with AI design platform Fermat as part of its digital transformation push. The tie up will equip its buying and design teams with AI powered tools that accelerate product development and help bring new ideas to market faster.
Using Fermat, teams will be able to create virtual product renders, test multiple design iterations and explore different styling options. The aim here is to unlock greater creativity and help teams respond more quickly to customer demand. The technology will also allow designers to reduce reliance on traditional sampling processes.
Anica Wislawski, Creative Director at New Look, says: "Creativity has always been at the heart of New Look. It's what helps us create distinctive products that resonate with our customers and keeps them coming back season after season. Fermat gives our designers the freedom to bring ideas to life faster, explore more creative possibilities and refine products through multiple iterations before they reach the customer.”
“More importantly, it allows us to remove time from parts of the design process and reinvest it where human creativity matters most: understanding our customer, identifying what they'll want next and thinking about how they'll wear and style it. By combining creative instinct, customer insight, and AI powered tools, we're able to make more informed decisions and shape trends into wearable ideas that work in everyday life. It strengthens the golden thread from concept to customer, helping us create better products, better outfits and ultimately more confidence for our customer.”
Footasylum
THG Fulfil has announced a partnership with Footasylum, a UK retailer of fashion streetwear and sportswear. The tie up marks THG Fulfil’s first AutoStore implementation for an external retailer, following deployments within its own global fulfilment network.
The implementation will see 85 AutoStore R5 robots deployed across more than 96,000 bin locations, with 24 carousel ports and 100% of Footasylum’s live SKU range stored within the AutoStore grid. At the heart of the solution will be THG Fulfil’s proprietary SaaS infrastructure, including a purpose built warehouse control system (WCS), optimised by THG Fulfil’s in-house development team. The project is being delivered within a three-month build programme, with first order go live targeted for September.
Tom Killeen, COO, THG Ingenuity, says: “What will make this partnership different is not just the hardware, it is the software and operational knowledge behind it. THG Fulfil has spent two decades obsessing over the end consumer experience as a retailer, and that knowledge is embedded into everything we build. As a unique global distributor and integrator for AutoStore, we bring proprietary SaaS infrastructure including a purpose-built WCS, an AI backed data science function, and a depth of operational experience that compounds in value long after go live.
“For Footasylum, our robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) commercial model removes the traditional barriers to entry for a first major automation project, giving them access to enterprise grade infrastructure without the capital commitment. With their entire SKU range running through a system purposefully designed around their operation, we are confident the results will speak for themselves.”
Quadrant and Shopify
Quadrant, the entertainment and lifestyle brand founded by Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris, has announced its first ever London pop-up activation at Outernet London. Shopify will handle the entire commerce layer behind the activation, allowing Quadrant to bring its online community into a physical space.
"Lando is one of the best drivers in the world, and what he and the Quadrant team have built off the track is just as impressive. They understood something every great entrepreneur understands: build the community first, and commerce follows," says Harley Finkelstein, President at Shopify. “They're using the Silverstone race week to convert screens to a storefront in London. That's the kind of ambition Shopify is built for."
“Quadrant has always been about building something with our fans. Racing, apparel and content are all a big part of it, but it’s the fans who’ve made it what it is today. We’ve built so much online over the years, so it’s really exciting to bring that into the real-world with this pop-up. Shopify has helped us make that possible, and I can’t wait for everyone to come and check it out during race week,” says Norris.
The London activation opened at Outernet London on Tuesday, 30th June. A second Shopify x Quadrant activation in a US city will follow later this year. RTIH’s money is on Las Vegas, given that a Formula 1 race will take place there in November.
John Lewis Partnership
The John Lewis Partnership has appointed Kevel to power its on-site retail media network, across both the John Lewis and Waitrose websites.
Drawing on its AI powered, API first Retail Media Cloud, coupled with its experience supporting multi-brand retailers, Kevel has worked with the John Lewis Partnership to develop a bespoke advertising platform. The first-party data allows brands to target customer segments that enable advertisers to reach the right shoppers at the right moment.
It features self-service tools, enabling brand partners to quickly go live with custom campaigns, and supports native ads and sponsored listings across John Lewis and Waitrose websites.
It also includes new ‘ROPO’ measurement capabilities; closed loop reporting designed to reflect the ‘research online, purchase offline’ shopping habits of customers. For the first time, this allows brands to track whether their retail media has led to sales, even if the purchase is made in-store, by bringing in data like the use of a loyalty card.
Newegg
Newegg, a specialist in computer and technology products, has unveiled a conversational AI shopping experience that lets people move from idea to cart in one place.
Customers can describe what they're looking for in plain language and refine through conversation - asking the assistant to swap a part, adjust the shopping budget, or prioritise a different specification, without restarting the search.
The assistant carries that context, surfacing the right products as the conversation develops. Items added to the cart remain accessible from a side panel within the experience, allowing customers to review their build and check out without ever leaving the conversation. Throughout, the assistant draws from Newegg's live catalogue, including current pricing, real-time inventory, Shell Shocker deals, OpenBox listings, and Combos, and is planned to integrate directly with the retailer’s proprietary build tools such as PC Builder and PC Upgrade.
"Tech shopping involves a lot of reasoning about specs, trade-offs, budget, fit, with what you already own. Our new AI assistant is built to think through all of that the way an experienced tech friend would, surfacing the right options, and staying with you from the first question all the way to checkout, without you ever leaving the conversation,” says Jim Tseng, VP of Newegg Product Management.
