Drone deliveries in Florida and smart cart firsts in England: 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 Homebase USA, Simbe, Walmart, Wing, Royal Mail, Albertsons Companies, Butlin's, Boxbar Tech, Morrisons, Instacart, M&S, Tesco, Pret A Manger, FARM Rio, and Coach.
Homebase USA
Homebase USA is expanding its roll-out of the Tally robot and Simbe’s suite of solutions to stores across Texas, Wyoming, Kansas and Missouri following a pilot that reduced pricing errors by 92%, lowered controllable out-of-stocks by 58%, brought total out-of-stocks below 1%, and shortened annual physical inventories from three days to less than one.
Operating stores with extensive assortments across farm, ranch, building supplies, hardware, seasonal, and everyday essentials requires consistent execution at the shelf. For the rural communities and small towns that HomeBase serves, when an essential item is out of stock, the nearest alternative can be far away. With continuous visibility into shelf conditions, the retailer’s teams can identify and resolve issues before they affect customers. For shoppers in these markets, Tally will also be the first encounter with a robot.
"Strengthening how we operate across every store makes it even better to work and shop at HomeBase," says Joel McLiney, Owner and CEO at HomeBase. "Simbe helped our teams focus on what matters most each day, and the results gave us confidence to introduce Tally to all our stores in less than three months."
“Instead of spending time searching for problems, our teams start each day knowing exactly where to focus,” says Tim Blakesley, Store Manager at HomeBase. “That means more time helping customers and making life easier for associates.”
Walmart and Wing
Walmart and Alphabet’s Wing drone delivery offering this week started service across Central Florida, marking the expansion of the USA’s largest such network into the state. The companies say that they are now making deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes from multiple local Walmart Supercenters.
Walmart customers in Greater Orlando can now use the service. Over the next year, Wing and Walmart are expanding drone delivery to 270+ stores, with a view to building a coast to coast network in 2027, ultimately reaching over 10% of the US population. They claim that the offering solves unique local dynamics by bypassing traffic, helping retirement communities get groceries and medicine without braving the severe summer heat, and showcasing retail tech to Orlando's global tourist audience.
“We measure success in minutes saved and life made a little easier in Central Florida,” says Heather Rivera, Wing’s Chief Business Officer. “Whether it’s helping a family grab a quick lunch without loading everyone into the car, or delivering sunscreen to a visitor at their vacation rental, we want drone delivery to be a simple, seamless part of daily routines.”
“We’re always looking for new ways to give customers more choice and flexibility,” says Greg Cathey, Senior Vice President, eCommerce Fulfillment Transformation at Walmart. “Working with Wing allows us to bring Orlando customers a wide assortment of everyday items through one of the fastest and most innovative delivery options available.”
Kiehl’s
Kiehl’s is expanding its smart mirror retail programme across UK, UAE, Singapore, Malaysia and China, marking the next phase of an international strategy to embed interactive technology permanently into its store environments.
The roll-out started in New York, where Kiehl’s partnered with spatial technology company LOOOK.AI to launch its first augmented reality storefront. Installations have since gone live at Westfield London (Ariel Way), Dubai Festival City in Dubai, and Singapore, Malaysia and China have been confirmed as the next markets for this initiative.
As shoppers approach, the display activates, using motion sensing and augmented visuals to pull them in. A facial scanning feature puts each visitor at the centre of the experience, turning what would otherwise be a static display into a personalised introduction to Kiehl’s skincare world. It is less about spectacle and more about creating a natural, low friction moment of discovery, the retailer says.
The installations are built as permanent retail infrastructure, intended to grow and evolve as the programme expands into further markets.
DoorDash
DoorDash has launched Air, a drone programme designed and built in-house at DoorDash Labs. The on demand delivery big hitter has earned Federal Aviation Administration Part 135 air carrier certification, clearing it to operate its own drone delivery service for local commerce.
It already has partnerships in this space with Alphabet's Wing and Israeli company Flytrex. Those will remain in play, but DoorDash will now develop its own custom made drone and manage many of its own air deliveries.
“I believe drones are the next frontier of delivery, and what we’ve learned after years of progress is that you have to solve the full end-to-end system to find out what works and what scales with your customer,” says Stanley Tang, Co-founder at DoorDash. “The aircraft is one unique challenge, but the bigger problem I’m most excited about is the ground infrastructure: enabling autonomy to work seamlessly inside one of the largest delivery networks in the world. A delivery drone or ground robot is worthless if it doesn't connect a customer who needs something with a local merchant selling it.”
He adds: “Across billions of orders and millions of customers, we’ve been purposeful about building our autonomous delivery network with the integration of drones and Dot (the company’s first autonomous delivery robot") in a way that helps businesses reach more customers faster. We attract builders. People come here to solve real problems and see their work show up in the physical world, not to sit in R&D hell or in a demo that never moves outside the lab.”
Royal Mail
Royal Mail has launched its first electric cargo cycles, expanding what is claimed to be the UK's largest electric delivery fleet. The first 20 Minimal Pedal 4 cycles will be deployed this month in cities including London, Brighton, and Cambridge, with plans to roll-out to further locations in the future.
Manufactured at Minimal's microfactory in West London, their introduction marks a step towards Royal Mail's target of achieving Net-Zero by 2040.
It says that using e-cargo cycles will help it reduce carbon emissions, improve local air quality and make delivery rounds more efficient.
Giving posties their own dedicated vehicle rather than sharing a van will help to streamline routes and speed up deliveries. The cycles can also be charged from a standard three-pin plug socket, allowing them to operate from any delivery office, including sites with limited yard space or electricity capacity.
THG Ingenuity
THG Ingenuity has announced the availability of its AI Stylist on Google Cloud Marketplace. Built in collaboration with Google Cloud and on Gemini’s Enterprise Agent Platform, this virtual try-on solution enables customers to upload personal photos, visualising how clothing items on product pages would appear on them before making a purchase.
The AI Stylist addresses a critical challenge in online fashion - the inability to physically try on items. By integrating into the e-commerce journey, it aims to provide consumers with an immersive and confident shopping experience. It delivers accurate and realistic visualisations, bridging the gap between digital browsing and informed purchasing decisions.
Performance data from initial deployments on Myprotein as follows: for those who generated at least one image using the AI Stylist, comparison against site average activewear shoppers revealed UK customers were nearly six times more likely to convert, spent 6.3 times longer on site, and had a 2.5% higher average order value.
Uber Technologies
Uber Technologies has announced partnerships with new regional grocery retailers across the US, bringing Busch’s Fresh Food Market, Hays, Lowe’s Market, and Piggly Wiggly to the marketplace. People can shop from participating stores through the Uber Eats, Uber, and Postmates apps, with access to on-demand and scheduled delivery and real-time order tracking.
“When it comes to grocery shopping, local preference matters,” says Hashim Amin, Head of Grocery and Retail, North America at Uber. “Whether it’s a regional chain that has been part of a community for decades or a neighborhood market customers visit every week, people want familiar grocery options that fit their routines. These new partnerships help us bring more of those local favorites to Uber Eats while creating new opportunities for grocers to grow their business.”
GS1 UK
GS1 UK has launched a new self-serve next-generation QR code creation tool. This, it says, will make it easier for brands to prepare for the transition to the next generation of barcodes, following Tesco becoming the first UK supermarket to transition an entire product range to QR codes powered by GS1 earlier this year.
The launch also aims to give SMEs and challenger brands a chance to compete with the industry’s big hitters, who are investing heavily in retail media.
Anne Godfrey, CEO at GS1 UK, says: “QR codes powered by GS1 build on the foundations that have served retail so well for decades. By linking a product’s unique GS1 identifier to trusted digital information, they support a more connected and transparent future for the industry. Making it easier for businesses to adopt this technology is an important step in helping the UK retail sector prepare for what comes next.”
Coach
Coach is ramping up its open access tie up with The Sims 4 with the introduction of a new collection inspired by the brand's (Re)Loved initiative. Marking the second collaboration between the pair, Coach says that the launch continues its “exploration of gaming as a space for creativity, self-expression, and personal style”.
Available for free to all players through The Sims Marketplace, the collection introduces four new Coach items to Create-A-Sim: Repurposed Cotton Trench Coat; Coach Cardigan; Horse And Carriage Striped Rugby Polo; Repurposed Denim Mini Skirt. The new pieces invite players to express their personal style and tell creative stories through virtual fashion, while honouring the in-game universe with localised Simlish apparel.
The move builds on the Coach x The Sims 4 collection launched earlier this year, which introduced ready to wear styles, Tabby and Brooklyn bags, and the interactive Coach Trunk.
FARM Rio
Inspectorio reports that FARM Rio is aiming to digitise supply chain operations and streamline regulatory compliance with its Quality Risk Management, Lab Test Management and Traceability and Transparency solutions.
Founded in 1997, Rio de Janeiro born FARM Rio is a fashion and lifestyle brand known for its colourful textiles and nature inspired prints. Since beginning its international expansion in 2019 with the opening of its flagship boutique in SoHo, New York, it has built a sizeable following among younger shoppers across the US and Europe through a growing network of its own boutiques, department stores and fashion rental platforms.
Inspectorio will support it by further digitising and strengthening the brand’s global supply chain operations across retail locations in France, Italy, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States. FARM Rio is a flagship brand of AZZAS 2154, Latin America’s largest fashion retail group.
“As one of the most recognised and fastest growing brands in the Americas, sustaining this growth requires a modern supply chain that aligns with our future,” says Alexandra Brito, Head of Quality at FARM Rio. “As we grow, Inspectorio provides us with the platform and regulatory expertise to fully digitise our operations. We can now scale our international business with the confidence that our supply chain meets the highest standards in the markets we serve across the Americas and Europe.”
Los Angeles Football Club
Major League Soccer team Los Angeles Football Club has deployed Mashgin’s checkout solution at BMO Stadium. This uses AI and computer vision to instantly identify items, with no scanning or barcodes required. Customers place items, pay, and go. Simples!
Christian Lau, Chief Technology Officer at Los Angeles Football Club, says: “This has been integrated with our extraordinary privacy first facial authentication system from Wicket and our mobile ID verification solution from Credence ID. Combined, these technologies allow guests to move through concession lines and complete their purchases in seconds.”
Albertsons Companies
Stream reports a partnership with Albertsons Companies, a food and drug retailer in the United States, to provide its 280,000 employees access to a suite of financial tools, including Earned Wage Access (EWA), the ability to track and budget earnings, and build savings.
While many large retailers offer EWA, Albertsons Cos. lays claim to being the first major US supermarket chain to introduce a broad platform of workplace finance tools to its entire workforce through Stream.
Portman Wills, Co-founder at Stream, says: "This is the stuff that doesn't show up on a balance sheet - someone covering a car repair without panic, watching their savings grow for the first time, finally getting the support they were owed. A few months in, that's what's happening for thousands of Albertsons Cos. associates every week. That's what good looks like, and Albertsons Cos. is setting the standard."
Jennifer Weinstein, VP Benefits at Albertsons Companies, comments: “Our associates are the driving force behind our organisation and helping them thrive both in and out of work is our priority. We know that building financial resilience goes beyond just a paycheck, and we’re excited that so many of our associates are already using Stream’s tools to plan for their futures.”
Morrisons Daily
Snappy Shopper and Morrisons Daily have announced an expansion of their partnership, with hundreds of additional convenience stores joining the rapid grocery delivery platform across England and Wales. Customers can shop from a full Morrisons Daily convenience range through the Snappy Shopper app, including everyday essentials, Morrisons Savers products, own brand lines and multibuy promotions.
Orders over £35 also qualify for free delivery, offering customers even greater value. Deliveries will continue to be fulfilled by Nash, with JetGo serving as the preferred last mile delivery partner. The continued roll-out follows strong customer adoption across the Morrisons Daily estate, with the partnership achieving an average order value of £31.
Through the adoption of Snappy Shopper’s technology, Morrisons Daily stores will also be able to fulfil orders placed via the Foodhub platform.
Butlin's
Butlin's has completed the roll-out of 119 automated self-serve bar terminals across its three UK resorts, becoming the world’s first holiday resort operator to introduce the Boxbar machines. This is pitched as the largest deployment of its kind anywhere in the world.
The installation spans entertainment venues at Bognor Regis, Minehead and Skegness. The aim is to increase bar service capacity all year round, maximise sales during peak trading periods, reduce queues and improve the guest experience. The 119-unit deployment spans Boxbar's full machine portfolio including Boxbar Mobile (2-Bank & 3-Bank), Container and fixed TapWall installations. By combining permanent and mobile formats, Butlin's says it can service a wide variety of indoor and outdoor venues whilst retaining the flexibility to support special events and changing guest demand.
The units can pour two drinks in as little as six seconds and serve a broad drinks menu, with 20 different products on offer across the Butlin’s portfolio. Across the three resorts, the deployment has the capability to dispense hundreds of drinks every minute. The technology has been integrated into Butlin's existing guest experience, including support for the resort's popular All Inclusive Drinks package.
Jisp
Jisp has unveiled the results of what is pitched as its highest performing Scan & Win activation to date. Developed in partnership with an unnamed UK FMCG manufacturer, the bespoke campaign combined Jisp's Scan & Win Video technology, which lets shoppers scan product packaging without a QR code, with instant win mechanics and multi-channel marketing. The aim was to create an engaging shopper journey both in and out of store.
The six-week activation generated more than 1,000 product scans, with 62% of participants returning to scan more than once and the most engaged shoppers taking part almost daily throughout, a 93% repeat participation rate that points to sustained engagement rather than one off promotional interactions. Off the back of the results, Jisp has since secured a contract with another leading FMCG brand.
Esther Lawrence, Partnerships Director at Jisp, says: "Brands are looking for smarter ways to engage consumers that go beyond traditional price promotions. What this campaign proves is that when you make packaging interactive, you create a completely new media channel that delivers measurable engagement and genuine excitement around a brand.”
"The industry has been searching for promotional mechanics that work in a post-HFSS environment while supporting retailers' and manufacturers' digital ambitions. With the pack itself becoming the point of engagement, the limitations created by HFSS legislation can be more easily navigated and brands get a way of building campaigns that keep shoppers coming back time and time again. This result shows the scale of what's possible when packaging becomes the channel. We're excited by what we've seen and look forward to bringing Scan & Win to more major brands and retailers over the coming months."
Morrisons
Morrisons has launched Instacart’s Caper Cart smart trolleys at a Preston supermarket, marking North American firm Instacart’s first retail partnership in the UK for its AI powered solution. These automatically recognise items as they are placed in the trolley, including weighing fresh produce on the spot.
Customers can bag items as they shop, saving time throughout the trip and making checkout quicker and easier. The trolley's touchscreen displays a running basket total to help customers stay on budget, makes relevant product recommendations, and enables them to scan their Morrisons More Card to access loyalty savings and promotions throughout their shop. At the end of their trip, they scan the barcode displayed on the trolley's screen at a dedicated Caper checkout lane to complete payment.
"Caper smart trolleys represent a new era for in-store grocery shopping - one where the physical store is as intelligent and personalised as the best online experience," says David McIntosh, Chief Connected Stores Officer at Instacart. “Customers want technology that helps them stay on budget and discover products they love, and Caper smart trolleys deliver both, directly in the aisle. We're proud to bring this to the UK for the first time through our partnership with Morrisons, who share our belief that technology should make the weekly shop not just easier, but genuinely more enjoyable."
"Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, and we're always looking for ways to make their weekly shop easier, more rewarding, and more enjoyable, to give them more reasons to shop at Morrisons," says Gordon Macpherson, Productivity Director at Morrisons. “Caper smart trolleys do exactly that, giving customers real-time visibility of their spending, instant access to their More Card savings, and a more seamless experience in the aisle. We're proud to be the first UK retailer to bring this technology to our customers, and we look forward to seeing how shoppers in Preston and across Lancashire respond to this innovative new trolley in this in-store trial.”
Caper Carts are now live in more than 100 cities across the US and Australia with the likes of Kroger, Wakefern Food Corp., Schnucks, and Coles.
M&S
M&S has announced the roll-out of ten new lower emission DAF XD electric trucks across its supply chain logistics fleet, including what is pitched as a first of its kind vehicle. As part of its Plan A roadmap to Net Zero by 2040, the retailer has committed to move to low carbon logistics, increased use of new technologies and cleaner fuels.
M&S is introducing new technologies to its fleet with a vehicle fitted with an integrated inverter that draws power from the vehicle’s main battery and converts it to supply the trailer’s refrigeration unit.
Developed through the eFREIGHT 2030 project, part of the UK government’s Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure programme, this marks the first deployment of this technology on a DAF truck in the UK and reduces the need for diesel powered refrigeration on chilled journeys.
The new vehicles build on M&S’ electric fleet expansion and join eight other zero tailpipe emission battery electric HGVs and five battery electric Rigids. Five of the new vehicles are now in service and a further five will enter operations this year.
Mick Pethard, Group Fleet Manager at M&S, says: “Adapting our logistics network is vital in achieving our Plan A Net Zero ambitions. We’re committed to reducing carbon emissions from our transport and, through collaboration with Gist and DAF, we are able to trial new technologies, reduce carbon, save energy and drive operational efficiencies across the business.”
Kölle Zoo
SOLUM is working with Kölle Zoo, a pet retailer in the German speaking market, on its digital transformation journey.
The pair have rolled out approximately 300,000 electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across 28 stores in an eight week period, boosting the digitisation of store operations and streamlining price and promotion management.
With SOLUM Newton ESL and the AIMS platform, Kölle Zoo says that it now manages shelf-edge communication centrally, reducing manual work, improving pricing accuracy, and enabling faster campaign execution across its store network.
Pret A Manger
Pret A Manger this week opened its new flagship store in Terminal 5 at London Heathrow - its ninth at the UK’s busiest airport. This offers Pret’s usual menu of barista made drinks and freshly prepared food, including Super Plates and Protein Pots.
There are also mobile handheld tills to help team members serve customers more quickly in the arrivals area, along with seating for 104 people.
In a LinkedIn post, Luke Kan, Global Head of Shop Format & Design at Pret, said: “We are immensely proud of what we have achieved with our new shop at Heathrow Terminal 5 Arrival Hall, a truly unique opportunity to showcase the best of Pret A Manger to the millions of international passengers that will be travelling through Heathrow every year.
He added: “The site presented a complex design challenge: to create a flagship vision and tailored shop format that will welcome all Heathrow customer groups. Working in collaboration with Draw Creative and KAD Retail, we are really happy with the outcome and hope the design will play a part in helping those visiting the UK form their best impressions of the country with inspiring design, freshly made food and prepared drinks and incredible customer service. Big thank you to the amazing team who worked tirelessly to deliver this project.”
Tesco
ICE recently announced a partnership with Tesco, launching autonomous cleaning robots across 600 Express stores. The pair said that this was the first deployment of this scale in the UK convenience sector. The initial phase of the roll-out has now been completed.
The machines are designed as "co-bots" to work alongside Tesco colleagues. By taking over routine floor cleaning, they free up time for the store teams to focus on serving customers. The technology promises a highly consistent, premium clean every single day, backed by data tracking and reporting.
In a LinkedIn post, Tabitha Gafencu, Project Manager - Stores Transformation and Operations Development at Tesco, said: "600 stores. One vision. Countless people behind the success. We've officially completed the initial phase of our 600-store cleaning automation roll-out - the largest deployment of its kind delivered in the UK to date."
She added: "A project of this scale and complexity is never about one team alone. It has taken the commitment, collaboration, and dedication of many stakeholders across the business, store colleagues, shift leaders, store managers, ICE engineers and suppliers to turn a shared vision into reality."
BP Pulse Live Arena
A new Tap & Go frictionless bar has gone live at the NEC's BP Pulse Live Arena in the UK, powered by Amazon Just Walk Out technology and a beer dispensing solution from Beerjet UK.
In a LinkedIn post, Harry Ridley, Head of Technology at Levy UK and Ireland, said: "One of my favourite frictionless bar launches! Frictionless is now becoming BAU tech tool in our toolkit, refined process delivering a slick deployment from start to finish. BPPL frictionless bar layout and flow optimised for the fastest guest journey, this bar has the most amount of entry gates outside of the US to unlock maximum throughput."
He added: "All elements fully considered from enagaging digital signage, wayfinding to the critical back of house infrastructure and capacity enhancers. Backfilled fridges and multi-dispense technology to empower operators to restock and “reload” beers in matter of seconds, easily handling peak demand. Operational excellence is in our Levy DNA, coupled with enhanced experience hosts ensure every guest is served, every pint is cold and every F&B moment is made special. Rich data unlocked by this tech provide detailed insights and trend analysis coupled with our E15 insights team allows us to proactively tweak the product mix and optimise for each unique event at BPPL.”
Ridley concluded: "Even after five years.. launching the latest stadium technology.. I still have goosebumps when the first guests go through frictionless and say it’s magic. Thank you to my dream team, our strategic partners and amazing client for another brilliant launch."
Johan Cruijff ArenA
The Johan Cruijff ArenA has become the first stadium in the Netherlands to introduce an autonomous checkout-free bar. This taps tracking and AI technology to capture visitor pickups or products and automatically take payment. People can tap their smartphone to pay on entry to the bar kiosk. The bar was used for the first time during Ajax-Burnley on 26th July.
Working with Levy Europe, public catering partner to the ArenA, the technology was trialled during concert season, with over 12,000 fans passing through the kiosk and purchasing more than 17,000 beverages. The first Bar14 in the ArenA is located on the Second Ring on the east side of the stadium.
"We never settle for how things have always been done - we're always challenging the norm to find smarter ways to deliver for fans. Our checkout-free technology gives fans back precious time to enjoy the occasion, and we’re proud to bring it to the Johan Cruijff ArenA and set a new benchmark for matchday experiences across the Netherlands," says Rak Kalidas, Chief Creative Officer at Levy.
G2A.COM
G2A.COM has announced the global launch of Dave, its proprietary autonomous customer support agent, which will be available to sellers operating on the digital platform, following a two-month trial period. It says that Dave has streamlined sellers’ operations and processes, managing roughly 10,000 conversations globally per week.
Unlike traditional chatbots, it connects directly to the seller’s transaction history and enables instant verification of payment status and the seller’s policies, allowing issues to be resolved immediately. By relying on verified data rather than solely on generative text, the system avoids the risk of AI hallucinations and errors and effectively manages complex cases involving vouchers, game keys, software licenses, and refunds processed by sellers.
“As we continue to expand globally, ensuring that sellers can provide the highest possible standard of customer support remains a key priority. Activity across the gaming ecosystem, including major game launches, can trigger sudden spikes in user inquiries within hours, making it inefficient to scale support simply by hiring more agents," says Paweł Wróbel, CGO at G2A.COM.
"Dave was created to deliver immediate, high quality, multilingual assistance at scale. If a case requires full manual intervention by the seller, the seller and their support team receive a comprehensive analysis and summary of the case so users never have to repeat themselves."
"Dave is also another step in building an AI native organisation and environment. AI is no longer just a productivity tool or a competitive advantage. The real advantage comes from embedding AI into the core of how a company operates. Dave is a practical example of that approach, helping us and sellers using platform to scale globally while delivering faster and more trusted user experiences."
