Lefties lands in UK and Walmart rethinks payments strategy: last week’s biggest retail technology plays
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail technology deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Dollar General, RELEX Solutions, M&S, Officeworks, Zitcha, Tesco, Simbe, Toolstation, Kroger, Uber Eats, Nkuku, Sweetwater, and Dickey's Barbecue Pit.
M&S
M&S says it has become the first retailer to use AI powered monitoring systems on its entire Milk Pool to monitor animal welfare across 46 dairy farms. The tools use cameras to capture footage of dairy cows when they are indoors which is then analysed using an algorithm trained alongside vets to monitor welfare of dairy cows in real-time.
The technology uses AI powered video analytics to build an individual health profile for each animal, tracking mobility and body condition scoring over time to give farmers objective, consistent data on the wellbeing of their herd. The tools monitor the cow’s behaviour including lying time, feeding time, social interactions and mobility to generate a ‘cow comfort score’ which supports vets in their assessment of individual cow’s health. The cameras will assess body condition scoring to assess cows’ nutritional status over time.
Terry Canning, CEO of Cattle Eye says “Changes in body condition are early indicators of metabolic health, fertility, and overall wellbeing. Tracking those changes more regularly, across every cow, gives farmers a level of insight that was previously unavailable outside research environments.”
The algorithm supporting the tool has been tested and, according to those involved, found to perform to the same standard as a trained welfare assessor.
The tools are being rolled out following trials at a selection of M&S dairy farms, where farmers have used the technology to make changes to tailor care to individual cow’s needs. By measuring lying times, farmers have made changes to the bedding of individual cows to improve their comfort based on their specific size and shape. Feeding schedules have been adapted to reduce the amount of time cows spend standing and the design of some stalls has been adapted to improve cow comfort.
Lefties
Landsec reports that the first Lefties store in the UK has opened its doors at Liverpool ONE. Owned by Inditex, the fashion retailer has launched a flagship store on South John Street, spanning over 27,000 sq ft across two floors, stocking women’s, men’s, teen, kids, baby, newborn, home, accessories and footwear collections.
This will feature some of the brand’s latest retail technology, already introduced at recent European openings, including robotic hanger sorters and radio frequency identification self-checkouts, removing the need to scan each item separately.
Pablo Sueiras, Head of Retail & Hospitality Leasing at Landsec, says: “Lefties making its UK debut at Liverpool ONE is a significant milestone for the destination and highlights its continued appeal to retailers looking to establish themselves in the UK market. Lefties’ arrival builds on our long standing relationship with Inditex and the success of its existing brands at Liverpool ONE. It also reflects the confidence global retailers have in the destination’s ability to deliver the scale, visibility and highly engaged customer base needed to support long-term growth.”
With the addition of the UK, Lefties is now present in 20 markets globally with 225 stores.
Toolstation
Edenred Payment Solutions (EPS) reports the launch of a new closed loop gift card programme for Toolstation, a UK omnichannel retailer of tools, accessories and building supplies. This enables DIY enthusiasts and trade professionals to purchase and redeem gift cards across all Toolstation touchpoints, including in-store across its network of over 550 UK branches, online, or through the retailer’s mobile app.
Powered by EPS’s API-based payments platform, the programme provides Toolstation with end-to-end card processing capabilities, including real-time top-ups, balance enquiries, and secure redemptions built directly into its checkout systems with zero third-party redirects. EPS also equips the Toolstation team with dedicated customer service management tools and analytics dashboards to monitor activity, breakage, customer behaviour, and campaign performance.
Rehana Mitha, Managing Director at Edenred Payment Solutions, says: "Toolstation is the latest retailer to recognise the importance of incorporating gift cards into their customer proposition. They wanted to create a brand new programme with zero friction when their customers were using the gift card, regardless of how they choose to purchase and redeem across stores, the web and app.”
“They set an ambitious goal of integration, card manufacture, and launch in their stores in just eight weeks. Our dedicated project team worked with great agility and close collaboration with several Toolstation stakeholders to meet this timeline. We are thrilled to support Toolstation with an end-to-end payment solution that promotes long-term customer loyalty while also giving rise to meaningful community and B2B initiatives in the future."
Dollar General
RELEX Solutions is partnering with Dollar General to implement forecasting, replenishment, and allocation capabilities across its North American operations.
Dollar General operates more than 21,000 stores and 34 distribution centres, managing approximately 18,000 SKUs, and continues to expand its store footprint each year. The AI driven RELEX platform will manage store replenishment, ordering schedules, lead times, supplier coordination, and fulfillment methods in one place. Sales patterns and other demand factors will be built directly into the planning process, allowing DCs and stores to work from the same data.
“We chose RELEX because it gives us a practical way to use AI in our planning and helps our teams focus on the issues that truly need attention,” says Jeff Vaughan, SVP Global Inventory Management at Dollar General. “The platform brings forecasting, replenishment, and allocation planning into a single environment, giving our teams greater visibility across the network.”
Sweetwater
Sweetwater, an online retailer for music makers, has chosen Gr4vy, a cloud-based payment orchestration platform, as it looks to modernise its payment infrastructure and simplify operations through a single orchestration layer.
“This partnership reflects what payment orchestration is all about: giving merchants the freedom to evolve their payment strategy without rebuilding their infrastructure,” says John Lunn, Founder and CEO at Gr4vy. “Our role is to provide payment infrastructure that gives businesses like Sweetwater the flexibility to adapt as they grow.”
“Gr4vy gives us the flexibility to simplify our payment infrastructure while making it easier to evolve our payment strategy over time,” says David Stineburg, Director of Payments and Fraud Prevention at Sweetwater. “The implementation was collaborative from day one, and we're excited to continue expanding our partnership.”
Officeworks
Australian retailer Officeworks, part of the Wesfarmers group, has become the first retailer globally to activate Snapchat's suite of advertising formats directly within the Zitcha platform. This includes Sponsored Snaps, Snapchat's in-chat ad format that delivers full screen video or images directly into the Chat feed; Snap Ads (single image or video) to drive awareness, engagement, traffic and sales; and catalogue powered Dynamic Product Ads to blend storytelling with dynamic product discovery.
Officework kicked things off with a campaign for Microsoft to drive demand both online and in-store.
Andy Mossop, Chief Customer Officer at Officeworks, says: “We're focused on building a retail media network that creates value for everyone in the ecosystem, our customers, our suppliers and our business. That's why we're incredibly proud to partner with Zitcha and Snapchat to bring this innovative integration to life. As one of the first retailers globally to activate Snapchat through Zitcha, we're helping shape the future of retail media by connecting brands with audiences in more relevant and engaging ways.”
“Just as importantly, we're committed to delivering meaningful, measurable results for our suppliers. This work is a great example of what's possible when retailers, technology partners and brands come together with a shared focus on customer relevance and impact. We’re proud to provide a platform that delivers on this breadth of benefit to our supplier partners.”
Petsense by Tractor Supply
A new partnership makes Instacart the exclusive same-day delivery partner for Petsense by Tractor Supply. Customers can now shop Petsense's assortment of pet foods and supplies through the Instacart app and website, with delivery in as fast as an hour with no markups.
"Petsense has built a loyal following among pet owners who care deeply about the wellbeing of their animals," says Blake Wallace, Vice President of Commercial Partnerships at Instacart. "We're thrilled to be its exclusive same-day delivery partner, making it easier than ever for customers to get the specialty products their pets love, whenever they need them."
"We believe that ensuring the health and happiness of your pets should be the easiest decision you make in a day," says Shawn Blankenship, Vice President of Petsense by Tractor Supply, which has over 130 stores across the US. "By partnering with Instacart to offer same-day delivery, customers can now receive our top-quality assortment of pet food and supplies in as little as an hour. This partnership represents our commitment to being the most convenient and dependable place to shop for your pets."
Post Office
OneView Commerce has signed a contract with the Post Office to deliver a new electronic point of sale (EPoS) system across all its branches.
The deal is valued at £141 million. It is part of the Post Office's wider programme to replace its legacy Horizon system and modernise technology across its branch network, a central pillar of its five-year transformation plan.
OneView will work alongside the Post Office and Accenture, which is separately leading the transition of day-to-day Horizon operations and back end development, to deliver the new EPoS platform.
Kroger
Grocery and prescription delivery is now available across nearly all Kroger banners in the US, including Fred Meyer, Ralphs and Harris Teeter. The Instacart powered capability connects customers to more than 2,200 Kroger pharmacy locations.
Eligible prescriptions are filled and verified by Kroger pharmacy teams before being delivered from the store by an Instacart shopper.
"We're committed to making it easier for our customers to take care of their health and their families," says Colleen Lindholz, President at Kroger Health. "This new service combines the convenience of grocery delivery with the personalised care provided by our pharmacy teams. Customers have groceries and eligible prescriptions delivered together, knowing their prescriptions are filled and verified by the trusted Kroger pharmacy teams who serve their communities every day."
"Grocery delivery has always been about removing friction from people's lives, and picking up a prescription is one of the most important errands customers manage," says Ryan Hamburger, Chief Commercial Officer at Instacart. "Together with Kroger, we're making it easier for customers to access groceries and pharmacy services in one order, bringing greater convenience to everyday life while preserving the trusted pharmacy experience customers depend on."
Uber Eats
Uber Eats is bringing robot delivery to the EU. This week, Finland will become the first EU market where its customers can get their orders delivered by autonomous robots, starting in central Helsinki through a partnership with Coco Robotics. Customers matched with a robot can follow its journey in the Uber Eats app.
A spokesperson says: “We’re growing fast in Finland. We launched Uber Eats in May with three cities, and just three months later we’re adding eight more, bringing us to 11 cities and areas across the country. Helsinki is a particularly exciting place to take this next step: the robots have already been put through their paces on the city’s streets and in Finnish winter conditions. Now they’ll be delivering for Uber Eats alongside our existing courier network.”
SPAR
ZetaDisplay has extended its partnership with SPAR to deliver the retailer’s first retail media network. This follows ZetaDisplay’s recent acquisition of retailmediatools, a retail media infrastructure-as-a-service platform.
The roll-out for SPAR has begun with a pilot programme and will continue through to the end of the year. ZetaDisplay’s Austria team, which has collaborated with SPAR for more than a decade, will lead the project. Over the years, the partnership has delivered a series of in-store digital solutions, including the evolution of dining experiences through dynamic digital menu boards, deli counter screens, kiosk ordering systems, mosaic walls as well as employee information screens.
The deployment will see the installation of hundreds of new displays, establishing a digital signage network that supports both retail media and broader in-store communications. The project also includes the repositioning of current displays to better align with evolving shopper behaviours, leveraging ZetaDisplay’s ongoing research into customer journeys and in-store engagement.
The entire network will be powered by ZetaDisplay’s proprietary Engage Suite, which will also be implemented across SPAR’s Slovenian stores. Engage Suite enables content creation, scheduling and management, while providing analytics and measurement tools to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. SPAR will retain full control over its retail media ecosystem, including the ability to approve which brands can advertise across its network, while also leveraging the platform to promote its own campaigns.
Walmart
Walmart is adding tap to pay options to its checkout stations at US stores and Sam's Club warehouses, with deployment set for completion by end of year. Fuel stations will be upgraded by mid-2027. This includes options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Walmart has long resisted the rise and rise of NFC-based payments, opting instead to go all in on its Walmart Pay app and Scan and Go app features for contactless payments.
In a LinkedIn post, Sam Amrani, Founder and CEO at PassBy, said: "Isn't it crazy to think that it's 2026 and Walmart doesn't accept Apple Pay? Until now that is. This has been a case of America's largest retailer vs America's largest consumer tech company."
He added: "Inevitably, Walmart Pay will go down as the largest attempt at creating a closed loop payment system. Its demise will be the final nail in the coffin for retailers trying to create proprietary payment rails for their ecosystem. Ultimately, convenience wins."
"The consumer is the kingmaker, and the result was clear, the convenience of Apple Pay was too important to the customer journey. It will make customers happier and Walmart - although adopting reluctantly - will see this lead to faster transaction times, happier customers and more visits."
Tesco
Last month we reported that Tesco was trialling Simbe’s Tally in-store shelf scanning robot.
Having kicked off with a single store, the pilot is now being extended to a small number of other locations. Thanks to Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner at IGD, and a member of the judging panel for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards, for bringing this to our attention.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I’ve now seen Simbe’s Tally robot in a third Tesco store in the UK - another store trialling autonomous inventory scanning. But this time, I had my son with me. His reaction was fascinating. He was completely intrigued by Tally: watching it move around the store, trying to work out what it was doing, and following it with the kind of curiosity only a child can bring to something that feels like it has just stepped out of the future.”
He added: “I’ve heard that in the US, some shoppers will even choose stores specifically because they have Tally, because their children love seeing the robot. Honestly, I can believe it. And it got me thinking…We often talk about retail automation in terms of efficiency, accuracy, labour productivity and ROI. But what happens when the technology itself becomes part of the customer experience? Could robots like Tally become something that customers - and especially children - actively want to see?”
Could, Pickard asked, the presence of robots change which stores people choose to visit? And perhaps more importantly: what happens when the next generation grows up thinking autonomous robots moving around a supermarket is completely normal? Will they see Tally as technology? Or simply as part of what a modern store is?
Pickard concluded: “There’s a fascinating intersection here between automation, operations, customer experience and the psychology of physical retail. I’m increasingly convinced that the question isn’t just, what can robots do for retailers? It’s also, what can robots make customers feel about the future of retail?”
Nkuku
Back.tech is partnering with Nkuku to improve how it manages consumer returns, reverse logistics and recommerce.
In a LinkedIn post, Giorgio Vitale, Co-founder and CRO at Back.Tech, said: "A big part of what makes this special is Operations & Impact Director Chris Wilson’s vision for reverse logistics at Nkuku - moving beyond current state returns processing to a smarter, connected reverse lifecycle for every product."
"This means rethinking returns across the full operation: DTC e-commerce - streamlined parcel returns; Big and bulky items - smarter grading, routing and resale decisions; B2B supplier returns - improved visibility and control upstream to optimise downstream requirements; Recommerce - maximising value through quicker resale and redistribution. This is exactly where we add new value."
Back.tech's AI powered grading and dynamic routing engine helps businesses accurately assess condition, automate decisioning, and optimise where every item should go next.
For Nkuku, this will improve reverse logistics performance by: Reducing operating costs through automation and fewer manual decisions; Improving delivery and handling efficiency across return flows; Unlocking net savings by routing items to the highest value recovery path faster and more accurately; Increasing recovery rates across both parcel and bulky inventory streams.
California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen is set to roll-out up to 1,000 automated pizza making kiosks across the US through a partnership with T-ROC Global. The pair will target real estate with high foot traffic, like hospitals, hotels, campuses, and sports venues, where opening a full sized restaurant would be impractical.
The offering will use TurboChef powered cooking, touchscreen technology and data driven systems. According to California Pizza Kitchen, the kiosks can prepare a pizza in as little as 90 seconds. The menu is expected to extend beyond pizza. Plans are afoot to offer items including Kung Pao and Bolognese spaghetti, Mac ‘N’ Cheese varieties and the brand’s Butter Cake.
California Pizza Kitchen began testing automated retail in 2025. Machines are now operating at airports including Boston Logan International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Love Field and Dayton International Airport. The company also expects to activate another 15 at universities by the end of 2026.
“For decades, CPK has been dedicated to meeting consumers wherever they are, whether through our global restaurant network, airport and non-traditional locations, off-site events, or the local grocery store where we’ve been a leading premium pizza brand for 25 years,” says Michael Beacham, President at California Pizza Kitchen Global. “Our automated retail strategy, now accelerated through a partnership with T-ROC, introduces CPK to entirely new occasions and venues where consumers desire quality food on the go.”
Dickey's Barbecue Pit
Dickey's Barbecue Pit has announced the launch of three new interactive mobile games exclusively for Big Yellow Cup Rewards members. Memory, Big Yellow Cup Flip Challenge and Catcher, a custom development feature by Spark Adriatic, are the first games out of the game as part of this loyalty roll-out.
Customers can earn loyalty points while playing them within the Dickey's mobile app. The move is a reaction to nearly 30% of all online orders now being placed through the company's mobile app.
Laura Rea Dickey, CEO, says: "We're always looking for new ways to make every barbecue experience more rewarding. Our Big Yellow Cup Rewards members are some of our most loyal guests, and these new mobile games give them another fun reason to open the app, engage with our brand and earn rewards they can use toward their next barbecue meal."
