Rapid grocery deliveries in Guernsey and self-service bars in Brighton: 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 Etsy, Morrisons, Everseen, Lidl GB, Klarna, B&M, PMC, Ikea, Heron Foods, Facewatch, 7 Brew, Asda, Alliance Supermarket, Focal Systems, Auror, Urban Outfitters, Ocado Group, Lotte Shopping, and Footasylum.
Ocado Group and Lotte Shopping
Ocado Group reports the launch of its first customer fulfilment centre (CFC) with Lotte Shopping in South Korea. Following a partnership deal inked in 2022, last year Lotte went live with the Ocado Smart Platform, fulfilling orders using Ocado's in-store fulfilment (ISF) software. And now the first automated CFC will serve a catchment covering four million households across Busan and the broader Yeongnam region.
It also introduces a number of innovations for the first time. These include the launch of Ocado's fully automated freezer (Auto-Freezer), bringing Ocado's proprietary 'hive and bot' automation into temperatures as low as -25° C. The site will also support dawn delivery, enabling freshly packed grocery orders to reach customers’ homes before 7am.
It is also expected to be the most environmentally efficient Ocado CFC in the world, supporting a 100% electric vehicle fleet for daytime deliveries and operating more energy efficient 3D printed bots, with multi-temperature totes to maximise storage density for delivery. The widespread installation of solar panels will reduce annual carbon emissions by over 1,000 tonnes, those involved claim.
On The Beach Brighton
On The Beach Brighton recently signed off for 2026 with music festival goers able to use a Boxbar Technology self-service solution. In a LinkedIn post, James Bott, Co-Founder at Boxbar Tech, said: “Another smash hit for three time recurring client On The Beach Brighton.”
He added: “A couple of weeks ago we lit up the Brighton seaside once again with four of our patent pending Boxbar Tech container bars. Each individually branded and marked to ensure maximum impact on festival days. The units ran consistently pouring perfectly chilled pints all day from start to finish even in (very!) high temperatures.”
“The total revenue number we did this year was not only insane, but more importantly significantly higher than previous years. Huge thanks to David Kenny (VP of UK & Ireland at TicketCo) for the continued trust, and to the Boxbar team for another smooth show.”
Etsy
Asendia, a cross-border e-commerce specialist, has partnered with Etsy to provide global shipping solutions through its SendNow platform.
The tie up makes the solution accessible to Etsy sellers based in eight markets across Europe and the APAC region (Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Australia, India and Vietnam).
“Sellers come to Etsy to turn their passions into livelihoods,” says Roman Sobieri, Senior Director of Global Shipping at Etsy. “We’re always looking for ways to help them succeed, and simplified shipping is a big part of that. Working with trusted partners like Asendia means we can offer more flexible, reliable options that help our sellers thrive.”
“Shipping can be a challenge for many small business owners," says Simon Batt, CEO at Asendia. "Through our partnership with Etsy and the Asendia SendNow platform, we're simplifying logistics so sellers can focus more on growing their businesses and less on shipping."
Morrisons
Morrisons has selected Everseen to deploy its Evercheck solution across 200 of the UK grocery retailer’s stores in an initial roll-out phase. The platform uses real-time computer vision to simplify the self-checkout process.
The move builds on a trial of the technology. On-screen prompts allow shoppers to correct any missed items themselves, with the aim of keeping queues moving. The software integrates with existing systems, freeing store teams to focus on customer service.
Francesca Bezoari, Store Support Office Director at Morrisons, says: “Our new partnership with Everseen enables us to provide the fast and seamless checkout experience our customers want, while simultaneously equipping our colleagues to maintain the exceptional service that Morrisons is known for.”
Joe White, CEO at Everseen, says: “Morrisons recognise that the best AI solutions deliver measurable results without compromising the customer experience. Our Vision AI platform enables Morrisons to improve its satisfaction scores, proving that operational performance and customer service aren't competing priorities. We're proud to bring our experience from deploying across thousands of global checkouts to support Morrisons transformation.”
Klarna and J.P. Morgan Payments
Klarna reports an agreement that will, for the first time, make its full solutions suite (pay in full, interest free installments, longer-term financing) available to businesses that rely on J.P. Morgan Payments for payment processing. The integration with the latter’s Commerce Platform is now live in the US.
"This is a major milestone for Klarna," says David Sykes, Chief Commercial Officer at Klarna. "By collaborating with J.P. Morgan Payments, we’re bringing our payment solutions to even more businesses and fast tracking our ambition to make Klarna payments available everywhere, for everything. Together, we’re giving shoppers the flexibility they want while helping businesses grow faster."
“In talking with merchants every day, we know flexible payments drive conversion, but implementation can be a barrier,” says Michael Lozanoff, Global Head of Merchant Services at J.P. Morgan Payments, which is the largest merchant acquirer in the US, processing $2.6 trillion annually. “This removes that barrier at scale, across every retail category from apparel to travel to health and wellness.. “By bringing Klarna directly onto our Commerce Platform, we’re helping remove that barrier for businesses of every size. This is an example of the kind of integrations our merchants are seeking.”
Lidl GB
Lidl GB and Neighbourly have expanded their partnership with Olio, giving more shoppers the chance to collect surplus food from the former’s stores for free at the end of the day via the Olio app. The initiative is now available at around 200 Lidl stores, with plans to roll it out nationwide by the end of the year.
When local charities can’t make late evening collections, Olio’s volunteers step in to pick up surplus fresh produce, meat, and bakery items before doors close. Instead of going to waste, that food goes to local families, shelters, and community groups.
The roll-out builds on a trial of evening collections in 20 stores which has prevented around 1,200 kg of food waste per week. Once live nationally, the initiative is expected to redistribute 5,000 tonnes of surplus food each year, the equivalent of nearly 11.9 million meals.
Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl GB, says: “Real change requires a community effort, and we are incredibly grateful to our store teams, charity partners and the dedicated Food Waste Heroes who are rescuing good quality food for those who need it most. With our sights set on a nationwide roll-out by the end of this year, this expanding partnership will soon empower communities to rescue up to nearly 12 million meals every single year. This collaboration will make a huge impact on the lives of the most vulnerable in our communities everywhere.”
Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies has announced a Safeway plugin in ChatGPT. The aim here is to help consumers discover products, evaluate options and complete their shopping journey in ChatGPT, while remaining in control of their purchasing decisions.
“We are on a mission to power our customers at every touchpoint with AI to deliver a seamless shopping experience that’s faster, easier and more enjoyable,” says Jill Pavlovich, SVP of Digital Customer Experience at Albertsons Cos. “Research tells us that consumers are increasingly interested in using AI to help with grocery shopping. By enabling our plugin in ChatGPT, we are making grocery shopping as simple as having a conversation by meeting our customers when and how they choose to shop. This is another practical way we are using AI to reduce friction and make everyday shopping easier.”
Using ChatGPT, shoppers can activate the Safeway plugin and ask for what they need in natural language, whether they are looking to reorder their favourites, find new products, discover items on sale or shop from a recipe, photo or digital list. People remain in control of their cart and purchasing decisions and can review or modify items before completing checkout. They will be redirected to the Safeway platform to checkout.
BWH Hotels
BWH Hotels, which is comprised of WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotels, has endorsed Toast as a PoS solution available to its properties across the United States and Canada.
Through the partnership, properties will be able to access Toast’s platform, including Toast Go handhelds, Mobile Order & Pay, Toast Kiosks, Toast Catering & Events, and Toast Tables.
"In hotels, operators are often tasked with wearing a number of hats across operations, lodging, food service, and more," says Kelly Esten, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Enterprise at Toast. "We’re proud to support BWH Hotels, serving as a partner their hoteliers can rely on to help simplify service for staff and operators alike, while delivering the seamless experience modern travellers expect.”
"We are focused on equipping our hoteliers with technology that reduces complexity, drives operational efficiency and helps them deliver welcoming guest experiences," says Bill Ryan, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at BWH Hotels. "Because our portfolio includes a wide range of brands and property types, we look for solutions that can scale and adapt to support different business needs. Toast offers the flexibility, connectivity and functionality our hoteliers need to modernise their food and beverage operations while remaining focused on exceptional hospitality."
7 Brew
US beverage brand, 7 Brew, says it will debut its first ever mobile app on 12th August, allowing guests to order in advance, explore, discover and customise drinks, track reward points, and save and share favourites.
“We have created a mobile ordering app that is intended to be as personal and fun as the experience at our stands,” says Nick Chavez, Chief Marketing Officer at 7 Brew. “It unlocks our secret menu for the first time, putting the power to customise and build over 20,000 possible drink combinations directly in the hands of our guests. And critically, every drink will be handcrafted and made fresh upon arrival for pick-up, which is consistent with the service, speed and quality that have made 7 Brew famous.”
Asda
Asda is rolling out Auror, a crime reporting and intelligence platform. It says that a ten-week pilot in 30 London stores demonstrated the value of having a faster, more effective way to report incidents and identify repeat offenders in real-time.
According to the UK grocery retailer, the trial resulted in: more than £100,000 of products recovered and returned to shelves; 55% increase in crime prevention rates; 80% reduction in incident reporting time, from around 25 minutes to under five; improved identification of repeat and cross retailer offenders.
David Lepley, Chief Operating Officer at Asda, says: “Rolling out Auror across our estate will further strengthen our ability to prevent and tackle retail crime. The results from our London pilot demonstrated the value of having a faster and more effective way to report incidents and identify repeat offenders in real-time. By working more closely with police and retailers through a shared intelligence network, we can focus our efforts where they will have the greatest impact and help to tackle retail crime.”
Mark Gleeson, General Manager UK and Europe at Auror, comments: “We’re delighted to welcome Asda to our strong network of like-minded retailers who are all committed to keeping frontline retail colleagues safe and taking on retail crime together. It’s fantastic to see retailers like Asda unite to take a stand against the top 10% of offenders causing 70% of retail crime and take back UK’s high streets. Auror has made it 80% faster to record crime for Asda colleagues and early pilot results saw the team identify dozens of prolific repeat offenders, with the majority known to offend at stores owned by other retail brands within the Auror network. This is why the network effect is key to getting on top of this problem.”
“Retailers are working more effectively with police than ever before through digital collaboration. This is helping them surface the true scale of offending, understand and respond to risk across their estates, and focus their precious resources on those repeats, organised, and violent offenders - creating safer stores for all.”
Village Supermarkets
Focal Systems, an AI powered retail technology company specialising in computer vision and shelf intelligence, has announced Top Stock, a module that gives retailers automatic, hourly visibility into inventory stored above the shelf line, without store associate audits, ladder climbs, or manual scanning.
During a one-month pilot, Village Supermarkets says it achieved:
$24,000 in previously unaccounted for inventory identified and recovered in the first month
75% reduction in weekly audit labour, from four hours to just one hour
Ten hours saved weekly on the night crew
36% reduction in top stock inventory
1% on-shelf availability improvement across test store, on top of an existing Focal driven baseline of 97%, where marginal gains at that level translate to hundreds of thousands in incremental annual sales
Increased day crew replenishment rates and planogram compliance
Ikea
InsurTech provider, Urban Jungle, and Ikea have announced a new partnership to launch home insurance for the retailer’s customers across the UK.
There are three policy types to choose from - Contents Insurance (covering up to £120k of contents, including renters, flat shares and students), Buildings Insurance (providing up to £1 million of buildings cover as standard), and a combined Buildings & Contents Insurance policy. Customers can also tailor their cover with optional add-ons such as Accidental Damage, Home Emergency, Out of the Home cover, and Legal Expenses.
Jimmy Williams, CEO and Co-Founder at Urban Jungle, says: “We are delighted to partner with Ikea and this partnership marks a significant milestone in Urban Jungle's mission. We believe in fair insurance for everyone, and by joining forces with Ikea, we can bring our technology driven, AI powered accessible home insurance to an even wider audience. We are proud to be the first insurance provider to collaborate with Ikea in the UK, offering insurance that truly puts the customer first”
Callum Leavy, Country Customer Experience Manager at Ikea UK, says: “Our mission is to create a better everyday life for the many people, and that extends to feeling secure and protected in your home. By partnering with Urban Jungle, we are bringing a simple, functional and affordable home insurance product to our customers, ensuring they have peace of mind that their homes and belongings are protected. As part of our wider Life at Home services offer, this partnership helps us support customers beyond home furnishing, making everyday life at home a little easier.”
Heron Foods
Heron Foods has joined the Facewatch retail crime prevention community. The UK retailer has over 340 stores and a growing presence across Northern England, the Midlands, North and South Wales and beyond.
In a LinkedIn post, Facewatch said: “By introducing Facewatch across its stores, Heron Foods is strengthening the tools available to help protect colleagues, support safer shopping environments and identify known repeat offenders in real-time. We look forward to working closely with the Heron Foods team as they make live facial recognition part of their wider approach to preventing retail crime and protecting the people at the heart of their business.”
7-Eleven
Ibotta has inked a deal to serve as the exclusive third-party provider of CPG digital offers (excluding age restricted items) to the 7-Eleven, 7NOW, and Speedway apps, reaching shoppers across more than 11,500 US store locations. The partnership gives CPG brands a direct path to 7-Eleven and Speedway shoppers through the Ibotta Performance Network, with brands only paying when there is a verified sale of their product.
"7-Eleven and Speedway stores represent a significant opportunity for CPG brands with enormous purchase volume. We are excited to bring our leading digital offer content and best-in-class measurement capabilities to 7-Eleven" says Bryan Leach, Founder and CEO at Ibotta. “This partnership gives our customers the same performance accountability they have in grocery and delivery, now in one of the hardest to reach retail channels in the country."
Shoppers will be able to clip Ibotta powered offers directly inside 7-Eleven apps before purchasing in-store, at the pump, or via delivery, with rewards deposited directly into their 7Rewards or Speedy Rewards loyalty accounts.
"We are investing in the digital and physical infrastructure that makes every visit more valuable for our shoppers while driving volume for brands," says Yaqub Baiani, Chief Product Officer at 7-Eleven. "Joining with Ibotta gives CPG brands a leading performance-based solution inside one of the most powerful loyalty programmes in convenience retail."
Aldi and Arla
Aldi and Arla are collaborating with Polytag on a pilot to track milk bottle packaging through the recycling process using UV tagging technology.
Building on their 2023 tie up, the companies are working to improve packaging traceability and better understand how milk bottle packaging moves through the recycling system through this next phase of the pilot. This project utilises Sun Chemical's specially developed ink on wrap-around labels to provide recycling data. UV tagged labels are being applied to Arla's milk bottle range at its Oakthorpe site. The labels, printed by Saica Flex, will enable real-time tracking of packaging.
Luke Emery, Plastics and Packaging Director, Aldi UK, says: "This next phase with Polytag represents an exciting step forward in how we use data to drive our sustainability strategy. By integrating this advanced traceability technology into our packaging, we can gain deeper insights into the lifecycle of our materials.”
Helena Delgado Nordmann, head of sustainability at Arla Foods UK, comments: "As Europe’s largest dairy cooperative, Arla is committed to understanding how our packaging performs beyond point of sale. By working with Polytag, we hope to gain valuable insight into how milk bottle packaging moves through the recycling system, helping us to make more informed decisions about future packaging developments and supporting our ongoing efforts to improve packaging circularity.”
Alliance Supermarket
Snappy Shopper has launched what is claimed to be Guernsey’s first same-day grocery delivery service through a partnership with Alliance Supermarket and The Food Warehouse. Available through the Snappy Shopper app, customers can order groceries directly from The Food Warehouse in St Martin to their door with both same-day and next-day delivery slots available.
This follows the introduction of Snappy Shopper’s first Channel Islands operation in Jersey in June. The company’s VP, Greg Deacon, says: “Expanding into Guernsey is another significant milestone for Snappy Shopper and reinforces our commitment to bringing convenient grocery deliveries to more communities. Following the strong response we’ve seen in Jersey, we're excited to introduce the same level of convenience to Guernsey residents for the very first time.”
Laura Gordon, Chief Growth Officer at Alliance Supermarket, comments: “We're delighted to launch our new online grocery delivery service for customers in Guernsey. We've listened to our customers, who have told us they want a more convenient way to shop, and this service is our response to that feedback. Whether it's busy families, professionals, or those who find it difficult to visit a store, we're making it easier to access groceries and everyday essentials whenever they need them.”
“This launch represents another important milestone in our digital journey and our continued investment across the Channel Islands. We're excited to build on this offering over time by expanding the range available and continuing to deliver the convenience, choice, and quality our customers expect.”
Urban Outfitters
InPost has announced a new partnership with Urban Outfitters to offer its parcel lockers and shops as a delivery option at UK checkout. The tie up gives Urban Outfitters customers access to InPost's nationwide network of over 15,000 lockers, available 24/7.
Jon Nicholson, Chief Commercial Officer at InPost UK, comments: "Partnering with Urban Outfitters gives their customers real control over how and when they collect their orders. We know that 4 in 10 parcel recipients miss at least one delivery a month, and among those, around one in three fail on the first attempt.”
“An InPost locker or shop removes that uncertainty entirely, letting shoppers collect at a time and place that suits them. Urban Outfitters understands what its customers want and this partnership gives their shoppers a faster, more flexible way to receive orders without changing how they shop. We're looking forward to bringing that same convenience to more of their customers across the UK."
Nissin Foods
Nissin Foods USA, which develops various products sold in the UK including Cup Noodles and Top Ramen, is working with Blue Yonder and Highspring to introduce AI driven demand and supply planning as part of its wider digital transformation push.
The company says it will use Blue Yonder Demand and Supply Planning, supported by Highspring’s supply chain-as-a-service offering, to replace legacy tools and manual processes with a more integrated, data driven approach.
"Since Nissin Foods founder Momofuku Ando invented the world's first instant ramen and sparked a global food revolution, innovation has been the foundation of our success,” says Yukio Yokoyama, Chief Representative, Americas, President and CEO at Nissin Foods. “This latest transformation, through our partnership with Blue Yonder, represents the next chapter in that legacy, empowering us with enhanced visibility, agility, and collaboration across our supply chain, finance, and operations teams.”
“By leveraging advanced planning capabilities, we will be able to make smarter decisions, respond more quickly to market changes, and operate more efficiently across our business. Just as importantly, this transformation will strengthen our partnerships with customers by helping us better serve their needs, anticipate changing demand, and adapt to evolving consumer preferences, ensuring we continue to deliver the quality, reliability, and value they expect from Nissin Foods."
B&M
Value retailer, B&M, has partnered with PMC to deploy a Point of Sale (PoS) solution spanning across its entire estate. Operating one of the UK’s largest value retail estates, it has replaced its legacy PoS solution with new hardware and updated software. It also wanted to enhance in-store experiences as part of the refresh, adding new capabilities including faster transaction speeds, improved customer-focused functionality and reduced till friction.
Having worked together for over seven years across managed service IT provision, B&M opted to run with PMC and its PoS partner Flooid on this project. Full scale, post-pilot deployment started in January and is due to be completed in August.
David Laithwaite, Implementation Services Manager at B&M, comments: "PMC have proven experience with delivering PoS solutions. Their collaboration and seamless coordination with our other service provider and B&M staff have been exemplary. The synergy in communication and a joined-up working approach across the board has significantly enhanced our operational efficiency, enabling remarkable progress with this project.”
“We’ve seen PMC rise to the challenge, proactively plan for the narrow time window and ramp up resources to ensure the work gets done on time,” says Sheila Whitfield, Retail Service Delivery Manager at B&M.
Ashton Gate Stadium
Ashton Gate Stadium, a Bristol-based venue that hosts conferences, events and is home to Bristol City and Bristol Bears, has installed Tap & Go Bars ahead of the 20276/27 season. Bristol Bears becomes the first Gallagher PREM Rugby club to invest in Amazon's Just Walk Out technology, with two Tap & Go bars in the Dolman Concourse and one in the South Stand Concourse.
Draught Pravha, Thatchers Gold and Guinness - using new multi-dispense units for fresher pints - cans of Guinness 0.0, Clear Head Alcohol Free IPA, wine, soft drinks, snacks, hot dogs, pasties and pies will be available for supporters to purchase.
Ashton Gate Stadium Chief Operating Officer Ross Wormald says: “We are delighted to partner with Amazon to introduce Tap & Go Bars. As a sports and entertainment venue, which was rebuilt to allow us to be forward-thinking, this innovation will improve fans’ matchday experience. The feedback from the respective supporter groups was really useful in helping us shape how this would look and we are excited to have this technology in place ahead of the new seasons.”
Footasylum
Footasylum has deployed the first R5+ robot in its supply chain implementation of an AutoStore system with THG Fulfil as principal contractor.
In a LinkedIn post, Tom Killeen, COO at THG Ingenuity, said: "Robots are live at Footasylum. Proud moment for James McGhee (Operations Director at Footasylum) and his team cutting the ribbon deploying the first R5+ robot. Amazing effort from everyone at Footasylum and THG Fulfil."
Earlier this year, Footasylum CEO Hannah Mercer said: “As we continue to grow, we are committed to investing in the infrastructure that will support the business today and long into the future. Our fulfilment operation is a critical part of that, and this project represents one of the most significant investments we have made in the business in recent times.”
THG is also a retailer, fulfilment partner and user of AutoStore systems and is now re-purposing its experience in this space to implement systems as an integrator.
