Retail technology innovation of the week: Rainbow enlists Hanshow for physical stores first in China
Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a series brought to you by RTIH, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.
Every week, we showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, building up to the publication of the 2026 report later this year. And this week we’re focusing on Rainbow, a Chinese omnichannel retailer that has opened its upgraded Shahe sp@ce supermarket in Shenzhen.
Developed in collaboration with Hanshow and Rainbow's technology subsidiary Lingzhi Digital Technology, the project marks its first Store Digital Twin implementation, bringing together real-time store visibility, decision support and operational execution within a live retail environment.
Located in Shenzhen's Nanshan District, the Shahe sp@ce location has served the local community for nearly 17 years. In 2026, the wider Shahe Rainbow development was upgraded into an urban lifestyle destination that brings together retail, dining, services and entertainment. The move reflects Rainbow's broader ambition to expand the role of physical retail beyond transactions and create a more engaging destination for the surrounding community.
The newly opened sp@ce supermarket, built around Rainbow's "City • Garden • Food Hall" concept, features nine experiential areas designed around different food, lifestyle and community occasions. The store also incorporates Rainbow's intelligent fulfilment centre, supporting more efficient home delivery services and aiming to strengthen the connection between in-store shopping and its broader omnichannel retail model.
As its first Store Digital Twin enabled supermarket, the store brings together more than 17,000 IoT devices and AI capabilities to provide greater visibility into store conditions and support more timely operational decisions and actions.
And honourable mentions this week to..
Never Fully Dressed
Persi reports go live with Never Fully Dressed. In a LinkedIn post, Liv Parkes, Founder and CEO at Persi, said: “When we first started speaking to the Never Fully Dressed team, one of the things that immediately clicked was how much they already think about styling. Not just: How do we sell this dress?. But: How do we show our customer all the ways she could wear it?"
She added: “That distinction is pretty much the reason Persi exists. Because I believe the biggest opportunity in fashion e-commerce isn't showing shoppers more products. It's helping them imagine more possibilities with the products they're already looking at. So, together we've launched: Style Bundler - multiple, completely shoppable ways to wear the item you're viewing; AI Stylist - personalised looks based on your style, occasion and what you're looking for (you can even upload and style something you already own.”
“Ultimately, we're solving a really simple customer question: "I like it. But how would I actually wear it?" Answer that at the point someone is deciding whether to buy and you make shopping easier for the customer and drive better commercial outcomes for the retailer. That's the win-win we've been working towards from day one. A huge thank you to the Never Fully Dressed team for trusting us with your customers and for being so brilliant to build with. And a very big moment for our small Persi team.”
Landsec
Piccadilly Lights in Central London is introducing a reconfiguration of its famous 783.5 m curved screen. The new design will give brands extended periods for full screen domination, providing enhanced opportunities for global launches, theatrical style trailers and mixed reality, 3D DeepScreen special effects and more live interactivity with The Venue which sits underneath.
Landsec will maintain the patchwork formation on the digital display whilst introducing the flexibility to move between five or six brands. Long-term residents of Piccadilly Lights include Coca-Cola (since 1954), and Samsung (since 1994). Changes to the screen's format come into effect from January, ten years after Piccadilly Lights relaunched following a nine-month period of renovation which saw the installation of one curved LED screen.
In 2023, Landsec delivered The Venue, giving brands a physical stage in Piccadilly Circus. Events and experiences in The Venue can be live streamed to Piccadilly Lights. Brands that have leveraged both the locations together include L’Oreal, Fatal Fury, and HBO Max, which used both the screen and venue simultaneously to build awareness and engagement for its UK launch. A two-day immersive pop up delivered more than 9.5 million impressions, with 900 social posts and media coverage reaching 33 countries.
