Retail’s Reality Check

Adams Fairacre Farms partnered with Homesome to launch a unified mobile app and website that integrate grocery, catering, deli, and floral departments into one digital commerce platform. Homesome’s AI-driven tools centralize reporting, product management, and POS data while enabling cross-department merchandising and personalized shopping experiences.

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Aldi U.S. has launched a redesigned e-commerce site and app powered by Instacart’s Storefront Pro platform. The upgrade enhances personalization, product discovery, and meal planning through shoppable recipes. Aldi also uses Instacart’s Caper Carts and Connected Stores technologies to deliver seamless, omnichannel grocery experiences across its U.S. operations.

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Amazon is expanding Alexa+—its conversational AI powered by 70+ large language models on Amazon Bedrock—to support food ordering with Grubhub and Uber Eats. Alexa+ users can link accounts, reorder past meals, browse menus, and modify orders via natural language on Echo Show devices, integrating real-time updates and visual cart summaries.

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Amazon-owned Zoox is expanding its self-driving robotaxi service in San Francisco and Las Vegas and will launch in Austin and Miami for employees and guests. Operating under a demonstration exemption, Zoox has logged nearly 2 million autonomous miles and served 350,000 riders using its purpose-built, steering wheel–free robotaxis.

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Amazon has expanded its free, no-box, no-label return program by adding over 1,500 FedEx Office locations to its network, joining Whole Foods Market, The UPS Store, Kohl’s, and Staples. The move gives four-in-five U.S. Amazon customers a drop-off site within five miles for convenient item returns.

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Assembled Brands partnered with Swag Golf to provide a revolving working capital facility that scales with the brand’s performance. The funding helps Swag Golf accelerate inventory turnover, improve cash conversion, and maintain independence as it expands retail presence and manufacturing across the U.S. and Southeast Asia.

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Tecovas, the Western lifestyle retailer, is enhancing its 60-store “radical hospitality” experience with AI tools. Partnering with Invent.AI for SKU-level inventory optimization, Tecovas saw a 9.6% revenue lift in AI-managed categories. In-house tools like Lookout and Boot Runner improve staffing, demand forecasting, and customer service on the sales floor.

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UK fashion brand EGO OFFICIAL has fully migrated its ecommerce operations to BigCommerce, a move spanning engineering, data, CRM and marketing. The goal is a higher-performing customer experience, with early post-launch results described as very strong, and the focus now shifting to ongoing optimisation.

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Camelback Resort earned runner-up in the 2025 Hotel Visionary Awards’ Sales & Marketing category for transforming retailing into a core commercial capability. Using Hospitality Solutions’ SynXis Retailing platform and Nuvola, the resort achieved $345.5K in revenue through disciplined execution, seasonal SKU strategy, and strong team engagement across operations and guest experience.

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Cinépolis Mexico, Latin America’s largest cinema chain, has partnered with RELEX Solutions and implementation partner GOLDCO to enhance forecasting, replenishment, and inventory accuracy across over 530 cinemas and five distribution centers. The AI-driven RELEX platform will automate orders, optimize safety stock, and improve supply-chain visibility during peak movie demand.

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Circa Resort & Casino in downtown Las Vegas is partnering with VenHub to launch a fully autonomous Smart Store this spring. Powered by VenHub’s robotics, AI, and mobile-first technology, the 66-foot store will operate 24/7, offering guests frictionless, staff-free purchases of food, alcohol, and tobacco products.

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Scotmid Co-op is deploying 4POS’s hybrid checkout solutions across 90% of its Food stores and Semichem locations to improve loss prevention, reduce theft, and cut checkout friction. The modular 4POS system supports assisted transactions, video-based loss prevention, retail media opportunities, and future-proof flexibility in store formats.

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DFI Retail Group has launched a pilot with SymphonyAI to test advanced retail intelligence tools for merchandise planning. Using SymphonyAI’s Vertical AI platform, DFI aims to unify data and improve assortment, promotion, clustering, and space planning decisions, enhancing efficiency and agility across its Asian retail operations.

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Wakefern Food Corp. has selected Eagle Eye’s MACH-approved, AI-powered loyalty and personalization platform to modernize its customer engagement across its 380+ supermarket banners, including ShopRite and Price Rite Marketplace. The platform enables real-time personalization, supplier-funded promotions, and scalable omnichannel loyalty management without custom coding.

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Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions’ TCx M7 handheld and TCx M11 11-inch convertible tablet form a mobile SoftPOS ecosystem for retail and hospitality, enabling tap-to-pay, scanning, assisted selling, and line busting to streamline store operations and serve customers anywhere in the store.

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Urban Outfitters, Steve Madden, Dolce Vita, and Rally House will launch same-day delivery through DoorDash in spring 2026, expanding the platform’s apparel offerings. DoorDash, already partnering with Foot Locker, Hibbett, and Sportiqe, aims to meet on-demand fashion needs while helping retailers reach new customers.

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Urban Outfitters, Dolce Vita, Rally House, and Steve Madden will begin offering same-day delivery through DoorDash in spring 2026, expanding the platform’s apparel category. Foot Locker, Hibbett, and Sportiqe have similar DoorDash partnerships, enabling on-demand delivery of apparel, footwear, and accessories to customers across multiple markets.

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Iceland Foods will trial StrongPoint’s SaaS Order Picking solution to handle all online grocery orders, spanning scheduled delivery and quick commerce, starting with a 2026 proof‑of‑value phase. The project aims to boost picking efficiency, cut in‑store fulfilment costs and simplify store staff operations before a wider rollout.

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Groupe Dynamite has launched its Garage Clothing UK flagship on Oxford Street, London, using Manhattan Associates technology for mobile checkout and real-time RFID inventory tracking. The Montreal-based retailer also opened a Bluewater Shopping Centre store as part of its international expansion into the UK fashion market.

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Harps Food Stores will deploy Breez AI’s SmartMeals, distributed by Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), across 150 stores. Integrated with loyalty data from Birdzi and website provider Webstop, SmartMeals personalizes meal plans and shopping lists, adds retail media capabilities, and enhances digital engagement and revenue opportunities for independent grocers.

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A Harrisburg restaurant owner criticizes Pennsylvania bills HB 2090 and SB 1202, which would push more cash transactions by limiting card processing. Citing IHL Group research showing cash costs restaurants 15.5% of sales versus 3% for cards, he argues the change would burden small operators like McGrath’s and complicate transactions statewide.

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Latitude Food Group, formed from the merger of &pizza and Tijuana Flats, is streamlining IT operations across 130+ locations through autonomous AI. Director of Technology Jeremy Lanni uses tools from Publicis Sapient, 7shifts, Kea, and Science On Call’s AI assistant “Dwight” to automate help desk, labor, and BI tasks—enabling scalable, efficient brand growth.

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Home Depot is expanding its partnership with Google Cloud to power new generative AI tools, including its in-store Magic Apron suite. The rollout aims to boost customer engagement, data use, and sales floor productivity as the retailer integrates AI into both physical and digital shopping experiences.

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Hormel Foods has implemented o9 Solutions’ AI-enabled Digital Brain platform, in collaboration with Accenture, to optimize enterprise-wide demand and supply planning. Now deployed across 70+ sites, the system uses machine learning for touchless forecasting, improved inventory accuracy, and automated truckload optimization, enhancing visibility and efficiency across Hormel’s supply chain.

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A North Korean operative, using GenAI and a stolen American identity, infiltrated cybersecurity vendor Exabeam as a remote tech hire, but Exabeam’s Nova agentic AI rapidly correlated UEBA signals, flagged his suspicious first-day behavior, and enabled the SOC to isolate his device within seconds.

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CarMax partnered with Reltio to unify data across legacy and real-time systems, creating real-time, 360° views of customers and vehicles. Using Reltio’s cloud-native Multidomain MDM and Connected Graph, CarMax enhanced omnichannel car-buying experiences, improved productivity, simplified compliance, and gained trusted, actionable insights across digital and in-store channels.

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Hawaiian Bros Island Grill partnered with Lunchbox’s digital catering platform to manage soaring group order demand and expand its reach. Led by CMO Shannon Scott, the brand introduced a simplified, group-focused online menu, trained staff for seamless operations, and achieved double-digit revenue growth from catering with Lunchbox’s flat-fee model.

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PM Hotel Group’s VP of IT, Steve Marino, has built a “flex-scale” architecture that unifies systems across both branded and independent properties. By using best-in-class, AI-augmented platforms, Marino drives revenue, improves labor efficiency, and strengthens cybersecurity ROI—positioning IT as a strategic asset rather than a cost center.

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Hyatt Regency Vilamoura Algarve implemented Shiji’s cloud-based Infrasys POS across seven dining outlets, integrating with Hyatt systems, Portugal’s fiscal regulations, and Adyen payments. The solution enhances guest service, improves operational consistency, and supports real-time compliance and reporting across the resort’s diverse food and beverage operations.

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THG Commerce, part of THG Ingenuity, partnered with K-beauty brand Beauty of Joseon for its official TikTok Shop UK launch. Using THG Studios’ production, live streaming, and talent services, the brand expanded into social commerce with creator events and promotions for its Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen.

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Krauszer’s Food Stores, the century-old New Jersey convenience chain with 300+ locations, has partnered with National Retail Solutions (NRS) to support its nationwide expansion. NRS will provide a unified POS system featuring inventory tracking, loyalty programs, e-commerce, and centralized multi-store management to ensure operational consistency across all franchises.

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Lowe’s is scaling AI agents across commerce and operations with its Mylow customer assistant and Mylow Companion employee app to answer project questions, surface product and inventory data, and onboard staff, while an internal AI transformation office, Lowe’s-built AI foundry and strict guardrails manage ROI, risk, security and AI “sprawl.”

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Lush UK implemented Quadient’s Accounts Payable automation software integrated with Xero to modernize and streamline its finance operations. The system consolidates legacy tools, automates invoice processing, and reduces processing time significantly, enabling Lush to efficiently handle over 4,000 monthly invoices while improving control and scalability.

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Antoine Arnault of LVMH is backing RealFit, a virtual try-on tool built on Nvidia’s Cuda platform that uses AI and physics-based simulation for millimeter-accurate garment fitting. The technology debuted with luxury brand Amiri. LVMH also partnered with Grip on Nvidia’s Omniverse to enhance digital marketing with AI.

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Macy’s launched “Ask Macy’s,” an AI chatbot powered by Google’s Gemini assistant, now live across all platforms. Shoppers using it spend 4.75 times more than others. Features like “complete the look” and virtual try-on boost engagement, helping Macy’s attract younger customers and drive its digital comeback.

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Macy’s Inc. launched “Ask Macy’s,” a conversational shopping chatbot powered by Google’s Gemini agentic AI platform. Debuted in March 2026 after a 2025 pilot, the tool provides product discovery, recommendations, and virtual try-ons through Macy’s site and app. Macy’s previously used Zero10 AR try-on tech at its New York flagship.

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McDonald’s showcased Keenon Robotics’ bipedal humanoid robots to greet customers at its new Shanghai Science and Technology Museum location. The robots, briefly installed for attention, were not part of restaurant operations. Keenon, also behind Burger King Finland’s Dinerbot T10, continues expanding global service automation deployments.

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Metcash, Australia’s leading wholesaler, partnered with Coveo and SAP to enhance its B2B marketplace “Sorted” using the Coveo AI‑Relevance Platform and SAP Commerce Cloud. The integration delivers hyper-personalized product discovery, faster procurement, and improved e-commerce efficiency for independent retailers across Australia.

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Mister Spex is realigning its tech infrastructure with Salesforce, migrating from legacy systems to an integrated platform. The optical retailer is deploying Salesforce Commerce Cloud with Order Management for its DACH online shop and Retail Cloud for its 66 German stores, enabling unified data, AI-driven personalization, and future marketing and service integration.

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OpenAI launched a new product discovery experience in ChatGPT, replacing its earlier Instant Checkout. Users can now find and compare items using text or image prompts. Retailers including Target, Sephora, Nordstrom, Walmart, and Shopify support the update. Shopify also introduced its Agentic Plan to expand product visibility across ChatGPT and Google Gemini.

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Pacsun and West Marine are using Salesforce’s Agentforce Commerce integrated with Cimulate’s AI-native search to power intent-aware shopping experiences. Pacsun applies it with ChatGPT catalog integration for Gen Z customers, while West Marine uses Cimulate’s CommerceGPT to boost engagement and conversions. Salesforce also plans UCP integration with Google’s agentic AI commerce initiative.

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Pandora is rolling out Hardis WMS globally to standardize warehouse operations across its Thailand, Europe, and North America network, leveraging strong 3PL integration to boost real-time inventory visibility, fulfillment reliability, handling speed, and stock accuracy while better aligning product availability with partner commitments and revenue growth.

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PepsiCo unified its fragmented BI systems by adopting Databricks SQL serverless as its enterprise data warehouse, supported by Unity Catalog for governance. The move cut analytics costs by up to 80%, halved processing times, and reduced Synapse TCO from $500K to $175K, while enabling consistent, real-time global reporting and AI analytics.

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Red Robin is partnering with Tattle to measure omni-channel guest sentiment across its 500 locations. Using Tattle’s AI-driven feedback platform and AI Coach, Red Robin will collect item-level insights on food quality, hospitality, and service speed to refine recipes, enhance operations, and strengthen customer satisfaction.

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REWE has opened a Pick & Go autonomous store in Hanover, Germany, using Trigo’s computer vision technology to deliver a seamless, checkout-free shopping experience. Alongside this, REWE launched its Drive&Go drive-in pickup service, enabling online customers to retrieve grocery orders in three minutes as part of its expanding omnichannel strategy.

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Sephora, an LVMH subsidiary, is linking its consumer app to OpenAI’s ChatGPT platform, enabling users to receive personalized beauty recommendations, access loyalty rewards, and shop directly through ChatGPT. The retailer plans to add payment and checkout features, joining Walmart, Target, Shopify, and Etsy in expanding AI-powered shopping experiences.

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Shake Shack launched “Project Catalyst” to modernize restaurant systems and scale toward 1,500 company-owned stores. The initiative includes its first loyalty program, proprietary AI tools, and enhanced data infrastructure. Shake Shack is deploying Qu’s Qube unified commerce platform to upgrade POS and kitchen systems for seamless ordering and improved operational efficiency.

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Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits is expanding its partnership with Corvus Robotics to deploy the Corvus One autonomous inventory management system across its U.S. supply chain. The AI-powered drones conduct bi-weekly inventory scans, directly update the WMS, and have improved accuracy, throughput, and efficiency while reducing manual labor costs.

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Starbucks is revamping its licensed business to improve customer experience at high-traffic locations like airports and campuses. It’s testing ordering kiosks, app-based scheduled orders, and new brewing equipment, while restructuring around segments (travel, healthcare, campuses) and launching its GROW performance system with metrics, consulting, and performance-based incentives for licensees.

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Steak Escape, the 40-year QSR franchise, has adopted Square’s unified commerce platform to power its 23 locations, including drive-thru, kiosk, and in-store operations. Using tools such as Square Register, Handheld, KDS, and Kiosk, plus integrations with Restaurant365, the brand aims to streamline operations, improve visibility, and support franchise growth.

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Manhattan Associates’ 2026 Global Unified Commerce Benchmark, conducted with Incisiv, found only 7% of specialty retailers achieving true unified commerce leadership. Ikea, Wayfair, Nordstrom, and Home Depot ranked highest. The report highlights AI innovations, rising logistics costs, and growing need for real-time inventory visibility to drive connected customer experiences.

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Storey Hospitality won the 2025 Hotel Visionary Award for using Safara’s middleware and Revinate’s CRM and marketing automation tools to unify guest data, automate personalization, and recover $213,000 in direct bookings. Their integrated approach improved conversions, increased ROI 19×, and enhanced profitability without adding operational complexity.

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The Estée Lauder Cos. is expanding AI-driven search and discovery across 70 EMEA markets using Rezolve Ai’s “Brain Suite.” Announced at Shoptalk Las Vegas, the rollout automates merchandising and personalization for brands like Clinique and MAC, boosting digital efficiency and reducing operational complexity across Estée Lauder’s e-commerce ecosystem.

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Walmart is responding to low conversion rates from its OpenAI-powered ChatGPT shopping experience by embedding its own AI assistant, Sparky, into ChatGPT. Sparky gives customers a Walmart-like shopping experience directly within the chat. Walmart is also developing Google Gemini integrations, while Gap, Sephora, and Shopify test similar AI-commerce tools.

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Walmart de México y Centroamérica (Walmex) is expanding its partnership with Vusion to deploy the EdgeSense connected store platform—with 1.7 million electronic shelf labels and 180,000 smart rails—across Walmart Express stores by 2026, followed by Supercenters, to automate operations and enhance customer experience in Latin America.

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Walmart expanded its partnership with OpenAI to launch a new in-app ChatGPT shopping experience. The integration lets shoppers link accounts, use loyalty and payment tools, and browse in a customized Walmart environment. Available on web now, it replaces OpenAI’s “Instant Checkout” with retailer-controlled checkout experiences.

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