Retail’s Reality Check

Campari Group has gone live with SAP Cloud ERP Private solutions as part of its RISE with SAP initiative. The spirits leader unified finance, supply chain, marketing, and HR using SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP Datasphere, and SAP Business Technology Platform, with embedded AI to boost planning, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making.

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AI-based virtual try-on tools from Amazon, Taobao, Nike and others reduce returns and waste by improving visual realism, personalization, ease of use and social interactivity, which in turn strengthen green attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control, especially for environmentally aware consumers, supporting low-waste, sustainable fashion decisions without relying on price premiums.

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Amazon partnered with PetArmor and Best Friends Animal Society to launch an AI-driven pet adoption tool. Using natural language processing, it matches user queries to adoptable pets across Best Friends centers. Amazon Ads also created AI-generated videos of pets, and Amazon built new animal facilities at Glen Rose Animal Control in Texas.

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Amazon is investing $25 billion in Mississippi data centers to support AI and cloud operations, creating 2,000 jobs statewide. The expansion includes new facilities in Madison, Warren, and Hinds counties and partners with Entergy Mississippi’s Superpower initiative to modernize the energy grid and boost renewable energy capacity.

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Birch Coffee has opened its twelfth New York City location using Square’s unified commerce platform. The brand utilizes Square Register, Square for Restaurants, email marketing, gift cards, and a 7shifts integration to streamline operations, support growth, and enhance customer engagement across its expanding network.

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Biyoute Trading Co., Ltd. achieved 89% forecast accuracy and over 98% on-shelf availability after implementing RELEX Solutions’ AI-driven supply chain planning tools with TDCC. The system, covering 115 stores and 20,000 SKUs, improved replenishment, reduced labor hours, and enhanced efficiency during peak seasons.

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Bikky, a customer data platform for multi-unit restaurants, partnered with Bubbakoo’s Burritos to centralize guest data and drive personalized growth. Using Bikky’s segmentation tool, Bubbakoo’s improved onboarding, targeted its new plant-based chorizo launch, optimized menus, and enhanced franchisee insights across its 140+ locations.

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City Furniture and GARVEE are exploring an omnichannel partnership to merge showroom retail and delivery with data-driven merchandising and forecasting. The collaboration aims to optimize product selection, inventory planning, and last-mile delivery, leveraging both companies’ strengths in logistics, analytics, and online-to-offline retail efficiency across the U.S. and Canada.

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David’s Bridal launched on Shopify’s Agentic Storefronts within ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, enabling AI-driven product discovery, recommendations, and purchasing. This integration, powered by Shopify infrastructure, supports David’s “Aisle to Algorithm” strategy and positions the retailer as a leader in AI-native, data-optimized commerce experiences.

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Dollar General will partner with Qsic to launch an AI-enabled in-store audio network across 6,000 stores in 48 states, doubling its reach to 12,000 locations. Integrated with its DG Media Network, the system combines POS data, curated music, and AI-generated ads for localized, data-driven messaging.

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DoorDash is shutting down its AI discovery app, Zesty, on April 17, integrating its personalized recommendation and conversational search features into the main DoorDash app. Following its $1.2 billion acquisition of SevenRooms, DoorDash is merging discovery, reservations, and ordering tools to compete with OpenTable and Resy in on-premise dining.

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Elida Beauty, home to ST. Ives, VO5, TIGI, and Q-tips, used SnapLogic and partner Pace Integration to build a modern IT foundation after separating from Unilever. The platform connects ERP, logistics, and data systems, enabling rapid integration, automation, and real-time analytics across its global operations.

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Frasers Group has introduced “Ask Frasers,” an AI-powered shopping assistant on its FRASERS website to enhance product discovery and personalization. Built on Algolia’s Agentic Experience, the tool boosts conversion rates by 25%, offering smarter conversational search and reinforcing the retailer’s premium fashion repositioning.

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Gap Inc., spanning Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta, is deploying Inspectorio’s AI platform to boost supply chain visibility, quality management and supplier collaboration. The retailer will use Inspectorio’s AI for product traceability via data collection and automated task execution.

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GOLFTEC, the world’s largest golf training and club fitting provider, selected Square to power payments and commerce across 200+ U.S. locations. Using Square’s unified platform, GOLFTEC modernized transactions, improved data insights, shortened financial close by two days, saved 10,000 admin hours, and cut $100K in dispute costs.

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Gordon Food Service Store is implementing Relex Solutions’ AI-enabled forecasting and replenishment platform to replace legacy systems, reduce manual planning across 4,500 SKUs, and improve inventory visibility and fresh optimization. Associated Wholesale Grocers is also adopting Relex to modernize forecasting and replenishment across its distribution network.

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Haleon is adopting SAP Business Suite to modernize its digital infrastructure and integrate AI across its operations. Using SAP Cloud ERP and SAP Business Data Cloud, Haleon aims to unify finance, supply chain, HR, and sales systems, improving efficiency, data visibility, and innovation while strengthening its global consumer health business.

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Abercrombie & Fitch Co., parent of Abercrombie & Fitch and Hollister, is using Qualtrics-powered geofencing technology to track store visits and gather feedback from customers who didn’t make a purchase. With consent, the retailer analyzes these insights to help store managers improve assortments, pricing, and in-store experiences.

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UPS is expanding its use of AI and data analytics to enhance operations, pricing, and customs clearance, using tools like Agentic AI, digital twins, and Deal Manager. The carrier is also investing heavily in global employee upskilling to ensure workers can effectively use AI, data tools, and automation across its evolving network.

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Papa Johns is replacing its 20-year-old in-house POS with PAR’s POS and PAR OPS, citing faster market innovation and better alignment with its engineering culture. The rollout to 3,200 locations runs through 2027, while a Google Cloud Food Ordering Agent pilot and Google Maps-based dispatch tools aim to improve ordering and delivery.

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Competera is partnering with Joybuy, JD.com’s online retail arm, to deploy a centralized, real-time pricing and market monitoring system across Europe. The tool automates daily insights, helping category managers adjust prices efficiently and cut manual research time as Joybuy expands in competitive markets.

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Kowalski’s Markets has implemented EmpowerFresh’s AI-powered produce inventory and ordering platform to enhance freshness and efficiency across its 11 Twin Cities stores. The system provides AI-driven demand forecasting and smart ordering tools, supported by produce supplier Russ Davis Wholesale, to reduce shrink and ensure optimal product quality.

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Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken is rolling out Hi Auto’s AI Order Taker system-wide after strong results at 30 stores. The AI tool boosts drive-thru efficiency, achieving 95%+ order completion and 97% accuracy, while saving labor hours. Supported by a unified POS and menu database, franchisees can opt in to the technology.

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ShopriteX has launched Pixie, an AI-powered shopping assistant for the Sixty60 app. Developed in-house, Pixie uses customer habits and Xtra Savings data to predict needs, offer personalized deals, and simplify shopping through Smart Basket swipe features. The beta rollout began April 9, 2026, for Xtra Savings Plus members.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will open the first city-owned grocery store at La Marqueta in East Harlem by the end of 2027 to tackle affordability and food insecurity, partnering with third-party grocery operators on pricing and labor, with five city-run stores planned citywide by 2029.

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OpenAI has acquired AI-powered personal finance startup Hiro Finance, founded by Ethan Bloch and backed by Ribbit, General Catalyst, and Restive. Hiro’s employees will join OpenAI after the startup shuts down. Hiro specialized in AI-driven financial planning tools that modeled “what-if” scenarios for consumers.

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NCR Voyix signed a five-year deal to deploy its Voyix POS and Fuel solution on the Voyix Commerce Platform across Pilot’s 900-plus locations, serving 1.2 million customers daily. The agreement extends NCR Voyix’s retail tech momentum after a new 7-Eleven deal and helps Pilot modernize its store operations.

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Furniture.com used the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform—leveraging Delta Lake, Lakeflow Jobs, Unity Catalog, MLflow, and Mosaic AI—to unify product and review data across 70+ retail partners. AI-generated summaries, tags, and collections doubled conversion rates, boosted engagement 95%, and drove a 26% lift in product-line conversion.

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Sainsbury’s Nectar360 has partnered with Uber, allowing Nectar loyalty members to redeem points for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders via the Nectar app. The collaboration—Nectar’s first with a ride-hailing platform—lets customers use 500–4,000 points (£2.50–£20), enhancing everyday convenience and rewards flexibility.

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Target is expanding its “Last Mile Delivery Direct” program, using Shipt drivers for next-day deliveries directly from stores. The service, now in six stores, will reach 100 locations in 50 markets by late 2026. Target says the Shipt-led model cuts delivery costs by $2.50 per package versus national carriers.

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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) renewed its multi-year partnership with Marks & Spencer (M&S), continuing as the retailer’s strategic technology partner to drive digital transformation. TCS will leverage its AI, engineering, and retail expertise to support M&S’s growth, reaffirming collaboration despite past cyber incident controversies.

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Tesco has partnered with Adobe to integrate AI tools into its Clubcard loyalty program, using Adobe’s technology to analyze customer data and deliver more personalized marketing. The collaboration aims to enhance digital engagement, improve tailored offers, and accelerate Tesco’s growth in online and retail media channels.

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Tesco is testing a new AI-powered assistant in its app, built with Tomoro AI, to simplify meal planning and grocery basket creation. Initially rolled out to 280,000 staff, the tool suggests recipes, adds ingredients based on shopping history, and aims to reduce food waste and shopping friction.

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Toynk Toys is implementing Centric Software’s AI-enabled PLM to centralize product data for its Toynk, Cardsmiths and Syndicate Collectibles brands, replacing emails and spreadsheets to streamline product development, vendor collaboration and licensor approvals while improving transparency, reporting accuracy and assortment and investment decision-making.

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Huws Gray, the UK’s largest independent builders’ merchant, is adopting Slimstock’s AI-powered supply chain planning platform to centralise forecasting and automate ordering across its UK branches. The system integrates with its Border Merchant Systems ERP to enhance inventory efficiency and support continued growth.

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AI-driven customer experience platform Serve First raised £5 million from Pembroke VCT and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II via Mercia Ventures. The Milton Keynes-based firm, founded by Erol Ayvaz, will use the funding to expand sales, marketing, and AI development after securing clients like Brentford FC, The Body Shop, and Topps Tiles.

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Resorts World Las Vegas will deploy Ordr Technologies’ AI-powered point-of-sale system at its Zouk Nightclub and Ayu Dayclub. The technology unifies purchasing, payment processing, and marketing, while analyzing in-venue and digital data to enhance guest personalization and eliminate reconciliation gaps. Ordr also powers venues like Orlando City SC and the Vegas Golden Knights.

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Walmart Connect is expanding its retail media network with new social media tools, including self-serve campaigns on Meta and later TikTok, closed-loop measurement via LiveRamp, and shoppable “add-to-cart” ads on Meta, TikTok, and Pinterest. Burt’s Bees tested the feature, driving 42% ad-attributed sales.

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Walmart-backed OnePay partnered with Workday to embed its banking, investing, and credit tools into Workday’s HR and payroll systems. The deal includes Enhanced Direct Deposit Switching, enabling employees to set up OnePay accounts directly in Workday Payroll, advancing financial wellness solutions within workplace technology.

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IDeaS has partnered with Windstar Cruises to replace manual revenue management with its Cruise Revenue Management System. The AI-driven platform uses machine learning for demand forecasting, dynamic pricing, and guest value optimization, helping Windstar scale revenue decisions across eight yachts and respond faster to market shifts.

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Fashion retailers are using AI virtual try-on tools to help shoppers judge fit and style before buying, aiming to cut costly online returns that erode margins. CNBC says Catches, Zara, ASOS, Shopify, Amazon, Adobe and Google are among the companies using or testing the technology.

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