Retail Reality Check

Afresh, led by CEO Matt Schwartz, is transforming the grocery fresh supply chain with its AI-driven Fresh Store Suite and new Fresh Buying solution. Used by grocers like Wakefern Food Corp., Morton Williams, and Albertsons, Afresh’s deep learning tools optimize replenishment, production planning, and distribution to reduce waste and boost profitability.

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Ahold Delhaize USA will close six Giant Food and The Giant Company e-commerce fulfillment centers by Q1 2026 and shift to a store-first model, using in-store picking plus Instacart and DoorDash for sub-30-minute delivery where possible, while investing $860 million in an automated Burlington, N.C. distribution center.

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Fynd, an AI-native retail technology platform backed by Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, has expanded into South Africa through a partnership with luxury retailer Surtee Group. Surtee will use Fynd’s AI tools for unified inventory, ship-from-store, clienteling, and omnichannel fulfillment to boost e-commerce growth and retail agility.

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Best Buy has integrated its online marketplace with commerce technology provider Rithum, enabling U.S. merchants to list, manage, and fulfill products directly through Rithum’s platform. The move expands Best Buy’s third-party assortment while maintaining a curated model and simplifies marketplace selling via tools for pricing, content, and order management.

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Blue Hawaiian Activities (BHA) has partnered with Manifest to replace its Aldesk system and modernize its concierge and activity booking operations across Hawaiʻi. Manifest’s open-platform POS technology will streamline workflows, enable real-time integrations, and enhance guest experiences, with system migration beginning in Q1 2026.

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Buddy’s bar-b-q partners with COMO to launch a state-of-the-art loyalty app featuring mobile ordering, rewards, and perks across 19 East Tennessee locations. COMO’s omnichannel tools enable SMS/email engagement with tens of thousands of subscribers, boosting foot traffic and loyalty. This supports franchise expansion into Nashville, Lexington, Atlanta, and more.

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Coca-Cola, Newell Brands, and The Clorox Co. shared updates on their AI strategies at the Morgan Stanley Global Consumer and Retail Conference. Coca-Cola uses generative AI for marketing and sales automation, Newell deploys CoPilot 365 and ChatGPT for productivity and customer service, while Clorox leverages AI-driven personalization and supply chain optimization.

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AIDAluna, AIDA Cruises' (Carnival Corporation) ship, completed a seven-week dry dock in Marseille, France, as part of the AIDA Evolution upgrade program, introducing RFID boarding passes, interactive screens, and fully refurbished cabins with USB/USB-C ports and new stern suites.

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fulfillmenttools will provide Deichmann with a centralized SaaS order management platform that unifies inventory and order processing across countries, online shops, stores, and marketplaces, enabling real-time availability, efficient routing, and scalable omnichannel fulfillment to support the footwear retailer’s evolving e-commerce architecture.

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DoorDash has launched Zesty, an AI-powered food discovery app that uses a chatbot, maps, and social data to personalize restaurant recommendations in beta across the San Francisco Bay area and New York. The standalone app aggregates content from DoorDash, Google Maps, TikTok and more, surfacing local spots to visit or order from.

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Dutch supermarket co-operative PLUS signed a 140 MSEK deal with Pricer to upgrade 265 stores with four-colour electronic shelf labels (ESL) powered by the Pricer Plaza platform. The rollout spans 2026–2027. Pricer will also buy back three million used labels to support the upgrade and sustainability efforts.

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Lowe’s SVP of Data, AI, and Innovation, Chandhu Nair, discussed how Lowe’s drives digital transformation with Acceldata CEO Rohit Choudhary, emphasizing leadership adaptability, multimodal AI experiences, and culture change. Key tools include the MyLow Companion and Apple Vision Pro. Lowe’s focuses on building differentiating AI while partnering for commoditized technologies.

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Giant Food partners with Upside, a cash-back marketplace platform using AI-driven personalized offers, to recapture market share amid shoppers' fragmented grocery habits (visiting 4.8 banners monthly). The risk-free model verifies incremental sales, charging retailers only for proven new traffic to drive in-store visits. Executives Ryan Draude and Nick Worswick highlight its triple-win for value, consumers, and growth.

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Goodwill Central Texas launched its in-house ReNu production software to streamline operations, optimize pricing, and empower employees. The AI-powered platform determines item value and sales channels, boosting efficiency and revenue. Its pilot dynamic pricing tool runs in six stores, with full deployment and sharing nationwide planned by year’s end.

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GTT Communications was selected by international home furnishings retailer JYSK as its new global network partner. Using GTT’s Tier 1 backbone, Ethernet, Cloud Connect, and Envision platform, the upgrade underpins JYSK’s omnichannel strategy, supporting unified commerce, real-time inventory, and cloud integration across 29 European markets.

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Heineken launched the "Could have been a Heineken" WhatsApp bot in Brazil pilot, targeting users swapping long voice notes for in-person meetups over beer. Global research of 14,000 respondents revealed people spend 150 hours yearly on voice notes, with 52% (60% Gen Z) seeing them replace real-life interactions and 9.5 billion sent daily on WhatsApp. Users forward voice notes over three minutes to the bot for a free beer voucher and local bar suggestions.

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Home Depot has completed its U.S. supply chain buildout, adding nearly 200 facilities—including market delivery operations, direct fulfillment centers, and flatbed distribution centers—to accelerate deliveries. Using its proprietary “ship from best location” algorithm and collaborations with vendors like Rheem, it now achieves same- or next-day delivery for over half of online orders.

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Perfetti Van Melle (maker of Mentos, Airheads and Chupa Chups) appointed Mike Gomes as VP of Supply Chain to lead transformation across North America. Gomes is implementing SAP S/4HANA, AI, advanced analytics and integrated business planning (IBP) to automate operations, enhance efficiency, and scale manufacturing excellence.

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Procter & Gamble is transforming operations with its “AI Factory,” enabling faster AI model development and deployment across marketing, R&D, and supply chain. Tools like chatPG, imagePG, and insightsPG power generative and analytical AI use cases, including Pampers’ My Perfect Fit and perfumery innovations, while partnerships with Harvard and BCG drive companywide AI upskilling.

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Just Eat Takeaway.com is expanding its rapid delivery partnership with second-hand tech specialist CeX into Ireland and Spain, adding 36 and 62 stores respectively to its app alongside 376 UK locations. The tie-up offers under-60-minute delivery of refurbished gaming and electronics with CeX’s five-year warranty and will roll into more markets in 2026.

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Zoku successfully deployed its Built for NetSuite Unified POS for Retail & Wholesale at Lonestar Tool and Fastener, replacing manual processes with a single sales platform integrated with NetSuite ERP. The system streamlined B2B and retail operations, unified inventory and payments, and enhanced mobility for in-store and field sales teams.

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Loop Neighborhood Markets launched LoopMedia Connect, a retail media network that unifies its website, loyalty app, pump video screens, in-store digital and TV screens, radio, and social media. The platform enables brands to run contextual, measurable campaigns that enhance customer engagement across the convenience retailer’s 50-plus California locations.

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Lowe’s modernized its finance operations using Oracle Cloud technologies—specifically Oracle Fusion AI Data Platform, Autonomous AI Warehouse, and OCI—with support from KPMG and Oracle’s CEAL team. The new cloud-based analytics platform unified financial data, enabling faster reporting, self-service analytics, and streamlined month-end closing processes across the enterprise.

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Marks & Spencer is partnering with Ocula Technologies to use AI-generated, search-optimised product copy across its online catalogue, improving product discoverability and speeding up SEO optimisation while maintaining brand alignment, so customers find relevant items faster and M&S stays competitive in search.

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Moxie Beauty has partnered with Unicommerce to scale its omnichannel haircare business in India, adopting the Uniware platform for multi-channel order, warehouse and inventory management and Unicommerce’s B2B suite for bulk shipments. The brand will also use UniCapture, Unicommerce’s video management solution, to provide visual proof during packing and returns and reduce e-commerce disputes.

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Pandora’s Clara AI agent now handles about 60% of customer service inquiries and has boosted NPS by around 10%, supporting peak-season sales that generate roughly 40% of annual revenue. At the same time, Pandora is elevating CMO Berta de Pablos-Barbier to CEO, succeeding Alexander Lacik, with Jennie Farmer stepping in as CMO.

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Publix has launched Discount Finder, a prescription savings tool powered by RxSense, accessible via its pharmacy app and website to help shoppers find lower prices on most medications at Publix Pharmacy. The article also highlights GoodRx’s RxSmartSaver and GoodRx Gold programs used by Kroger, Hy-Vee, Albertsons, Costco, and CVS to deliver in-pharmacy drug discounts.

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River Island is migrating its ecommerce platform to Shopify, partnering with Tryzens Global to simplify its commerce stack and accelerate international growth. Phase one targets international operations, using Shopify as the core platform to reduce complexity and deliver faster innovation. Tryzens will provide enterprise delivery governance and implementation expertise to build a modern, efficient digital foundation for the fashion retailer.

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Schnuck Markets Inc. tested Digimarc Corp.’s end-to-end gift card security solution in 10 St. Louis stores, achieving 100% fraud-free activations. The pilot, supported by Zebra Technologies, Blackhawk Network, Westrock, and STL Labels, streamlined checkout and required no extra training. Schnucks also expanded Instacart’s AI-powered Caper Carts across Missouri and Illinois.

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Sea Bags replaced its fragmented Clover POS and Salesforce Commerce Cloud systems with a unified Shopify platform, implemented by Bevy Commerce. Using Shopify POS, NetSuite Connector, and Klaviyo, Sea Bags cut platform fees by 20%, saved $70,000 annually, gained real-time inventory visibility, and captured 1,200 customer emails weekly with a 47% opt-in rate.

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Shopify has partnered with AI-driven analytics vendor Contentsquare to give merchants end-to-end visibility into the digital customer journey, from first click through checkout. The integration adds tools including session replay, heatmaps, zoning, performance and frustration monitoring, plus AI-generated optimization recommendations across the storefront.

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Shopify is partnering with AI analytics vendor Contentsquare to give merchants end-to-end visibility into the digital customer journey, from first click through checkout. The integration delivers session replay, heatmaps, zoning, performance and error monitoring, plus AI-driven insights and recommendations across the storefront.

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Widdop & Co. has debuted its first single-brand D2C site for plush label Softies, moving beyond wholesale into direct consumer relationships and new online revenue streams. Pixel Kicks, now under PushON Commerce, built the new Shopify-powered storefront to support further brand rollouts in 2026.

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Southern Co-op has partnered with Deliveroo to offer on-demand grocery delivery from 139 stores across the South of England, with orders fulfilled in as little as 20 minutes via the Deliveroo app. Customers within 2km of participating stores can access up to 6,500 SKUs, including locally sourced ranges, with Southern Co-op staff picking and packing orders and Deliveroo riders handling last-mile delivery.

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Surtee Group, a leading South African luxury retailer, has partnered with AI-native platform Fynd to modernize commerce operations. Using Fynd’s unified stack—including Storefronts, OMS, WMS, and Clienteling tools—the group will connect in-store and online inventory, enhance personalization, and launch omnichannel e-commerce for brands like Armani, Burberry, and Versace.

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Tesco has signed a three-year partnership with French start-up Mistral AI to expand its use of generative AI. The deal includes access to Mistral’s commercial models and engineers, collaboration through a joint AI lab, and projects focused on content creation, data analysis, and customer experience improvements.

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The Sole Supplier has partnered with Ocula Technologies to enhance product catalogue discoverability using AI-powered content automation. Ocula’s enterprise-grade tools will optimize product data for search platforms like Google SGE and ChatGPT. The Sole Supplier’s leadership emphasized the partnership’s role in improving user experience and promoting quality-driven fashion brands.

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Peregrine Hospitality replaced fragmented storage tools like Dropbox and FTP with Bynder’s Digital Asset Management system, integrated with Monday.com and Canva. VP Sara Harper reported 4,200 hours saved annually, a 4:1 ROI on asset deployment, and 53% higher adoption, uniting marketing and IT through a scalable, centralized content hub.

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UPS-owned Happy Returns is piloting its Return Vision AI tool with retailers including Everlane to flag suspicious eCommerce returns and route them to human auditors at its California, Pennsylvania and Mississippi hubs, targeting a $76.5 billion fraud problem amid nearly $850 billion in 2025 retail returns forecast by NRF.

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WeShop has expanded its community-owned social commerce platform in the US and UK by adding new retail partners—Dick’s Sporting Goods, GNC, Gilt, and JTV Jewellery. This extends coverage into sporting goods, supplements, jewellery, and premium fashion. Users earn WePoints via WeShop’s ShareBack rewards model.

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WEX added thousands of Sunoco stations to its DriverDash mobile payment platform, expanding coverage to nearly 40,000 fueling locations. The app, available for iOS and Android, lets fleet drivers pay via smartphone, enhancing security, visibility, and convenience for fleet managers using WEX’s closed-loop payments network.

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Zara is testing generative AI to create new product imagery by reusing real model photoshoots, with models’ consent and compensation. The AI tools extend visuals without needing new shoots, aiming to speed content production, reduce repetition, and align imagery updates with Zara’s broader data-driven retail systems.

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