Retail’s Reality Check

Aldi UK has ended its checkout-free “Shop & Go” trial, converting its AiFi-powered Greenwich store into a standard Aldi Local with self-service checkouts. The 2022 experiment aimed to simplify shopping but joins wider tech rollbacks, including Amazon’s Just Walk Out closures, as frictionless retail faces operational challenges in the UK.

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Amazon unveiled new 1-hour and 3-hour delivery options for over 90,000 products, expanding Same-Day service to more U.S. cities. Using its existing Same-Day Delivery sites and AI-driven inventory tools, Amazon enables faster fulfillment while offering discounted delivery fees for Prime members and enhancing convenience across everyday categories.

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Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG) and Breez AI have launched SmartMeals, an AI-powered meal planning and shopping assistant now available to AWG retail members. Integrated into store websites and apps, SmartMeals personalizes meal plans, applies coupons, and boosts sales—showing a 22% lift in basket size and 72% increase in loyalty signups.

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Boggi Milano modernized 105 global stores using Zebra Technologies’ RFID solutions, including ZD621R label printers, RFD40 sleds, TC2 mobile computers, and VisibilityIQ Foresight software. The deployment, supported by SAIT and other Zebra partners, boosted inventory accuracy to 99%, optimized AI-driven restocking, and enhanced frontline productivity and customer experience.

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Bonduelle Group has chosen RELEX Solutions to unify its global supply chain planning across 113 distribution centers and 10,000 SKUs. The AI-enabled RELEX platform will integrate demand, supply, production, and distribution planning, enhancing Bonduelle’s Integrated Business Planning and supporting its “Transform to Win” and sustainability goals.

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Galvia AI has added Pretty You London, part of the Pretty Amazin Group, as a customer. The retailer will use the Galvia platform to unify and analyze data across systems, leveraging AI-powered predictions and intelligent prompts to improve decision-making, anticipate trends, and identify new growth opportunities.

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VoCoVo has signed a five-year partnership with convenience retailer Co-op to roll out its Series 5 (S5) Pro Headsets across more than 2,300 stores. The devices, tested in 114-store pilots, enable instant staff communication, streamline in-store operations, and enhance both colleague safety and customer experience.

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Coca-Cola is advancing its multi-year digital transformation, emphasizing connected global data and local precision. Led by CFO John Murphy, COO Henrique Braun, and new CDO Sedef Salingan Sahin, the company is embedding AI, leveraging Microsoft Cloud, and joining MIT’s Generative AI Impact Consortium to scale personalized marketing and operational efficiency worldwide.

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Costco is boosting e-commerce with AI-driven personalization, mobile wallet, pharmacy pay-ahead, and employee pre-scan tools, while piloting eight-second automated pay stations and using Instacart, Uber Eats, and DoorDash for same-day growth, alongside a tariff strategy leveraging sourcing shifts and Kirkland Signature to protect prices.

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Croatia’s largest retail network, Studenac Market, has partnered with Instaleap to power its quick commerce operations through Glovo. Instaleap’s e-commerce, fulfillment, and delivery software will optimize Studenac’s order picking, speed, and customer experience. Meanwhile, Glovo introduced Discovery Wall, verified reviews, and Fast Track for AI-powered, community-driven shopping.

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Japanese discount retailer Daiso Industries Co., Ltd. selected RELEX Solutions’ AI-driven forecasting and replenishment platform to enhance inventory accuracy and efficiency across 4,625 stores and 20+ distribution centers. The system will replace rule-based ordering, reduce stockouts and waste, and streamline planning for Daiso’s growing product range.

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Dollar General will test a new, more open and inviting store format after strong 2025 pilot results that boosted sales. The retailer will also pilot a subscription program, expand into 15 new nonconsumable brands in 2026, and further grow its digital network and retail media ecosystem.

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Iowa-based grocer Fareway is partnering with Instacart to enhance its e-commerce, pickup, and delivery services. Using Instacart’s Storefront Pro platform, Fareway now offers AI-driven search, integrated fulfillment, and retail media via Carrot Ads, enabling no-markup pickup orders through both its website and the Instacart app.

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Perry Ellis International enhanced its B2B outbound operations by integrating Clustag MOT Station RAIN RFID tunnels and Zentup middleware with its Manhattan WMS at its Atlanta distribution center. The automated box validation system processes up to 1,000 boxes per hour, cutting post‑shipment discrepancies by 17% and reducing retailer chargebacks.

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Food City partnered with healthcare fintech NationsBenefits to integrate its Mastercard Prepaid Flex Card across all store locations. Using NationsBenefits’ Basket Analyzer Service, members can purchase approved food-as-medicine and OTC wellness products with real-time benefit validation, improving health access in rural Southeastern communities with high chronic disease rates.

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Norwegian beauty retailer Fredrik & Louisa is expanding its use of RELEX Solutions with the AI-Assisted Diagnostics tool to proactively identify and resolve stockouts across 60 stores. RELEX partner PwC Norway will support the implementation, enhancing availability, inventory accuracy, and profitability through AI and GenAI-powered planning.

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Grubhub, Wonder, and Dexa are launching a three-month drone delivery pilot in New Jersey starting March 18. Using Dexa’s FAA-certified DE-2020 aircraft, the program offers faster, fee-free food deliveries. The test aims to refine autonomous delivery operations and demonstrate drone logistics' potential in dense metro regions.

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Hilton introduced the Hilton AI Planner, a generative AI–powered digital concierge now in beta on Hilton.com. The tool uses conversational intelligence to personalize trip planning across Hilton’s global hotels, offering real‑time recommendations. It expands Hilton’s tech innovations, including the Hilton Honors app, Digital Key, and Confirmed Connecting Room.

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Dine Brands Global—parent of IHOP, Applebee’s, and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop—outlined its scalable, cloud-first tech strategy at MURTEC 2026. VP Chris Padilla detailed lessons from data standardization to resilient hardware (“syrup test”), highlighting AI-driven menu personalization, a lean innovation foundry, and franchise trust as keys to digital transformation success.

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Lowe’s handles about a million monthly inquiries across its AI assistants, Mylow and Mylow Companion. The retailer tailors these tools for both DIY shoppers and pros, using generative AI for project guidance and product recommendations. In February 2026, Lowe’s added Spanish language features to both text and audio inquiries.

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Nestlé USA integrated SPARETECH’s AI-powered tool with SAP to standardize spare parts data across its factories, improving search accuracy, duplicate detection, and automated descriptions. The system enhanced cross-site inventory visibility, cut redundant stocking, and lowered working capital, supported by Power BI-based monitoring, governance, and structured training.

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The Hoxton hotel chain has eliminated in-room minibars and replaced them with lobby-based Hox Shops that sell classic and hyper-local snacks at neighborhood-equivalent prices, sourced and managed through Faire’s wholesale marketplace and new multi-location tools, turning hotel lobbies into community-focused retail spaces for both guests and locals.

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Hyundai Motor Group expanded its partnership with NVIDIA to build data-driven autonomous driving systems using the NVIDIA DRIVE Hyperion platform. The collaboration leverages Hyundai’s software-defined vehicle and fleet data with NVIDIA’s AI and computing power, enabling Level 2+ autonomous vehicles and Level 4 robotaxi innovation through Motional.

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Ikea Finland is piloting free assisted shopping and NaviLens navigation at its Vantaa store to improve accessibility for disabled and visually impaired shoppers. Trained staff provide 1.5-hour pre-booked support, while the NaviLens app reads in-store codes aloud, with details and booking via Ikea.fi’s “Plan your visit” section.

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Instacart is integrating Nvidia AI into its Caper Cart smart carts, turning them into a continuous in-store learning system. Using Nvidia Jetson edge devices, sensors, and computer vision, the carts capture real-time shopper and shelf data. Kroger is piloting Instacart’s new Cart Assistant for personalized, agentic AI shopping experiences.

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Jesta I.S. has been selected by a leading outdoor lifestyle retailer as its strategic technology partner to power an enterprise-wide digital transformation using the Vision Retail Management Suite, including Cloud Merchandising ERP, Omni-Store Platform, OMS, Store Inventory Management, Warehouse Management, Financials, and future AI capabilities via FarsightIQ’s advisorIQ.

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Levi Strauss & Co. is 60% through a digital transformation that includes a global SAP ERP rollout, modernization of distribution centers with Maersk automation, and a Microsoft-backed “super-agent” AI initiative. Led by Harmit Singh, Chris Callieri, and Jason Gowans, these upgrades support Levi’s DTC growth and enterprise-wide data integration.

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Lidl GB has completed its migration from Microsoft to Google Workspace, marking a major cultural shift toward collaboration and agility. Led by Project Manager Sandra Heydorn, the yearlong rollout included hybrid training, Google Community sessions, and on-site support across 13 regional distribution centres for 4,000+ employees.

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Molton Brown modernized its customer experience with SAP Commerce Cloud and SAP Engagement Cloud, replacing legacy systems to ensure 100% uptime during peak events like Black Friday. The tools enable seamless omnichannel luxury experiences, AI‑driven personalization, and scalable operations that strengthen customer loyalty across global markets.

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Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub revamped its career site with HireClix, achieving a 122% rise in applications and 700% more visibility on Google and AI agents. Using HireClix location-based pages, QR codes, and Second Chance functionality, the chain improved SEO, mobile experience, and candidate retention across its 93 locations.

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Deliverect has partnered with Papa Johns to roll out its AI-powered Smart Dispatch platform across 3,500 U.S. restaurants, modernizing delivery operations. Meanwhile, Tortilla Mexican Grill has rejoined Deliveroo, launching the Family Dinneroo initiative across 60 UK sites to boost accessibility, customer reach, and value for Deliveroo Plus subscribers.

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Papa Johns is partnering with Deliverect to deploy its Smart Dispatch & Delivery Management platform across all U.S. restaurants by 2027, integrating all delivery workflows into a unified system. The platform optimizes routing, visibility, and efficiency. Earlier in 2026, Papa Johns adopted Par Technology’s AI-powered POS and OPS platforms for connected restaurant operations.

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Evri Group has launched its first wave of owned parcel lockers in partnership with Tesco and Motor Fuel Group (MFG), deploying 500 new locations at UK petrol stations. Developed with Bloq.it, the lockers support QR access and printing, advancing Evri’s £50 million plan to double its ParcelShop and locker network by 2030.

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Perry Ellis deployed Clustag MOT Station RFID tunnels at its Atlanta distribution center to automate post‑picking order validation. Integrated with Zentup middleware and Manhattan WMS, the RAIN RFID solution processes 1,000 boxes per hour, cutting discrepancies by 17%, reducing chargeback losses, and improving shipment accuracy to wholesale and retail customers.

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Publix Super Markets will retire its Publix Pay mobile payment feature on March 19 to focus on new digital enhancements. Customers can continue using Apple Pay, Google Pay, and stored gift cards. The Publix app will retain digital coupons, deals, Club Publix rewards, and online deli ordering options.

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Syndigo has acquired Taggstar, an AI-powered conversion rate optimization platform used by retailers including Bloomingdale’s, M&S, and Steve Madden. The deal enhances Syndigo’s product experience management capabilities by adding real-time trend, review, and social-proof data to improve digital shopping engagement and conversion performance.

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Red Roof partnered with Milestone Inc. to launch an AI-first digital transformation using Milestone’s AI-native Digital Experience Platform. The solution will power redroof.com, enhance search and generative AI visibility, personalize guest journeys, boost direct bookings, and drive franchisee growth through intelligent engagement and data-driven optimization.

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Redner’s Markets launched a new shopper app powered by RSA America’s unified commerce platform, offering loyalty rewards, digital deals, and online ordering across 68 stores. The app consolidates catering and meal orders, provides personalized “My Deals,” and supports in-store fuel rewards. Redner’s plans to add AI-driven promotions later this year.

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Lowe’s is expanding its partnership with RELEX Solutions and Accenture to unify its inventory replenishment and allocation platform. Using RELEX’s AI-driven technology alongside Lowe’s proprietary supply chain tools, the collaboration will automate ordering, improve inventory visibility, enhance availability, and boost productivity across stores and distribution centers nationwide.

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Levi Strauss & Co. has chosen SCAYLE as its global e-commerce platform provider for levi.com across the US, Canada, and Europe. The rollout begins in 2026, using SCAYLE’s AI-powered enterprise commerce technology to enhance Levi’s direct-to-consumer experience and enable scalable, customer-centric digital retail growth.

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Tattle, the AI-driven guest feedback and CX management platform, has partnered with Scooter’s Coffee to measure omni-channel guest sentiment and enhance operational performance across its 900+ locations. Scooter’s will use Tattle’s AI Coach, analytics, and unified feedback tools to improve beverage quality, speed, hospitality, and guest recovery.

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Skullcandy partnered with Riskified through Shopify to enhance fraud prevention with AI-enabled automation. The new system reviews declined orders, consolidates payment data in real time, and populates dispute cases automatically. This reduced review times from 30 to 5 minutes, increased approved revenue fourfold, and maintained a 0.06% chargeback rate.

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Swedish sports retailer Stadium is investing in a new automated logistics centre in Norrköping, its first wholly owned distribution hub, powered by Exotec’s Skypod system with 240+ robots and 170,000+ storage locations. The energy-efficient Skypod solution will go live in 2028, boosting scalability and store replenishment.

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JoJo Maman Bébé has selected Datitude as its data partner to simplify and unify the retailer’s omnichannel data, powering trusted, business-wide reporting so teams spend less time on data wrangling and more on insights, with phase one going live imminently and phase two already underway.

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Walmart advances Project Gigaton sustainability goals by piloting AI-powered void-fill automation in e-commerce fulfillment, RFID-enabled fresh food labels, and a new flexible film bag with 30% post-consumer recycled content, cutting packaging waste while improving operational efficiency across its supply chain.

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Vusion and Qualcomm Technologies have launched the “AI-Native Store,” already adopted by Walmart and Carrefour, integrating embedded AI and Bluetooth Low Energy into retail shelves. Using Qualcomm’s EdgeSense components, the system detects stock-outs, optimizes tasks, cuts battery costs 85%, improves replenishment, and boosts profitability through real-time spatial intelligence and retail media insights.

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White Castle is partnering with Serve Robotics to deliver its sliders and other menu items via Serve’s autonomous sidewalk robots on Uber Eats in select U.S. cities, expanding Serve’s existing robotic delivery footprint while reinforcing White Castle’s focus on innovation and sustainable, tech-enabled convenience.

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