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Articles by Toby Pickard
Amazon deliveries looking smart
Amazon is deploying smart delivery glasses to its employees to provide delivery information directly in a delivery driver’s field of view By displaying navigation, package details, and customer instructions in real time, the glasses aim to help drivers stay focused on their surroundings. Amazon plans to deploy 5,000 smart delivery glasses this year, with a goal to expand to more than 20,000 by the end of 2027.
Lowe’s in drone delivery first
Lowe’s has become the first home improvement retailer to offer drone delivery This pilot is now live at Lowe's store in Matthews, N.C., and adds to same-day fulfillment options for customers, including buy online, pick up in store; curbside pickup and same-day delivery.
Macy’s using AI to boost replenishment
By Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology | Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology By Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology | Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology By Retail Technology | Retail Technology By Miya Knights | Miya Knights By Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology | Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology By Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology | Miya Knights, Publisher, Retail Technology By Toby Pickard | Toby Pickard By Retail Technology | Retail...
Retail Technology | The Innovation Line
Retail Futures Senior Partner, IGD, Toby Pickard on the store that thinks and why the next retail revolution is intelligence For the past few years, the retail industry has been fascinated by the hyper-connected store. Electronic shelf labels. Computer vision. Smart carts. AI assistants. Retail media screens. Connected refrigeration. Real-time analytics. These technologies have dominated conference agendas, investment plans and innovation roadmaps.
Shoezone offers free next day delivery service
Affordable footwear retailer shoezone is helping families keep back-to-school costs down with shoes available from £7.99 and a free next-day delivery service The retailer is aiming to ease panic buying for parents who can now take advantage of free next-day delivery on all orders, seven days a week through their app.
Walmart expands payment options
Walmart has added Tap to Pay to its payment options at select Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations It further plans to roll it out to all US stores and clubs by the end of 2026 and to fuel stations by mid-2027 Customers and members can also add their eligible Walmart, Sam's Club and OnePay cards to their digital wallets, giving them another convenient way to use their cards.
Amazon expands drone delivery
Amazon’s Prime Air service is rapidly expanding and plans to reach nearly 500 cities and towns in the United States by the end of 2026—a sixfold increase from its current footprint It offers the widest selection of items by drone, including millions of groceries, electronics, cosmetics, medications, and household products at everyday low prices, delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. Delivery sites also have the highest average delivery volumes in the U.S., with thousands of deliveries made daily.
Exclusive interview with Simbe about the benefits of in-store robotics and computer vision
At the beginning of July 2026, I spotted Simbe’s Tally inventory monitoring robot operating in a Tesco store in the UK. This marked the first time that Tesco is trialling this innovative technology in-store, and only the second time we've seen a major UK retailer trialling autonomous shelf-scanning technology in the UK. In other markers, Tally has been operating in stores for years.
Home Depot upgrades tech team
Home Depot has announced leadership portfolio changes to accelerate innovation in its tech teams To enable better product alignment, the company has transitioned its private label merchants into its core merchandising organisation, led by Billy Bastek, EVP of merchandising. It is also aligning its customer experience, online, financial services and loyalty teams into a unified interconnected organisation, led by Jordan Broggi, EVP of interconnected retail.
Walmart expands drone delivery to Florida
Walmart and Wing have started drone delivery in Greater Orlando, Wing’s first market in Florida Central Florida residents can now choose from thousands of daily essentials at Walmart, including sunscreen, school supplies, electronics and last-minute ingredients delivered directly by Wing drones in as fast as 30 minutes. “We measure success in minutes saved and life made a little easier in Central Florida,” said Heather Rivera, Wing’s CBO.
KPMG report shows AI agent proliferation in retail
The consumer and retail sector is undergoing a decisive technological reset, driven by rapid advances in AI, rising expectations for digital convenience, and the pressure to modernise long‑standing legacy systems, according to KPMG A new report drawn utilising insights from more than 250 consumer and retail leaders, highlights where modernisation is already delivering measurable impact: more accurate forecasting, more efficient supply chains, and increasingly automated front‑ and back‑office...
US bill confirms staffing at self-checkouts
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee has signed into law a bill that mandates a staffing ratio for self-checkout areas The legislation requires stores to assign at least one worker to staff every three self-checkout stations to combat theft and help older consumers struggling with the process. Other US states are believed to be considering restrictions on self-checkout too.
DoorDash latest to turn to agentic AI
Online food delivery service DoorDash is launching agentic AI option Ask DoorDash Users tap the Ask button in the search bar and tell DoorDash what they’re in the mood to eat to get personalised results in seconds. No more building a grocery cart item by item only to give up halfway through. No more endless scrolling through restaurants. The average person in the US has an estimated 800,000 menu items and grocery products available to them on DoorDash.
Innovation Line | News | Retail Technology
Innovation takes time to scale, but expectations don’t writes Retail Futures senior partner Toby Pickard Back in 2016, 7-Eleven completed the first fully autonomous, government-sanctioned drone delivery to a private residence in the United States. At the time, it felt more like a publicity stunt than the beginning of a retail revolution.
Innovation Line: Autonomous delivery quietly delivers
Innovation takes time to scale, but expectations don’t writes Retail Futures senior partner Toby Pickard Back in 2016, 7-Eleven completed the first fully autonomous, government-sanctioned drone delivery to a private residence in the United States. At the time, it felt more like a publicity stunt than the beginning of a retail revolution.
OTB Group shopping gets AI upgrade
OTB Group (the parent company of Diesel, Maison Margiela, and Marni) and Google Cloud are collaborating to launch a new generative AI-powered shopping experience The initiative deploys Google Cloud’s generative AI to empower client advisors with digital styling tools. This moves beyond standard product displays to offer a premium, curated clienteling service that bridges the gap between digital browsing and the physical boutique.
Ace Hardware enlists AI support
Hardware products supplier Ace Hardware has launched 'Hey ARMA,' an AI-powered assistant designed to support its red-vested associates with real-time information and guidance Operated through a handheld device, Hey ARMA provides associates with quick access to product knowledge, project advice, and recommendations, so they can focus on solving customer problems and delivering even better in-store service.
MACH X 2026: Spotlight on agent-ready retail
Retailers are finding that AI deployments and scale depend less on models than on disciplined data, architecture and governance, Miya Knights, Retail Technology Publisher, reports Retailers attending MACH X in Toronto this week heard that artificial intelligence (AI) is pushing composable technology from architecture principle to business necessity.
TomTom drives skills with AI
Location technology brand TomTom is partnering with AI learning platform HowNow as it transitions to a skills-based organisation As part of a bold two-year People strategy, TomTom engaged HowNow to reshape learning experiences and equip employees with skills-driven development paths. Accelerating skill readiness - to help TomTom adapt to fast-changing customer and market needs - was a key driver in the decision. The team was also impressed by HowNow’s AI skills mapping technology.
Retail Technology Show 2026: AI talk turns practical
Retailers focus less on AI hype and more on the data, infrastructure and operational change needed to make it work, writes Miya Knights, Retail Technology Publisher Artificial intelligence (AI) dominated the agenda at the Retail Technology Show 2026. But the most useful conversations at ExCeL London were not about novelty. They were about execution.
Planning under pressure: beating retail volatility with AI
Retail Express’ Ed Betts argues that retailers cannot afford to operate without clarity when data-driven tools are ready to drive next-level business decision-making Retail has become a game of constant adjustment. Costs change mid-quarter, supply chains shift, and demand no longer follows reliable patterns. Dealing with volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, or VUCA, is now part of day-to-day retail operations.
Planning under pressure: beating retail volatilitywith AI
Retail Express’ Ed Betts argues that retailers cannot afford to operate without clarity when data-driven tools are ready to drive next-level business decision-making Retail has become a game of constant adjustment. Costs change mid-quarter, supply chains shift, and demand no longer follows reliable patterns. Dealing with volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity, or VUCA, is now part of day-to-day retail operations.
This week at the Retail Technology Show 2026
With the 2026 Retail Technology Show (RTS) starting this Thursday we round up five things you won’t want to miss at the event, which connects retail’s changemakers with tech innovators. Taking place on 22 & 23 April 2026 at London’s ExCeL, RTS will welcome over 15,000 senior retail professionals to retail’s flagship event, combining unmissable innovation and insight with unrivalled networking opportunities.
Innovation Line: Technology is maturing with age
As EuroShop celebrated its 60th birthday this February in Düsseldorf, Germany, there was one overarching theme that emerged at the “world’s number one retail trade fair” writes Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner, IGD After years of experimentation, pilots, and bold predictions about the “store of the future,” technology and AI in physical retail are finally coming of age.
Insights from NRF: Retail’s Big Show and NYC stores
I recently returned from New York, and the NRF’s annual convention and expo. While I was in the city, I also visited numerous stores and highlight the best at the end of this article. NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show was one of the largest shows to date with ~40,000 attendees, representing more… To continue reading...
Eight predictions for the industry on its journey towards 2050
Being prepared for future eventualities is of critical importance for any business. However, with so much disruption and uncertainty taking place globally it is understandable that businesses are focused on the next quarter or at most the next few years. Nevertheless, success will be achieved… To continue reading...
Alexa-enabled devices surpass half a billion devices sold globally
Coinciding with the launch of four new Alexa-enabled devices, Amazon announced that there has been well over half a billion Alexa-enabled devices sold around the world, and customers are using Alexa more than ever. Engagement with Alexa increased more than 35% in 2022. Putting Amazon in your… To continue reading...
Learnings from Shoptalk Europe 2023
During 9 th -11 th May, Shoptalk 2023 took place in Barcelona. The event was a highly anticipated retail and e-commerce conference that brought together industry leaders, experts, and innovators from various sectors to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and advancements in the retail industry.… To continue reading...
New research highlights the biggest opportunities to reduce packaging
As part of the food and consumer goods industry’s shared ambition to halve the environmental impact of the UK packaging system by 2030, IGD has launched a new heatmap report to highlight where the opportunities for action lie in UK supermarkets. ‘ Packaging: which supermarket categories have… To continue reading...
Auchan opens a new tap-and-go experience
Auchan’s corporate headquarters in Lille, France now features a cashierless store. Operating within Auchan’s innovation complex, this new store is named Auchan Go le Lab. The first tap-and-go store Auchan Go le Lab is the first store to enable a contactless tap-and-go experience where… To continue reading...
Cutting checkout time with Face Pay
At the beginning of 2023, Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Network International introduced ‘Face Pay’ payment at the Deira and Amsaf Mall Carrefour stores. This enabled shoppers to be able to pay for their goods using the ‘Face Pay’ solution.… To continue reading...
Taking technology to the edge in-store
In our 2023 Global retail trends report, we identified 'Task Technology' as a major catalyst for change in the retail industry. The trend of Task Technology focuses on technology enabled initiatives and is directly linked to our Store of the Future 2030 model and its ‘Digitally enabled’… To continue reading...
Amazon takes two steps forward and one back
On 24th January, Amazon opened an new format Amazon Fresh store in Croydon and on 26th January, it opened another new format Amazon Fresh store in Monument, London. During the same week, Amazon permanently closed its Amazon Fresh store in Dalston, London after 18 months of operating. The new… To continue reading...
How grocery can innovate last-mile delivery
The ‘last mile’ has become an increasingly competitive place, as the food industry and disruptors continue to create solutions that make online shopping even more convenient, which is a big appeal to shoppers. With retailers making significant investments in this area globally, IGD’s head of innovations and futures Toby Pickard rounds up the latest innovations helping online shoppers embrace this convenience.
2019 Retail Tech Trends: health & wellness
When we predicted five trends to shape retail in 2019, it came as no surprise that one of these was health and wellness. It has been a popular theme for some time, and consumers are increasingly looking for more ways to weave it into their weekly shops. Three-quarters of shoppers would like more information from food and grocery companies to inspire them to make healthier choices. Showing the benefits of a product on the packet is no longer enough: consumers are asking for more imaginative ideas.
IGD’s predictions for global retail trends in 2018
Retailers are increasingly using private label to appeal to a wide range of life stages as well as a change in shopping habits. The growing investment in these products to create a high quality offer is increasing the demand for ranges that meet shoppers’ needs for excellent value and great quality.
Global retail trend predictions for 2018
The top five trends expected to shape the global retail market over the next 12 months have been unveiled by IGD, the international grocery research organisation. The predictions, identified by IGD’s international research, shopper insights and catalogue of global retail innovations, provide exclusive expertise into the key areas set to shake up the industry in 2018. Retailers are increasingly using private label to appeal to a wide range of life stages as well as a change in shopping habits.
Cashless is king: How retail is tapping into cashless spending
When credit cards were introduced half a century ago, the way we use money and make payments fundamentally changed forever. Since then, technology has advanced quickly, making it possible to imagine a world where payments will be even more digital, mobile, borderless and cashless. It will be essential for retailers to reconsider how their businesses operate in order to meet shifting shopper preferences when it comes to making payments.
Comment: Industry clicks onto the button ordering opportunity
We live in an increasingly on-demand world where consumers are expecting instant gratification and convenience. Throughout 2016, we saw companies such as Amazon, Carling and Peroni introduce one-click ordering buttons, a concept which the likes of Domino’s and Evian started experimenting with as far back as 2012. Could these buttons be a winning solution to satisfy shoppers? And could they enable brands to eliminate competition and create customer loyalty?
Hot global retail tech trends impacting grocery
Here is IGD's five hot trends expected to impact retail in the coming years, shaping the global food and grocery industry. As online shopping continues to grow and the world becomes increasingly digitalised, we expect to see more physical stores embracing new digital technologies to ensure they remain relevant and competitive. Currently, physical stores do have the advantage when it comes to satisfying shoppers instantly.
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