Innovation & Technology

For years, retail chatbots followed a predictable pattern: they waited for a shopper to type a specific keyword and then offered a pre-programmed response. They could answer questions but rarely …

For decades, warehouses and distribution centres have been perceived as physically demanding, male-dominated environments. The work involved heavy lifting, long hours on concrete floors and roles that seemed to favour …

Agentic commerce, also abbreviated as “a-commerce,” represents the next practical application of artificial intelligence in retail. Rather than consumers browsing websites or apps to find and purchase products, AI agents, …

In July 2026, at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, a robotic pharmacy system attracted significant attention. Three robots of different brands and configurations, working in coordination, received an …

As retailers increasingly embrace artificial intelligence, robotics and autonomous vehicles, a new retail model is beginning to emerge: mobile stores that drive directly to customers instead of waiting for customers …

The payment terminal sitting on a retail counter has traditionally been a single-purpose device: it reads cards, processes payments and little else. In 2026, that is changing. A new generation …

A new category of technology is emerging in retail: wearable cameras powered by artificial intelligence, worn by store employees to track shelves, map stores in real time and provide operational …

For millions of shoppers, the self-checkout experience follows a familiar pattern: scan items, pay and leave. But for anyone purchasing alcohol, tobacco or age-restricted medication, the process is frequently interrupted …

For years, the online grocery shopping experience has followed a predictable pattern: customers open an app, scroll through categories, search for specific products, compare options and add items to their …