SPAR
ZetaDisplay has extended its partnership with SPAR to deliver the retailer’s first retail media network. This follows ZetaDisplay’s recent acquisition of retailmediatools, a retail media infrastructure-as-a-service platform.
The roll-out for SPAR has begun with a pilot programme and will continue through to the end of the year. ZetaDisplay’s Austria team, which has collaborated with SPAR for more than a decade, will lead the project. Over the years, the partnership has delivered a series of in-store digital solutions, including the evolution of dining experiences through dynamic digital menu boards, deli counter screens, kiosk ordering systems, mosaic walls as well as employee information screens.
The deployment will see the installation of hundreds of new displays, establishing a digital signage network that supports both retail media and broader in-store communications. The project also includes the repositioning of current displays to better align with evolving shopper behaviours, leveraging ZetaDisplay’s ongoing research into customer journeys and in-store engagement.
The entire network will be powered by ZetaDisplay’s proprietary Engage Suite, which will also be implemented across SPAR’s Slovenian stores. Engage Suite enables content creation, scheduling and management, while providing analytics and measurement tools to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time. SPAR will retain full control over its retail media ecosystem, including the ability to approve which brands can advertise across its network, while also leveraging the platform to promote its own campaigns.
Walmart
Walmart is adding tap to pay options to its checkout stations at US stores and Sam’s Club warehouses, with deployment set for completion by end of year. Fuel stations will be upgraded by mid-2027. This includes options like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Walmart has long resisted the rise and rise of NFC-based payments, opting instead to go all in on its Walmart Pay app and Scan and Go app features for contactless payments.
In a LinkedIn post, Sam Amrani, Founder and CEO at PassBy, said: “Isn’t it crazy to think that it’s 2026 and Walmart doesn’t accept Apple Pay? Until now that is. This has been a case of America’s largest retailer vs America’s largest consumer tech company.”
He added: “Inevitably, Walmart Pay will go down as the largest attempt at creating a closed loop payment system. Its demise will be the final nail in the coffin for retailers trying to create proprietary payment rails for their ecosystem. Ultimately, convenience wins.”
“The consumer is the kingmaker, and the result was clear, the convenience of Apple Pay was too important to the customer journey. It will make customers happier and Walmart – although adopting reluctantly – will see this lead to faster transaction times, happier customers and more visits.”
Tesco
Last month we reported that Tesco was trialling Simbe’s Tally in-store shelf scanning robot.
Having kicked off with a single store, the pilot is now being extended to a small number of other locations. Thanks to Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner at IGD, and a member of the judging panel for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards, for bringing this to our attention.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I’ve now seen Simbe’s Tally robot in a third Tesco store in the UK – another store trialling autonomous inventory scanning. But this time, I had my son with me. His reaction was fascinating. He was completely intrigued by Tally: watching it move around the store, trying to work out what it was doing, and following it with the kind of curiosity only a child can bring to something that feels like it has just stepped out of the future.”
He added: “I’ve heard that in the US, some shoppers will even choose stores specifically because they have Tally, because their children love seeing the robot. Honestly, I can believe it. And it got me thinking…We often talk about retail automation in terms of efficiency, accuracy, labour productivity and ROI. But what happens when the technology itself becomes part of the customer experience? Could robots like Tally become something that customers – and especially children – actively want to see?”
Could, Pickard asked, the presence of robots change which stores people choose to visit? And perhaps more importantly: what happens when the next generation grows up thinking autonomous robots moving around a supermarket is completely normal? Will they see Tally as technology? Or simply as part of what a modern store is?
Pickard concluded: “There’s a fascinating intersection here between automation, operations, customer experience and the psychology of physical retail. I’m increasingly convinced that the question isn’t just, what can robots do for retailers? It’s also, what can robots make customers feel about the future of retail?”
Nkuku
Back.tech is partnering with Nkuku to improve how it manages consumer returns, reverse logistics and recommerce.
In a LinkedIn post, Giorgio Vitale, Co-founder and CRO at Back.Tech, said: “A big part of what makes this special is Operations & Impact Director Chris Wilson’s vision for reverse logistics at Nkuku – moving beyond current state returns processing to a smarter, connected reverse lifecycle for every product.”
“This means rethinking returns across the full operation: DTC e-commerce – streamlined parcel returns; Big and bulky items – smarter grading, routing and resale decisions; B2B supplier returns – improved visibility and control upstream to optimise downstream requirements; Recommerce – maximising value through quicker resale and redistribution. This is exactly where we add new value.”
Back.tech’s AI powered grading and dynamic routing engine helps businesses accurately assess condition, automate decisioning, and optimise where every item should go next.
For Nkuku, this will improve reverse logistics performance by: Reducing operating costs through automation and fewer manual decisions; Improving delivery and handling efficiency across return flows; Unlocking net savings by routing items to the highest value recovery path faster and more accurately; Increasing recovery rates across both parcel and bulky inventory streams.
California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen is set to roll-out up to 1,000 automated pizza making kiosks across the US through a partnership with T-ROC Global. The pair will target real estate with high foot traffic, like hospitals, hotels, campuses, and sports venues, where opening a full sized restaurant would be impractical.
The offering will use TurboChef powered cooking, touchscreen technology and data driven systems. According to California Pizza Kitchen, the kiosks can prepare a pizza in as little as 90 seconds. The menu is expected to extend beyond pizza. Plans are afoot to offer items including Kung Pao and Bolognese spaghetti, Mac ‘N’ Cheese varieties and the brand’s Butter Cake.
California Pizza Kitchen began testing automated retail in 2025. Machines are now operating at airports including Boston Logan International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Dallas Love Field and Dayton International Airport. The company also expects to activate another 15 at universities by the end of 2026.
“For decades, CPK has been dedicated to meeting consumers wherever they are, whether through our global restaurant network, airport and non-traditional locations, off-site events, or the local grocery store where we’ve been a leading premium pizza brand for 25 years,” says Michael Beacham, President at California Pizza Kitchen Global. “Our automated retail strategy, now accelerated through a partnership with T-ROC, introduces CPK to entirely new occasions and venues where consumers desire quality food on the go.”
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit
Dickey’s Barbecue Pit has announced the launch of three new interactive mobile games exclusively for Big Yellow Cup Rewards members. Memory, Big Yellow Cup Flip Challenge and Catcher, a custom development feature by Spark Adriatic, are the first games out of the game as part of this loyalty roll-out.
Customers can earn loyalty points while playing them within the Dickey’s mobile app. The move is a reaction to nearly 30% of all online orders now being placed through the company’s mobile app.
Laura Rea Dickey, CEO, says: “We’re always looking for new ways to make every barbecue experience more rewarding. Our Big Yellow Cup Rewards members are some of our most loyal guests, and these new mobile games give them another fun reason to open the app, engage with our brand and earn rewards they can use toward their next barbecue meal.”