The Range moves from VoCoVo pilot to store wide roll-out: this week's biggest retail technology stories

It's Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail tech space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past few days, including Unity Coffee, Morrisons, Instaleap, Rainbow, Hanshow, Hotel Chocolat, Deliveroo, Mastercard, Primark, DoorDash, and SKIMS. 1. Paul Borrett takes on Technology Advisor role at Unity Coffee following departure from wagamama Paul Borrett is joining Unity Coffee, a self-service specialist developed by Coffee Nation entrepreneur Scott Martin, as its Technology Advisor. Earlier this year, Borrett announced his departure from wagamama, where he served as Director of Technology. Prior to that, he worked at Costa Coffee. In a LinkedIn post, Martin said: “If you’ve ever bought a coffee from a Costa Coffee Professional machine, you’ve used something Paul built. He was the architect behind that digital platform - the M2M infrastructure that today keeps tens of thousands of machines connected, transacting and talking to eachother in real-time.” He added: “I had the privilege of building that vision alongside him the first time round, and I wasn’t about to let the chance to do it again slip by. After a spell at wagamama, and a very short-lived taste of early retirement, I’ve persuaded him back in. Some technical rockstars just aren’t built for the golf course.” “Paul joins at exactly the point Unity needs him most. We’re not just building a coffee machine - we’re building the intelligence behind it: equipment that flags its own faults before they happen, one data spine running from bean to cup, a machine that adapts its screen and its pricing to who’s in front of it and an app that turns a first sale into a habit. Paul has actually built infrastructure at that scale before and that’s rare, and it’s exactly what this next phase demands.” 2. Paul Stafford goes from client to colleague as he swaps The Very Group for new role at EPAM Systems Paul Stafford has joined Empathy Lab, an Al native agency launched by EPAM Systems, as Senior Director - Retail Media EMEA. He was previously at The Very Group and has also worked at Superdrug and PepsiCo. Stafford played an integral role in launching Superdrug’s retail media network Optimo, before joining The Very Group last year to lead its retail media proposition. In a LinkedIn post, he said: “My retail media journey continues...Last week I joined the Empathy Lab by EPAM team at EPAM Systems as Senior Director - Retail Media Consulting, looking after EMEA. I've gone from client to colleague with one of the sharpest minds in retail nedia, Diana Abebrese, and am looking forward to learning from her and the wider team (and hopefully teaching them a thing or two.” He added: “I couldn't be more excited to build strategies and solutions for our clients, from revenue generation and media planning through to agentic tooling and orchestration. In the short space of time I've been here I've genuinely been blown away by some of the projects already in flow for so many global retailers, agencies and brands.” 3. Late to the online party Primark announces plans to launch a home delivery service in Britain This follows the purchase of an automated fulfilment facility in Sheffield . A famous online laggard, the retailer went live with a Click and Collect service in 2022, but owner Associated British Foods (ABF) now says there is "opportunity for profitable growth" through home deliveries. The move, which was denied following media reports earlier this year, comes as Primark prepares to split from ABF. This is likely to complete in December 2027 and is expected to create two new FTSE 100 companies, with analysts predicting that Primark could be valued at as much as £9 billion, and the food part of the business £4 billion. “This is a really big day for us here at Primark, with two significant announcements: Our decision to bring home delivery to Great Britain and expanding our franchise business. Exciting times ahead,” said Eoin Tonge, CEO at Primark. A spokesperson for the retailer commented: “Our stores will always be at the heart of Primark. But a lot has changed in online retail in recent years, from how customers shop and their expectations for online delivery. Combined with the digital progress we’ve made, and particularly the success of Click & Collect, we’re confident the time is right to give customers in Great Britain even more choice in how they shop with us.” Regarding the franchise business news, the spokesperson added: “Building on our partnership with Alshaya Group, we are continuing our growth in the Middle East, expanding into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We are also announcing a new strategic partnership with El Puerto de Liverpool that will see Primark enter Mexico for the first time. New ways to shop. New markets. More customers discovering Primark. We’re excited abou t what comes next.” 3. The Range to roll-out VoCoVo heads ets across all 283 locations following one-store trial VoCoVo has announced a partnership with home, leisure and garden retailer The Range, that will see Series 5 (S5) Pro Headsets and Call Points rolled out across all 283 of its stores. This follows a one-store trial over the course of a year. The Range colleagues will get instant, hands free communication through the headsets, replacing disruptive loudspeaker calls and reducing the need for them to search the shop floor for one another. The technology will help deliver faster, more responsive customer service by reducing waiting times at tills, service desks and across the shop floor. Colleagues can contact managers and team members immediately for price and stock checks, quickly coordinate requests and assign tasks in real-time, while two-way Call Points will allow customers to request assistance at the touch of a button and connect with available colleagues. A Store Manager at The Range says: “The headsets have made a hugely positive impact in-store for both colleagues and customers. Customer service has noticeably improved as queries are answered faster, stock checks are smoother and warehouse to shop floor communication is instant. This has already streamlined Deliveroo and Click & Collect, and I can see the headsets becoming invaluable during patio season. They’ve become essential to daily operations." “The very impressive results already achieved in our store have laid the groundwork for much bigger savings across the store network. I can’t wait to see colleagues benefitting from the same technology.” Beth Worrall, CEO at VoCoVo , says: “The initial trial with The Range has shown how they can achieve significant time and cost savings while maintaining outstanding service levels and the optimum in-store experience at the same time. We’re looking forward to working alongside the team to implement the technology across all its stores.” 5. Chinese retailer Rainbow opens its first Hanshow powered Store Digital Twin supermarket in Shenzhen Rainbow , a Chinese omnichannel retailer, has opened its upgraded Shahe sp@ce supermarket in Shenzhen. Developed in collaboration with Hanshow and Rainbow's technology subsidiary Lingzhi Digital Technology, the project marks its first Store Digital Twin implementation, bringing together real-time store visibility, decision support and operational execution within a live retail environment. Located in Shenzhen's Nanshan District, the Shahe sp@ce location has served the local community for nearly 17 years. In 2026, the wider Shahe Rainbow development was upgraded into an urban lifestyle destination that brings together retail, dining, services and entertainment. The move reflects Rainbow's broader ambition to expand the role of physical retail beyond transactions and create a more engaging destination for the surrounding community. The newly opened sp@ce supermarket, built around Rainbow's "City • Garden • Food Hall" concept, features nine experiential areas designed around different food, lifestyle and community occasions. The store also incorporates Rainbow's intelligent fulfilment centre, supporting more efficient home delivery services and aiming to strengthen the connection between in-store shopping and its broader omnichannel retail model. As its first Store Digital Twin enabled supermarket, the store brings together more than 17,000 IoT devices and AI capabilities to provide greater visibility into store conditions and support more timely operational decisions and actions. 6. Morrisons teams with Instacart owned Instaleap to boost online marketplace and in-store fulfilment Instaleap, a company providing software for e‐commerce fulfillment and last mile operations that was recently bought by Instacart , and Morrisons have announced a new partnership. The UK grocery retailer is using Instaleap’s technology to manage orders across its marketplace channels, including Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo, and help store colleagues fulfil those orders faster and more accurately. “We’re proud to partner with Morrisons, one of the UK’s most respected grocery retailers, as they continue to strengthen their omnichannel offering,” says Antonio Nunes, Head of Instaleap. "Consumers now increasingly expect ordering from their local supermarket to be as easy as ordering take-away. Meeting that demand at scale - efficiently, reliably - takes technology built specifically for grocery. That's exactly what we're giving Morrisons." “We’re constantly looking for ways to make online grocery shopping easier and more convenient,” says Charlotte Exell, Group Online Director at Morrisons. “More of our customers are choosing to shop from us through one of our immediacy partners and they expect an efficient, dependable service every time. Working with Instaleap powers our online operations behind the scenes, helping us deliver fresh groceries directly to our customers’ doors quickly and reliably.” 7. Firsts for both DoorDash and SKIMS as they shake hands on rapid delivery service across US stores DoorDash and SKIMS have announced a new partnership to offer on-demand delivery from all of the latter’s retail stores across the US. DoorDash is SKIMS’ first on-demand delivery partner, and SKIMS is the first brand on DoorDash to offer a selection spanning undergarments, everyday clothing, and outerwear. "We were built on one idea: you should be able to get everything you need in your neighbourhood, right now. And increasingly, that's not just dinner, it's what you're wearing to dinner too,” says Shanna Prevé, Chief Revenue Officer at DoorDash. “ SKIMS has built an iconic brand that’s become part of so many people’s everyday wardrobes, and that’s exactly what we want to your doorstep. We're proud to be SKIMS' first ever on-demand delivery partner, giving people a completely new way to shop a brand they already love." SKIMS was co-founded in 2019 by Kim Kardashian and Jens Grede. “Our focus has always been on understanding what our customers need and finding better ways to serve them,” says Robert Norton, Chief Commercial Officer. “Our partnership with DoorDash gives customers greater flexibility and convenience when shopping SKIMS, making it easier to access the products they want, when they want them. It’s about putting the customer at the centre of the experience and providing a solution that works for them.’’ SKIMS is available on DoorDash from 17 stores across 11 states and Washington, D.C., with nine additional stores coming soon to the platform. 8. CVS Health's Vivek Misra joins RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel for 2026 edition We're hugely pleased to announce the addition of Vivek Misra, Lead Director - Engineering, CVS Health to the judging panel for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards. In this role, Vivek heads up technical strategy and digital platform transformation for major consumer businesses, including FrontStore, Photo, and OTC Health Solutions. He specialises in large scale web architecture and cloud native commerce platforms, advancing AI native and agentic technologies to elevate the customer experience. He is also an active contributor to the technology community, serving as a judge for innovation competitions and technology programmes, including InnovateQA, Technovation, and as a co-author and peer reviewer of research publications focused on emerging technologies, AI, and intelligent QA automation. Welcome onboard, Vivek! Further information on our judging panel can be found here . In addition to Vivek, it includes representatives from JD Sports Fashion, Holland & Barrett, Walmart, Amazon, Boots, C&C Group, Warner Bros. Discovery, East of England Co-op, PoundFun, Austen & Blake, and Gordon Ramsay Restaurants. 9. Hotel Chocolat agrees exclusive tie up that brings retailer on to Deliveroo quick commerce platform Hotel Chocolat has announced an exclusive partnership with Deliveroo, launching initially with five of its locations - Manchester Cross Street, Chiswick, Staines, St James's and Wimbledon. Customers will be able to shop the Velvetiser, Hotel Chocolat's new boxed selections, its signature selectors, and Velvetised Creams. Carrie Martin, UK General Manager at Hotel Chocolat , says: “Thoughtful gifting has always been at the heart of what we do, and we're constantly looking at how we can make it easier for customers to mark the moments that matter.” “Partnering with Deliveroo gives customers a completely new way to access and send Hotel Chocolat gifts: combining the quality and originality they expect from us with greater choice and flexibility. It’s an exciting next step in how we’re growing the brand and meeting customers where they want to shop.” Suzy McClintock, VP Consumer at Deliveroo, says: “We are building a new destination for gifting at Deliveroo. Customers are no longer using our platform just to shop for themselves but to send something special to a loved one, whether for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, a birthday and more. As a true gifting specialist, Hotel Chocolat brings real brand authority and category expertise to our retail offer, and we are excited to help them reach more consumers who are on a mission to find a meaningful last minute gift.” 10. Mastercard unveils Payeux Tapestry in London and agentic AI research predicting £370 billion spend by 2030 One in ten consumers will routinely use artificial intelligence to shop and pay by 2030 , according to a report published by Mastercard that surveyed 26,000 people across Europe and canvassed the opinions of four futurologists. The report was unveiled in London this week and forecasts AI driven consumer spending will hit £370 billion a year globally by the end of the decade. Carried out in June and July this year in conjunction with Opinium who questioned 13,000 teens and 13,00 parents in pairs across 13 European nations from France and Germany to Italy, Spain, and the UK, the research showed 18% of teens already use an AI assistant, such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, once a week to help them compare products before purchasing. This compares to 9% for the parental adults surveyed. A third of the surveyed teens said they would happily hand over control to a fully AI run shopping assistant that chooses and pays for products. Speaking at a press event to launch the research, Agnes Woolrich, SVP MasterCard UK, commented: " AI has transformational potential." "Businesses will have to think differently," she argued, in an exclusive chat with RTIH, who were in attendance at the event prior to the research’s wider general release on 8th September. Woolrich added: "Investments in retailers’ brand, loyalty programmes, and in machine readable digital estates will all be essential in the future, as agentic AI adoption advances." “I expect the technology to follow the classic adoption curve with early adopters right through to laggards evident. This goes for consumers and merchants," she said, while also unveiling a new artwork commissioned to accompany the report that apes the famous Bayreux Tapestry. No results found