Global roundup: retail tech, results and partnerships

Europe

First AI-enabled cooking robots, energy-efficient ESL and sustainability

REWE introduces cooking robot to stores. The German retailer is trialling the AI-enabled robots from Circus Group in three stores, with the first one launched in Düsseldorf-Heerdt last week. The robot rapidly prepares a selection of dishes inspired by international cuisines, including pasta, curries and soups, starting at €3.50. The robot uses AI to forecast demand and reduce waste, as well as to monitor temperature and stock levels.

Michela Pearson, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: The REWE Group continues to innovate and bring more efficiencies to its store using technology. These robots signify the retailer’s response to the growing shopper needs for in-store dining, international cuisines, and convenience. The in-store theatre the robot brings to the experience is sure to be a draw for shoppers, as is the value offering.

DM to implement Vusion Group’s EdgeSense. The German drugstore chain is installing electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in 100 stores, viewing them as a foundational technology to integrate with other innovations. The new EdgeSense system from Vusion Group enables more efficient energy use, making ESLs economically viable, while enhancing in-store operations such as online order picking and inventory management.

Dan Butler, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: retailers can view ESLs not just as a pricing tool but as a gateway to a broader digital transformation, especially when combined with robotics and real-time data. Strategic integration of ESLs with store systems can improve operational efficiency, shopper experience and enable scalable automation, offering a faster return on investment.

Kesko sees growth in sales of plant-based products. Between 2018 and 2021, the popularity of plant-based proteins grew by more than 80%, after which sales fell. Following several years of decline, Kesko sales of plant-based protein has increased, and over the past year growth has exceeded 5%. Sales of tofu increased by 20%, while sales of canned beans, chickpeas and lentils increased by almost 15% and sales of refrigerated plant-based proteins increased by over 4%. Kesko has supported increased demand for plant-based products through range expansion, with own-brand ranges now including almost 200 plant-based products.

Rachel Sibson, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: Kesko continues to lead on sustainability; it ranks as the most sustainable grocery retailer in Europe’s 50 Most Sustainable Companies (Corporate Knights Europe 50 Ranking) and is the only company in the world to have made the Global 100 list every year. Increasing plant-based sales is part of the retailer’s sustainability strategy, supported by its K-Ruoka app. The app allows shoppers to track their consumption of pulses, plant-based proteins and red meat and compare against national nutrition recommendations. It also allows users to monitor the climate impact of purchases.

Asia-Pacific

Coles strong performance, innovative candy and instant noodles craze

Coles outperforms Woolworths in Q1 FY2026. Coles Group sales rose 3.9% year-on-year to AUD11.0 bn (US$7.1 bn)  versus Woolworths’ 2.7%. In the core food segments, Coles supermarkets’ sales increased 4.6%, ahead of Woolworths Food Retail’s growth at 2.0%. Online contributed significantly to growth for both retailers. On the digital front, Coles’ online supermarket sales surged 27.9%, lifting online penetration to 13.3% of supermarket revenue, while Woolworths’ online sales grew 12.9% with penetration at 16.2%. Quick commerce is the fastest growing online proposition for Woolworths with 43% of online delivery orders fulfilled within two hours, up from 39% in Q1 2025.  

Tan Soo Eng, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: both Australian retailers are facing pricing challenges from competitors like Aldi and Costco. As the Christmas trading period approaches, we expect the price battle to continue, with Coles maintaining an edge in terms of pace of growth. Faster online delivery might encourage shopping closer to Christmas, with less urgency to stock up. Retailers will need to make sure there is capacity for online service demand to increase over the festive season and keep substitutions to a minimum.

CU Music Lollipops for shoppers to enjoy music while eating. This innovative product has candy on one end of the stick and a small device with a power button on the other end. It uses bone conduction technology that sends vibrations directly to the inner ear through a person’s teeth and jawbone, enabling them to enjoy K-pop music while eating the candy. There are plans to expand this product to include more music genres, such as ballads and classical music.

Sabrina Wong, Insight Analyst’s review: this product blends technology, fun and excitement into one. Shoppers do not know which song the lollipop will play, so each feels like a “mystery box”. It has quickly grown to the top of toy candy sales, as it taps into the large Korean music fan base. This product innovation aligns with CU’s strategy to provide differentiated products to attract more shoppers.

Korean instant noodle craze continues in Malaysia. Instant noodle players in Malaysia have been introducing new Korean flavours and limited editions to tap into the growing popularity of Korean instant noodles. Local brand Bentoree launched new flavours, including Kimchi Soup Ramen Noodle and Korean Spicy Chicken. Brands like Nongshim and Daebak are adding excitement in their marketing strategies through the release of limited-edition noodle-themed giant bags.

Jarred Neubronner, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: the growing popularity of Korean products is a global phenomenon happening not just in Malaysia, but beyond. This is driven by the Korean cultural wave from K-pop and K-dramas. Retailers and suppliers should constantly look out for opportunities to drive revenue growth through Korean ranges or flavours, as these can be hot sellers, especially among Gen Z shoppers. Similarly, Korean skincare is also seeing a boom, so opportunities should be considered across non-food too.

North America

Kroger and Uber Eats partnership, results and food prices

Kroger strengthens partnership with Uber. From early 2026, shoppers can make online orders from the grocer's full assortment via Uber Eats and delivery will be fulfilled from more than 95% of the retailer’s stores. Kroger will become the first US major grocer to integrate Uber Eats’ restaurant marketplace onto its own app, representing a “new model for combining grocery and restaurant delivery”, said Susan Anderson, Uber Global Head of Delivery. The businesses are linking the benefits of their respective membership programmes, Kroger Boost and Uber One, and have plans to collaborate on developing new retail media tools, to unlock improved personalisation.

Oliver Butterworth, Senior Insight Analyst’s view: this partnership further boosts delivery capabilities and builds off its partnership with DoorDash, which saw Kroger rolled out grocery delivery from most of its stores in October 2025. The retailer is also performing a site-by-site review of its automated fulfilment network, which is powered by Ocado. Kroger is focused on achieving online profitability and moving towards a store-fulfilled delivery model, particularly one where most deliveries are managed by third parties, will help reduce last-mile costs while enabling it to offer faster home-delivery options. 

Another strong quarter for Amazon as net sales increase by 13%. Net sales reached US$180.2 bn in Q3 2025 and net income reached US$21.2 bn, an increase of 38.6%; both results outperformed Wall Street predictions. North America sales increased by 11%, with International sales up 14% and AWS sales up 20%. Andy Jassy, Amazon President and CEO, said “AWS is growing at a pace we haven’t seen since 2022. We continue to see strong demand AI and... we’ve been focused on accelerating capacity”.

Michaela Jay, Insight Manager’s view: online stores net sales grew by 10% in Q3, supported by the investment the retailer has made into its online services. Amazon has increased the number of rural communities with access to same-day and next-day delivery by 60% in the last four months, and same-day delivery of perishables was expanded to 1000+ cities and towns across the U.S. New AI features were launched called Help Me Decide and Add to Delivery, driving greater convenience and ease for shoppers using Amazon’s website or app.

Grocery prices in Canada climbed 4% in October. This runs ahead of overall inflation at 2.4%, according to Loblaw’s latest Food Inflation Report. The easing of federal counter-tariffs on US imports has offered some relief, but the underlying pressures haven’t gone away. Tight supply in meat and coffee continue to push prices higher, while manufacturers’ cost increases keep the pressure firmly on.

Stewart Samuel, Director of Retail Futures’ view: the latest figures highlight how persistent food price pressures remain in Canada, even as tariff relief and better harvests ease near-term costs. Retailers are having to balance affordability with margin protection, particularly in protein categories where volatility continues. For brands, this reinforces the need to demonstrate clear value, not only through price, but through quality, reliability, and communication that reassures consumers facing continued cost sensitivity.