Retail Technology News: December update
Amazon expanded its Just Walk Out frictionless format in December.
Retailers in December 2025 focused technology efforts in areas including in-store digital advertising, frictionless shopping, and RFID inventory tracking.
Here are some of the most noteworthy and innovative technology stories as reported by Chain Store Age in December, starting with the most recent.
- TikTok reportedly signs $14B deal to stay open in U.S. TikTok has agreed to divest its U.S. business to a U.S.-controlled joint venture that reportedly includes Oracle. The joint venture, said to value TikTok's U.S. business at approximately $14 billion, would also reportedly include private equity firm Silver Lake and the Abu Dhabi-based MGX investment fund and officially close Jan. 22, 2026, one day before the deadline.
- Schnuck Markets prevents gift card fraud in 10-store pilot Schnuck Markets Inc. successfully streamlined in-store gift card security during a technology test in the St. Louis market. The regional grocery chain deployed the new Digimarc Corp. end-to-end gift card security solution in 10 Schnucks stores in the St. Louis area for a 10-week period,
- Kroger expands in-store screen advertising to alcohol The Kroger Co. is building upon its in-store digital advertising capability in a new category. The grocery conglomerate, which began deploying technology from Barrows Connected Stores to let participating brands deliver animated content in the store in June 2025, is now implementing Looma video screens in wine and spirits sections of its stores.
- Google enables selfie-based virtual try-on Google is now allowing U.S. consumers to use its generative AI-based virtual try-on tool, first introduced in 2023, even if they lack a full-body photo of themselves. Leveraging the Google Gemini 2.5 Nano Banana flash image AI model, the try-on solution will generate a full-body digital version of the shopper based on their selfie.
- Fanatics leverages AI to deliver relevant online offers Fanatics is utilizing artificial intelligence-based technology from Rokt to surface relevant, exclusive content and offers to customers before and after checkout across its owned platforms including Fanatics.com, as well as team and league sites. Fanatics will initially leverage the Rokt Pay+ and Rokt Thanks solutions.
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- Amazon expands features, deployment of Just Walk Out Amazon continues extending the functionality and install base of its Just Walk Out frictionless shopping platform. Anthony Leggett, director, business development, Just Walk Out, Amazon Web Services recently sat down with Chain Store Age to discuss the latest developments with its Just Walk Out frictionless shopping platform.
- Home Depot provides creators centralized hub The Home Depot is debuting a platform designed to connect creators to its brand. The home improvement giant is launching The Home Depot Creator portal, a platform intended to help digital content creators monetize their home improvement content and promote future partnerships.
- Walmart brings shoppable ‘WhoKnewVille’ holiday campaign to new channel Walmart’s immersive Dr. Seuss-inspired holiday promotion enabled purchases via a popular streaming TV platform. The discount giant expanded "WhoKnewVille," a Dr. Seuss-inspired world the retailer features in ads, social media feeds and virtual worlds as an expansion of its existing "Who Knew?" promotional campaign, to the Roku streaming TV platform.
- Abercrombie & Fitch RFID-enables omnichannel inventory management Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is enhancing omnichannel fulfillment, inventory accuracy and on-shelf product availability with help from RFID. Following a successful 15-store pilot, the specialty apparel retailer began deploying the RFID-equipped Nedap iD Cloud Store solution in June 2025, with full implementation scheduled to be completed later in December.
- Coborn’s optimizes pricing across brands Coborn’s Inc. is obtaining a unified view of prices and promotions. The Midwest grocer is implementing the Revionics AI pricing platform in an effort optimize its pricing strategy across its portfolio of supermarket brands. To maintain competitive price perception and support its assortment across different store banners, Coborn’s is migrating from traditional manual pricing practices to an AI-based pricing approach.
