Retail Technology News: February update
Retailers in February 2025 focused technology efforts in areas including AI-enabled risk prediction, app-enabled ice cream trucks, and video customer reviews.
Here are some of the most noteworthy and innovative technology stories as reported by Chain Store Age in February, starting with the most recent.
- 'Pokemon Day' returns to eBay – for three days eBay is extending its celebration of all things Pokemon to a 72-hour event. The e-commerce giant is launching the "Evolving Shop," a curated shopping experience featuring Pokemon-themed rare trading cards and merchandise. This promotion follows a 24-hour "Pokemon Day" sales event eBay hosted in 2024.
Amazon ending Chime, Inspire services Amazon will cease operations of a proprietary messaging service and a shopping app feature widely seen as a competitor to TikTok. The online giant will end support for the Amazon Chime paid-for video and audio conferencing service that lets users chat and share content effective Feb. 20, 2026.
Amazon is also reportedly removing a Tik Tok-inspired feature it initially added to its shopping app in December 2022. According to TechCrunch, the online giant no longer offers Inspire as part of its consumer app’s functionality.
- Walmart predicts agricultural prices with AI climate risk tool Walmart Inc. is using artificial intelligence to forecast how shifts in the climate will affect the price of agricultural commodities. The discount giant is deploying Helios Artificial Intelligence climate risk and price forecasting software. Leveraging the Helios platform, Walmart can evaluate the medium- and long- term climate risks facing its global agricultural supply chain to help secure sustainable sourcing.
Scheels in $11 million digital signage rollout Scheels has created immersive in-store digital environments with LED display walls. The employee-owned sporting goods retailer, known for its mega-sized stores filled with all sorts of fun attractions, has completed an $11 million digital signage initiative with experiential media company Mood Media.
The digital signage project involved the installation of approximately 460 LED screens throughout five strategic zones in each store
Mobile app-enabled ice cream truck retailer Alsies launches March 2025 A high-tech take on the neighborhood ice cream truck is opening its first two franchises next month. Alsies is bringing six new franchise locations to the Greater Dallas-Fort Worth area and a franchise location to Harrisburg, Pa. in March 2025.
The Alsies mobile app includes real-time tracking and live route information, notifications when the Alsies truck is nearby, and the option for customers to call the truck directly to their location.
- Wayfair offers generative AI-based visual search Wayfair Inc. is providing customers with shoppable product suggestions that are personalized with artificial intelligence. The home furnishings giant is introducing Muse, a generative AI-based tool designed to give customers an easy way to find inspiration and ideas for their homes. The new tool builds on its previous pilot of Decorify, which used generative AI to create shoppable, photorealistic images of products.
Cosmetics brand Laura Mercier launches Apple Vision Pro shopping app Laura Mercier is expanding its metaverse commerce presence using augmented/virtual reality from Apple. Working with immersive shopping platform and Apple visionOS developer Obsess, the company utilizes web-based virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to offer an HD-quality, 3D and 360-degree metaverse experience.
Now, Laura Mercier is rolling out a beauty shopping app for Apple Vision Pro, which is controlled by a user's eyes and hands and offered via the App Store. The new app experience allows users to shop and explore products by category and also features shoppable videos and interactive, ultra-high-definition 3D unboxing experiences.
- EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Ace Hardware unifies HR processes on one platform In an interview with Chain Store Age, Dariel Williamson, senior human resources information systems analyst at Ace Hardware, discussed how the retailer is leveraging AI-based human resources management technology from Workday in its corporate stores to deliver tailored content, personalized career journeys, and scheduling assistance that enhance career development and retention among frontline workers.
Dave's Hot Chicken boosts customer reviews with video data Dave's Hot Chicken is partnering with tech-enabled mystery shopping and customer experience improvement firm Reality Based Group (RBG) in an effort to refine its customer service, operational efficiency, and brand consistency.
In the program, mystery shoppers from RBG record their experiences in Dave’s Hot Chicken stores, including interactions with staff, producing videos that franchisees can then review to help determine how they can improve their stores’ customer experience.
Caesars Superdome deploys self-ordering kiosks in time for Super Bowl Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, which is the home arena for the New Orleans Saints NFL franchise as well as the site for the upcoming Super Bowl LIX (Sunday, Feb. 9), is rolling out 12 Grubbrr self-ordering kiosks for use at the “Big Game.”
Parish Pizza & Provisions, featuring Little Caesars, located in Section 115 in the stadium, will have 12 Samsung kiosks running the Grubbrr self-ordering system available in the area. Customers place and pay for orders at the kiosks and then pick up their orders at a nearby food locker. The kiosks enable consumers to browse and order from several different stadium venue menus simultaneously and then pick up their entire order at a single location.
