Retail Technology News: February update
Dairy Queen entered an omnichannel partnership with the Savannah Bananas.
Retailers in February 2026 focused technology efforts in areas including voice AI bots, social media promotional partnerships, and ChatGPT advertising.
Here are some of the most noteworthy and innovative technology stories as reported by Chain Store Age in February, starting with the most recent.
- Burger King equips associates with ‘Patty’ AI voice assistant Burger King is unveiling a new AI-based store operations platform called BK Assistant, which is designed to unify POS, kitchen equipment, inventory, and digital ordering into one command center. BK Assistant features "Patty," a voice AI bot that is accessed by employees via cloud-connected headsets.
- Walmart equips supplier field reps with store-level data Walmart is introducing Scintilla In-Store, a platform for supplier field representatives that connects data to action at the store level. It is an addition to the Scintilla platform portfolio, which provides a unified picture of category performance and consumer trends at scale.
- Dairy Queen teams with Savannah Bananas in omnichannel promotion Dairy Queen is collaborating with the Savannah Bananas for their upcoming 2026 "Banana Ball" season. The partnership includes national TV spots and social content highlighting the launch of a new Savannah Banana-inspired shake menu item and a lineup of interactive fan experiences taking place during Savannah Bananas games across the country.
- Albertsons pilots ChatGPT ads ahead of Valentine’s Day is participating in the OpenAI Ad Pilot Program, which will allow it to test ads in the generative AI model ChatGPT. As part of the test, Albertsons ads appeared in ChatGPT ahead of Valentine’s Day. Consumers entering search terms such as “best flowers for Valentine’s Day” or “chocolates and sweets as a gift” could potentially see distinct and clearly labeled ads from a local Albertsons Cos. banner store.
- White Castle reduces store security incidents in AI pilot White Castle has successfully tested an artificial intelligence solution to improve exterior perimeter security at a high-risk store. Within the first 30 days of deployment, 91% of perimeter security events were resolved automatically through AI detection and live voice deterrence. White Castle also reported a significant reduction in loitering, reduced need for trash clearing, and elimination of late-night escalation calls.
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- Amazon expanding same-day prescription delivery to 4,500 cities & towns Amazon will significantly extend the reach of its same-day pharmaceutical delivery program in 2026. Amazon Pharmacy will expand same-day prescription delivery to 4,500 cities and towns across the U.S. by the end of 2026 — adding nearly 2,000 new communities over the course of the year
- Cheech & Chong’s Cannabis Co. rolls out enterprise platform to licensees Cheech and Chong’s Cannabis Company, established by marijuana-friendly comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, is deploying the cannabis POS and retail operations platform Flowhub to expand the value of its reverse licensing model, which partners with independently-owned dispensaries to bring its brand, retail design, technology, and national marketing into local stores while allowing operators to retain ownership and autonomy.
- White House launches 'TrumpRx.gov' discount medication platform The TrumpRx.gov website offers discounts on some of the most popular and highest-priced medications in the U.S., providing prices that the White House says are in line with the lowest costs paid by consumers in other developed nations (known as the most-favored-nation, or MFN, price). TrumpRx does not sell or dispense drugs, but facilitates consumer access to discounts, and then an underlying partner platform executes the pricing.
- Lowe’s launches kids’ rewards platform Lowe’s Companies Inc. is introducing MyLowe’s Rewards Kids Club, which expands its MyLowe's Rewards program for customers that was introduced in 2024 and builds on its two-decade-plus kids workshops program. Families can track kids' progress through digital badges and manage workshop registration for multiple children within a single MyLowe's Rewards account on the Lowe’s site or mobile app.
- Hot Topic eliminates customer, product data silos Hot Topic Inc. maintains a 360-degree enterprise data view. The retailer had been struggling with a fragmented, siloed data environment that allowed it to analyze sales data but only provided a few personnel with access to customer data. Hot Topic moved to the Snowflake enterprise data cloud and integrated it with the Robling retail analytics platform to create a unified platform for both product and customer data, gaining granular visibility into gross margins.
