From Currys digitalising the shelf-edge to Morrisons’ trial of AI-powered shopping trolleys and Debenhams Group building greater convenience into delivery experiences via its extended partnership with Evri, what’s been making waves in retail this week?

Morrisons trials Instacart’s AI-powered shopping trolleys

Morrisons will partner with Instacart to trial its AI-powered Caper Cart smart trolleys early next year.

The trolleys allow customers to scan items as they shop and track their grocery bill total in real-time. Shoppers can check out easily and quickly by scanning the barcode displayed on the trolley’s screen at the store’s self-checkout area.

“We’re excited to bring fully-integrated AI-powered trolleys and look forward to testing customer response,” said Gordon Macpherson, Productivity Director at Morrisons.

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Just the ticket: Currys deploys ESLs in estate-wide rollout

Currys will partner with Solum and Vestcom to rollout Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) to its UK&I store estate, enhancing CX while freeing up store staff to focus on customer service.

“Rolling out digital ticketing across our stores is more than a tech upgrade, it’s a commitment to our customers and colleagues,” said Lindsay Haselhurst, COO at Currys.

Solum will provide the ESLs while Vestcom will take the lead on data-integration and software. The ESLs will power dynamic digital displays for real-time pricing and clearer product information.

They will also allow customers to scan a QR code to find out more information, making it easier to compare, choose and buy the right tech.

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Dobbies taps Adyen for friction-free omnichannel payments

Dobbies Garden Centres will partner with payments platform, Adyen, deploying its unified commerce solution to deliver friction-free payments and enhanced omnichannel customer experiences.

Unifying cross-channel payments in one central platform will enable faster, more seamless payments for shoppers. It will also provide colleagues with a single view of customer transactions, accelerating returns processing and helping to resolve payment queries quicker.

“Adyen gives us the agility to stay ahead of retail trends and the visibility to ensure we’re stocked with what matters most to our customers,” said Keith Keenan, IT Director at Dobbies.

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NRF Europe 2025 – our top 10 tech picks

With just a few days to go until NRF debuts its first-ever European event at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles (16 – 18 Sep 2025), we take a look ahead at some of the standout innovation from the show’s expo halls.

With 480+ exhibitors due to demo disruptive solutions that are reshaping retail, we’ve rounded up our top ten picks of the tech you won’t want to miss at the event next week, including Lobyco, Sensormatic, OneStock and Yocuda.

Read the full preview here 👉 NRF Europe 2025 – Top 10 tech picks: What not to miss on the Expo floor – Retail Rewired

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Two thirds of shoppers avoid purchases with tough returns rules

Retailers who implement tougher return policies this peak trading season risk missing out on sales, according to data released by supply-chain tech company, Blue Yonder.

84% would stop shopping with brands if they implemented stricter returns policies, while two-thirds (66%) have chosen not to purchase due to tougher return requirements.

“These findings highlight the negative consumer attitudes toward tighter returns policies, with a majority of consumers continuing to make decisions on where to shop based on these policies,” said Tim Robinson, SVP of Commerce and Returns at Blue Yonder.

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Debenhams extends Evri tie-up to enhance delivery experiences

Evri has announced a two-year contract expansion of its long-term partnership with Debenhams Group, establishing it as one of the retailer’s key delivery partners.

“Today’s shoppers expect speed, flexibility and full visibility when it comes to receiving their items, whenever and however they choose to shop. This is exactly what we have found in our partnership with Evri,” said Dan Finley, CEO of Debenhams Group.

The deal will see its customers benefit from the launch of Evri’s new locker strategy, giving shoppers more choice over how and where they receive their orders.

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Value becomes key Black Friday battleground for brands

Value will be one of the defining factors shaping UK consumer spending on Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) this year, the latest predictions and data from CRM platform, Klaviyo, reveals.

Over three quarters (77%) of the UK shoppers polled by Klaviyo said that inflation will impact their BFCM purchasing decisions this year, with over a third (35%) intending to switch to more affordable brands during Peak Trading 2025.

As consumers remain cost-conscious and spend-cautious, separate research by PwC suggests Peak Trading spend will fall by an average of -5% year-on-year