Merchandising & Store OpsTuesday, August 25, 2026
Starbucks is implementing AI-powered automated inventory counting across its North American company-operated stores to increase stock visibility frequency.
Investment in the restaurant sector is moving away from large technology platform rounds toward seed and Series A funding for AI tools and private equity acquisitions of established brands.
Corporate venture arms have become the dominant investors in last-mile delivery, with top firms in the category having cumulatively deployed over $21.6 billion.
Ahold Delhaize is testing a modular micro-fulfillment center in a Philadelphia GIANT store that uses Swisslog SynQ software and AutoStore robotics to process over 15,000 weekly online orders from in-store space.
