Merchandising & Store OpsSunday, September 13, 2026
Walmart is testing checkout-free stores using computer vision and shelf sensors to auto-bill shoppers, while deploying AI to manage self-checkout lanes and reduce theft.
Appetronix, a developer of robotic quick-service kitchens, has raised a $6M seed-plus round led by Donatos Pizza founder Jim Grote, bringing its total funding to $10M.
Coco Robotics and Starship Technologies recently raised substantial capital for their autonomous food delivery operations.
A group of retail health technology companies raised over $136 million in May 2025 for AI workflow automation, portable diagnostics, and nutrition intelligence platforms.
Amazon is closing its branded Go stores by 2026 while licensing its Just Walk Out technology to over 360 third-party locations globally.
PubMatic introduced AgenticOS on January 5, 2026, an agent-to-agent platform that uses AI to plan and optimize programmatic campaigns in real time.
