White Castle tests prototype with robotic fryer and AI drive-thru
White Castle has debuted a prototype restaurant integrating a Flippy robotic fry assistant, an AI-powered drive-thru voice assistant, and 1,000 slider self-order kiosks.
Retail Industry News — Saturday, October 17, 2026
Saturday, October 17, 2026
Pharmacy automation links in-store robotics to app-based fulfillment
Retail pharmacy chains are integrating in-store robotic systems with app-based purchase platforms to enable AI-powered prescription fulfillment and same-day delivery.
Retail media CTV ad spend projected to reach $5 billion in 2025
Retail media CTV ad spending is forecast to hit approximately $5 billion in 2025, growing roughly three times faster than retail media search according to eMarketer.
Harmons expands Simbe Tally robot deployment to 17 stores
Harmons deployed Simbe's Tally autonomous shelf-scanning robot across 17 stores after a pilot, reporting a 20% reduction in out-of-stocks on high-velocity items.
Yum! Brands deploys proprietary Byte platform across 25,000 restaurants
Yum! Brands' proprietary Byte platform, which integrates point-of-sale, kitchen management, and online ordering, is in use at approximately 25,000 Yum restaurants as of February 2025.
Amazon expands Dash Cart smart carts to Whole Foods stores
Amazon announced in January 2026 that it will deploy its newest-generation Dash Cart smart carts to dozens of Whole Foods Market locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.