Kroger and Albertsons, the two biggest supermarket operators in the USA, have entered into a definite agreement to merge in a $25 bn deal. This could be a transformational deal for the businesses and the wider industry. We look at why this is taking place and the potential impacts. Why is this deal being proposed? Earlier this year, Albertsons announced that it was undertaking a Board-led rev...

The current cost-crisis, along with labour challenges, is leading to a new wave of automation at store level. We look at three recent innovations from Japan, Poland and the US. Replenishment: tackling Japan’s labour challenge In Japan, leading convenience store chain, FamilyMart, is partnering with Telexistence to install its AI robot, TX SCARA, in 300 stores. This has been developed ...

We look at how Kroger is using Everseen’s Visual AI platform to reduce customer friction and losses at self-checkouts. Reducing checkout errors Everseen’s platform is one of the most advanced in our industry, leveraging AI technologies from powerhouses including Lenovo and NVIDIA. It is being used by Kroger at over 1,700 stores to improve the shopper experience at self-checkouts, where erro...