Retail Tech Weekly: AI Shifts and Executive Moves

M&S has integrated AI-powered monitoring across 46 dairy farms, utilizing cameras and algorithms to track animal health metrics like mobility and body condition in real-time. The technology provides farmers with objective data, allowing for tailored care adjustments that improve herd wellbeing. Meanwhile, The Home Depot is expanding its Magic Apron AI assistant, which offers customers in-store guidance via text, voice, or image, effectively bridging the gap between digital strategy and physical store execution.

In personnel news, Tesco has appointed former THG Ingenuity executive Lucy Cooper to spearhead its customer experience and agentic technology efforts, signaling a pivot toward AI-driven automated shopping. Simultaneously, Whataburger has bolstered its leadership by bringing in Starbucks veteran Rob Dellinger as Vice President of Restaurant Technology. These moves come alongside operational upgrades at Sainsbury’s, which is rolling out RFID technology across 400 stores to improve stock visibility, and Asda, which recently completed the deployment of electronic shelf labels at over 550 convenience locations.