The Alsies mobile app-enabled ice cream truck.
Retailers in February 2025 focused technology efforts in areas including AI-enabled risk prediction, app-enabled ice cream trucks, and video customer reviews.
Here are some of the most noteworthy and innovative technology stories as reported by Chain Store Age in February, starting with the most recent.
- ‘Pokemon Day’ returns to eBay – for three days eBay is extending its celebration of all things Pokemon to a 72-hour event. The e-commerce giant is launching the “Evolving Shop,” a curated shopping experience featuring Pokemon-themed rare trading cards and merchandise. This promotion follows a 24-hour “Pokemon Day” sales event eBay hosted in 2024.
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Amazon ending Chime, Inspire services Amazon will cease operations of a proprietary messaging service and a shopping app feature widely seen as a competitor to TikTok. The online giant will end support for the Amazon Chime paid-for video and audio conferencing service that lets users chat and share content effective Feb. 20, 2026.
Amazon is also reportedly removing a Tik Tok-inspired feature it initially added to its shopping app in December 2022. According to TechCrunch, the online giant no longer offers Inspire as part of its consumer app’s functionality.
- Walmart predicts agricultural prices with AI climate risk tool Walmart Inc. is using artificial intelligence to forecast how shifts in the climate will affect the price of agricultural commodities. The discount giant is deploying Helios Artificial Intelligence climate risk and price forecasting software. Leveraging the Helios platform, Walmart can evaluate the medium- and long- term climate risks facing its global agricultural supply chain to help secure sustainable sourcing.
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Scheels in $11 million digital signage rollout Scheels has created immersive in-store digital environments with LED display walls. The employee-owned sporting goods retailer, known for its mega-sized stores filled with all sorts of fun attractions, has completed an $11 million digital signage initiative with experiential media company Mood Media.
The digital signage project involved the installation of approximately 460 LED screens throughout five strategic zones in each store
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Mobile app-enabled ice cream truck retailer Alsies launches March 2025 A high-tech take on the neighborhood ice cream truck is opening its first two franchises next month. Alsies is bringing six new franchise locations to the Greater Dallas-Fort Worth area and a franchise location to Harrisburg, Pa. in March 2025.
The Alsies mobile app includes real-time tracking and live route information, notifications when the Alsies truck is nearby, and the option for customers to call the truck directly to their location.
- Wayfair offers generative AI-based visual search Wayfair Inc. is providing customers with shoppable product suggestions that are personalized with artificial intelligence. The home furnishings giant is introducing Muse, a generative AI-based tool designed to give customers an easy way to find inspiration and ideas for their homes. The new tool builds on its previous pilot of Decorify, which used generative AI to create shoppable, photorealistic images of products.