Hong Kong – AS Watson Group has expanded its Technology Partnership Programme with the appointment of 31 global strategic technology partners as it seeks to accelerate the next phase of its artificial intelligence (AI)-powered offline-plus-online (O+O) retail transformation.
The appointments were announced during the company’s Technology Partner Day 2026, with the retailer saying the initiative is aimed at strengthening its global technology ecosystem to support innovation, cybersecurity and scalable growth across its international operations.
According to AS Watson, the programme reflects its continued investment in technology, data and AI, with priorities including enterprise productivity, personalised customer experiences, cybersecurity and digital commerce. The company said it is embedding AI across multiple business functions—including customer engagement, operations, analytics and employee productivity—rather than deploying it through standalone applications.
Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO of AS Watson, said, “AI is not a standalone technology layer. It is a core capability that runs across the organisation. Our priority is to use AI to remove friction, accelerate execution and help our people focus on creating value for customers. Our 31 global technology partners play a critical role in this journey. Together, we are combining data, technology and human judgement to build a more agile, scalable and future-ready organisation.”
The retailer said its Technology Partnership Programme, launched in 2017, has evolved from a solution delivery model into a strategic collaboration framework supporting its long-term digital and O+O strategy across multiple markets. The programme now positions participating companies as long-term advisors and co-innovation partners rather than traditional technology vendors.
AS Watson said future collaboration under the programme will focus on AI-driven automation, personalised O+O experiences, data and analytics, cyber resilience, scalable technology platforms and productivity improvements.
Several technology partners highlighted their ongoing collaborations with the retailer during the announcement.
Ernst & Young Advisory Services Limited said its partnership with AS Watson has evolved from developing mobile experiences and loyalty programmes to supporting broader AI and analytics-driven transformation.
Willy Wong, Partner of Ernst & Young Advisory Services Limited, said, “For many years, EY has been honoured to serve as AS Watson’s trusted technology consultant. The journey has evolved from building state-of-the-art mobile experiences and loyalty programmes that connected markets across Asia and streamlined internal operations, to leveraging data, advanced analytics and AI to drive comprehensive business transformation today. It remains a privilege to witness this incredible growth firsthand and to have played a part in this shared success.”
Oliver Wyman said it has been working with AS Watson on combining agentic AI, analytics and retail expertise to support the retailer’s customer experience strategy.
Pedro Yip, Partner and Head of Consumer, Telco and Technology Practice (Asia Pacific) at Oliver Wyman, said, “It has been a privilege to collaborate with AS Watson over the years to push the boundaries of innovation. Oliver Wyman combines agentic AI with advanced analytics and retail expertise to unlock the full power of data together with AS Watson teams. We look forward to further advancing AS Watson’s O+O customer proposition to create connected, frictionless experiences for millions of shoppers worldwide.”
Microsoft Hong Kong said it is collaborating with AS Watson on AI initiatives and agentic platforms.
Kelvin Tse, Enterprise Sales Director of Microsoft Hong Kong, said, “Microsoft is honoured to partner closely with AS Watson in transforming the retail landscape. We are deeply committed to helping AS Watson co-invent new processes through the power of AI and the development of agentic platforms. By collaborating on these AI opportunities and leveraging innovative tools like GitHub Copilot, we look forward to empowering the next-generation retail experience together.”
Oracle said it is supporting AS Watson’s business transformation through its cloud platform.
Dora Lui, Senior Vice President of Customer Success Services at Oracle, said, “We are incredibly excited about this relationship with AS Watson, focusing not only on platform redesign but also on process optimisation. We look forward to delivering innovative solutions, incorporating AI and best practices to leverage the data within our cloud platform, ultimately enhancing the well-being of AS Watson’s workforce.”
Slimstock said its collaboration with the retailer centres on supply chain management and product availability.
Jorinde Timmerman, Vice President for Large Accounts at Slimstock, said, “We don’t just engage – we actively stimulate each other to push boundaries and improve. By combining AS Watson’s scale and innovation mindset with Slimstock’s supply chain expertise, we jointly ensure that the right products are available at the right time and place. This partnership goes beyond technology, it’s about driving measurable impact together and continuously evolving to meet the future of retail.”
Insider One said the partnership has contributed to product capabilities used across its wider customer base.
Serhat Soyuerel, Co-Founder and CRO of Insider One, said, “Over the years, we have built a true co-innovation model in which AS Watson’s vision, feedback, and evolving business needs help shape capabilities that benefit not only its brands in Europe but also all Insider One customers. Through a strong global governance framework, we have continuously adapted to support AS Watson’s scale while delivering excellence across every customer touchpoint.”
Akamai said its relationship with AS Watson has expanded from product deployment to a long-term strategic partnership focused on digital security.
John Bradshaw, CTO of Akamai, said, “Since 2014, our collaboration has successfully evolved from a tactical product implementation into a highly strategic, forward-looking alliance. Over the years, we have steadily expanded our security footprint to match the incredible scale of AS Watson’s digital acceleration. Our recent agreement marks a shift from shorter-term cycles to a long-term strategic commitment, proving that our partnership has matured into a resilient foundation for the future.”
Nagarro highlighted the collaborative nature of the programme and its focus on AI innovation.
Tarun Madan, Account Director at Nagarro, said, “What distinguishes AS Watson is the exceptional level of trust and openness it extends to its partners, creating an environment where ideas can be shared freely, innovation can flourish, and long-term value can be created together. The Technology Partnership Programme is a powerful example of this collaborative approach, and we are excited to continue advancing the next generation of retail experiences through AI and agentic AI innovation.”
NCR Voyix said it plans to continue working with AS Watson to introduce technologies supporting store operations and customer engagement.
Darren Wilson, President of Retail and Payments at NCR Voyix, said, “AS Watson and NCR Voyix have built a strong a partnership over many years, working closely together to support store operations and deliver customer experiences. We are excited to enter this next phase of our collaboration, bringing innovative technologies into stores that simplify operations, empower store teams, and create stronger connections between physical and digital retail.”
