Corporate
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Retailers turn to AI to cut costs and streamline operations
Artificial intelligence is shrinking the time required for complex retail workflows from weeks to days, according to industry experts at the FT Live 2026 Future of Retail event. While the technology promises significant margin improvements, leaders warn that human buy-in and data integrity remain the primary hurdles to successful implementation.
Shortlist revealed for 2026 RTIH Digital Transformation Awards
Retailers including Dunelm, Paul Smith, and The Body Shop have secured spots on the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards shortlist for Digital Transformation Project of the Year. The finalists represent a broad spectrum of technological overhauls, ranging from cloud-native infrastructure shifts to the integration of generative AI within core commerce operations.
Shortlist revealed for 2026 RTIH AI Technology Awards
Retailers including John Lewis, Iceland, and Snag have secured spots on the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards shortlist for AI Technology. The finalists represent a shift toward deploying artificial intelligence beyond experimental pilots, focusing instead on scalable operational improvements, loss prevention, and complex supply chain automation.
RTIH Innovation Awards 2026: Customer Experience Finalists Unveiled
A record number of entries has culminated in the shortlist for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards in the Customer Experience Excellence category. The finalists represent a diverse range of retail sectors, showcasing how emerging technology is being deployed to transform how consumers interact with brands and services.
Finalists Revealed for 2026 RTIH Omnichannel Retail Initiative Award
A record number of entries has culminated in the shortlist for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards’ Omnichannel Retail Initiative of the Year. The selected finalists represent a diverse array of global technology solutions, ranging from AI-driven catwalks to unified logistics platforms, all vying for top honors at this year’s ceremony.
The Performance Shift: Why Digital Ads Are Trading Reach for Revenue
Modern digital advertising is moving away from vanity metrics like impressions toward a model defined by measurable action. As marketing budgets face tighter scrutiny, brands are prioritizing campaigns that directly correlate ad spend with concrete outcomes, forcing a fundamental redesign of how agencies and platforms justify their impact.
Instacart Hires Uber Advertising Veteran as Chief of Staff
Emily Dindoffer has transitioned to Instacart as Chief of Staff for Advertising, concluding a five-year tenure at Uber. Her appointment signals a strategic push by the grocery technology firm to bolster its advertising division by integrating expertise gained from scaling global ad operations at the ride-hailing giant.
Ecommpay integrates Klarna to expand merchant checkout options
Ecommpay has integrated Klarna into its payment platform, providing global merchants with access to a suite of buy-now-pay-later services through a single connection. The partnership aims to boost conversion rates by offering shoppers increased flexibility at the checkout, covering options from full payment to long-term financing.
Ann Summers Partners with InPost for 48-Hour Parcel Locker Deliveries
British retailer Ann Summers has integrated InPost’s parcel locker network into its checkout process, offering customers a 48-hour delivery option. The partnership allows shoppers to select specific collection points across the UK’s 16,000-locker network, providing a flexible alternative to traditional home delivery and a streamlined method for processing product returns.
US Holiday Sales Poised to Break $1 Trillion Barrier
Retail spending across the critical window from Black Friday through Cyber Monday is projected to eclipse $85 billion this year. According to fresh research from Bain & Company, this surge represents an 8.75% increase over the previous year, signaling a robust start to a season expected to top $1 trillion overall.
Vestiaire Collective standardizes luxury resale photos with AI
Luxury resale platform Vestiaire Collective has integrated Photoroom’s AI technology to standardize product images, marking a shift for a sector where visual accuracy is essential for authentication. By automating background removal and lighting correction, the company saw a 5% increase in liquidity and higher engagement across its 40,000 daily listings.
Tesco Media upgrades ad platform through Kevel partnership
Tesco Media has entered a strategic partnership with ad infrastructure provider Kevel to overhaul its digital advertising operations. By integrating Kevel’s backend technology into the Tesco Media Ad Manager platform, the retailer aims to simplify campaign planning and measurement while enabling more sophisticated, data-driven advertising formats across its digital channels.
Kingfisher Taps OBI Executive Sebastian Gundel as Next CEO
Kingfisher has named Sebastian Gundel, a veteran leader from European home improvement retailer OBI, as its incoming Chief Executive Officer. Effective February 1, 2027, the appointment marks a strategic pivot for the B&Q and Castorama owner as it looks to accelerate its digital transformation and omnichannel retail capabilities.
Scottish retail tech firm Snappy Group secures Virgin Money funding
Scottish retail technology firm Snappy Group has secured a seven-figure venture debt facility from Virgin Money to accelerate its expansion. The capital injection provides the company with increased flexibility to scale its platform as it continues to grow its reach within the UK convenience retail sector.
Ikea launches official flagship store on China’s Douyin platform
Ingka Group has officially expanded its digital footprint in China by launching an Ikea flagship store on Douyin. The move integrates the furniture giant into the ByteDance-owned content commerce ecosystem, offering over 6,500 products across 179 categories with delivery services reaching customers in 301 cities throughout the country.
Retailers Brace for the Rise of Autonomous AI Shopping Agents
As artificial intelligence shifts from a passive tool to an active participant in the marketplace, retailers are facing an urgent mandate to overhaul their data infrastructure. At the FT Live 2026: Future of Retail conference in London, experts warned that brands failing to optimize for AI agents risk becoming invisible.
e.l.f. Cosmetics brings virtual styling to ZEPETO metaverse
e.l.f. Cosmetics has debuted an immersive styling experience on the avatar-based metaverse platform ZEPETO. Dubbed Express your e.l.f., the initiative allows users to curate complete digital looks, incorporating the brand’s signature Power Grip products alongside custom accessories, hairstyles, and special effects designed for virtual self-expression.
Paris to Host Tech for Retail 2026: Moving AI Beyond Experimentation
More than 15,000 retail decision-makers will converge at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on November 30 for the sixth edition of Tech for Retail. The two-day event shifts the industry conversation from theoretical innovation to the practical, scalable implementation of artificial intelligence across global supply chains and customer experiences.
Retail Media Finalists Named for 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
A record number of entries has culminated in a shortlist for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards in the Retail Media category. The finalists represent a shift toward integrated digital and physical shopping experiences, with winners to be crowned at a ceremony in London on November 4th.
Fortenova Group scales electronic shelf labels across regional retail
Kenty Adria is deploying millions of electronic shelf labels across Konzum and Mercator retail locations in Croatia and Slovenia. This partnership with Hanshow, a specialist in digital store solutions, aims to automate pricing updates and reduce administrative burdens for staff throughout the Fortenova Group network by the end of 2027.
Shortlist Revealed for 2026 RTIH RFID Project of the Year
The 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards have unveiled their finalists for the RFID Project of the Year, highlighting a diverse group of retailers and technology providers driving supply chain efficiency. Winners will be announced on November 4 at The HAC in London, following a record-breaking number of submissions this year.
Morrisons Hits Four Million Meal Milestone in Food Waste Fight
Morrisons has reached a significant sustainability milestone, confirming that four million meals have been diverted from landfills since the retailer integrated the Too Good To Go app into its operations in 2019.
Marks and Spencer partners with UNiDAYS for 15% student discount
British retail giant Marks and Spencer has joined forces with the student verification platform UNiDAYS to offer a 15% discount across its clothing, home, and beauty lines. The deal, available for online purchases, aims to reach the UK's student and recent graduate population through the digital service.
Why Tor Onion Services Actually Fail
When a darknet site is seized, headlines often blame the Tor protocol, but reality tells a different story. Investigations rarely penetrate the network's encryption; instead, they expose the human, financial, and technical vulnerabilities at the host level, proving that anonymity is often undermined by the layers outside the protocol itself.
Peak Technologies Names Gary Williams as Chief Operations Officer
Gary Williams, a seasoned veteran with over two decades of experience in the technology sector, has been appointed as the new Chief Operations Officer at Peak Technologies. His arrival marks a strategic push by the systems integrator to bolster its leadership as it scales operations across diverse global markets.
Retail Leadership Shuffles as Burberry and KFC Announce Digital Hires
Burberry has appointed former Pret A Manger executive Colin Traub as its new Digital Director, while Jon-Paul Brett has transitioned from the fashion house to lead digital and technology operations at KFC UK and Ireland, signaling a broader industry push to integrate sophisticated automation into daily consumer experiences.
Tesco Media Unveils Ad Manager Platform and Shoppable Retail Tools
Tesco Media has launched a suite of advertising tools, headlined by a self-service platform called Ad Manager, designed to integrate customer data into more effective shopping experiences. Announced at the 2026 Upfront event, the rollout includes AI-driven audience recommendations and new shoppable formats across digital and physical retail channels.
Retail Tech Weekly: Currys Joins TikTok Shop as AI Reshapes Checkout
The retail sector saw a surge in platform diversification this week, led by Currys launching on TikTok Shop and Sainsbury’s debuting AI-powered SmartLists. From drone delivery expansions in the US to autonomous returns processing in Europe, retailers are increasingly embedding sophisticated automation directly into the customer experience to drive loyalty and operational efficiency.
Frasers Group Deploys First Microsoft Dynamics 365 Warehouse System
Frasers Group has officially activated its first Microsoft Dynamics 365 warehouse management system at a site in Antrim, Northern Ireland. The rollout marks the beginning of a multi-year digital transformation aimed at standardizing logistics operations across the company’s portfolio, which includes brands like Sports Direct, House of Fraser, and Flannels.
Jysk rolls out unified commerce platform across UK and Ireland stores
Danish home furnishings retailer Jysk has begun deploying its Enactor-powered unified commerce platform across its UK and Ireland store networks. The transition aims to replace legacy systems with a mobile-first infrastructure, with company leadership targeting a full rollout across both regions by the middle of November.