Corporate
Found 1222 articles
CEVA Logistics Deploys Sereact AI to Automate Zalando Returns
CEVA Logistics has launched an AI-driven returns processing system at fulfillment centers in Greven, Germany, and Świebodzin, Poland. By integrating Sereact’s Cortex platform, the companies aim to automate the handling of unpredictable fashion return volumes, marking a significant step in scaling robotic technology across European logistics operations.
Retail CEOs debate AI, crime and the new era of trade volatility
Retail leaders at the FT Live 2026 Future of Retail event in London warned that constant market flux has become the industry standard. Executives from B&Q, Sweaty Betty, and The Works gathered to address how AI integration, rising shoplifting, and supply chain pressures are forcing a fundamental rethink of the omnichannel model.
Sainsbury’s recruits Amazon veteran for supply chain leadership
Sainsbury’s has appointed Sam Littlejohn as its new Director of Supply Chain Planning, securing a strategic hire from Amazon. Littlejohn brings nearly eleven years of experience from the e-commerce giant, where his most recent role saw him leading the Returns and Repairs division for Amazon’s European operations.
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The State of Retail Events: Lessons from Shoptalk and Retail Club
Whether an industry gathering succeeds depends entirely on what the attendee brings to the table. After surveying over 50 participants at this year’s Retail Club and Shoptalk Fall, it is clear that the divide between those who find these events transformative and those who see them as redundant is widening.
YEEP! hits 4,000 locker milestone as Generation 3 hardware debuts
YEEP! has reached 4,000 parcel locker locations across the UK, marking a significant growth phase under CEO Jamie Dickinson. The firm is now pivoting toward a 5,000-unit target by the end of 2026, supported by the upcoming launch of its Generation 3 touchscreen technology and a proprietary management system.
Wayfair expands Klarna partnership across North America
Wayfair is deepening its collaboration with fintech provider Klarna to offer flexible payment options to shoppers throughout the United States and Canada. The move aims to streamline high-value home purchases by integrating interest-free financing and installment plans across the retailer's entire brand portfolio, including Joss & Main and AllModern.
Refined Robotics addresses delivery bot failure in Barnsley trial
A two-legged autonomous delivery robot collapsed in front of the BBC, turning a high-profile trial in Barnsley into a public test of engineering resilience. Nick Hafner, head of Refined Robotics, is now countering technical skepticism by using the failure to refine the machine’s navigation on uneven, hilly terrain.
Tata Consumer Products GB Taps THG Ingenuity for Digital Expansion
Tata Consumer Products GB has appointed THG Ingenuity as its strategic e-commerce partner to overhaul the direct-to-consumer digital presence for its tea and wellness portfolio. The partnership covers teapigs, Good Earth, and Organic India, aiming to unify digital marketing, site infrastructure, and logistics under a single end-to-end service model.
Shortlists for 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards set for Wednesday reveal
The 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards reached a milestone Friday as the submission window closed, clearing the way for the announcement of this year’s finalists. Organizers are currently reviewing a record volume of entries that highlight global technological advancements within the rapidly evolving omnichannel retail landscape.
The Very Group deploys AI agents to sharpen e-commerce personalization
The Very Group, operator of digital retailers Very and Littlewoods, has integrated an agentic decision engine from Made With Intent to deliver hyper-personalized shopping experiences. By analyzing over 800 behavioral signals in real-time, the platform automates how individual customers interact with discounts and product prompts across the digital storefront.
Hamburg-based Procuros secures €20 million for AI-driven trade
Procuros, a software developer specializing in supply chain connectivity, has closed a €20 million Series A funding round to scale its autonomous B2B trading platform. The investment, led by XAnge with participation from W23 Global, brings the startup's total capital raised to date to €34 million.
Cotswold Outdoor Group upgrades in-store media with Broadsign and IUF
Cotswold Outdoor Group is overhauling its retail media strategy by integrating a new in-store advertising infrastructure across 23 UK locations. Developed alongside Broadsign and IUF, the platform unifies media planning and content management, allowing the retailer to stream targeted campaigns across 149 digital displays, ranging from till screens to large-format totems.
Walmart and Wing Expand Drone Delivery to Seattle and Denver
Walmart and Wing are scaling their automated delivery network, targeting a 2027 rollout in the Seattle and Denver metropolitan areas. This expansion aims to integrate 30-minute drone shipping for thousands of retail items, ultimately connecting over 270 Walmart stores and serving 40 million potential customers across the United States.
Roman Kulczykowski joins M&S as Senior Head of Software Engineering
Roman Kulczykowski has transitioned to Marks & Spencer, stepping into the role of Senior Head of Software Engineering. He arrives at the British retailer following his tenure at A.P. Moller - Maersk, where he served as Technology Platform Leader and Senior Engineering Director, bringing extensive experience in managing complex technical platforms.
Berlin-based finmid secures €17 million to scale embedded lending
Berlin-based fintech startup finmid has raised €17 million in a Series A extension, pushing its total funding to €52 million. The company, which provides embedded lending infrastructure for major platforms including Delivery Hero and Wolt, intends to use the capital to diversify its product offerings into vehicle financing and marketplace loans.
Morrisons appoints Mohsen Ghasempour as Chief AI Officer
Morrisons has appointed Mohsen Ghasempour to the newly created role of Chief AI Officer, tasking the former Kingfisher executive with building a central data science and artificial intelligence function. The move marks a significant step in the UK grocery retailer’s strategy to integrate advanced technology into its core operations.
Gorjana deploys Invent.ai to optimize inventory across US retail network
Ten years after opening its first Laguna Beach boutique, jewelry retailer Gorjana is scaling its operations by integrating Invent.ai technology. The brand, which now operates nearly 150 locations nationwide, aims to resolve inventory complexities by using automated allocation and replenishment tools to match specific product assortments with localized customer demand.
A.F. Blakemore scales rapid delivery with 70 new Snappy Shopper sites
A.F. Blakemore has accelerated its digital footprint, integrating more than 70 additional SPAR locations into the Snappy Shopper delivery platform. The expansion, completed across August and September, brings the total number of participating stores to 167, significantly broadening the reach of the SPAR Delivered service for local communities.
UK shoppers tighten budgets as AI reshapes Christmas retail strategy
British consumers are recalibrating their holiday spending plans, with average outlays expected to drop to £165 this year. Faced with sustained economic pressure, shoppers are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence to navigate the retail landscape, forcing brands to move beyond simple discounting to prove the genuine quality and value of their products.
Katy Hiller joins commercetools as Chief Marketing Officer
Katy Hiller has been named the new Chief Marketing Officer at commercetools, stepping into the role to spearhead global marketing strategy as the company navigates the AI-driven transformation of the retail sector. Hiller joins the enterprise commerce platform following a leadership tenure at Unily and seven years at Sonatype.
Deliveroo Partners with Coco for UK Robot Delivery Roll-out
Deliveroo is expanding its logistics network through a partnership with US-based Coco to deploy autonomous delivery robots across the UK. The service, targeting both grocery and restaurant orders, aims to supplement human riders during off-peak hours rather than replacing the existing workforce in a move toward greater delivery efficiency.
Walmart recruits Uber veteran Albert Greenberg to lead infrastructure
Walmart has tapped former Uber executive Albert Greenberg to serve as Vice President of Infrastructure as a Service. The appointment marks a strategic shift for the retail giant as it looks to modernize its global cloud, data center, and store-level systems to support growing AI and omnichannel demands.
Rihanna Takes Fenty Beauty to TikTok Shop Live
Rihanna is bringing Fenty Beauty to the TikTok Shop stage, hosting a live event today at 11am PST to showcase her cosmetics line. The broadcast follows a cryptic Instagram tease promising exclusive freebies and deals, marking a significant push into the rapidly evolving world of social commerce.
Jysk expands Enactor unified commerce platform to Norway
Danish retailer Jysk has completed the rollout of its Enactor-powered unified commerce platform across all 110 of its Norwegian stores. The transition, finalized over the past two months, integrates disparate store systems into a single digital infrastructure designed to streamline daily operations for both staff and shoppers.
UK High Street Remains Essential for Public Healthcare Access
While British consumers consistently prioritize diet and exercise over sensory health, new Specsavers research suggests the local high street remains the most effective gateway for medical intervention, with regular visitors three times more likely to seek essential sight and hearing screenings than those who avoid local shopping hubs.
Kiehl’s Opens Three-Floor European Flagship on Carnaby Street
Beauty and wellness brand Kiehl’s has planted a new flag in London’s West End, opening a three-story flagship boutique at 43 Carnaby Street. The launch marks the brand's 175th anniversary and signals a strategic move to blend high-touch physical retail with an integrated omnichannel experience.
Co-op Taps Industry Veteran Alex Dower to Lead Retail Expansion
Co-op has appointed retail veteran Alex Dower as Managing Director of its retail division, tasking him with steering the convenience giant through an era of digital transformation. Dower, whose career spans two decades at firms including Tesco and Pret A Manger, will oversee a network of 2,300 stores and a £7.25 billion business.
Walmart CEO Rejects Dynamic Pricing Amid AI Expansion
Walmart President and CEO John Furner has issued a public commitment to maintain fixed pricing, specifically addressing consumer anxieties regarding the role of artificial intelligence in retail. The executive emphasized that the company will not leverage customer data or shopping history to implement surge or personalized pricing models.
Constructor launches Stripe-integrated AI checkout
Retail discovery platform Constructor has debuted Agentic Checkout, a system that allows shoppers to complete purchases directly within an AI-driven agent interface. By integrating Stripe’s payment infrastructure, the company claims it is the first to enable users to navigate products and finalize transactions without leaving the conversational shopping experience.
Toolstation appoints Tom Wallace as Finance & Property Director
Tom Wallace has taken on the role of Finance & Property Director at Toolstation, moving from his previous position as Finance Director for Ocado Logistics. His appointment brings a wealth of experience from major retail and e-commerce players, including Amazon and Asda, to the company’s senior leadership team.