Check out our most clicked retail technology articles from last week, including Retention.com, M&S, Vusion, Duvo, Gophr, Screwfix, Focal Systems, PMC, Poq, VoCoVo, Deliverect, Enactor, SOLUM, Pricer, TCS, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Vusion, Quorso, Datitude, and Sitoo.

Retention.com CEO and Co-founder Adam Robinson, wife, and children among victims in Florida plane crash

The identities of the nine people killed in a private jet crash in Palm Beach County, Florida, were confirmed last Monday.

A Learjet 60 was bound for the Bahamas from Austin when it nosedived into a multi-lane highway on 1st November. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether ice and turbulence contributed to the crash, and whether human error played a role.

E-commerce technology startup Retention.com CEO and Co-founder, Adam Robinson, his wife Helen Sharp and their two children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were all killed in the crash.

A company spokesperson said: "We are heartbroken by the loss of Adam, his wife Helen and their two young children. Adam was much more than our CEO. He was a friend, a mentor and a bold, outspoken leader who lived life to the fullest. He cared deeply about the people around him and brought energy and conviction to everything he built. His loss is deeply felt across our team and the tech community, as we collectively mourn this significant loss."

They continued: "Our hearts are with Adam and Helen’s family and loved ones, and with everyone affected by the crash. We ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time. Our immediate focus at Retention.com is supporting our employees and Adam and Helen’s family. We are grateful for the kindness and support extended to them and our team."

Morrisons, Waitrose, and Dunelm take top honours at 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony in London

Focal Systems, PMC, Poq, VoCoVo, Deliverect, Enactor, SOLUM, Pricer, TCS, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Vusion, Quorso, Datitude, and Sitoo were among the winners last week at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony.

We received a record number of entries this year, showcasing truly impressive innovation across both traditional and digital retail spaces.

To quote a member of our star studded judging panel: "Reviewing such inventive, high impact solutions has been a truly rewarding experience. The depth of engineering, scalable architecture, and strategic vision displayed throughout the submissions underscores the rapid transformation happening across modern retail technology."

Our 2026 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC in Central London and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, awards ceremony presided over by actor, comedian and writer Aurie Styla, and after party until 1am.

Congratulations to our 2026 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Aurie Styla, and all those who attended our gathering.

Marks and Spencer taps Vusion EdgeSense platform amid retailer's store modernisation push

Vusion reports that Marks & Spencer will deploy its Connected Store platform to a number of new stores, with further roll-out potential in the future.

The deployment will support the retailer's focus on modernising store operations and improving the in-store experience for customers and colleagues.

Built on Bluetooth enabled infrastructure, Vusion's EdgeSense platform is designed to help connect store systems, product information and colleague activity more effectively across the shopfloor.

The initial deployment will focus on practical operational improvements, including managing product information more effectively, supporting colleagues in locating products more efficiently through location aware capabilities such as flashing labels, helping simplify in-store inventory processes and shopfloor execution, and creating a digital foundation that may support further store innovation over time.

Roy Horgan, CEO UK & Ireland at Vusion, says: “We are pleased to be working with M&S as it continues to invest in its store estate and colleague experience. Our Connected Store platform is designed to help retailers improve operational execution while providing the infrastructure to support future innovation.”

Morrisons partners with Duvo as UK grocery giant eyes opportunities for AI adoption

Morrisons has partnered with Duvo.ai as it looks to identify opportunities to make greater use of AI across its existing systems.

Duvo was co-founded by Tomáš Čupr, who founded Rohlik Group, the European online grocer. It identifies and automates repetitive business tasks, freeing up team members to focus on decision-making, creativity, customer service and partner relationships.

The project will start by capturing how processes actually work across the UK grocery retailer's people, teams and systems. Duvo will then help it identify opportunities to simplify and redesign those processes, focusing where AI can create the most value, and highlighting a pathway for their swift adoption into everyday operations.

"Our business processes have evolved over decades and Duvo gives us a way to understand them in detail, and quickly," says Gordon MacPherson, Group Productivity Director at Morrisons.

"It means decisions about which repetitive everyday tasks to simplify, redesign and automate can be based on evidence rather than assumptions. That will give us a much clearer path from identifying AI opportunities to putting them into operation, freeing up our people to concentrate on high value work for the benefit of colleagues and customers."

Gophr powered Screwfix Sprint on demand delivery service now available in 600 stores

Earlier this year, Kingfisher owned Screwfix unveiled a new campaign, fronted by Mo Farah, that showcases the speed and convenience customers say is the main reason they choose the retailer.

Screwfix Convenience is designed to drive usage of Screwfix Sprint delivery, Click & Collect and check-In services among tradespeople and DIY customers.

And the Sprint service, which promises delivery within 60 minutes, is now live at 600 stores and counting. 

In a LinkedIn post, Max Britten, Managing Director UK & Ireland at Screwfix, said: "We know how important convenience is for our busy trade customers. They want to stay on the job, avoid unnecessary downtime and get what they need, when they need it. Sprint helps them do exactly that, with tens of thousands of customers using it so far this year."

He added: "So making Sprint accessible to more customers is a real priority for Screwfix. With the additional stores, it now reaches more than 62% of the UK population. A huge thank you to all our colleagues and our delivery partner Gophr who have helped us reach this important milestone, and of course to our customers for continuing to use Sprint."

VoCoVo hires former Waterstones exec Emma Hillyard as CFO and former CBRE technology chief Paul Birkin as CTO

Retail communications specialist, VoCoVo, has announced the appointments of Emma Hillyard as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Paul Birkin as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Hillyard has worked across both the private and not for profit sectors, including retail, with previous CFO roles at Waterstones, Blackwells and Alzheimer’s Society.

She says: “VoCoVo has achieved strong growth already, and my role is to help make sure we navigate this next period and build on the growth already seen. For me, that means giving teams the insight and support they need to make informed decisions and creating the right environment for people to do their best work."

"I’ve always been very people centric and believe culture is critical to making meaningful change stick. That was a big part of what attracted me to VoCoVo. Its people and culture are a real superpower, and I’m excited to build on that.”

Birkin has held C-suite positions at CBRE, Experian, Capita, Logica and Cisco. 

He says, “I’ve spent much of my career leading large scale transformations where technology can make a visible difference. That’s what makes VoCoVo so exciting - there’s already a strong technology foundation and a true ambition to keep innovating. As retail becomes increasingly intelligent, AI has the potential to create huge business value. My focus is on turning that potential into tangible value for our customers and pushing what the connected store can deliver.”

Vinted, eBay and Depop set to be hit by under-16s ban as grooming concerns grow

The UK government is set to ban under-16s from Vinted and eBay amid fears that the online platforms' messaging functions allow strangers to groom children.

Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy, is gearing up to discuss expanding the social media ban announced earlier in the year to cover online marketplaces. Depop and Facebook Marketplace are also expected to be included.

The Children’s Society claims that some young users are being “asked for indecent photos in exchange for money” or gifts on these sites.

A government source told The Times: “There is an increasing body of evidence that says under-16s are accessing these services a lot and are potentially accessing risk. We need to take a comprehensive approach to protecting children from harm online."

Vinted, eBay, Depop, and Facebook Marketplace did not respond to our request for comment.

Drone delivery specialist Zipline bags $1.5 billion in funding at eye watering $21.5 billion valuation

Zipline has announced a $1.5 billion raise at a $21.5 billion post-money valuation, led by Paradigm, WCM Investment Management, and Layer Global with participation from Valor Equity Partners, Fidelity Management & Research Company, Uber, Tiger Global, J.P. Morgan, ARK Invest, and Salesforce Ventures.

It will use the capital to expand its US manufacturing facilities and ramp up hiring as it builds a drone delivery network across the country.

Walmart and Zipline are working together to launch 300 additional sites as part of a new national multi-year agreement with potential to grow further. Uber is targeting one million deliveries a day with Zipline by 2029.

“Zipline is now one of the largest autonomous robotics companies in the world - operating with scale, safety, and a magical user experience for consumers and merchants,” says Matt Huang, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Paradigm. “It's no wonder that some of the largest merchants in the world are partnering with Zipline to use their delivery network.”

"Zipline has built a team and culture that has been developing cutting-edge drone delivery capabilities for over 10 years, and the market is now recognizing how transformational its technology is. Within e-commerce and food delivery, Zipline represents a generational improvement in user experience and delight,” says Alan Tu, Portfolio Manager at WCM Investment Management.

UK creators assemble! Amazon says it is coming to YouTube's Shopping affiliate programme

Amazon is joining YouTube's Shopping affiliate programme. Eligible UK creators will now be able to tag its products in their Shorts, long-form videos and livestreams.

A spokesperson for YouTube says: "Video has changed how we shop. In the past, we browsed store windows. Today we browse videos - from product reviews and unboxings to shopping hauls. Viewers spend an average of over 110 million hours daily watching shopping videos on YouTube. With YouTube Shopping, we’ve built the future of e-commerce directly into the video player."

YouTube creators can tag the products they are talking about in their videos, Shorts and livestreams, earning a commission anytime viewers buy something.

The spokesperson comments: "Viewers love the convenience. They don't have to search the description box of a video for a URL. When they click on a Shopping tag, they're taken to a verified site (like M&S, Currys, Boots and now Amazon) to buy the product. Creators love the affiliate Shopping programme because it allows them to maintain their authenticity while earning money off their content. And authenticity matters - according to a survey conducted by Kantar, surveyed viewers in the United States rank YouTube as the number one platform for helping them make more confident shopping decisions."

They add: "Shopping is a significant area of investment for YouTube, and we’ve seen incredible momentum. We’ve expanded the affiliate programme to more countries around the world, and recently expanded to the UK, Mexico and Argentina. There are now more than one million creators signed up for YouTube Shopping. YouTube Shopping GMV has grown 13X from Q1 2024 to Q1 2026. We’re also seeing tremendous momentum boosted by our investments in Gemini powered auto-tagging."

"In March 2026, we expanded access to the YouTube Shopping affiliate programme to all creators in the YouTube Partner Programme with at least 500 subscribers and who meet eligibility guidelines. By lowering this threshold, we’re unlocking earning potential earlier than ever."

Fake news: UK and US consumers are avoiding purchases over misleading online reviews fears

Research published by the Coalition for Trusted Reviews (CfTR), an alliance bringing together Amazon, Booking.com, Expedia Group, G2, Holidaycheck, Tripadvisor and Trustpilot, has revealed growing concerns around fake reviews and how they affect purchasing decisions.

The research is based on a survey of 6,000 people across the UK, Italy, and the US. While eight in ten consumers in the UK (85%), US (82%), and Italy (80%) use online reviews at least sometimes when considering a purchase, 74% of UK consumers, 73% of Americans and 61% of Italians have decided not to purchase a product or service due to concerns about fake or misleading reviews. 

Although many online platforms invest heavily in fighting misuse, review fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated. Bad actors - those who attempt to breach platform guidelines and mislead consumers and businesses via fake reviews - operate across platforms and jurisdictions, reusing identities, tactics and networks. This makes it challenging for any single platform or regulator to disrupt fraudulent activity.

Review and user verification is one of several methods online platforms may use to combat fake content. However, the research also highlights a tension between consumers' desire for authentic reviews and their willingness to accept additional verification measures. In the UK, 56% of consumers say that being required to provide ID would make them less likely to leave a review, alongside 46% in the US and 43% in Italy. 

Becky Foley, Executive Committee member of Coalition for Trusted Reviews and VP, Head of Trust & Safety at TripAdvisor, says: “When reviews are fake or manipulated, the consequences go far beyond one misleading rating. Consumers risk making decisions based on information that isn’t genuine, while businesses that play by the rules face an uneven playing field. Over time, this undermines trust across the online marketplace.”