Including RTS 2025, Texbase, EE, and OnBuy: our biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn

We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we head towards the 20,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Marks and Spencer Chairman Archie Norman headlining RTS 2025, Primark praising its technology teams, and EE wrapping up a big year on the UK high street.

Retail tech veteran and influencer Trevor Sumner takes on Head of Growth role at startup i-Genie.ai

Trevor Sumner is joining i-Genie, an AI and machine learning powered startup founded by former Unilever insights execs Stan Sthanunathan and Paul Van Gendt in 2023.

Sumner, who is taking on the role of Head of Growth, is a retail technology veteran whose CV includes holding the position of CEO at Perch, a specialist in in-store retail marketing solutions.

In a LinkedIn post, he described i-Genie as “the most exciting, emerging technology platform in the consumer product industry, upending the multi-billion dollar consumer survey industry with modern AI and NLP techniques that gather rich data from the billions of Google searches, social media and video posts, and product reviews online.”

He added: “Imagine being able to synthesise everything consumers say online into cogent category, segment, brand and product insights and graphs, highly correlative trend predictions and an LLM wrapper you can query.”

i-Genie is working with the likes of Coca-Cola, Haleon, Bayer, AG1, Danone, L’Oreal, Unilever, and Kenvue, where over 1,500 employees gather its insights and query its data via LLM every week.

Marks and Spencer Chairman Archie Norman set to headline Retail Technology Show 2025 conference

Chairman of M&S, Archie Norman, has been confirmed to headline the 2025 edition of Retail Technology Show (RTS).

Debuting in its new home, ExCeL London, RTS will welcome 15,000 retail professionals on 2nd and 3rd April. Speaking on the Headline Stage on day one, Norman will join ‘Customer Whisperer’ Kate Hardcastle, for a fireside chat to discuss M&S’ recent transformation and its work on sustainability. 

The session will also explore how the retailer has substantially changed its omnichannel delivery, how it uses its Sparks programme to drive customer loyalty and insight as well as how it has led its workforce through periods of huge disruption. 

Having held the role of Chairman of M&S since 2017, Norman has also been instrumental in transforming several major retailers and brands, including Kingfisher, Asda, ITV and Hobbycraft.  He was also the first and only FTSE 100 Chairman to be elected a Member of Parliament (MP), where he served for eight years. 

As Chairman at Signal AI, he will also cover how retailers can use AI to drive profit and market share.

He comments: “I am thrilled to be speaking at the UK’s largest retail event and sharing the story of how we are reshaping M&S under the new leadership team.”

“It is an exciting opportunity to delve into our pioneering work in sustainability, our drive to deliver omnichannel experiences and how we are redeveloping to build more personalised customer relationships. In a perpetually changing world, I look forward to discussing how to rejuvenate great retail brands, turnaround businesses and create engaged workforces.”

2024 RTIH Innovation Awards winners announced, including Currys, Ikea, Iceland, Clarks, Tesco, and Super-Pharm

Last month, we announced the winners at our 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, Scala, CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended last month’s gathering.

Traceability and sustainability software firm Texbase appoints retail technology veteran Donny Askin as new CEO

Texbase, a cloud platform that connects supply chain partners and manages traceability, compliance, certification, and sustainability data for retail, manufacturing, and textile brands, has announced that Donny Askin is joining as its new CEO.

His background includes founding and leading CommercialWare (now ORCL), acquiring and leading OrderMotion (now ORCL), and growing other companies, including Gerber Technologies and Arigo.

As CEO, Askin will lead business operations, working with Texbase founder Joe Walkuski and senior management. Prior to his new role, he served a number of years as a member of the firm's board of directors.

“With the industry’s most proven traceability and sustainability software platform that is used by some of the world’s biggest retail and manufacturing brands, Texbase is poised for tremendous growth,” says Walkuski,

"With Donny joining the company, we have a CEO that has deep experience in successfully scaling SaaS retail tech companies to become the leaders in their market segments. Starting today, Texbase begins the next phase in its journey, which will see the company significantly grow its product footprint, global customer base, and revenue."

Primark praises technology teams as retailer opens four stores in four different countries including USA

Primark last week opened four stores in four different countries on the same day, a first for the budget retailer.

The move represents an investment of over €45 million from the business, creating 580 new jobs and adding 130,000 sq. ft. of selling space to its global footprint.

Stores as follows:

Parque Sur, Madrid, Spain

Tours, France

Glasgow Fort, UK

NYC Queens Center, US

In a LinkedIn post, Dan Butcher, Programme Manager at Primark, said: “Three of these stores had technology delivered by my team - with the US delivery by Toby Rainbow.”

“Amazing job Mark Thorpe (Retail Project Manager), Paul Melville (Technology Implementation Project Manager), and John Agudelo (Technology Stores Implementation Manager Iberia). Your cool heads, commitment and charm you all displayed this week is what makes this team a privilege to be part of.”

EE wraps up huge year on UK high street with new Experience store in Norwich’s Chantry Place shopping centre

EE has announced the opening of its latest Experience store, situated in Norwich’s Chantry Place shopping centre.

“It’s been a huge year for us on the high street, and we’re closing it out with one more big opening,” says Asif Aziz, Retail Director at EE.

“This is our 31st EE Experience store to launch since we announced our revamped retail strategy last summer, and I could not be prouder of the entire retail team for their dedication to delivering the best customer experience and giving customers the chance to get their hands on the latest connected technology.”

“Good luck to everyone in Norwich, and thank you for all your efforts to make opening the doors at one more Experience store this year happen. More to look forward to next year.”

The store has been designed to help people explore the latest in connected technology and forms part of EE’s investment of £6 million+ in bricks and mortar retail this year.  

It features Experience Zones themed around four key areas – Game, Work, Learn, and Home – along with a Tech Home area showcasing the future of connected living.   

Walmart Chile broadens availability of Shopic smart cart technology to Lider Express stores following pilot

After a pilot with Walmart Chile, Shopic’s AI powered smart cart technology is now rolling out to five Líder Express stores.

“We are committed to helping our customers save money and live better. Implementing new technologies that save time for our customers is one of the ways we bring this mission to life. We are excited to expand into five new districts, bringing innovation to more people, enhancing their shopping experience, and putting a smile on our customers' faces with every visit," says Frank Eckert, Central Operations Manager at Walmart Chile.

With a clip-on device, any trolley turns into a smart cart. Equipped with two cameras, the smart cart recognises thousands of SKUs with over 95% accuracy in product recognition, according to Shopic's analysis.

OnBuy hails strong start as new VIP programme allows customers to claim double the cashback rewards

UK-based online marketplace OnBuy says that it has gained more than 31,000 new VIP customers in just two weeks thanks to the launch of its loyalty programme. 

It released its new VIP initiative on 22nd November, providing a way for returning customers to claim double the cashback rewards.  

This means savings for consumers on everything from household essentials to luxury items. VIP customers earn a minimum of 2% cashback on everything they buy, including discounted products, and can save even more with double cashback deals delivering rates from 5% up to 30%, immediately credited to their OnBuy account when they complete their purchase. 

This can be spent onsite immediately, saved, or withdrawn to their bank account after 30 days once they have a balance of £5 or more.

Norway's Viking Outdoor Footwear embraces digital product passports requirement with Kezzler partnership

Kezzler, a provider of traceability solutions, has announced a collaboration with Viking Outdoor Footwear and Trimco Group to implement digital product passports (DPPs) for selected styles from Viking’s spring/summer 2025 collection. This marks the second joint project for Kezzler and Trimco Group since formalising their partnership in early October.

“The use of DPPs in our footwear and apparel lines is changing the way we see data management and the possibilities to communicate with our customers,” says Elin Carlsen, Head of Sustainability at Viking Outdoor Footwear.

“DPP places new expectations on data handling in our value chain, but it also opens up exciting opportunities for our repair and care strategy. Kezzler and Trimco Group bring end-to-end solutions that align perfectly with our DPP objectives.”

Latin American buy now pay later specialist Kueski brings in Andreas Waldmann as its first ever CMO

Kueski, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) and consumer lender in Latin America, has announced the appointment of Andreas Waldmann as its first ever Chief Marketing Officer.

“Andreas has an extensive background that will help Kueski expand its reach and strengthen its product ecosystem, furthering our mission to improve the financial lives of Mexicans,” says Adalberto Flores, Co-founder and CEO at Kueski. “We are committed to building a team of exceptional talent and Andreas’s addition will be key to continuing to drive our growth.” 

“I firmly believe in the power of technology to democratise finance. Being part of Kueski means contributing to the redefining of financial services in Mexico,” says Waldmann. “At Kueski, we have the opportunity to change the lives of millions, and I am excited to apply my experience and enthusiasm to strengthen our position as a leader in the industry.” 

Waldmann previously held leadership roles at companies such as Citibanamex, Volaris and Clara. Most recently, he served as a marketing leader at Dentalia.