Starring Primark, Auger, eBay, and RTS 2025: RTIH rolls out the biggest retail technology news stories of the week
It’s Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past five days, including M&S, Coca-Cola, Ocean Outdoors, eBay, Klarna, Harvey Nichols, OSF Digital, Chemist Warehouse, and Augmodo.
1. 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.”
2. Etsy Chief Technology Officer Rachana Kumar departs as online marketplace makes sweeping C-suite changes
Etsy is making big changes to its C-suite, which it says are unrelated to its disappointing financial performance. The shakeup closely follows the release of mixed third-quarter results during October.
Kruti Patel Goyal, currently Chief Executive Officer at Etsy's Depop subsidiary, has been appointed President and Chief Growth Officer.
In this newly created role, Goyal will report to Etsy's CEO, Josh Silverman, and be responsible for bringing together all customer touchpoints with the aim of delivering a more compelling and inspiring experience for Etsy's buyers and sellers.
Elsweher, Chief Technology Officer Rachana Kumar will depart to pursue new opportunities. Kumar has agreed to remain in an advisory capacity over the coming months. The company will initiate a search for her successor, with interim leadership provided by two current Vice Presidents of Engineering.
3. Amazon veteran Alex Ceballos joins friend Dave Clark at his AI driven supply chain solution startup Auger
Auger is developing an AI powered tool for supply chain dependent businesses that integrates with existing inventory management platforms to deliver real-time insights.
“Throughout my career, I’ve seen firsthand how broken supply chains don’t just impact companies, but in fact millions of people: delays that prevent products from reaching shelves, miscommunications that force employees into overtime, higher consumer prices, and inefficiencies that contribute to a growing carbon footprint,” Clark told TechCrunch. “These aren’t just business problems - they’re human problems. And it’s time we fix them.”
Now we can report that Alex Ceballos, whose CV includes serving as VP, Worldwide Corporate Development at Amazon, has joined Auger as President and CFO.
4. 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.”
5. Coca-Cola taps Ocean Outdoors technology as it presents virtual snow globes in immersive AI DOOH experience
Coca-Cola is bringing its Talk to Santa AI driven festive campaign to outdoor audiences with an exclusive interactive 3D animation as part of its Piccadilly Lights residency in London.
Using Ocean Outdoor’s immersive DeepScreen technology, the campaign invites audiences to create their own traditional Christmas snow globes based on the holiday memories they share with Santa Claus via AI.
The interactive DOOH artwork was created for Coca Cola by Ocean and appears between 3pm and 6pm until Christmas Day.
The campaign forms part of Coca-Cola’s ‘Create Real Magic’ AI campaign. The company's creative agency partner is Accenture. Working with a selection of 2D assets from the AI campaign, the bespoke 3D winter animation amplifies the concept, opening with Coca-Cola’s iconic Sundblom Santa Claus.
Four different virtual snow globes then alternate on the large format screen complete with swirling snowflakes and detailed reflections as the frame ices up. Audiences are invited to scan a QR code to engage in a personalised dialogue with Santa via AI enabled real-time conversations and image generation, creating their own snow globes from favourite holiday memories to share with family and friends on their chosen channels.
6. Legion Technologies bags $50 million from Silicon Valley Bank for AI powered workforce management
Legion Technologies, a specialist in workforce management, has received $50 million in financing from Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank. The raise, which brings Legion’s total funding to $195 million, follows a $50 million growth round led by Riverwood Capital earlier this year.
“From the beginning, we have been on a mission to improve hourly jobs and the capital we’ve received from investors this year demonstrates the enduring value of that mission,” says Sanish Mondkar, Founder and CEO at Legion Technologies.
“Our tremendous growth stems from the accelerating need for effective workforce management solutions, and this latest financing from SVB further proves that our intelligently automated, employee centric platform is the best choice for today’s hourly employees.”
“There is increased demand for AI native workforce management solutions that can improve both labour operations and the employee experience,” says Marisa Phan, Managing Director at Silicon Valley Bank.
“Legion has successfully been working to transform the hourly work experience to meet the needs of the modern employee. With this latest financing, we are proud to support Legion as it enables intelligent automation to shape a new future of work.”
7. UK retailer Harvey Nichols teams up with OSF Digital to boost customer engagement with centralised platform
OSF Digital has unveiled a centralised platform for UK luxury fashion retailer Harvey Nichols. The initiative aims to equip Harvey Nichols' marketing team with advanced tools and insights, driving increased return on investment (ROI) and customer engagement.
"We are thrilled to strengthen our partnership with Harvey Nichols and Salesforce, delivering a transformative centralised platform that redefines customer engagement,” says Gerard Szatvanyi, CEO at OSF Digital.
“This collaboration underscores our commitment to leveraging Salesforce's robust capabilities to empower Harvey Nichols with a unified customer view, driving innovation and growth in the luxury retail sector. Together, we are setting a new standard for personalised customer experiences that align with Harvey Nichols' esteemed brand heritage.”
OSF Digital has previously implemented a Salesforce Loyalty Management system for Harvey Nichols. Building on this, it is now enhancing the retailer's capabilities with Salesforce Data Cloud and MuleSoft integrations.
Goals include engaging existing customers, boosting retention, and attracting new leads through a centralised platform that enables marketers to elevate segmentation and targeting. By unifying customer data across all channels, Harvey Nichols aims to enhance engagement, personalisation, and conversion while enabling its CRM team to increase efficiency without IT dependency.
8. eBay and FinTech giant Klarna expand tie up bringing buy now pay later service to new markets
eBay and Klarna have announced the expansion of their partnership to key European markets making the latter’s BNPL options available to more of the former’s shoppers.
Expanding from a launch in Germany, eBay is offering Klarna (including Pay in 3 and Pay in 30 Days) to people in the UK, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, with more markets coming soon.
Avritti Khandurie Mittal, VP & General Manager of Global Payments and Financial Services at eBay, says: "We are unlocking greater payment choice and flexibility for eBay shoppers by expanding our strategic partnership with Klarna to several key markets.”
“People turn to eBay’s more than two billion listings to find the things they love, from a rare Pokemon trading card to a gently pre-loved Birkin bag or that well-priced Rolex watch. We know our customers value the ability to pay in a way that works for them. With Klarna, eBay shoppers now have the flexibility to pay over time by selecting from a variety of Klarna’s pay later payment options at checkout.”
9. Chemist Warehouse partners with Augmodo to give physical store associates spatial AI assistants
Augmodo has launched pilots in four Chemist Warehouse locations in Australia.
This involves wearable tech that recommends actions and tasks to increase efficiencies, including restocking shelves, placing orders and improving compliance.
“Every day in each store, our hardworking associates spend hours auditing and working tirelessly to keep products on the shelf,” says Mark Finocchiaro, Managing Partner, CIO & Director at Chemist Warehouse.
“With Augmodo, the AI assistant lets them know which products are out of stock and in the wrong place, and which tasks are needed next. They simply wear the lanyards around their neck and no longer need to spend hours auditing - everything is automatically scanned as they walk the floor, making their role even more valuable. Not only are they helping to provide real-time inventory data, but now have more time to help customers.”
SpatialView is Augmodo’s analytics platform for retail executives and brand partners, which provides real-time visibility into shelf conditions.
“Retailers lose $1.75 trillion in revenue worldwide due to out-of-stocks, preventable returns and overstocks,” says Ross Finman, Founder and CEO at Augmodo. “Our innovative tech helps cut down a good amount of this lost revenue. With better tools, data and insight, we’re working with Chemist Warehouse to decrease data disconnects and make the shopping experience even better for their customers.”
10. Retail technology 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.
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