Saving the day at Christmas and showcasing innovation in NYC: RTIH rustles up the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including Zapp, Temu, Pricer, Specsavers, Sobeys, Henderson Technology, Depop, Quadient, NRF 2025, Omnisend, TikTok, and the RTIH AI in Retail Awards.

1...RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, which is now open for entries. 

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

As AI sees increasing adoption in the retail space, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Thursday, 3rd July. This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room.

24/7...Quick commerce specilaist Zapp has launched a 24/7 Christmas Gift Shop and delivery service.

It will mean people who missed final delivery dates, whose original gift hasn’t arrived and those who forgot to buy can still get presents under the tree in time to celebrate with friends and family.

Most online shopping delivery deadlines end on Friday, 20th December and only a handful of retailers offer next-day delivery on Monday, 23rd December. Enter Zapp's news service.

With over a hundred gifts, the Gift Shop aims to offer something for everyone, from luxury skincare brands like Dr. Barbara Sturm, Bamford, and Skinceuticals, to fragrances from Tom Ford, Creed, and Acqua di Parma. Tech lovers can find Apple AirPods, Sonos speakers, and AirTags, while festive options include Trudon candles, cashmere accessories, cookbooks, gym equipment and pyjamas.

As part of this year’s offering, Zapp has partnered with gifting marketplace The Go-To to curate an exclusive collection of gifts and home accessories, alongside Zapp’s catalogue of delicacies.

“The 24/7 Christmas Gift Shop is designed to save the day - whether an intended gift hasn’t turned up or unexpected guests arrive,” says Sophie Davies, Head Buyer at Zapp. “With delivery in minutes, we make it easy to get what you need, exactly when you need it.”

20...A new study by e-commerce marketing firm Omnisend reveals the top 20 Amazon best sellers that went viral on TikTok in 2024, showing the app’s power to influence UK shopping trends.

Leading the charge is the COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. Influencers like Mikayla Nogueira (@mikaylanogueira) raved about its transformative effects, driving an avalanche of sales under the viral hashtag #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt.

Beauty staples like CeraVe’s Daily Moisturising Lotion and Moisturising Cream, alongside La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Sensitive Moisturiser, proved their staying power as must haves for Gen Z’s self-care routines.

Everyday items like Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash and Dettol wipes joined the viral trend, showing that even practical products can shine in TikTok’s spotlight.

$5 million...Mantis Robotics reports $5 million in new investments led by Emerald Technology Ventures with participation from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund. This will enable it to scale its operations, enhance its product portfolio, and expand its presence in the industrial robotics market.

“We built our company on the premise that robots should be an extension of the human capability,” says Gerry Vannuffelen, Founder and CEO at Mantis Robotics. “Our industry has benefited greatly from many new developments in AI powered application software Unfortunately, these systems do not allow for safe human-robot interaction. We provide the link between AI and the physical world, by enabling robots to interact safely and capably with humans.”

£1.2 million...Specsavers has announced the opening of Wales’ largest Specsavers store in Haverfordwest after a £1.2 million investment.

"This substantial investment reflects our commitment to delivering world class eye and hearing care to Pembrokeshire,” says Andy Britton, Ophthalmic Director at Specsavers Haverfordwest.

"Our larger premises will allow us to meet growing demand, introduce advanced clinical services, and provide a dedicated training facility for optometrists pursuing higher qualifications."

1...Temu ranks as the most downloaded iPhone app in the UK in 2024, according to App Store data released this week by Apple.

Globally, it holds the number one position in 24 markets, including the United States, Germany, Spain, Ireland, Australia, South Korea and Mexico. It ranks as the second most downloaded iPhone app in Italy, France and Japan.

Temu began serving customers in the UK in April 2023. It started operations in the US in September 2022, and expanded to Europe the following year. Today, it covers over 80 markets worldwide.

23.8 million...New research from Virgin Media O2 Business and Depop shows that 23.8 million Brits are turning to online second hand selling platforms, with 69% worried about Christmas affordability. At home entrepreneurs are earning an average of £146 a month (£1,752 a year), while also contributing to the circular economy.    

As 43% of Brits cut back on non-essential purchases, second hand shopping has become more important for a quarter of shoppers. In the past three months, one in five have increased their use of second hand shopping apps, with clothing (68%) the most popular purchase followed by books and media (33%) and electronics (27%).   

At home entrepreneurship is thriving, with 35% selling belongings online in the past three months, rising to 54% of Gen Z (18-24-year-olds). These figures come as 68% of Brits look for ways to save or make additional money.   

£3.3 million...Reconome, which repurposes surplus technology with a focus on underserved communities, has secured a £3.3 million investment from IW Capital.

In a LinkedIn post, Lou Nylander, Head of Marketing at Reconome, said: "As a B Corp dedicated to creating positive change, this investment will supercharge our mission to revolutionise how we think about technology's lifecycle. We're not just managing surplus electronic devices - we're building a future where digital equity and sustainability go hand in hand."

"What gets me particularly excited about this milestone: we're extending the life of electronic equipment, preventing valuable tech from reaching landfills; our profits directly support digital inclusion, providing refurbished devices to schools and charities; we're proving that purpose and profit can coexist beautifully in the tech space."

$1.4 million...Ecomtent, a generative AI startup focused on helping sellers and retailers with AI powered search, has secured $1.4 million in funding.

The round was led by MaRS IAF, and included Twinpath, Techstars x eBay Ventures, and C-suite angels from retailers and the tech industry.

Founded in 2022 by Max Sinclair, a former Amazon executive who led key initiatives such as the launch of Amazon in Singapore and Amazon Grocery across the EU, and Timur Luguev, a PhD and Postdoctoral Researcher in machine learning, Ecomtent's platform generates visual and written content optimised for AI powered search, such as Amazon’s RUFUS.

"The way people shop online is undergoing a profound transformation," says Sinclair. "And therefore also how sellers and retailers optimise for discoverability and conversion is changing. Longtail keyword matching is dead. The future lies in aligning with customer intent, across both written and visual assets."

5 million...After a first wave of 50 stores, Sobeys is entering into an agreement with Pricer’s partner, JRTech Solutions, for an expected deployment of five million electronic shelf labels across Canada at an expected order value of 485 MSEK.

The initial order from Sobeys for deployment of ESLs in 50 of its stores, that was reported in June as an order from a Tier 1 North American grocery retailer, was the first large scale full-store deployment of four colour labels in North America.

Sobeys is one of the largest grocery chains in North America with over 1,500 grocery and pharmacy stores.

The roll-out of Pricer’s in-store automation and communication solution, consisting of the cloud-based platform Pricer Plaza and electronic shelf labels, is expected to be completed by 30th April 2026.

1,000...Henderson Technology has announced the 1,000th installation of its EPoS system, EDGEPoS, at LA Foods on Uxbridge Road, London.

EDGEPoS was first piloted in 2011. LA Foods, co-owned by Tabrez Hussain and his family, has a retail history dating back to 1990 when his father established the business. Since the late 2000s, he and his brothers have expanded the company, which now operates 13 stores.

Hussain says: “We chose EDGEPoS because we wanted a system that could make our store operations more streamlined and automated. The self-checkouts, suggested ordering, and electronic shelf labels (ESELs) were particularly appealing, and while we haven’t yet rolled out ESELs, we are excited about their potential.”

$12.5 million...A2Z Cust2Mate has disclosed a securities purchase agreement with certain accredited investors for a registered direct offering. This will see the sale of 1,947,000 common shares at a price of $6.40 each, aiming to raise $12.5 million to fuel its next phase of growth.

A2Z's flagship product is a self-checkout shopping cart. In a LinkedIn post, it said: "This significant funding will empower us to: scale our business; expand our talented teams across key departments; accelerate our smart cart technology development; meet growing market demand."

"We're not just growing - we're scaling smart. A huge thank you to our investors, team, and supporters who believe in our mission."

€1 billion...Smart lockers specialist Quadient reports the acquisition of US-based parcel management solutions provider Package Concierge.

Package Concierge provides digital locker technology that addresses the challenges of package management in residential, commercial, retail and university campuses across the United States.

As part of the ‘Elevate to 2030’ strategic plan announced earlier this year, Quadient is focused on generating more than €1 billion of subscription related revenue by 2030. The company aims to become the leader in intelligent business process automation by driving cross-selling opportunities within its 350,000 customer base.

Quadient concentrates its global locker expansion efforts on three key regions: the United States, Japan, and Europe. The addition of c.3,000 units from Package Concierge will boost its position in the US and push its global installed base beyond 25,000 units, a milestone set in its 2021 strategic plan.

This also puts it on track to exceed €100 million revenue in lockers in 2025, improve profitability and move closer to its 2030 goal of a 40,000 unit installed base.

50...NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show will include a new showcase, featuring the top 50 retail tech innovators that are making an impact on the way retailers sell and consumers shop.

This new exhibtiion builds on the NRF Innovation Lab and will include:

Immersive activations and live demos of cutting-edge innovations including AI powered smart carts, grab and go cabinets, 3D body scanning, no-code QR marketing and autonomous robots boosting inventory and customer engagement.

Breakthrough retail technology solutions, from logistics and supply chain advancements to AI powered personalisation tools.

A curated selection of companies chosen based on their ability to solve critical retailer challenges, scale effectively and align with emerging industry trends.