Parcel lockers, loyalty platforms and self-checkouts: 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 Sitoo, rediem, Proximity, StrongPoint, Retail Insight, Vision Group, InPost UK, and Tesco Media and Insight Platform.

Loyalty platform startup rediem announces $1.2 million pre-seed round headed up by Ivy Ventures

rediem, a loyalty software specialist, has announced a $1.2 million pre-seed round.

Led by Ivy Ventures, with participation from Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator; Netcore CEO; Jebbit founders, and e-commerce investors, the capital supports onboarding a 500 company waitlist to rediem’s AI powered Software-as-a-Service customer engagement platform.

"I believe in the vision for transforming legacy, outdated rewards programmes,” says Scott Kraege, Partner at Ivy Ventures. "The early momentum is incredibly promising, and the strong adoption by enterprises further validates rediem’s thesis on the future of brand-customer relationships.”

“rediem meets a moment in which purpose driven brands are eager to demonstrate their core beliefs to customers versus merely communicating them,” says Sarah Ganzenmuller, Co-founder and CEO at remarked.

“We’re inspired by the positive impact brands make when customers are mobilised beyond purchase.”

Led by two under 30 founders - Harvard graduate Regan Plekenpol and former consultant Sarah Ganzenmuller - rediem is currently invite only to allow for an onboarding process of no more than five customers per month.

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

Last month, we announced the winners from the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, CADS, 3D Cloud, SCALA, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, Retail Technology Show 2025, and Business France.

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.

Sitoo bags funding from private equity company Verdane as it looks to accelerate global expansion

Swedish firm Sitoo, a provider of cloud native PoS and unified commerce platform solutions, has announced a €26 million minority investment from Verdane.

This will help the company take advantage of what it calls a “massive opportunity” in the US and global markets while strengthening its foothold in the UK and European regions.

“We have seen Sitoo deliver on its growth ambitions with best-in-class execution by Jens Levin and the team since we first met in 2019. Back then they were a local Swedish player with big ambitions and has now become the clear market leader in the Nordics and we look forward to partner with the team to help build the business into a global category leader” says Pål Malmros, Partner at Verdane. 

Retail technology veteran Marcus Dawson departs UK retailer Selfridges for Proximity CTO role

Proximity, developer of a ‘super app’ for store teams, has appointed Marcus Dawson as Chief Technology Officer.

He joins from Selfridges where he spent almost 11 years, most recently serving as Head of Architecture and Data & Insights.

“Marcus will lead our Product and Engineering teams, playing a pivotal role in our continued growth and innovation,” says Cathy McCabe, CEO and Co-founder at Proximity.

“He brings a wealth of experience in retail technology, having spearheaded transformative programmes and projects in digital, architecture, data, and insights for renowned brands like John Lewis, Asos, Debenhams, and Selfridges.”

She adds: “His expertise will be integral as we scale our global customer base and further enhance our product offerings. We’re excited about the journey ahead and the impact his leadership will bring.”

Grocery retailer Rimi continues to invest in StrongPoint self-checkout tech including cash handling capabilities

Rimi (part of ICA Group), has placed an order with StrongPoint to supply and install its self-checkout solutions in the Baltic-based grocery retailer’s stores.

The value of the order is approximately EUR 2.3 million, excluding implementation and future technical support revenue. Delivery and installation are scheduled for 2025.

Rimi has been using StrongPoint self-checkouts for over five years, showcasing the solution’s proven reliability and customer convenience. The new order includes self-checkouts with cash handling capabilities, as cash management remains an important aspect of the checkout process in the region.

Alfie Meekings calls time on working with Charlotte Tilbury Beauty and heads to AllSaints and John Varvatos

Alfie Meekings has taken on the role of Global Director of Transformation at AllSaints and John Varvatos.

He was previously Organisational Effectiveness Consultant at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. Meekings’ CV also includes a stint as Director of Transformation and Change at Selfridges, and Lead Project Manager at Tesco.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I can’t wait to get started and to play a part in shaping the future of these two iconic brands!”

“This week also marks the end of my time working with Charlotte Tilbury Beauty - thank you to Rob Otero Viz (Chief People and Transformation Officer) and the wider team for making it such an enjoyable experience.”

Tesco launches retail media certification in bid to build industry expertise around a booming landscape

Tesco Media and Insight Platform, powered by dunnhumby, has launched its Tesco Retail Media Certification, a new training programme designed to help marketers demystify and master the booming retail media landscape.

Available via the Tesco Media Academy, this focuses on the transformative potential of retail media for advertisers.

It provides a 360-degree view of running successful retail media campaigns through targeted modules, including: Navigating the evolving retail media landscape; Leveraging data for actionable insights; Crafting full-funnel campaigns across in-store, onsite and offsite Tesco Media channels; Measuring and optimising campaign effectiveness.

"Retail media offers an unparalleled opportunity for brands to connect with consumers throughout the purchase journey in an engaging and measurable way," says Stacy Gratz, Sales & Marketing Director at Tesco Media and Insight Platform. "Our new certification equips brand and shopper marketers with expert training directly from one of the industry leaders."

The certification has been undergoing a trial phase with agency partners, with over 250 media professionals from EssenceMediacom, Publicis Media, Wavemaker, Mindshare and Omnicom Media Group successfully completing it.

Sander Garnier becomes Solution and Pre-Sales Engineer at Vusion Group after stepping back from AiFi role

Sander Garnier has joined Vusion Group as Solution and Pre-Sales Engineer.

He was previously at autonomous stores firm, AiFi, where he spent almost three years focusing on new business development and account management.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Vusion Group is a global leader in digitalisation solutions for commerce, empowering businesses worldwide. By harnessing the power of IoT, cloud, data, and artificial intelligence, it is at the forefront of modernising commerce and transforming the future of retail.”

He added: “Earlier this year, I made the tough decision to step back from my role at AiFi, a company I truly loved, for family reasons. During this time, I focused on giving our twins what they needed most - dedicated daddy love and attention. It’s a choice I’ll always cherish, and I’m incredibly grateful for the moments we shared.”

“Now, I’m excited to dive back into the world of retail innovation. Joining Vusion Group gives me the opportunity to continue doing what I’m passionate about: shaping the future of retail, driving meaningful change in the industry and making impact. If you’re curious about Vusion Group or want to chat about retail tech, feel free to drop me a message. I’d love to connect!”

BP renews Retail Insight partnership as oil and gas giant reduces food waste across its M&S Food store estate

Oil and gas company and forecourt retailer, BP, has renewed its partnership with Retail Insight, a provider of in-store execution software, for an additional three years in the UK.

BP provides fuel, food and beverages to motorists and shoppers across the UK, operating over 300 convenience stores as part of its partnership with M&S Food.  

Since partnering with Retail Insight in 2019, it has used the company’s AI powered solution, WasteInsight, for dynamic markdowns on goods nearing expiry, providing reduced prices to customers.

A cloud-based software solution, WasteInsight applies a machine learning model to provide dynamic markdown prices that encourage sell-through and reduce waste.  As well as enabling dynamic discounts, it also addresses expiration management, offers more efficient donations to charities and drives improved forecasting accuracy, allowing retailers to sell more while wasting less.

Premier League club Newcastle United extends partnership with parcel lockers specialist InPost UK

Newcastle United has announced an extension of its partnership with parcel delivery service, InPost. This follows a first 12 months of the tie up which has seen a number of community activations reach thousands of fans in the North East.

To kick things off, InPost installed bespoke lockers at St. James’s Park, the first in the country at a Premier League stadium, and has since gone on to form a key part of the club’s newly launched e-commerce offering, giving fans the option of online deliveries to be sent to any locker across the UK.