Including Walmart and Dexory: RTIH brings you this week's biggest retail technology stories

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 few days, including The Very Group, El Corte Inglés, Bolt Food, Sainsbury’s, OpenAI, Legion Technologies, Dollar Tree, and the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

1. The Very Group raids Superdrug to bring in industry veteran Paul Stafford as retail media proposition head

Very Media Group, which is operated by digital retailer The Very Group, reports that Paul Stafford, who played an integral role in launching Superdrug’s retail media network Optimo, is joining to lead its retail media proposition.

Bringing with him over 18 years of experience across both brand and digital marketing and retail media, he will be responsible for shaping long-term strategy, while enhancing pre-existing relationships with brands and establishing new strategic partnerships which align with Very Media Group’s ambition of being the multi-category retail media network of choice for brands.

Very Media Group, which launched in partnership with SMG in 2024, is a reimagining of The Very Group’s pre-existing retail media proposition. It brings together the online retailer’s in-house creative capabilities and combination of personal, shopping and financial data to create campaigns for some of the biggest household brands.

2. Tesco adds accessibility modes to help visually impaired customers on self-service checkouts

Tesco has launched new accessibility modes to help visually impaired customers on its self-service checkouts in both UK and ROI Tesco stores.

This enables shoppers to adjust accessibility settings, with a choice of high contrast modes and text adjustments.

In a LinkedIn post, Sarah Quiggin, Head of Product - Store Customer Transactions at Teco, said: “Its a great example of the incremental (and hopefully transformational) changes we can do now we have our amazing new till platform at scale across multiple countries.”

She added: “We know there's so much more we could do but this is a big step forward. Huge thank you to my fantastic product team, design, engineering and programme teams that made this all possible. A great “every little help.”

3. El Corte Inglés goes live on Bolt Food rapid delivery platform with more retailers set to sign up soon

El Corte Inglés has joined Bolt Food’s on demand delivery platform.

In a LinkedIn post, Guilherme Oliveira, Groceries & Retail in Portugal Lead at Bolt Food, said: “We’re excited to bring one of Portugal’s most trusted retailers to the platform, making it easier than ever for customers to access premium groceries, delivered fast and reliably.”

He added: “From fresh produce to pantry staples, El Corte Inglés offers the quality and convenience our users expect, and this partnership marks a key milestone in our retail expansion strategy. PS. More leading retailers are joining us soon, stay tuned.”

4. Retail iPaas specialist Patchworks bags £5 million in funding as it eyes North American growth

Patchworks has closed a £5 million funding round led by Gresham House Ventures, its main investor, with growth lending from Palatine Growth Credit.

Bringing the total funding to date to £16.3 million, this will be invested in expanding sales and marketing to reach more enterprise retailers and brands, driving growth in the North American market, building on early traction in the region, and investing in product development, including new AI features.

The company helps retailers integrate systems across e-commerce, ERP, PoS, PIM, CRM, CDP and fulfilment, with the aim of avoiding common issues like overselling, delayed orders, and inefficient manual data entry.

Jim Herbert, CEO at Patchworks, says: “This follow on investment is a huge vote of confidence in our platform and our strategy. Retailers and brands need flexible, future-proof infrastructure to stay competitive, and Patchworks gives them the power and speed they need.”

“We’re doubling down on the US market, scaling our partner ecosystem, and continuing to enhance the platform with AI and other innovations so our customers can connect, adapt and grow faster.”

5. Logistics and e-commerce veteran Cynthia LaRue joins Parcelhero as Chief Revenue Officer

Cynthia LaRue has joined Parcelhero, a UK logistics comparison group, as its first Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), bringing years of industry knowledge from leadership roles at companies such as ShipStation and ShipMonk. 

She has also held P&L focused roles at a number of Fortune 500 organisations, driving digital e-commerce strategy at The Home Depot and leading brand and financial success for the M&M’s chocolate brand at Mars.

Her appointment comes as the firm prepares to launch Parcelhero Pro, an end-to-end shipping and fulfilment platform.

“Cynthia is a hugely talented and experienced executive. Her expertise in scaling revenue operations and fostering customer centric growth will be pivotal in shaping our future and enhancing our service offerings across our portfolio of products,” says Roger Sumner Rivers, the founder and CEO at Parcelhero.

“As our first Chief Revenue Officer, Cynthia will own the entire revenue organisation, unifying sales, marketing, customer success and revenue operations. Her unique background provides her with an overall understanding of the merchant's journey - from global brand demands to the operational efficiency required for fulfilment. That makes her perfectly fitted to this new role. I can’t wait to write the next chapter together – and truly couldn’t imagine a better person to help lead it.”

6. Eurazeo heads up $100 million Series C funding round for autonomous warehouses firm Dexory

Dexory, a provider of real-time warehouse intelligence, visibility and autonomous solutions, has raised $165 million, building on the company’s Series B in 2024.

Eurazeo, through its Growth team, led the $100 million Series C round, with participation from LTS Growth and Endeavor Catalyst, alongside existing backers DTCP, Atomico, Lakestar, Elaia, Latitude Ventures, Wave-X and others. In addition, Bootstrap Europe expanded the existing growth debt facility. 

Since its Series B, Dexory has expanded the reach of its AI enabled data intelligence platform, DexoryView, across Europe, North America, and APAC, and established its North American headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee. Today, the platform is used by logistics specialists such as GXO, Maersk and DHL; manufacturers including Stellantis and GE Appliances; and by customers across pharmaceuticals, retail and e-commerce. 

The new funding will accelerate Dexory’s product roadmap and expand access to its technology, with the aim of removing key bottlenecks in warehouse transformation.

“This new round allows us to bring forward transformational capabilities that our customers are asking for,” says Andrei Danescu, CEO and Co-Founder at Dexory. “By combining full stack engineering with zero customer complexity, we are building advanced agentic systems powered by the industry’s richest set of real-world logistics data. This will help warehouses and supply chains shift from systems of record to true systems of action.”

7. Walmart connects with OpenAI as it looks to create AI powered online shopping experiences

Walmart has announced a new partnership with OpenAI that will start with allowing customers and members to soon shop with the US retail giant through ChatGPT using Instant Checkout.

“For many years now, e-commerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses. That is about to change. There is a native AI experience coming that is multi-media, personalised and contextual. We are running towards that more enjoyable and convenient future with Sparky and through partnerships including this important step with OpenAI,” says Doug McMillon, President and CEO at Walmart.

“We’re excited to partner with Walmart to make everyday purchases a little simpler. It’s just one way AI will help people every day under our work together,” says Sam Altman, Co-founder and CEO at OpenAI.

8. Legion Technologies set to deliver Dollar Tree's first ever associate engagement platform

Legion Technologies is partnering with Dollar Tree with the aim of delivering enhanced labour optimisation and associate engagement to its fleet of stores and distribution centres across North America.

“As a retailer with more than 9,000 stores, 18 distribution centres, and over 150,000 associates, we needed a next-generation solution that would allow us to better manage our labour budget while increasing associate engagement. Legion’s platform showed us we didn’t have to compromise,” says Jocelyn Konrad, Chief at Dollar Tree Stores and Enterprise Operations.

“With Legion’s support, we are enhancing our workforce operations to improve our associate workflows while delivering genuine value for our business.”

“By automating thousands of routine tasks across more than 9,000 stores, the Legion WFM platform will help Dollar Tree drive consistent execution and improve performance at scale,” says Sanish Mondkar, CEO at Legion Technologies.

“The platform also enhances compliance through powerful automation and visibility tools across multiple jurisdictions, while delivering advanced demand forecasting to optimise labour utilisation and ensure appropriate staffing levels.”

9. Sainsbury's Rugby store notches up a Smartshop Pay on Handset technology first following trial

Sainsbury’s Rugby supermarket has become the first complete trial store for the UK grocery giant’s Smartshop Pay on Handset technology.

A pilot launched earlier this year, with shoppers able to pay directly on handheld SmartShop devices, skipping the need to go to the checkout.

While app users have been able to pay on their smartphones since 2022, the initiative marks the first time Sainsbury’s customers are able to complete payment in-store without using a traditional till.

In a LinkedIn post, Rosie Winning, Lead Customer Experience Manager at Sainsbury’s, said: “Something exciting is coming to Rugby….Smartshop Pay on Handset will launch on Monday 13th October.”

She added: “Great day this week to get some of the teams together to discuss how we impact our customers, expand the customer journey and deliver improved technologies for a streamlined front end.”

“We are extremely proud and excited to be the first complete trial store for this technology. The support teams have been instrumental and fantastic in helping us get ready to launch.”

10. 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards winners announced, including Tesco, White Stuff, and EE

VoCoVo, Everseen, Sensei, Gander, Iceland, Olio, Trust Retail, East of England Co-op, Lekkerland SE, Poq, Mamas & Papas, Varner, Sitoo, and Zebra Technologies were among the winners last night at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, STRATACACHE, VenHub, 3D Cloud, EdTech Innovation Hub, and Retail Technology Show.

We received a record number of entries this year and many fantastic examples of the continued resilience and dynamism of the retail space during hugely challenging times.

Our 2025 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, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our 2025 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended last night’s gathering.