Cracker Barrel crumbles and Attabotics arises: our most read retail technology articles from September
Check out our most clicked retail technology articles from last month, including M&S, Asda, Focal Systems, Unity Coffee, Currys, Solum, Vestcom, Lafayette Engineering, and the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
2025 RTIH Innovation Awards: finalists revealed, winners to be announced this month
We're pleased to present the finalists and shortlists for the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, STRATACACHE, 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.
Congratulations to all those who made it through the initial submission process!
It’s now over to our judging panel who will decide the winners to be announced at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London.
The event will be held on Thursday, 16th October and consist of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
Book your place at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony on Thursday, 16th October here.
NFL and Fanatics prep temporary Dublin store ahead of inaugural game at Croke Park this month
The National Football League (NFL) and Fanatics, its retail partner, opened a temporary store in Dublin ahead of the sport’s inaugural game at Croke Park on 28th September.
Located at St Stephen’s Green, the 600 sqm pop-up opened on 23rd September for six days, offering fans a chance to shop official NFL jerseys, apparel, and merchandise from all 32 teams.
The city centre store will also sell exclusive 2025 NFL Dublin game merchandise as well as limited edition local collaborations.
Lafayette Engineering inks agreement to acquire Attabotics following bankruptcy filing
In early July, we reported on the spectacular rise and fall of Attabotics, a Canadian warehouse automation systems specialist which had inked a major agreement with Tesco, and also filed for bankruptcy.
And now court filings show that Attabotics has entered an asset purchase agreement dated 17th September with Lafayette Systems.
In a LinkedIn post, Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive, observed that the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta has issued an approval and vesting order for 22nd September, authorising the sale of substantially all assets to Lafayette Systems and vesting title on closing.
“The sale price was not disclosed but is estimated to be around $20 million. When I broke the story that Attabotics was going out of business, I estimated the winning bid would be $30 million or more,” Ladd commented.
“LaFayette Engineering specialises in the design/installation of conveyor controls, high speed sortation, robotics integration, and warehouse automation software/services. They’re considered to be one of the best engineering and automation firms in the US,” he added.
Ladd continued: “Robert Robbins is the CEO and owner of LaFayette Engineering. Bruce Robbins is the President. Robert and Bruce Robbins are respected and highly capable executives. I’m very familiar with their accomplishments, and I have tremendous respect for both individuals and the company. I believe Attabotics is a great fit for LaFayette Engineering.”
There were six bidders vying to acquire Attabotics. The identities have been sealed.
Chief Digital and Technology Officer Rachel Higham departs M&S in wake of devastating cyber attack
M&S Chief Digital and Technology Officer Rachel Higham is leaving the retailer months after a cyber attack hit its systems at a cost of hundreds of millions of pounds.
Conducted by a group called Scattered Spider, this brought its online operations to a halt and resulted in empty shelves in stores.
A former WPP and BT Group executive, Higham was appointed by M&S in 2014. In an internal memo, it said she was "stepping back from her role…Rachel has been a steady hand and calm head at an extraordinary time for the business, and we wish her well for the future.”
At the time of the appointment, Stuart Machine, M&S Chief Executive, pictured below, said that Higham joining the business, along with Mark Lemming becoming International Managing Director, “reflected the importance of Digital & Technology and capital light International growth to the next phase of our transformation. As I set out at our recent Capital Markets Day, we have more to do in both of these areas and so much opportunity.”
Unity Coffee takes on big hitters with launch of self-service product developed on a FinTech platform
Unity Coffee, a new self-service offering, is launching in the UK and aiming to take on industry giants with mobile first coffee machines.
Developed by Coffee Nation entrepreneur Scott Martin, Unity Coffee claims to offer better coffee, better value and a “smarter digital experience” thanks to a combination of premium ingredients, automation and a smarter digital experience.
Unity Coffee machines are connected to the brand’s mobile app, with the goal of enabling agile pricing, real-time promotions, and personalised content. These aim to provide consistency across espresso, specialty coffee drinks, matcha, and hot chocolate with both dairy and plant-based milk options.
Currys connects with Solum and Vestcom for electronic shelf edge labelling roll-out in its UK&I stores
Currys is investing in the roll-out of electronic shelf edge labels (ESEL) in its stores across the UK and Ireland.
Delivered in partnership with ESEL solution supplier Solum and Vestcom for data integration and software, the move forms part of Currys’ push to support colleagues in their day-to-day roles, while making it easier for its customers to shop.
The new ESELs replace traditional paper price tags with dynamic digital displays, offering customers real-time pricing, clearer product information and easy-to-scan QR codes for more information.
Behind the scenes, a centralised system enables pricing accuracy and consistency across all channels. This is currently available in over 150 stores, with full roll-out expected by 13th November. The investment was inspired by Elkjop3 in the Nordics, which already uses ESEL technology.
Asda kicks off trial of Focal Systems AI powered store shelf scanning cameras in five locations
Asda has deployed AI powered cameras from Focal Systems that scan shelves on an hourly basis to detect in-stocks, out-of-stocks, lows, and if products are in the wrong spot.
A trial is currently underway at five of the UK grocery giant’s stores.
The cameras are placed on poles on top shelves in stores and can monitor around eight feet of shelf space opposite. Shout out to Steve Dresser, CEO at Grocery Insight, for bringing this to our attention.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I remain unconvinced on this technology. Battery life requires the swap out of physical batteries, the resolution on the images is low and it's far too easy to game this system also. (IE facing over). It relies on stores informing Focal the plan has been changed (why?) and fundamentally it will always end up with central teams monitoring the stores.”
He added: “Sure they may not at the start, but there's the optionality....I remain concerned by the ability to zero stock files based on imagery alone and alert after alert each hour just makes teams responsive, not reactive.”
Cracker Barrel logo change backlash boosted by sophisticated social media disinformation campaign
Lowe, now 93, founded the US roadside restaurant with his friend Dan Evins in 1969 in Lebanon, Tennessee, to serve country food to interstate travellers.
A new text only logo was recently unveiled, which removed Uncle Herschel (aka the 'Old Timer') leaning on a barrel. This has now been binned after accusations that Cracker Barrel was abandoning its roots.
Supply chain consultant, Brittain Ladd, said: "I was against Cracker Barrel hiring Julie Felss Masino to be CEO. Masino’s “woke” reputation from her prior employers (which includes Taco Bell) was well known. What happened isn’t a surprise to anyone who worked with Masino in the past."
"Cracker Barrel has always been more than a roadside restaurant - it’s been a brand that embodies comfort, familiarity, and tradition for millions of Americans. Its customers return because it feels like home.
To Masino, the tradition needed to change. It’s more than that, actually. Masino wants to erase its history and start over. Her way."
"When a company experiments with its brand identity, it takes a risk. But when those changes signal a lack of understanding of its customers’ values and culture, it goes from risk to outright failure. Nothing frustrates customers more than when they believe a company doesn’t “get them.” The decision to move away from the original logo - and then quickly revert - wasn’t just a branding blunder. It was a sign of leadership that didn’t listen, didn’t respect, and didn’t truly understand the heartbeat of its customer base."
It might have looked like everyone hated the change. But according to Cyabra research, a sophisticated disinformation campaign targeted Cracker Barrel across social media platforms, particularly X.
This found that 21% of attacking profiles were fake, running a coordinated campaign. They pushed boycotts, targeted the CEO, and drove outrage that contributed to a 10.5% stocks drop (~$100 million lost in days).
“What’s alarming is how real these fakes looked - framing the change as betrayal, amplifying boycotts, and sparking genuine engagement. Just a few hundred fake accounts generated 4.4 million views and thousands of real engagements,” says Dan Brahmy, Co-founder and CEO at Cyabra.
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