Morrisons notches up a supermarket ESLs deployment first: the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including VusionGroup, Amazon, Central Co-op, Retail Insight, Yaga, Quadient, Evri, ZigZag, Bealls, Flexa, Frasers Group, Shopify, Asda, Primark, and Wonder.

1…The very first Primark store in the Middle East opened this week, at The Avenues shopping mall in Kuwait.

“This is a huge milestone, our first franchise store and our 18th international market, is made possible through the incredible partnership with Alshaya Group and the dedication of so many teams across Primark - this has truly been a cross-functional effort. Thank you to everyone who’s played a part in making it happen,” says Stephen Regan, Group Board Executive at Primark.

“Wishing Team Kuwait the very best as they welcome our first customers today (23rd October). We can’t wait to see how shoppers respond to our unique mix of great value, style and everyday essentials. And with more stores to come across the region, starting with Dubai Mall next year, this is only the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Primark in the Middle East.”

10.8 million...Morrisons is partnering with VusionGroup to roll-out electronic shelf labels across all of its 497 stores, becoming the first large UK supermarket group to adopt the technology across its entire estate.

VusionGroup will install 10.8 million smart electronic shelf labels in total.

These will eliminate traditional paper labels throughout the store, providfing price and product information. ESLs will also ensure Morrisons More Card savings and offers are instantly communicated to customers at the shelf edge.

The technology will integrate with Morrisons digital shelf-edge cameras, to guide colleagues to product gaps, speeding up shelf replenishment and integrating with e-commerce applications to make online picking easier and more accurate.

Morrisons will also work with VusionGroup to explore how to leverage the data generated across various initiatives, with the aim of identifying new opportunities to enhance store operations and customer experience.

60 million...Amazon says that it has donated and delivered more than 60 million meals, for free, to 200,000+ US and UK families from food banks across the United States and United Kingdom.

It is also extending this commitment through to 2028.

"The impact of home delivery goes beyond convenience - research shows that it can save families on average $100 monthly in time and travel costs," says Bettina Stix, Amazon's Global Director of Community Impact. "By extending home delivery through 2028, we're committing to continue using our delivery network to help ensure families have reliable access to nutritious meals."

8,800...Central Co-op, the largest independent retail co-operative in the UK, says it has prevented more than 8,800 tonnes of food waste over three years since partnering with Retail Insight.

The pair first teamed up in 2021.

Retail Insight’s WasteInsight solution uses AI and data driven insights to address the full food waste lifecycle, from forecasting and expiration management to dynamic markdowns and donation opportunities. This enables Central Co-op to sell more stock at reduced prices, minimise waste and boost in-store productivity.

Results to date since 2023 include: 8,796 tonnes of food waste avoided; 20,977,826 meals saved; 32,449,817 reduced-to-clear units sold; 23,750 tonnes of CO₂e emissions avoided.

Ben Grove, Senior Operational Excellence Manager at Central Co-op, comments: “Reducing food waste is a key part of our journey to net zero and reflects our wider commitment to sustainability, fairness and supporting the communities we serve.”

“Partnering with Retail Insight has enabled us to make a real difference - cutting carbon, keeping good food in circulation and offering better value to our members and customers. It’s a clear example of how we’re delivering on our co-operative purpose while building a more sustainable future.”

€4 million...Tallinn-based Yaga, an online marketplace for secondhand fashion, has raised €4 million in a pre-Series A funding round, bringing total funding to €7.2 million.

The round was led by Specialist VC, with support from H&M Group Ventures, Trind Ventures, Startup Wise Guys, and a group of angel investors.

In a LinkedIn post, Aune Aunapuu, Founder and CEO at Yaga, said: “I’m deeply grateful to everyone who sees the long-term value in what we’re building. I once thought a marketplace was “just a website.” It wasn’t. It’s been tough calls, ruthless prioritisation, and building an organisation. We’ve come a long way: 25-person team, €50 million+ GMV run-rate, profitable, and backed by an incredible community of supporters.”

She added: “This funding helps us explore expansion opportunities in Africa amd MENA and keep making circular fashion more accessible - and more fun.  Grateful to the Yaga team and our community for getting us here. Special shoutout to Karl Erik Kotkas - once again proving why building with a co-founder matters.”

“Secondhand isn’t an alternative or niche anymore; it’s the better choice: better for your wallet, the planet, and the community. Onward.”

2,000...Quadient reports an extended partnership with Evri.

Under the new agreement, Evri will be activating 2,000 additional Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers across the UK in the coming months.

As part of the collaboration, it will adopt a significant share of Quadient’s open locker network in the UK, including its Drop Box functionality.

“We’re committed to providing innovative delivery solutions that meet the needs of our customers.” says Pauline Potter, Director of Transformation at Evri. “By reinforcing our relationship with Quadient, we are enhancing our network of pick-up and drop-off locations, making parcel delivery and returns more accessible and convenient for consumers.”

“This forms part of our wider ambition to grow our ParcelShop and Locker network to over 25,000 locations by 2030, a move that will more than double Evri parcel drop off locations for customers and clients. Our choice of Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers aligns with our mission to stay ahead of growing parcel volumes and deliver a seamless experience for our customers.”

£1.7 billion...The number of shoppers identified as serial returners - a £6.6 billion thorn in the side of UK retailers last year - has dropped by a third, falling from 12% to 8% of all consumers, according to new research from ZigZag.

This shift has saved retailers a forecasted £1.7 billion in the value of returns generated by serial returners in 2025.

ZigZag’s research involved 100 products being ordered from the UK’s 100 largest clothing and footwear retailers. Online customer journeys were screen recorded and analysed. Each return was tracked end-to-end, producing over 4,000 data points across six pillars: ease, cost, choice, communication, speed, and sustainability.

Meanwhile, a survey of 2,000 UK consumers captured expectations around fees, refund speed, preferred channels, and sustainability.

1...Bealls, which operates more than 660 stores across the United States, has announced a new in-store payments integration with Flexa.

This will see it became the first national retailer to accept digital currencies from any crypto wallet app across more than a dozen blockchains simultaneously, supporting a range of assets from stable coins to meme coins. Shoppers will be able to pay using popular digital currencies across bealls, Bealls Florida, and Home Centric banners.

“The retail legacy that Bealls has built over the last 110 years is simply incredible, and it’s no surprise that a company with this much staying power is now adopting the most important payments technology evolution the world has ever seen,” says Trevor Filter, Co-founder at Flexa.

“We’ve truly enjoyed getting to know the Bealls team over the last few years and are delighted to have Flexa play such an important supporting role in their journey going forward.”

The integration will use Flexa Payments, a solution that provides merchants with a way to accept over 99 digital currencies, including Bitcoin, Ether, and stablecoins like USDC, from more than 300 digital currency wallets. Designed to integrate directly with existing retail systems, Flexa Payments works across mobile, in-app, and in-store contexts, with the promise of sub-second transaction speeds and automatic updates as new currencies and wallet apps are introduced.

“Digital currency will reshape how the world transacts, and Bealls is proud to be at the forefront of that transformation. Our partnership with Flexa is about more than payments; it’s about preparing for the future of commerce and continuing to innovate for the next 110 years,” says Matt Beall, Chairman and CEO at Bealls Inc.

1,000...Frasers Group recently opened Sports Direct Liverpool on Church Street, a flagship destination that brings together Sports Direct and Everlast Gyms+ under one roof.

The store is the first in its portfolio designed with ELEVATE, Frasers Group’s proprietary retail media platform, in mind, with the aim of turning every touchpoint into a real-time, data driven media channel for brands.

20+ new screens are now installed across Sports Direct, Everlast Gyms+, and FLANNELS in Liverpool.

Over the next three years, Frasers Group plans to deploy 1,000 new screens across its store estate as an initial target, as part of a three year programme of retail media expansion including expansion into Europe by year three.

9...Asda has continued the roll-out of new Express convenience stores this week, by launching nine new locations. The UK grocery giant says that the move reflects an ambition to strengthen its presence in high footfall urban areas, residential neighbourhoods, and transport hubs - locations where the retailer has traditionally had a limited presence.  

Seven new London stores will open this week at Tower Bridge, Greenwich, Limehouse Station, Harringay, Deptford, Whetstone and the former Arsenal FC club shop at Finsbury Park station.  

Outside the capital, two new locations will also launch in Botley (Southampton) and Stoke, bolstering Asda’s presence across southern and central England. 

Open daily from 6am to 11pm, customers can expect a full range of fresh, ambient and chilled groceries, alongside beers, wines and spirits.

Additional services include Costa Coffee machines, ATMs, Amazon collections and returns, and on-demand delivery options through the likes of Uber Eats, Just Eat and Deliveroo. 

All new stores will also be equipped with electronic shelf edge labels (ESLs) from day one.

9 and 56%...Profit warnings issued by listed retailers were almost double the same period of 2024, according to a report issued by EY-Parthenon.

In the third quarter of 2025, listed retailers issued nine profit warnings, the highest level since Q4 2023. Notably, 56% of these cited falling consumer sentiment as a key factor, underscoring growing concerns about weakened consumer confidence.

The listed retail sector, which encompasses companies from the FTSE retailers and FTSE personal care, drug and grocery stores sectors, is particularly vulnerable as consumers become more selective in their spending. The report highlights challenges facing listed companies in these sectors, including delayed purchases and a shift towards lower cost options, driven by rising costs and evolving consumer preferences.

Additionally, companies in the consumer discretionary and consumer staples industries, covering a combined 12 FTSE sectors, reported 24 profit warnings during the third quarter - the highest number since the same period last year (27).

$13 million...Carted is set to close this week, four years after raising $13 million. The e-commerce startup’s app informs shoppers when coveted items go on sale.

After failing to reach the scale needed to keep building the venture, the decision was made to pull the plug. Pixc founder Holly Cardew and ex-Shopify engineer Mike Angell launched it in April 2021, after working together on shoppable TikTok feeds specialist Vop.

Blackbird headed up a 2021 seed funding round, with contributions from Grok Ventures and Tidal Ventures.

In a LinkedIn post, Cardew said: “After an incredible journey, we’ve made the tough decision to close Carted. While we’ve been incredibly fortunate to have such strong support from our community, this is the moment for us to wrap up the company and carry the mission forward in new ways.”

She added: “From the very beginning, our mission has been to make shopping smarter, and more joyful. It’s been incredible to see how Carted has been used to track finds and celebrate shopping wins. A huge thank you to my team, investors and community for coming along the journey. You have all been incredible.”

75...Wonder, a food delivery and technology startup founded in 2018 and fronted by former Walmart U.S. eCommerce executive, Marc Lore, reports that it has reached 75 locations.

In a LinkedIn post, Jason Rusk, EVP Restaurant Operations, Wonder, said: "We didn’t just build restaurants - we’re building a platform that reimagines how food is made, moved, and experienced. One that blends technology, hospitality, and culinary excellence into something entirely new."

He added: "This milestone is about resilience - the courage to keep going when the playbook doesn’t exist, and the vision to turn the unimaginable into reality. To every team member, general manager, field leader, and support partner - thank you. You’ve forged the path for what’s next. 75 isn’t the finish line. It’s proof that the impossible is possible - and we’re just getting started."

1...YEEP! is laying claim to the launch of the UK's first and largest solar powered parcel locker network, with over 700 currently live nationwide.

Like its existing battery powered units, the new lockers are plug free, requiring no mains connection or groundworks. They are powered by integrated solar panels and long life rechargeable batteries that eliminate the need for replacements, reducing maintenance while extending their lifespan.

“This is another leap forward for YEEP! parcel lockers in the UK,” says Noël Shapton, YEEP! CEO and Co-Founder. “By harnessing solar power, we’ve created lockers that are not only convenient and sustainable, but truly self-sufficient, offering the same fast, flexible service for users while being completely hassle free for hosts.”

£181...Confidence in retail is rising ahead of the 2025 holiday shopping season - despite caution surrounding the autumn budget - with 80% of UK businesses expecting higher sales than last year (higher than the global average of 72%), according to Shopify’s Holiday Retail Report.

Consumer confidence is also rebounding, with planned seasonal spend in the UK up from £159 last year to £181 in 2025. 

The report is based on a survey conducted among 18,000 consumers and 7,500 owners and decision makers in businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the US.

Although confidence is positive, retailers shouldn’t mistake this for unlimited consumer appetite:

• Shoppers are disciplined with a spending cap: 63% of UK consumers have set a clear spending cap - considerably higher than the global average of 51% - and 39% will stick to it closely. 

• Emotional attitudes to shopping impact consumer intent to buy: UK consumers are equally split between feeling indifferent (26%) and nostalgic (25%) when it comes to the holiday season. Furthermore, family and friends matter to UK consumers with 52% and 36% citing them as influencing their shopping behaviours, respectively, and 40% are driven by their mood at the time of shopping.