A Very AI Christmas: these are our biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn right now
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we power towards the 30,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Rezolve Ai, Not On The High Street, Polytag, Waitrose & Partners, Debenhams Group, Peak, Superdrug, Just Eat, and JD Sports.
Howe Gu announces exit from Microsoft for SVP Partnerships Ecosystems role at Rezolve Ai
Howe Gu has joined Rezolve Ai (a specialist in conversational commerce for retail and e-commerce) as Senior Vice President of Partnerships & Ecosystems.
He was previously at Microsoft where he spent seven and a half years, holding various roles, most recently EMEA Head & MD, RCG Industry & Partner Sales. Gu has also worked at PwC and Deloitte.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “For nearly a year during my time at Microsoft, I had the privilege of working alongside the Rezolve AI team, gaining a firsthand look at their vision, technology, and drive. That experience made it clear that Rezolve AI is a company redefining what’s possible at the intersection of commerce and artificial intelligence - and I couldn’t be more thrilled to officially join the team”
He added that the company is “transforming the way global brands engage with their customers through its AI first platform, delivering human level conversational experiences, smarter product discovery, seamless checkout, and unified customer journeys.”
Not On The High Street launches AI shopping assistant The Curator just in time for Christmas
Online marketplace, Not On The High Street, has announced the launch of a new AI shopping assistant, The Curator.
Available through its app from today, this lets customers find items they didn't know existed from the thousands of small brands on the Not On The High Street site. This means that shoppers will be able to consolidate multiple searches and browsing sessions for gifts, or general products they want to buy.
They will be able to search using natural language. For example, a customer can type: “I need a stylish Christmas gift under £40 for my sister who loves gardening”, and The Curator will select a range of relevant, shoppable results which can then be refined.
People can build a shortlist of products that can be saved and referred back to at a later date. Beyond Christmas, The Curator is pitched as a valuable shopping assistant for many occasions, from birthday gifting to decorating a new flat, or buying supplies for an upcoming party.
Once customers have recommendations for a gift, for example their sister’s upcoming birthday, they can add their favourites to a shortlist and come back to them in the app whenever they need, whilst also being able to go back to the original chat and refine the search.
Currys wraps electronic shelf edge labels roll-out across stores in tie up with SOLUM and Vestcom
Currys reports that electronic shelf edge labels are now live in all of its 295 stores across the UK and Ireland.
In a LinkedIn post, Martin Raper, Head of Operational Excellence for UK and Ireland at Currys, said: "This is a huge investment and a game-changing step for our stores. Massive thanks to our partners SOLUM and Vestcom for their incredible support in delivering what is already an award winning innovation."
He added: "The benefits are clear: Greater agility in pricing; Over 400,000 hours saved in manual pricing tasks; More time for our colleagues to do what matters most, serving our customers. This milestone is a testament to how technology can transform retail operations and enhance customer experience.”
“So many great people have helped us get to this point. It is a very proud moment for the team and the future of retail at Currys!"
Polytag plastic recycling technology live and scaling across Waitrose & Partners stores in the UK
Waitrose has extended its plastic recycling partnership with Polytag into a UK wide scheme.
In doing so, it becomes the first high street supermarket to deploy invisible recycling tags at scale. These have been added to plastic packaing on the majority of its own label fresh milk range.
The move follows a trial announced earlier this year.
Denise Mathieson, Head of Packaging Design & Delivery at Waitrose, said at the time: “We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment and finding innovative solutions to improve the recyclability of our packaging. Joining Polytag's Ecotrace Programme is a significant step forward in enhancing our ability to track and understand the journey of our plastic packaging post-consumption.”
“By leveraging Polytag’s technology, we will gain unprecedented insights into how our packaging is recycled, allowing us to make more informed decisions that support a circular economy.”
“This initiative aligns with our ongoing sustainability efforts and reinforces our dedication to reducing single use plastic waste. We are excited to collaborate with Polytag and other retailers to drive meaningful change at an industry level, ultimately contributing to a more transparent and effective recycling system in the UK.”
In a LinkedIn post, Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag, said of the nationwide deployment: "Absolutely buzzing. Polytag is live and scaling across Waitrose & Partners. If you’ve ever wondered, “is it worth rinsing out my milk bottles and recycling them…?”, we see you! Keep going! With the Polytag UV tag detection network activated across the UK we are enabling brands like Waitrose & Partners to prove - at barcode level - that their customers are great at recycling."
Debenhams Group taps Peak agentic AI technology as it looks to stay ahead of festive demand
Debenhams Group - home to PrettyLittleThing, boohoo, boohooMAN, Karen Millen and Debenhams - has introduced a new artificial intelligence solution to help manage sales, stock and pricing more effectively across its brands.
The agentic AI solution, created in partnership with Peak, can predict and guide decisions - and act on them autonomously - with the aim of saving the merchandising team time each month and increasing the speed and accuracy of decision-making across brands.
Debenhams Group first partnered with Peak in June to explore how AI could enhance product pricing and promotions.
Dan Finley, CEO at Debenhams Group, says: “As a digital first retailer, we’re embracing AI to make smarter, faster decisions that simplify our operations and enhance the customer experience. This technology will transform how we manage stock and pricing - especially during the busy festive season - and help us continue to deliver great value and service across all our brands.”
Health and beauty retailer Superdrug announces new exclusive partnership with Just Eat
Superdrug reports a new exclusive UK partnership with Just Eat to bring customers on demand delivery of over 8,000 products, including beauty, fragrance, baby care and medicine, in as little as 30 minutes.
This year, Superdrug has been the most searched high street retailer on Just Eat yet to join the platform.
From November, shoppers in selected postcodes will be able to order from 29 Superdrug stores including, Marble Arch, Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre and Bristol Gallagher Retail Park, with the plan to be nationwide by March next year.
Superdrug’s Chief Operating Officer, Simon Comins, says: “We’re thrilled to partner with Just Eat, bringing our customers their favourite products straight to their door in 30 minutes or less. It’s no surprise that Superdrug is the most searched retailer on the platform, and this partnership perfectly supports our goal to make shopping with us as seamless and convenient as possible, wherever and however our customers choose to shop.”
JD Sports veteran and CX specialist Dan McGrath added to 2026 RTIH AI in Retail Awards judging panel
We're hugely pleased to announce the addition of Dan McGrath to the judging panel for the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by 3D Cloud and EdTech Innovation Hub.
With nearly 16 years at JD Sports and an entire career in retail, Dan is a recognised leader in retail technology and innovation. As Head of Customer Operations, he focuses on how emerging technologies can transform customer experiences and empower employees to perform at their best.
A true futurist, Dan explores the intersection of digital and physical retail, continually seeking ways to make the shopping journey more seamless, connected, and human.
Welcome onboard, Dan!
Don't delay, enter today!
The RTIH AI in Retail Awards is now open for entries. Deadline for submissions is Friday, 5th December. It’s free to enter and you can do so across multiple categories.
Check out categories and entry forms here.
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.
With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, 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, 29th January. 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.
ETIH Awards 2026 shines a light on higher education campus physical retail technology innovation
RTIH’s sister site, EdTech Innovation Hub, recently announced the launch of its inaugural ETIH Innovation Awards, celebrating excellence in global education technology, with a particular focus on workforce development, AI integration, and innovative learning solutions across all stages of education.
The awards recognise the companies, platforms, and individuals driving innovation and transformation in this fast moving space, whether through personalised learning, upskilling tools, or powerful digital platforms that prepare students and professionals for the future.
Categories include Campus Retail Innovation. This focuses on technology deployments enabling retail experiences to thrive on educational establishment campuses, even as online shopping continues to grow.
ETIH is looking for examples of cutting-edge technology that reduces friction in the customer journey, appealing to tech savvy students and staff members, and catering to their fast paced lives - for instance, checkout-free stores, contactless payments, and autonomous deliveries.
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