2026 RTIH AI in Retail Awards finalists assemble!: bringing you the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including Jysk, Sensei, Channel3, Instacart, Seasalt Cornwall, Fanatics, Liquid Death, Stuart, Algori, CeX, and Just Eat.

DKK 2 billion...GTT Communications, a networking and security as a service provider, has announced a partnership with home furnishing retailer Jysk.

This is pitched as an essential step in Jysk’s digital transformation, creating a high performance network built on GTT’s global tier 1 backbone and WAN capabilities.

The solution combines ethernet and cloud connect services with the aim of delivering secure, low latency connectivity across stores, warehouses and cloud environments, supporting the retailer’s unified commerce strategy through its ongoing roll-out of a single omnichannel platform connecting stores, e-commerce, customer service centers and delivery operations across the globe.  

Jysk, part of the family owned Lars Larsen Group, has grown its footprint to operate more than 3,600 stores and web shops across 50 countries, with further expansion planned. To underpin this, the company is investing more than DKK 2 billion in IT infrastructure, connectivity and cloud initiatives over the coming years.

1...Sensei reports that it is equipping what is pitched as the first 100% autonomous healthcare store in Europe.

Located in Parque das Nações, in Lisbon, the new Pharma&Go store is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

With 90 m² and a grab and go model, shoppers can check in with a bank card at the entrance and move freely around the space, which is organised like a conventional store.

The technology implemented, based on artificial intelligence and computer vision, operates without personal cameras, biometric identification or the collection of data that could compromise privacy. Products taken from the shelves are identified in real-time, as is the automatic updating of each customer’s digital basket. Upon exit, the amount is charged to the card, with no need to use a checkout.

“The opening of the first 100% autonomous healthcare store in Europe shows how artificial intelligence and computer vision can transform entire sectors, creating faster, more convenient and safer ways to shop. For Sensei, it is an important milestone to apply this technology to a segment as sensitive as health and well-being, reinforcing our mission to make retail smarter and more human-centric,” says Vasco Portugal, CEO and Co-founder at Sensei.

$6 million...Channel3 has announced a $6 million seed round led by Matrix, with participation from Ludlow Ventures, Paul Graham, Sri Batchu (former CMO of TheRealReal) and Matteo Franeschetti (founder of EightSleep).

“AI driven shopping is only as powerful as the data it can act on,” says Alexander Schiff, Co-founder and CEOat  Channel3. “Developers building agentic commerce applications often get stuck on product data because collecting and maintaining it is too difficult and expensive. We handle the infrastructure layer, so developers can focus on building the best user experience.” 

George Lawrence, Co-founder and CTO, comments: “Product data has always been a problem that no one has fully solved. Now, with multimodal AI models smart enough to understand products and inexpensive enough to operate at scale, Channel3 is making product data reliable, structured and actionable. This enables developers to build AI shopping experiences that are frictionless, intelligent and scalable.”

“The team at Channel3 is tackling a generational opportunity that we firmly believe will become the foundational layer for the agentic commerce era,” says Kojo Osei, Partner at Matrix. ”We’re proud to partner with this team as they lead the charge in a massive, emerging market.”

Schiff and Lawrence met at Duke University, where they co-founded their first startup together. Schiff led AI projects at Studio.comafter working at Microsoft, and Lawrence, a former Palantir engineer, co-founded Channel3.

36 and 62...Just Eat Takeaway.com reports a global expansion of its retail partnership with second-hand gaming and electronics retailer CeX.

Following a launch in the UK earlier this year, the service is launching in Ireland with 36 CeX stores available on the Just Eat app, and simultaneously expanding into Spain, where 62 CeX stores are now available.

These locations join the network of 376 CeX stores already selling on the Just Eat platform across the UK.

€3.6 million...Algori, a purchase and behavioural data platform built for the FMCG industry, has secured €3.6 million in additional growth capital.

The round attracted new investors including Red Bull Ventures, Tech Transfer Agrifood (Clave capital), Co-Invest Capital, AttaPoll, and Firstpick, and also saw participation from existing backers Shilling, Flashpoint, and Change Ventures.

The company’s investor base also includes Jared Schrieber, co-founder of InfoScout and former Numerator board member, who led Numerator to its $1.5 billion acquisition by Kantar.

The funding will support Algori’s planned European and Latin American expansion. It will also bolster its shopper panel capabilities and accelerate development of new AI enabled insights solutions.

Andrius Juozapaitis, Co-founder and CEO at Algori, says: “The shopper panel industry is undergoing a structural shift. Manufacturers and retailers want more granular data delivered faster, and traditional panels simply cannot do that at the depth required.”

“Our approach diverges by combining artificial intelligence technology, scale, and data recency. Outside of VC funds, we’re now backed by FMCG companies intent on solving their own data challenges. It’s an enormous endorsement from within the industry, and proof FMCG stakeholders understand the value of the most granular, high frequency purchase insights platform for Europe and beyond.”

1...We're pleased to present the finalists and shortlists for the inaugural RTIH AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by 3D Cloud, EdTech Innovation Hub, and Retail Technology Show.

Congratulations to all those who made it through the initial submission process. We received a huge number of impressive entries highlighting companies across the retail landscape who are not only recognising the potential of AI, but also making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

It’s now over to our judging panel who will decide the winners to be announced at the RTIH AI in Retail Awards Ceremony, taking place  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, presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Lucy Porter.

To book your place at the RTIH AI in Retail Awards Ceremony, click here.

80%...Last year, the opening week of December saw the highest volume of UK customer returns on record, with an 80% rise in items sent back after the Black Friday period. Research from ReBound Returns shows that the first days of this December are following a similar pattern.

Black Friday on 28th November saw a record of 11.9 million transactions, according to Nationwide. ReBound notes that, although shoppers make the most of Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers, a sizeable share of items are later returned. Earlier findings from

ReBound, based on a YouGov survey of 2,000 consumers in October 2024, indicate that roughly one in three shoppers send back purchases made during these events.

In 2024, returns peaked on Monday 2nd December, coinciding with Cyber Monday. Many Black Friday deals were available earlier in the week, allowing orders to arrive and be returned quickly. Early data for 2025 shows a similar surge on Monday 1st December.

A second spike occurred in early January 2025, with returns rising 59% on average, reflecting the impact of Christmas and Boxing Day purchases.

1...Instacart says that it is the first grocery partner to launch an app on ChatGPT and the first to offer an embedded, end-to-end shopping and Instant Checkout, all within the context of a ChatGPT conversation.

The aim here is to make it easier for people to go from meal inspiration to doorstep delivery, using Instacart’s real-time grocery network and fulfillment capabilities with the help of OpenAI frontier model capabilities. 

“Instacart and ChatGPT are redefining what’s possible in AI powered shopping,” says Anirban Kundu, Chief Technology Officer at Instacart.

“Built on Agentic Commerce Protocol, this experience brings intelligent, real-time support to one of the most essential parts of daily life: getting groceries to feed your family.”

“Together, we’re creating a seamless and secure way for people to turn simple conversations into real-world action, helping customers go from inspiration to a full cart delivered from the store to their door with ease.”

“With the Instacart app directly in ChatGPT, users can go from meal planning to checkout in a single, seamless conversation,” says Nick Turley, VP, Head of ChatGPT. “It’s another step toward bringing our vision to life - where AI delivers helpful suggestions and connects directly to real-world services, saving people time and effort in their everyday lives.”

The Instacart ChatGPT app experience with Instant Checkout is currently available on desktop and mobile web; the Instacart ChatGPT app is available on iOS and Android, with Instant Checkout rolling out to these native platforms in the coming weeks.

$1.25 million...Canadian AI software company Tracktile has announced a $1.25 million seed investment as it looks to redefine how F&B manufacturing teams interact with software.

The company's AI Operating System acts as a collaborative partner, automating data collection and providing predictive, real-time insights that aim to elevate human decision-making.

Tracktile enables F&B manufacturing teams to digitise production runs, trace materials in real-time, and complete audits or recalls with a single click.

The seed funding round was led by BDC Seed Venture Fund and Island Capital Partners, with participation from Graphite Ventures. The capital injection will enable Tracktile to enhance its AI capabilities, expand its sales team, deepen its footprint across North American food and beverage manufacturers and grow into other complex manufacturing segments.

"Manufacturers need tools that don't just collect data, but guarantee a return on investment," says Jordan Rose, CEO and Co-founder at Tracktile. "This funding allows us to embed deeper intelligence that converts real-time visibility into actionable cost savings, moving the conversation from ‘what may be happening’ to verified, measurable outcomes and slashing manual data entry across the plant."

1.1%...Liquid Death launched on Amazon last week, with the company's head honcho laying claim to a killer start to life (geddit?) on the site.

In a LinkedIn post, Mike Cessario, Founder and CEO, said: "Just in. Liquid Death energy drink sales on Amazon for our first week of launch last week."

"In one week, LD was able to capture 1.1% market share of the energy category on Amazon. Very solid first week for a new brand launch with just four SKUs in a massive retailer. And this was not with any viral content. Just an Instagram product photo, email blasts, and some Amazon digital ads."

"The actual Liquid Death energy marketing machine, viral content, and media doesn't fire up until January when it begins to hit brick and mortar retail. Big congrats to the entire LD team for orchestrating such a great first retail launch for energy."

5...Retailers could be missing out on big ticket impulse sales this December, according to Stuart, with its partner results showing shoppers spend nearly five times more when delivery isn’t a barrier.

It warns that “carry home friction” is still stopping people from acting on spontaneous purchases, costing retailers valuable margin at the most important trading moment of the year.

“Impulse is incredibly valuable at Christmas, but retailers only see the benefit if they remove the friction that stops shoppers following through,” says Ricardo Amorim, Chief Revenue Officer at Stuart. “When customers worry about carrying heavy or awkward items home, they hesitate and that hesitation means lost sales.”

The company estimates that a significant proportion of potential impulse purchases, especially bulky or heavy items, never make it to the till because shoppers don’t want the hassle of carrying them home.

Through partnerships with various UK retailers, it enables customers to browse in-store as usual, choose whatever appeals in the moment and then book either a same-day or next-day delivery slot to get everything home later.

104 and 39...Fanatics, a sports platform and provider of licensed sports merchandise, has been selected by FIFA to serve as the official on-site retail licensee for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

It will be managing in-venue retail operations for 104 matches across 39 days in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 marks the first time the tournament has spanned three countries simultaneously and will feature an expanded field of 48 competing nations with matches hosted across 16 cities. In addition to in-venue retail, Fanatics will also build out bespoke retail experiences at official FIFA Fan Festival locations within host cities.

20...Congratulations to Adam Cotgreave who is celebrating 20 years at Seasalt Cornwall.

He joined the retailer in December 2005, has held a number of roles over the years, and is currently serving as CIO.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "Yesterday (Friday, 5th) marked 20 years since my first day at Seasalt. Back in 2005, Don’t Cha by the Pussycat Dolls was number one, and most of my day was spent picking Crocs in the warehouse and entering wholesale orders, received by fax, into the Futura OMS. Both the world and Seasalt have changed a bit since then."

"I feel very fortunate to have worked with some brilliant, kind, thoughtful, and very smart people over these two decades. I've been supported, challenged, taught, and helped turn a job into something much bigger than I ever expected it to be."

He added: "I’m genuinely grateful to everyone I’ve worked with along the way. Seasalt has grown, evolved, and surprised us all, and it’s been a joy to be part of a journey that has built something in our brand that I consider to be very special and unique."

"Retail is brutal, relentless and unforgiving. In fact, I'm currently trying to figure out why the daily sales report hasn't been published yet. But something gets us up day after day to try and make things better for our customers, and I expect I'll be doing that for a few more years yet, but perhaps not another 20!"