Including AiFi, Qsic, and Yapily: 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 sail past the 20,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Rituals UK and Ireland, Currys, Adyen, Circle K, RELEX Solutions, Tortilla Mexican Grill, Rovertown, and Sodexo.

Industry veteran Adrian Sherry takes on loss prevention role at luxury brand Rituals UK and Ireland

Adrian Sherry has started a new position as Loss Prevention Manager UK & Ireland at Rituals UK & Ireland, describing it as "a dream opportunity to be a part of such a fabulous success story".

He was previously at Next, joining as Regional Loss Prevention Manager - Scotland, before becoming Security Solutions and Compliance Manager and finally Head of Security Solutions.

Sherry's CV also includes stints at Argos and Home Retail Group (as Security Solutions Manager).

Erin DaSilva departs SunStop to take on Customer Success Manager role at mobile retail firm Rovertown

Mobile app platform Rovertown reports that Erin DaSilva has joined its team as a Customer Success Manager.

She was previously at SunStop, where she led the brand’s mobile app and rewards programme, growing it to more than 120,000 users across 81 stores in three US states.

“I’ve been in the retailer’s seat, so I know how important it is to have a strong partner when launching and managing a mobile app,” says DaSilva. “Rovertown has built something truly special, and I’ve seen firsthand how their platform transforms customer engagement. I’m excited to help retailers maximise their success and bring my experience to a team that shares my passion for innovation.”

Prior to her time at SunStop, DaSilva held marketing and operations roles at Burger King, Jimmy John’s, and Monster Energy, specialising in consumer engagement, guerrilla marketing, and corporate training initiatives.

Here's why Currys' work on TikTok is one of the biggest social media success stories of recent times

Currys recently hit 200,000 followers on TikTok, leading Niall McGarry, Founder at Fabric Social, to flag up "the work between our two teams that has been widely regarded as the biggest social media success story of recent times".

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "This is a true best in class example of a heritage business embracing the opportunity that consistently presents itself in the chaoticly disruptive era we now live through.  A platform specific approach, adopting trends in their infancy, an inate understanding of the venacular of now, and nourishing not managing when it comes to community, have all been instrumental."

McGarry praised an initiative that has resulted in 100 million + organic views, millions of likes, comments and shares, and countless endorsement opinion pieces on LinkedIn, international TV and radio coverage, which have all, in part, contributed to the overall health of the Currys business.

Yapily inks deal to power Adyen European merchant services with Open Banking technology

Open Banking infrastructure platform, Yapily, has agreed a partnership with PayTech firm Adyen.

The latter says it will use the former's data features to "streamline onboarding and strengthen account verification, giving even more merchants across Europe a faster, more seamless, secure experience". 

This also marks the beginning of a relationship in which Yapily and Adyen will continue to explore additional Open Banking driven services, including creditworthiness assessments for loan decisions and beyond.

Adyen will go live with Yapily’s data products in various European regions which will be embedded into its Open Banking product, and offered via a standalone solution. 

Qsic names in-store retail media veteran Marc Walkin as firm's new Vice President of Marketing

Qsic, an in-store audio platform tapping GenAI audio and data intelligence, reports that Marc Walkin has joined the company as its new Vice President of Marketing.

“As retailers look to turn on new revenue streams, in-store retail media is emerging as the next major growth area, presenting a massive opportunity for audio as an advertising channel,” says Matt Elsley, Co-founder and CEO at Qsic. “We have ambitious plans to expand into new markets, introduce new capabilities and bring more awareness to the value of audio, and Marc has the experience to execute them.”

Walkin brings expertise in retail media and brand marketing to the company, having helped to build and scale retail and CPG brands, including Stop & Shop, Popcorners, Beech-Nut and Staples. He also co-founded Turbyne, a retail media platform spun out of Advantage Solutions, and helped lead the company to a strategic acquisition by Colateral in 2024.

Circle K taps RELEX Diagnostics to help improve store performance across European network

RELEX Solutions has expanded its collaboration with Circle K. RELEX Diagnostics will be implemented by the retailer to support the improvement of visibility into root causes of stockouts and increasing product availability.  

With over 4,800 stores operating under the Circle K brand in Europe, Circle K has a broad retail network offering fuel, electric vehicle charging stations, fresh food and beverages.

Since partnering with RELEX in 2016,  it has rolled out a unified set up for space planning and supply chain optimisation across its European business units. In addition to this, demand forecasting and replenishment will be implemented at Circle K and Couche-Tard in the US and Canada. 

With RELEX Diagnostics, Circle K will benefit from functionality that is integrated with the planning processes and offers detailed insights into the reasons for stockouts and spoilage. This includes root causing that spans end-to-end operations, indicating whether supplier performance is the main factor, for example, or if pack size is causing issues, or in-store balance corrections are affecting KPIs. 

With this information, RELEX can help Circle K understand the root causes and then focus on fixing those issues with the relevant parties. Circle K offers a variety of perishable and fast selling products, and with this added end-to-end visibility, it can take steps towards more precise management of inventory for improved KPIs. 

Sodexo taps AiFi spatial intelligence tech for launch of Australia's first remote autonomous store

AiFi reports deployment of its spatial intelligence platform with Sodexo for an autonomous store at a Rio Tinto mining village in Western Australia.

In a LinkedIn post, Sodexo said: "We officially launched Australia's first remote autonomous store, and it was smiles all around. From chatting with residents about the cutting-edge technology behind the store to soaking in the great vibes brought by the Red Bull DJ spinning some awesome tunes, it was a grand opening to remember."

It added: "To make the day even sweeter, we ran a draw where five lucky residents scored gift cards to enjoy shopping at the store - congrats to the winners! Plus, the freebies (thanks to Red Bull and Coca-Cola) and delicious snacks made sure no one left empty handed. We're excited to bring more choices, more convenience, and happier residents."

Usman Ali and Auctor Group bring retail technology innovation firepower to Tortilla Mexican Grill

Restaurant brand Tortilla Mexican Grill has added Usman Ali to its board as a Non-Executive Director. The move comes as Auctor Group joins as a major shareholder.

Ali is Managing Partner at Auctor and Board Director at KAIKAKU.

In a LinkedIn post, Tortilla Mexican Grill said: "Usman and the Auctor team bring serious innovation firepower to the table, including their work with KAIKAKU, a pioneer in automation, AI, and cutting-edge restaurant tech."

"Tech is a key lever for our future growth. We’ve already introduced self-service kiosks and next-gen food prep equipment, and with Auctor’s backing, we’ll continue exploring automation, AI, and advanced efficiencies to level up the Tortilla experience."

Quilvest Capital Partners, a private equity firm that first invested in Tortilla in 2011, has sold its 20% stake to Auctor, a technology holding company, as part of the winding down of its fund. Consequently, Loeiz Lagadec, the Non-Executive Director who represented Quilvest's interest will step down from the Tortilla board.

Frasers Group Chief Customer Officer David Clark joins AI specialist Selectika as strategic advisor

Selectika, an AI driven personalisation platform for fashion and e-commerce, reports that David Clark, Chief Customer Officer at Sports Direct owner Frasers Group, has joined the company as a strategic advisor.

He comments: “I am thrilled to be joining Selectika at such a pivotal time. The company is at the forefront of AI powered personalisation, and I believe its innovative approach will have a significant impact on the fashion retail sector. I look forward to contributing to its growth and success.”

Tali Bezalel, Co-founder and CEO at Selectika, comments:  “We are honoured to welcome David to the Selectika family. His extensive industry knowledge and proven leadership will be invaluable as we continue to expand our reach and enhance our AI driven solutions. Having him onboard marks an exciting step forward for our company.”

Including tvScientific and Amplience: eight retail technology funding rounds you need to know about

RTIH rounds up eight retail tech ventures who have recently secured significant investments in their businesses, including companies specialising in customer engagement platforms for furniture and appliance retailers, in-store audio and retail media, and resale technology.