Farewell Asda and hello RTS 2025: 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 25,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including.. Spangle, Oroton, NewStore, Co-op, Uber Eats, Coop Norge, Voyado, Omnium, Crocs India, Starship Technologies, foodora, xTool, and Heineken.

Madrona and Streamlined Ventures back AI powered e-commerce startup Spangle with $6 million seed round

Spangle has secured a $6 million seed round featuring Madrona and Streamlined Ventures.

The company is fronted by Maju Kuruvilla, who last year departed controversial one click checkout startup Bolt. It focuses on creating custom landing pages for online shoppers based on what they searched for or clicked on.

In a LinkedIn post, Spangle said: “Brands are spending millions to drive online traffic - yet the cost of every visit keeps climbing. When 40% of that paid traffic lands on generic, one size fits all experiences, ROAS hits a downward spiral.”

“To bridge the customer experience gap, we deliver self-optimising shopping journeys that are contextually relevant and adaptive based on consumer engagement in real-time. Powered by cutting-edge agentic AI and our proprietary ProductGPT, we help brands turn expensive traffic into profitable customers.”

Australian brand Oroton selects NewStore to replace its legacy PoS and order management system

Australian fashion and accessories brand. Oroton, is to roll-out NewStore's Omnichannel PoS, Omnichannel OMS, and Omnichannel Manager solutions across its 30+ stores.

It says that, by replacing its outdated, on-premise systems with a cloud-based, fully mobile SaaS platform, it will modernise the in-store experience, enhance operational efficiency, and elevate its unified commerce strategy.

“Our focus has always been on delivering exceptional customer experiences, but our old systems limited our ability to create a seamless connection between our digital channels and physical stores,” says Saurabh Bhola, CIO at Oroton.

“NewStore stood out as the clear choice to close this gap - not just for its capabilities, but for how seamlessly it integrates with our existing tech stack. Its modular design also allows us to implement at our own pace while still future-proofing our business.”

Co-op and Uber Eats shake hands on new three-year rapid grocery deliveries partnership renewal

Uber Eats and Co-op have announced a three-year extension of their quick commerce partnership.

The tie up, which started in 2022, has seen the number of Co-op stores where Uber Eats is available increase to more than 1,300.

The retailer will now extend its work with Uber Direct - Uber’s white label last mile delivery service. Uber Direct already offers a delivery service from Co-op’s own online shop, and will now work with Co-op on deliveries for orders placed via the convenience retailer’s newly launched app, Peckish, which is dedicated to supporting independent local grocery retailers in communities across the UK.   

Co-op will also continue to offer member price savings for Uber Eats users. Uber Eats was the first delivery platform to include these savings, with the former’s more than six million member-owners able to access them on approaching 200 products when ordering groceries and everyday essentials through Uber’s app.

Chris Conway, Co-op Quick Commerce Director, says: “Growing our quick commerce channel is a core part of our strategic approach, and I am delighted to extend and deepen our successful partnership with Uber Eats. Innovation is fundamental to our approach, whether extending reach and choice, creating value through member price savings, or, delivering the Peckish app to give independent grocery retailers a voice online.”

Coop Norge taps Omnium order management system to boost omnichannel shopping experience

Coop Norge has selected Omnium as its order management system (OMS) provider as part of its omnichannel transformation strategy.

The retailer has 1 250+ stores, a big membership base, and an e-commerce presence, and needed an OMS that matched its scale, complexity, and ambitions.

“We have chosen Omnium as our OMS provider due to their strong value proposition and seamless fit in our tech architecture,” says Rune Gustafsson of Coop Norge.

“This partnership will be key in optimising and streamlining our order management, strengthening Coop’s market position, and enhancing the shopping experience for our customers and members. It’s also especially exciting that Omnium is a Norwegian company with a strong local presence and deep expertise in the Nordic market. We look forward to an exciting partnership.”

Voyado research flags Brits choosing high streets and in-store shopping at every major UK retailer

Swedish retail technology platform, Voyado, has unveiled new research into UK consumer spending habits. The study, which surveyed 2,000 UK consumers, highlights the continued appeal of physical stores, even with a flourishing e-commerce landscape.

John Lewis and Next are among the few retailers where online preference exists, with 17% of consumers opting for digital shopping. At Marks & Spencer, 45% of shoppers prefer in-store visits, while UK supermarket clothing brands F&F Clothing from Tesco (50%) and George at Asda (42%) see significantly more engagement in physical retail spaces than online.  

The research also identifies key barriers to completing purchases with bad reviews (35%) and delivery costs (33%) cited as the biggest deterrents for UK consumers. Shopping behaviours vary across demographics - women are more likely than men to abandon purchases due to return fees (26% vs 18%), while generational differences also play a role. Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X are most deterred by bad reviews, whereas Boomers primarily put off by delivery fees (40%).

Crocs India 2025 campaign for Holi Hindu festival bags 300 million views on a single Instagram post

Crocs India reports that its 2025 Holi campaign has achieved 300 million views on a single Instagram post.

Featuring the reimagined Bollywood classic Rangeela Re and Indian actress Pratibha Ranta, the campaign aims to capture the spirit of Holi with high energy dance, bold colours, and festive joy.

In a LinkedIn post, Yann Le Bozec, Group VP - Head of Marketing at Crocs International, said: “Our Holi themed Jibbit  and Classic Clogs added a playful touch, allowing everyone to express their unique style. The campaign resonated with consumers, tapping into pop culture nostalgia and celebrating joyous moments. The vibrant colours and heartfelt celebrations turned the campaign into a viral sensation.”

The initiative also tapped the recent announcement that Crocs India is available for rapid delivery via Swiggy Instamart.

Le Bozec added: “Crocs delivered in ten minutes? Yes please! Thanks to our partnership with Swiggy Instamart and Apparel Group India, Crocs India makes a big step in quick commerce. But that's not all! 300 seems to be a magic number for us as alongside reaching 300 million views, our Holi campaign has also helped achieve 300,000 followers on Instagram.”

Lucy Jones says farewell to the green machine Asda as she joins SAP consultancy Resulting IT

Lucy Jones has left Asda where she has spent the last eight years, joining from Tesco and most recently serving as Project Manager. She is now heading to SAP consultancy, Resulting IT.

In a LinkedIn post, she said: "After seven and a bit years at Asda, the time has come to say goodbye to the green machine. It’s been an amazing journey full of growth, learning, and a fair share of challenges along the way."

"I started out as a graduate in Gosforth, and never could have imagined all the incredible opportunities that would come my way. I’ve had the chance to work across multiple departments in Asda House, and each experience has taught me something new. One of the standout moments for me was working on the innovation store, trialling things like holograms and personalised chocolate machines, with way too many nights spent at the Holiday Inn Express in Stevenage."

She added: "I’m also incredibly proud to have been part of the Future Programme, where I helped project manage the conversion of our convenience estate. It’s been an incredible achievement to see all 799 stores now fully converted onto the new systems.”

“Along the way, I’ve made some incredible friends who I know I’ll keep for life. A massive thank you to all my colleagues, suppliers, and everyone who’s been part of my journey. Your support, teamwork, and collaboration have meant so much, and I’ve learned a lot from every single one of you."

"Now, I’m looking forward to two weeks off with a few trips away before starting off my next chapter at Resulting IT as a Delivery Manager."

xTool gears up to launch Apparel Printer and present in-store personalised solutions at RTS 2025

xTool will showcase its Apparel Printer at Retail Technology Show in London on 2nd-3rd April (booth Q58).

Designed for businesses in the fashion, printing, and retail sectors, this direct-to-film (DTF) printer aims to streamline apparel production with cost-effective, high quality customisation. The product raised $1 million in just 1.5 hours on Kickstarter and exceeded $3 million from more than 580 backers.

Starship Technologies agrees tie up with Swedish firm foodora for fast home delivery

Starship Technologies, a specialist in autonomous delivery services, has announced a partnership with foodora, a Swedish quick commerce platform.

Starship’s fleet of fully electric delivery robots are now delivering foodora orders, starting in Stockholm. Initially, there will be a small fleet of 15 robots in the city, with more robots gradually rolling out to meet demand.

The robots will pick up orders from foodora market stores located on Högbergsgatan in Södermalm and Bangatan in Solna, with a range of up to 3km. Customers in these areas can order in the company’s app and have their items delivered within minutes.

“We see enormous potential for our autonomous delivery robots in Sweden. This collaboration with foodora makes it possible to offer fast and sustainable deliveries to Swedish consumers. We look forward to expanding and transforming how people have their food delivered,” says Ahti Heinla, Co-founder and CEO at Starship Technologies.

“We are incredibly proud to be the first in Sweden to integrate autonomous deliveries into our service. Through our collaboration with Starship Technologies we can offer our customers an even smoother, faster, and more sustainable delivery experience. This is an important part of our vision to shape the future of deliveries and create a world-class service,” says Daniel Gustafsson Raba, COO at foodora Sweden.

Heineken launches Global GenAI Lab in Singapore as it ramps up digital transformation push

Heineken has announced the launch of its first Global Generative AI (GenAI) Lab in Singapore.

Ronald den Elzen, Chief Digital and Technology Officer at Heineken, says: "We aim to be the world’s best connected brewer. GenAI will play an increasingly important role in understanding consumer needs, enhancing customer engagement, and improving productivity throughout the company.”

“The establishment of the Global GenAI Lab marks a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey, highlighting our strategic focus on advanced GenAI technologies as essential drivers for growth, efficiency, and innovation.”

Kenneth Choo, Managing Director, APAC, says: “We are pleased to announce our Global GenAI Lab in partnership with AI Singapore. This Lab will serve as a global centre of expertise, driving AI innovation at a local level while enhancing our operations on a global scale.”

“By taking this significant step, we are strategically positioning ourselves for a resilient and thriving future, reaffirming our commitment to Singapore and the Asia Pacific region. By harnessing Singapore’s exceptional AI ecosystem, skilled talent and supportive government policies, we are excited to drive the development of innovative solutions that will transform the beverage industry for years to come."

The Lab will lead the development of scalable GenAI solutions across critical business areas, including agentic systems that can autonomously solve complex problems, from automated marketing content creation to intelligent financial reporting and next-generation customer support and knowledge management systems.