'Composable extremist' MACH Alliance under fire: our most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including VTEX, MACH Alliance, Amazon, Stripe, Zapp, myPOS, UTP, Medallia, Walmart, Company Shop, Pricer, and RTIH's latest Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List.
Omnichannel thought leaders: RTIH presents its latest Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List
Here are the people who made a splash in 2024 and are set for a barnstorming 2025.
RTIH has scoured the retail technology world to find the most influential figures for this comprehensive list of people and trends that shape the industry and help drive it forward.
We’re living in unprecedented times.
In a post-Covid world, we’re witnessing a seismic change in shopping habits. Retailers are taking innovative technologies like AR, AI, machine learning, and finding ways to use them to boost business efficiency and make customer experiences more exciting and dynamic.
Which is where the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List comes in, presented, we should stress, in no particular order.
Such disruption requires new ways of problem solving and thought leaders who can both evangelise and execute on the likes of digital transformation and omnichannel success.
We hope you enjoy reading through it and, as always, if you would like to give feedback or believe that there are some glaring omissions, please feel free to get in touch (a contact us form can be found at the end of this article).
Many thanks to 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualisation software trusted by top furniture and DIY retailers, for sponsoring the report.
VTEX CEO Mariano Gomide de Faria slams 'dogmatic' MACH Alliance as his company pulls support
VTEX Founder and Co-CEO Mariano Gomide de Faria has announced via LinkedIn that his company is temporarily suspending support of the MACH Alliance, a non-profit profit group whose members include software vendors, systems integrators, agencies, and individual experts known as "Ambassadors", advocating for open technology ecosystems.
This has sparked some lively debate, with the MACH Alliance President, Casper Aagaard Rasmussen requesting an open conversation, and others sharing similar sentiments of composable commerce regret.
In his post, the VTEX boss says the firm will continue to support MACH, the day it stands for the following topics: Lean and simple architecture; OOTB fully connected software ecosystem; No middleware or minimal middleware integration layer; Defend the best interest of retailers and brands (not the provider's best interest).
He comments: “The MACH Alliance emerged with noble intentions, promising to break the stranglehold of monolithic platforms through its gospel of microservices, API first, cloud native, and headless architectures. Its vision of modular commerce - stitching together 'best-of-breed' solutions - appeared revolutionary at first glance (and it has been for some). But what began as a technical liberation movement has instead led us down a treacherous path paved with hidden costs, operational nightmares, unfulfilled promises, and financial ruin.”
He adds: “Let's be brutally honest: The pure best-of-breed MACH approach has created as many problems as it has solved. What began as a crusade for technical freedom has morphed into a complex web of challenges:”
And he concludes: “The MACH Alliance served its purpose in breaking us free from monolithic thinking. Now it's time to break free from MACH dogma itself. The future belongs to organisations that can balance technical capability with business reality, creating solutions that don't just work in theory but deliver in practice.”
“The future is based on highly connected (OOTB connections) backbones that provide a sustainable, reliable, and business driven solution Let's stop chasing composable extremism and start building solutions that work for business.”
Walmart Skyward experience goes live ahead of A Minecraft Movie theatrical release during April
Walmart has launched its first ever server on Minecraft Java Edition.
Walmart Skyward is being released in the run up to A Minecraft Movie hitting cinemas in April.
It is pitched as an action packed, story driven server on Minecraft Java Edition where players embark on a space adventure to find a lost friend. It will run over the course of six weeks, with a new chapter being released each week, taking players on a journey across galaxies to uncover the secrets of an interstellar civilisation.
"While Walmart Skyward is not an official Minecraft service, we’ve created a truly immersive experience for players and YouTube content creators alike, offering endless content creation possibilities with our chapter-based format. Walmart is also players' go to destination for Minecraft products, including exclusive items from The Minecraft Movie," says Justin Breton, Head of Brand Marketing Innovation at Walmart.
"This activation is a significant step in our growing commitment to the world of gaming. With over three billion gamers worldwide and even more gaming content consumers, gaming is more than just entertainment - it’s a culture. From Minecraft lovers to YouTube creators, we're here to make gaming even more accessible, creative, and unforgettable."
Ashye Marcus departs Amazon and takes on Global GTM Industry Lead for Retail role at Stripe
Payments giant Stripe has appointed Ashye Marcus as Global GTM Industry Lead for Retail.
She joins from Amazon where she spent almost three years, first as Just Walk Out tech and Amazon One (AWS Apps) - Sr. Business Development and GTM Leader, then as Amazon Key (Ring) - Global Partnerships.
In a LinkedIn post, she said: “Stripe has long been a company I’ve admired - for its bold mission, the way it’s scaled, and the incredibly high intellectual bar set by its founders and leadership. When this unique opportunity arose, the decision to say yes felt both natural and timely.”
She added: “As I begin this next chapter, I’m filled with gratitude for the journey that led me here - across global brands (Cole Haan/Nike), technology (Amazon Web Services (AWS) and CaaStle), and financial services (Lehman Brothers). Each role helped build the foundation for this one, and I’m stepping into it energised, inspired, and focused. This retail expert, finance nerd, and tech enthusiast is “spinning up” (ramping efficiently, Stripe speak).”
Company Shop deploys Pricer in-store solution based on ESLs across its UK store estate of supermarkets
Surplus supermarket, Company Shop, has partnered with Pricer to roll-out the firm’s in-store solution based on electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across its entire UK store estate.
Company Shop sells discounted surplus from over 800 brands, retailers and manufacturers to its members who meet specific criteria. Each year, it redistributes over 100 million items across multiple categories and prevents 122,000 tonnes of CO2 annually.
Its assortment of shorter shelf-life goods changes rapidly, often multiple times daily, requiring frequent updates to product information at the shelf-edge. Additionally, its commitment to offering its members the best value meant store colleagues were conducting several manual pricing changes throughout the day.
This required significant labour hours, and the installation of Pricer’s in-store solution for communication and digitalisation will create operational efficiencies, enabling store colleagues’ time to be used elsewhere.
Partnering with Pricer, Company Shop has ushered in dynamic pricing and markdown capabilities. The centrally controlled ESLs deliver automated real-time pricing updates direct to the shelf-edge throughout the day.
British quick commerce firm Zapp preps launch in Dubai but faces hugely competitive Middle East market
British rapid delivery startup Zapp is gearing up to enter the Dubai market later this year.
A spokesperson said: “We are always looking for opportunities to grow our business and are considering launching in the region as early as this year." They did not provide additional details.
The London-based firm was founded in 2020 and is backed by venture capital and growth equity investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Atomico, as well as Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton. The Dubai move would see it face significant competition from a plethora of existing delivery apps in the region, such as Delivery Hero’s Talabat.
Medallia announces former American Express, Vericast, Kantar exec Carrie Parker as Chief Marketing Officer
Medallia, a specialist in customer and employee experience, has appointed Carrie Parker as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).
“Carrie brings an incredible wealth of experience in marketing to her new role at Medallia and we are excited to have her join the best leadership team in experience management,” says Mark Bishof, CEO at Medallia. “We have a clear vision for the future of CX and Carrie will be instrumental in leading the charge to highlight our incredible customers, our cutting-edge innovation, and our brand leadership in the market.”
Most recently, Parker served as Chief Marketing Officer at Cision, leading the global marketing team to accelerate demand generation and elevate portfolio brands, including Brandwatch and CisionOne.
Prior to that, her career spanned leadership roles at Vericast, American Express, Kantar, and Cordial, where she led brand transformations and focused on revenue growth through data driven marketing initiatives.
“I am passionate about the impact marketing and brand can have on an organisation and I am energised by the incredible vision Medallia has for the future of customer experience,” says Parker. “Medallia is already acknowledged as the market leader and I look forward to working with the team to further elevate our brand and the mission critical offerings that Medallia brings to the experience market across all industries.”
myPOS acquires UTP as it looks to boost support and payment solutions for UK SMEs
European FinTech firm myPOS has acquired UK-based payment solutions provider UTP Group.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
myPOS CEO Mario Shiliashki comments: “This acquisition is not just about market expansion - it’s about empowering UK SMEs with better payment solutions, stronger support and more growth opportunities.”
“By combining forces with UTP, myPOS will deliver superior solutions faster, enabling businesses to grow and scale without high upfront costs. We are excited to empower local merchants and lay the foundation for long-term success in this key market.”
Established in 2013, UTP provides a suite of payment services, including portable and countertop card machines, tap to pay and e-commerce solutions, and flexible funding options. Based in Reading, the company has signed more than 52,000 clients.
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