Dark clouds, bold moves, and giant trolleys: RTIH rounds up its most read retail technology articles from March
These are the RTIH retail systems articles that caught your fancy during March, including Starbucks, Ocado Group, Tesco, Kenvue, VTEX, MACH Alliance, Amazon, 3D Cloud, and our latest Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List.
Under pressure: Here's why Starbucks' broken supply chain is killing the global coffee giant
Starbucks is saddled with Stone Age supply chain technology, according to Brittain Ladd, a consultant and former Amazon executive.
In a LinkedIn post, he said that he had spent the last week communicating, off the record, with current and former executives, directors and managers from Starbucks, specifically, the individuals responsible for the supply chain part of the business.
He commented: "I approached the discussions with a preconceived notion: Starbucks former CEOs; Howard Schultz, Kevin Johnson, and Laxman Narasimhan, all failed to invest the necessary capital to design and equip Starbucks with the optimal supply chain.”
“Based on the discussions, I was right. I place the blame for the Stone Age supply chain primarily at the feet of Schultz. Johnson had minimal understanding of the importance of supply chain technology, and Narasimhan was out of his depth the minute he became CEO."
Over the years, former Chief Supply Chain Officers, VPs and SVPs, had clearly outlined the gaps in Starbucks supply chain related to technology and the sub optimised logistics network, Ladd observed.
"On multiple occasions, funding was promised to close the gaps only to be withdrawn. This forced the supply chain organisation to have to keep Starbucks mediocre supply chain operating without the right software tools, logistics facilities, and budget."
Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol is making the right moves, Ladd believes. However, he has to do more than proclaim that it takes too long to get products to the stores, and that the stores run out of inventory too frequently. In short, he must invest in the supply chain
Starbucks should replace its antiquated supply chain software with best-in-class tech with a focus on DeepSeek AI, Manus, and Solvoyo.
The company is using software from o9 Solutions. "Why are Starbucks locations still running out of products so frequently? Is it the platform or is Starbucks not using the platform correctly? It’s inexcusable that it can’t keep products stocked in their stores," Ladd said.
He added: "I strongly suggest that Brian Niccol meet with Leo Laranjieria of MIT, to discuss the supply chain that Starbucks must have to meet customer demand and eliminate stores running out of inventory. Dr. Laranjeira should be hired as an advisor reporting directly to Niccol."
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.
'Out of touch' Tesco under fire for large trolley checkout scales trial at grocery giant's Gateshead store
Tesco is testing out giant trolley checkout scales at its Gateshead Trinity Square Extra store.
The aim is to identify items that customers may have missed or duplicated while using the retailer's Scan as You Shop service, which is exclusive to Clubcard members.
In a LInkedIn post, Lee Coopersmith, Director of Business Development at Cleveron, said: "Before joining Cleveron, I had the privilege of being a key contributor to this Tesco project, and like many, I find it tough to leave behind something I’ve invested so much effort into (over three years!), especially when I know it’s bound for success. A huge congratulations to Bizerba and Supersmart for making this happen in the UK. Excited to see where this journey takes them next."
There have been mostly negative reactions to the trial among customers on social media, with one user on Reddit likening the experience to “border control”.
Another quipped: “No Clubcard? Deported!”
Over on X, meanwhile, @BradChuck said: "Having fallen foul to the @Tesco policy of making you look like a criminal every time you use the scanner to shop, for them to then not belive you and rescan all your shopping again whilst making you look like a shoplifter, these new weight measuring gates are nothing new."
And @ClareBeveridge commented: "So now you have to have your trolley weighed after self scan in @Tesco, how much has that cost? You just don’t get it do you? Bring back proper checkout tills."
Customers fume as Ocado once again cancels grocery delivery orders due to operation issues
Ocado experienced operation issues earlier this month, resulting in a large number of customers having their orders cancelled.
Customers took to social media to hit out at the online retailer, with one fuming on X: “Abysmal service @Ocado just cancelling orders, no explanation no reason just cancelled, you can rebook for tomorrow with a voucher. Great, but I need the shopping today! No answer from your customer service number either!”
Another commented: “@Ocado this is more than inconvenient. How do I tell my boss I didn’t make it to the mega important meeting because ‘Ocado was late’ lol I will be fired. There should be an option to change delivery to a convenient time or cancel the delivery.”
“Any @ocado orders in the midlands I’ve just spoken to customer service and their warehouse outside Tamworth has had operational issues, 5,000 orders cancelled! What a great start,” another said.
An Ocado customer service representative responded: “We are sorry to hear that your order has been cancelled due to operation issues and due to this your voucher has expired and you are unable to get another delivery. We would love to look into this further, if you could please send us a DM?”
Ocado lays claim to the most advanced grocery automation in the world and is well known in the retail tech world for its customer fulfilment centres (CFCs).
A spokesperson told RTIH: “Unfortunately, we’ve had an operational issue at one of our sites and this has resulted in the cancellation of some customer orders. We’re working hard to get this resolved as soon as possible and we’re really sorry about the inconvenience this has caused to customers.”
Here's why there's a dark cloud hanging over loss making retail technology trailblazer Ocado Group
There's a dark cloud hanging over Ocado Group and it goes by the name of Kroger. That's the view of Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.
Ladd was speaking as Ocado Group said it would scale back its research and development workforce in the UK and globally as it remained loss-making last year despite a strong performance from its online retail arm. The company specialises in robotic warehouses for other retailers alongside its Ocado Retail business as a joint venture with M&S.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: "I’m a fan of the technology created by Ocado Group, and I believe the company should be respected for pushing the grocery industry to think differently about how they operate."
"I believe Ocado Founder and CEO Tim Steiner, has fought the good fight to keep pushing grocery retailers globally to embrace the use of Ocado’s customer fulfillment centres (CFC), even as the company has experienced over $1.5 billion in losses, and encountered stiff resistance to their business model. Like Jeff Bezos when he launched Amazon, Steiner has learned that sometimes the only person who believes in a company is the founder."
He added: "For the eternally optimistic Steiner, there are many reasons to be cheerful. He points out that back in 2012, the average time for Ocado to fulfil an order was 25 minutes. Today an Ocado CFC is capable of fulfilling a 45 to 50-item order with around 10 minutes at 1/7th the cost of using human labour."
"Ocado has also expanded the use cases for CFCs to include fulfilling non-grocery items for retailers and orders for B2B clients, and the company is finding success."
But regardless of the improvements made to Ocado’s technology, or the expansion into other retail categories, Kroger poses a big problem. It is Ocado’s largest and most important customer. The goal is to build 20 CFCs, and eight CFCs have been opened. However, the eight CFCs actually convert into 13 standard sized Ocado CFCs with three more being built.
Kenvue holds ribbon cutting ceremony for new HQ featuring Insights Lab and Virtual Experience Room
Kenvue, the company behind brands such as Neutrogena, Listerine, Aveeno, and Tylenol, has held a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new 290,000 sq. ft. global headquarters in Summit, New Jersey.
The firm, which marked the start of construction of its 100,000 sq. ft. Science and Innovation Lab at a ceremony last year, has officially moved its headquarters from Skillman to Summit, New Jersey.
An Insights Lab, a high tech, multi-room experience, is designed to transform how Kenvue develops, tests, and showcases its products.
A Virtual Experience Room immerses users in a 270-degree digital retail environment, allowing real-time feedback on in-store execution. A Sensory Lab enables rapid prototyping and consumer testing, ensuring products meet evolving consumer needs. A Design Lab brings human centered design to life through advanced 3D and 2D modeling.
The new headquarters also provides the company with proximity to talent across major areas, such as life science, data, technology, and marketing.
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.”
Bold move as Amazon shakes up physical retail strategy with Just Walk Out technology stalling in real world
Amazon’s recent announcement that it is merging the corporate teams behind its Amazon Go and Fresh stores is a bold move that signals a shift in focus - streamlining operations and integrating its cashierless technology across both formats. But it also hints at the challenges it faces in cracking the competitive grocery and convenience store markets.
So says Sumeet Goenka, Founder and CEO at YALLO Group.
“The merger brings together the teams responsible for the high tech Go convenience stores, known for their Just Walk Out shopping experience, and the larger Fresh grocery stores, which have struggled to gain momentum. By combining forces, Amazon aims to leverage its cutting-edge tech, like Just Walk Out and Dash Cart, to create a more seamless and efficient shopping experience across its physical stores. It’s a smart play to cut costs and double down on what works.”
The consolidation comes as Amazon reevaluates its bricks and mortar ambitions. The company has already closed some underperforming Fresh and Go locations, suggesting a pivot from rapid expansion to a more measured, profitability focused approach. It’s a reminder that even a tech giant like Amazon isn’t immune to the challenges of traditional retail, Goenka observes.
He adds: “For the retail industry, this move is a fascinating case study. Amazon’s cashierless technology was once seen as a game changer, but scaling it in the real world has proven tougher than expected. Competitors in the grocery and convenience space will be watching closely to see how Amazon’s strategy evolves. Will this merger lead to a more cohesive and successful retail model, or is it a sign that Amazon’s physical store dreams are losing steam?”
“One thing’s for sure: Amazon’s decision reflects the growing importance of operational efficiency and tech integration in retail. It’s a high stakes experiment that could influence how other players in the industry approach innovation and expansion. For now, Amazon’s retail story is far from over - it’s just entering a new chapter.”
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