Starring Tesco, Klarna, and Shopify: these are our most read retail technology articles from last week

Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including eBay, InPost, Vinted, Trigo, Ocado Group, Cloud Retail, OpenAI, and GS1 UK.

Big step forward for Shopify and OpenAI developed ChatGTP as the pair enter into retail partnership

OpenAI is gearing up to add an online shopping experience to ChatGPT via an integration with Shopify.

New code strings in ChatGPT’s public web bundle, “buy_now”, price and shipping fields, product-offer ratings, and “shopify_checkout_url”, indicate that OpenAI is wiring a native purchase flow into the assistant.

The snippet suggests a hand off to Shopify’s hosted checkout, implying a formal tie-up rather than a generic affiliate link.

According to Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive: “This is a big step forward for Shopify and ChatGTP. The changes to the coding will let purchases complete inside the chat instead of jumping to external retail sites, turning ChatGPT into a full-funnel shopping tool. When a purchase is made, all shipping is managed via Shopify’s platform.”

“OpenAI has been testing e-commerce actions in its Operator research agent, which already books travel and places grocery orders for Pro users. Want to buy a plane ticket? Use ChatGPT. Why visit Expedia or another travel site? Agents will easily be able to find the best flight at the best price. I stated in a LinkedIn post a few weeks ago that OpenAI has the potential of severely disrupting DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart, by allowing agents to place orders directly with a restaurant and a grocery retailer..”

He adds: “I remain convinced that OpenAI has the potential to become one of the largest e-commerce platforms in the world. Why? Because consumers will begin their product search using ChatGPT and utilise ChatGTP to make the purchase.”

“ChatGPT will likely begin to generate billions in advertising revenue as brands divert their advertising spend to OpenAI. Why? Search. If consumers make ChatGPT their go to site for product searches, advertising is sure to follow. ChatGTP will likely look massively different in 2026 than it looks in 2025. The user experience will be much different to maximise advertising and content monetisation.”

InPost set to handle Vinted parcels in UK, Poland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, Spain

InPost has inked an eight country, multi-year delivery contract with Vinted, which will will run through to the end of 2027 and will see the former handling the latter’s parcels across the UK, Poland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, including services through Vinted’s Mondial Relay unit.

Sellers of second-hand items on Vinted’s platform will be able to use InPost’s network of more than 82,000 lockers and PUDO points.

Rafał Brzoska, Founder and CEO at InPost, comments: "We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Vinted, demonstrating our ability to support the largest marketplaces and merchants across Europe with our extensive out-of-home delivery network.”

“This agreement underscores our commitment to providing reliable and more sustainable delivery solutions, and we look forward to contributing to Vinted’s continued success. This partnership is also a testament to our strategic vision of becoming the number one player in European logistics. Commercial wins, such as the contract with Vinted, are key to InPost's strategy and help us further strengthen international presence, including in the UK, where we recently elevated our business through the acquisition of Yodel."

Vytautas Atkočaitis, Vice President at Vinted Go, says: "We are excited to continue our collaboration with InPost and Mondial Relay across multiple European markets. This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing our users with efficient, affordable delivery solutions."

Industry first as Tesco partners with GS1 UK to test out QR codes in place of traditional barcodes in select stores

As part of an expanded pilot, Tesco is trialling QR codes powered by GS1 in a small number of stores.

This replaces traditional barcodes on 12 own brand meat and produce lines in a small number of locations across southern England.

Developed in collaboration with GS1 UK and ten supplier partners, the initiative is primarily focused on capturing use by dates and batch numbers.

This is pitched as the first trial of its kind and scale by a UK supermarket. The focus here is on core operational data and laying the foundation for future use cases, such as linking to allergen information, sourcing and sustainability credentials, and recycling guidance.

“While it’s still early days, we’re already seeing the benefits of connecting our products to dynamic digital information that will help customers to know more about the products on our shelves,” says Isabela De Pedro, Supply Chain Development & Change Director at Tesco.

”As well as improving the customer experience and unlocking new supply chain value, we are testing how QR codes can help Tesco with issues including traceability, compliance, sustainability and shelf-edge communication.” 

Iain Walker, Director of Industry Engagement at GS1 UK, says: “This trial is a clear signal that the retail industry is entering a new chapter. QR codes powered by GS1 allow brands and retailers to share richer, more trusted information - at the Point of Sale, at home, or anywhere in between. Tesco is helping to lead the way, demonstrating how digital product identity can unlock both commercial and consumer value.”

Carl Rivera takes on Chief Design Officer role at Shopify as company reimagines itself for a post-AI world

Carl Rivera has been appointed Chief Design Officer at Shopify.

He was previously Head of Shop and Merchant Services at the e-commerce platform big hitter.

In a LInkedIn post, Rivera said: "A few weeks ago, Tobi Lutke (Shopify CEO) gave me a ring. When we connected, he shared his vision: In this new era of technology, the post-AI era, design will be more important than ever. All interaction patterns are being challenged and can be redefined. Design will more than colour what this means to Shopify - it will help define this new paradigm."

"Carl, I would like for you to become the next Chief Design Officer at Shopify." I was floored. This role had been retired from the company since Tobi’s co-founder Daniel Weinand moved on  - eight years ago. I knew just how much consideration had gone into this ask. I’m taking this role today because I believe the role of design has never been more important. We are at the onset of the most profound change of our lifetime - AI is the spark - but it’s design that will give it form. Designers of Shopify, this is our moment."

Jonathan Zanger set to step down from Chief Technology Officer role at computer vision AI specialist Trigo

Jonathan Zanger has announced his intention to step down from the role of CTO at Trigo, a computer vision AI company working with retail and logistics clients to tackle challenges including loss prevention, theft, store management, customer and employee experience.

He has spent almost three and a half years at the firm, which has made a name for itself in the autonomous stores space.

In a LinkedIn post, Zanger said: “After several incredible years, I’ll be stepping down from my role as CTO at Trigo in a couple of months. It’s been a privilege to help lead Trigo’s journey - building a world class computer vision and AI platform, launching transformative retail products, and shaping our technology and product strategy alongside an extraordinary group of people.”

“Together, we’ve brought ideas from whiteboard sketches to full-scale systems, supported millions of shoppers around the world, and witnessed firsthand the delight of people experiencing our ultimate checkout experience.”

Ocado CEO Tim Steiner slips into hot seat at online retailer's technology division Ocado Solutions

Ocado Group reports that CEO Tim Steiner will temporarily lead Ocado Solutions, the company's technology sub-unit.

The move comes as current boss, John Martin, steps down after 18 months in the role, having taken over in 2023 from Luke Jensen.

James Matthews, the current CEO at Ocado Technology, will also become Deputy CEO of the wider group.

Cloud Retail, a startup formerly known as Jiffy, raises $3 million for its all in one e-commerce platform

Cloud Retail, an e-commerce software platform formerly known as Jiffy, a London-based 15-minute delivery company, has secured $3 million in seed funding.

The round was led by Somersault Ventures with participation from Pre-Seed to Succeed, backed by AltaIR Capital, Yellow Rocks, Smart Partnership Capital, and I2BF Venture Capital, as well as AddVenture and business angels.

“Founders who dare to visualise their product’s global expansion and set realistic milestones ahead are a gem for investors. It was a dealmaker in the case of Cloud Retail,” says Igor Ryabenkiy, Co-founder at Pre-Seed to Succeed, Founder and Managing Partner at AltaIR Capital.

Cloud Retail transitioned from its q-commerce origins in 2022, when it operated 21 London stores and delivered over 4,500 orders daily, to focus on developing e-commerce solutions. Since then, it has developed a software stack to cater to a wider range of industries, including electronics, beauty, fashion, and pharmaceuticals.

Today, it is an all in one e-commerce platform, including customer web and mobile development, building headless e-commerce platforms, warehouse management system (WMS), demand forecasting and replenishment (S&OP), 3PL and delivery management, and business analytics platforms. Cloud Retail has also developed a proprietary AI solution that helps launch a retail business from scratch. 

eBay expands buy now pay later partnership with Klarna to USA following launch in UK and Europe

eBay has announced the expansion of its buy now pay later partnership with Klarna to the US market.

“With more than 2.3 billion listings, eBay is where people come to shop with purpose - whether they’re looking for value, rare finds, or sustainable options such as a refurbished camera, hard to find car part, or a vintage handbag,” says Avritti Khandurie Mittal, VP & General Manager of Global Payments and Financial Services at eBay.

“We are thrilled to expand our global strategic partnership with Klarna to the US. We’ve been very pleased with the positive customer and business impact Klarna has delivered in some of our key markets including the UK and Europe, and we’re now excited to give millions of US shoppers more flexible and affordable ways to pay on eBay.” 

The move builds on launches in the UK, Austria, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain in December 2024. Electronics, fashion, and collectibles are some of the most popular categories where eBay shoppers are paying with Klarna.