Including Flagship, Ikea, Puma, and DPD: presenting the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including changing times at Primark, life at H&M Group, Levi Strauss & Co.'s DTC first and omnichannel evolution, and Ikea's expansion plan to be closer to where customers live, work, socialise and do their daily or weekly shopping.

8,000...DPD is expanding its UK out-of-home (OOH) network, adding 8,000 parcel lockers over the next five years, as part of a partnership with YEEP! 

The initiative will see DPD add to its existing network of 12,000 Pickup parcel stores and lockers across the UK. 

The YEEP! network comprises open, battery powered parcel lockers, enabling consumers to pick up and drop off parcels within their local communities. DPD UK's parent company, Geopost, is a partner of kernTerminal, a technology provider for turnkey projects of agnostic network solutions. DPD UK says that this puts it in a unique position to offer its customers access to the most developed pan-European OOH network across 28 countries, consisting of 128 000 points (lockers and parcels shops). 

$3.75 million...Flagship, creator of a digital visual merchandising platform, has announced its expansion into the US market with an unnamed performance apparel brand, in addition to several retail partnerships, including Mejuri, and Mad Happy.

The company also recently closed a $3.75 million seed funding round led by Coreline and Veridical Ventures, with participation from Tidal Ventures and Macdoch Ventures.

"Visual merchandising has historically relied on manual processes and instinct," says Simon Molnar, Founder and CEO at Flagship. "Our platform brings data driven decision-making to store optimisation, allowing retailers to maximise revenue while maintaining the creative elements that define physical retail."

Flagship's platform connects store design with precise data analysis, creating digital twins of each store location that enable retailers to optimise product placement while providing automated revenue mapping.

“As a global jewelry brand on a mission to redefine luxury at every touchpoint, Mejuri has partnered with Flagship to implement a technology first approach across our 40+ stores,” says Kari Beiswanger, Senior Product Manager at Mejuri.

“This collaboration empowers data driven decision-making and optimisation, while championing global best practices in visual merchandising. With Flagship’s expertise, we are elevating the in-store experience and driving efficiency and consistency as we scale."

£1 trillion...UK issued debit and credit cards were used to make 31.4 billion transactions in 2024 (both here and abroad) - up from 30.2 billion transactions in 2023, according to UK Finance research. At the end of 2024 there were 163.4 million UK debit and credit cards issued, up from 159.7 million at the end of 2023.

The total value of transactions on these cards was just over £1 trillion during 2024 - in line with 2023 - and split between: Debit card spend of £797 billion - down 0.8% compared to 2023; Credit card transactions worth £249 billion - up 5.3% compared to 2023 (credit card transactions include card purchases, cash withdrawals and balance transfers).

3...Ikea is set to open three small stores in Chester, Harlow and Norwich this year as part of the retailer’s expansion plan to be closer to where customers live, work, socialise and do their daily or weekly shopping.

The new locations will open on former Homebase sites in the Greyhound Retail Park in Chester, Harlow Retail Park in Harlow, and Hall Road Retail Park in Norwich, with the retailer aiming to open doors in all three locations in 2025.

Peter Jelkeby, Ikea UK and Ireland CEO, says: “We know many people want to shop with us but in some instances we are just too far away. That’s why we are strategically expanding our UK footprint, with the aim of showing up in convenient, accessible locations for our customers. Centrally located in retail parks, our three new stores mark a major step forward in our expansion plan, making it easier than ever for customers in these areas to shop with us.”

A curated range of up to 5,000 product lines will be on display, with up to 3,000 available for immediate purchase and the full range discoverable through digital tools. Each store will offer customers complimentary, personalised design support, as well as Click and Collect services.

The three locations are announced ahead of the opening of Ikea's store on London’s Oxford Street this spring, with the retailer set to open another city centre store in Brighton this year.

Jelkeby adds: “Harlow, Chester and Norwich have long been areas of interest to us, and we’re looking forward to bringing the very best of the Ikea experience in a refreshingly compact format to these communities later this year.”

1 and 24,000...Puma is set to open a new store in the heart of London’s West End during autumn 2025, marking the brand’s first ever European flagship.

Located close to Selfridges and Bond Street tube station, the 24,000 square-foot space promises “an immersive, interactive experience that blends sports performance and technology with cutting-edge streetwear designs”.

“After unveiling our flagship store in Las Vegas last year, we’re incredibly excited to announce that our first flagship store in Europe will open later this year,” says Arne Freundt, CEO at Puma.

“Our London flagship store is an important part of our brand elevation strategy. It brings the best of the our brand to life for our consumers and showcases our latest innovations and design newness as part of an immersive experience. We look forward to moving into our new home of the brand in one of the most vibrant global cities and to exciting our consumers.”

4...Levi Strauss & Co. has boosted its DTC first strategy, with the expansion of its member programme, Levi’s Red Tab, into four new European markets. Consumers in Poland, Ireland and Denmark, can now access exclusive membership benefits, while Switzerland will be joining in June.

Since launching in 2020, Red Tab has grown to over 38 million members globally. With this expansion, the programme will be available in 12 countries in Europe (France, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Denmark, Ireland, Switzerland).

Leona De Graft, VP of E-Commerce at Levi Strauss & Co. Europe, says: “Expanding our Red Tab Member Programme is a key enabler of our DTC first and omnichannel evolution. By integrating digital and in-store experiences, the program strengthens our ability to deliver a connected, convenient, and rewarding shopping journey across all touchpoints.”

“But we are not just driving loyalty - we are building lifelong Levi’s fans through unique benefits such as our in-store tailoring service to both customise and repair denim garments. With Red Tab, our members truly Live in Levi’s.”

3.4%...The Chief Executive of Primark resigned this week after an allegation over his behaviour. Parent company Associated British Foods said he had stepped down with immediate effect following an investigation ABF shares were 3.4% lower in early trade on Monday.

Susannah Streeter, Head of Money and Markets, Hargreaves Lansdown, says: ‘’The change at the top will be unsettling particularly given that Primark delivered a very mixed bag of results at the last count. Primark continues to be the main story for ABF, bringing in around half of the group’s revenue, but performance has been very varied across regions."

"This leadership upset comes amid weaker consumer sentiment which has meant footfall at its stores has fallen - and the chain has been losing market share in the UK. During the crunch festive period, like-for-like sales fell 6.4% on home soil."

"Although Primark’s international performance was much better thanks to the group pressing ahead with its store roll-out programme, there could be uncertainty ahead about the speed of expansion given the change of boss. It's clearly concerning investors who may be mindful that it could be an even greater challenge to revitalise Primark's revenue - given that full-year guidance was lowered slightly from mid-single-digit to low single digit growth.’’

KRW 58.5 billion...Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer, has announced an investment in RECO, a company offering end-to-end solutions for food waste management in South Korea.

It is the lead investor in a KRW 58.5 billion (EUR 37 million) funding round.

“South Korea leads the way in advanced waste management systems, and RECO exemplifies how innovative solutions can tackle pressing challenges like food waste. Its commitment to transparency, resource recycling, and digital transformation aligns perfectly with Ingka’s vision for a circular economy,” says Lukas Visser, Head of Circular Investments at Ingka Group.

“By investing in RECO, we aim to amplify their impact while driving meaningful change beyond our own operations - contributing to a better world, ensuring sustainable practices and a brighter future for all.”

1...Jo Hickson, Head of Innovation at H&M Group, has taken to social media to discuss her first year at the Swedish multinational fashion retailer.

She was speaking as she made it on to the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List.

In a LinkedIn post, she said: "I'm humbled once again to be selected in the 2025 list of the top 100 retail influencers by Retail Technology Innovation Hub. I love the world of retail, and having headed innovation at Argos/Home Retail Group, followed by five years leading innovation at Tesco, I am now learning a the business of fashion at H&M Group in Stockholm. I have been a fan of the H&M brand since a teenager, and more latterly the other portfolio brands such as Cos and Arket, so this was a golden opportunity I felt I had to take."

Hickson added: "As I am approaching my one year anniversary of my international move for the role, I thought it is a good moment to reflect and share. Moving to Stockholm has been a rollercoaster of experience and emotion, but I can say on balance it has been a good move.”

“Firstly, it is a great city, a blend of impressive architecture, capital city buzz, calm waters and nature. We live in an impossibly cute traditional red and white wood house, surrounded by nature, yet 30 minutes reliable tram ride from the city centre. I can't think where I would get all of that in other capital cities. And sorry to my fellow Brits... it might be a little colder here, but it rains far less!!"

She noted that she joined H&M at an exciting time. "There is so much ambition and energy around our direction as a company and this is best seen the fashion collections which have been nothing short of gorgeous. My husband rolls his eyes when I come home with yet another H&M brown paper shopping bag. In my defence, my office is above the store."

"It has not been all plain sailing; the hurdles of finding a good home where there are very few houses for rent, and getting set up legally in Sweden as a citizen was complex - Sweden is highly digital, so it is essential to do almost anything. And of course it takes time to understand company culture and how things get done, plus navigating lots of change. I am still on a learning journey there, well supported by the super-smart people in my team."

£350,000...Hospitality tech business Embargo has been awarded a UK Smart Grant by the UK government to develop an AI model for its CRM and loyalty platform.

Embargo is used by nearly 2,500 food and drinks SMEs. Founded by Fryderyk Szydlowski and Tsewang Wangkang, it allows restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries to reward regulars, capture data, communicate with their customers and offer direct ordering for delivery and pickup, while consumers use the firm's app as a digital wallet for paperless loyalty cards offered by hospitality brands.

Szydlowski says: “We are about to reach half a million app transactions monthly, which is a great testimonial to the work we put it in to make our solution easy to use and absolutely best in class for both businesses and their customers.”

The £350,000 Smart Grant will allow it to build a fully automated, AI driven CRM platform for hospitality businesses. By capturing and analysing a range of customer data - cross referencing what they purchase and how often against the time of day, day of the week, weather and more - the model will help businesses enhance their marketing, pricing, loyalty and communication strategies.