Making sense of the noise around the M&S cyber attack: 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 Primark, Veesion, Attensi, AutoStore, Adyen, Circ, EE, InPost UK, Tesco, Zest Labs, Co-op, Walmart, Sainsbury's, and Doji.

2,400…The Co-operative Group (Co-op) has partnered with VusionGroup to replace paper labels with electronic shelf edge labels in its near 2,400 stores.

The tie up is pitched as the largest single retailer roll-out of electronic shelf edge labels in the UK and Ireland.

These can display vital allergen information, nutritional information, country of origin or whether an item is produced locally. They can also support improved inventory management, while eliminating the paper waste associated with traditional paper labels. The labels can also instantly communicate Co-op member price savings, deals and savings.

$43 million...France-based AI powered retail security technology startup Veesion has bagged $43 million in a Series B funding round.

This brings the total raised so far to $80 million, including non-diluting.

The company uses gesture-based artificial intelligence, connected to a store’s existing security cameras, to alert staff the moment suspicious movements are detected. Its tech is live in 5,000+ stores across 25 countries, including 500 in the US. Clients include ShopRite, Key Food, and 7-Eleven.

In a LinkedIn post, Co-founder and CRO, Benoît Koenig, said: “This is a pivotal moment for us, and I want to extend a huge thank you to White Star Capital, Red River West, Bpifrance, KPN Ventures, and our long-term investors for their continued trust and belief in our vision.”

He added: “This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our 5,000 customers across 25 countries, who trust us to help them tackle one of retail’s biggest challenges, shoplifting. Their success is our success, and their belief in Veesion fuels our ambition to continue driving innovation in AI powered security.”

187...Paul Edney is leaving Primark where he spent the past four years, most recently serving as Technology Director Channels.

He departs as the retailer announces that its Click & Collect offering is now live across all its 187 stores in Great Britain, including, for the first time, all 21 locations in Scotland. The project kicked off in November 2022 when it first launched a trial service across 25 stores in the north of England and Wales.

$6 million...Zoca has announced a $6 million funding round. The company, which was founded in 2024, is building an AI powered platform to help hyperlocal service businesses get discovered, booked, and rebooked.

The round was led by Accel with participation from GTMfund, Elevation Capital and Better Capital.

Zoca's AI agents manage the entire growth funnel, automatically identifying what services are in demand in a specific neighbourhood, optimising for discovery, converting leads into bookings, and re-engaging clients at just the right time.

The startup says that it has thus far helped over 1,000 local beauty and wellness businesses generate $10 million+ in revenue, book more than 120,000 appointments, and save hundreds of hours on manual marketing tasks

£3 million...EE this week opened the doors of its first East Midlands Experience store in Nottingham’s Victoria Centre. Local legend and former footballer Viv Anderson cut the ribbon and welcomed the first visitors to the new experiential retail space. 

The Experience location is EE’s first of 2025 and forms part of a £3 million investment this year into bricks and mortar concept stores. It features zones themed around four key areas – Game, Work, Learn, and Home – along with a Tech Home area showcasing the future of connected living. 

The latter allows customers to visualise their ideal connected home setup with smart TVs, lighting, security systems and EE’s fast broadband, complemented by advice from EE’s staff.

Anderson says: “As a techie and someone born and raised in Nottingham, I’m thrilled that EE has opened a new space in the heart of the city. Innovative spaces like  this give people the opportunity to get hands-on with the technology that’s shaping our future."

“Nottingham has always been full of talent and creativity, and with the support of EE’s in-store guides, anyone can seek tailored advice to make the most out of their  tech and devices. I can’t wait to see how it sparks ambition in the next generation.” 

£300 million...Over the last few weeks, there’s been a lot of noise surrounding a high profile cyber attack on M&S. some of it informed, some of it not. As someone who works in cybersecurity, Mark Hughes, CSO at The National Lottery, has taken to social media to add a more grounded perspective.

As it released full year results for the 52 weeks ended 29th March 2025, M&S this week said it will lose an estimated £300 million as a result of the cyber attack that has forced it to halt online orders and struggle to keep store shelves stocked. This has been linked to a hacking collective known as Scattered Spider.

Earlier this month, an M&S insider talked to Sky News about chaotic scenes at the UK high street giant and claimed there was no business continuity plan in place.

In a LinkedIn post, Hughes said: “Firstly just because one person interviewed by Sky News says there isn’t a plan, doesn’t actually mean there isn’t, it means that specific person wasn’t aware of it (probably because they aren’t relevant to responding to the attack). Writing such a story based on one insider’s' gossip to the press is a not the most robust piece of journalism in my view.”

He added: “The attack carried out by Scattered Spider is not your average cyber incident. This group are an advanced and aggressive threat actor who have targeted some of the world’s largest organisations using techniques that would test even the most mature security teams.”

What often gets missed in the commentary is what M&S actually did do, Hughes argued.

$25 million...Attensi, a provider of game-based solutions for skills and people development, has secured in excess of $25 million in non-dilutive growth funding.

This was sourced from Ture Invest Partners, a direct lender in the Nordic region.

Trond Aas, Co-Founder and CEO at Attensi, comments: "This is great news for us as we invest further into our growth plans, particularly in the US market. There are several areas where the expected return on investment is very high.”

The company has been developing AI training solutions and simulations, including the launch of the agentic AI conversational training solution RealTalk.

It is backed by main shareholders Viking Growth and Lugard Road Capital. Founder Odd Skarheim still retains a role as a board member and investor. With offices in Oslo, London, Boston, Cologne and Gothenburg, clients include Circle K, Hiscox, YMCA, London Business School, Boehringer Ingelheim and KPMG.  

£8.3 billion...New data from Adobe, powered by Adobe Analytics, reveals UK online spending reached £8.3 billion in April, up 2.5% on the £8.1 billion splashed out in April 2024, bringing total online spending for the year-to-date to £34.4 billion (+2.5% YoY). 

With consumer confidence dipping to its lowest level since November 2023 amid economic uncertainty and forecast rises to prices and household costs, UK shoppers headed online to secure the cheapest prices for their goods. 

Adobe’s data – which monitors actual online transactions from billions of visits to retail sites from UK consumers and tracks the online prices of 100 million SKUs across 18 product categories – found that prices across the e-commerce landscape were 3.5% lower in April compared with the previous month, with grocery prices down 1.5% over the same period.  

300...AutoStore reports that it has surpassed 300 installations across North America.

The 300th system is located at Medline’s new site in Aurora, Colorado. Implemented in collaboration with Swisslog, this builds on a relationship that began more than a decade ago, when Medline became AutoStore’s very first North American customer.

Today, Medline operates over 20 AutoStore systems across the US, deploying 1,990 robots to support high throughput fulfillment and enable next-day delivery to 95% of its customers nationwide. 

“Every AutoStore system is more than a warehouse upgrade; it’s a high throughput advantage. We are a promise that businesses can move faster, serve better, and keep up with a world that does not slow down,” says Keith White, Chief Commercial Officer at AutoStore. “Passing this milestone shows that fulfillment is not just a back-end operation anymore. It is a front-line advantage. Our customers are using AutoStore to stay ahead, no matter how fast demand moves.”

47%...Adyen has published a report that finds there’s been a 47% surge in people using AI to shop. In a poll of 41,000 consumers across 28 countries, 12% said they had used AI for the first time over the past 12 months to help them with their shopping experience. And 55% would be open to making purchases using this technology in the future.

37% of those polled use AI to help them get their shopping done. Shoppers are positive about their experience, with 58% saying AI helps to inspire them when buying outfits, meals and other purchases. 8% get their best ideas for new products when using the technology. 56% wanted to find unique brands using AI, a development that highlights the chance for brands to combine partnerships and cross-selling to drive customer sales. 

Use of AI in the shopping experience is rising in popularity across all age demographics, but it’s the Baby Boomer generation (60 – 78 years) and Generation X (44 – 59 years) who recorded the biggest increases over the past 12 months, at 60% and 58% respectively. However, just 16% of those aged 60 and over say they currently use AI to support them making purchases, while 57% of Generation Z (16 – 27 years) and 49% of Millennials (28 – 43 years) do.

$500 million...Textile-to-textile recycling specialist Circ has shared plans to open what is pitched as the first industrial scale facility dedicated to recycling used polycotton textiles into new materials. 

Announced by President Emmanuel Macron at the 2025 Choose France Summit, the $500 million plant, based in Saint-Avold, will recycle 70,000 metric tonnes of post-consumer and post-industrial polycotton each year. 

The new facility promises to be the first of its kind using Circ’s patented technology to recycle textiles previously considered unrecyclable. Its hydrothermal technology is able to separate and recover both polyester and cotton, which make up 77% of the global textile market, from polycotton blends.

The site is expected to be fully operational by 2028, helping to align with the EU’s 2030 climate goals.

Circ hopes its expansion will enable the textile industry to reduce its use of virgin fabrics and divert tonnes of clothing from landfills, incinerators and end-of-use overseas shipments each year. The use of recycled polycotton could also reduce emissions compared to virgin production.

1,000...InPost UK reports the installation of its 1,000th Tesco locker location.

These provide shoppers with a way to collect, return, and send parcels while integrating into their shopping trips at both large Tesco stores (Extra, Superstore, Petrol) and Tesco convenience stores (Tesco Esso, Tesco Express).

The partnership has been live since 2021, with InPost and Tesco citing research that shows 66% of users combine their locker visit with a Tesco shop and 53% say they now visit Tesco more frequently because of the lockers.

Neil Kuschel, CEO at InPost UK, comments: “Reaching 1,000 lockers at Tesco is yet another major milestone in our mission to make parcel collection, returns, and sending as easy and seamless as possible. We’ve achieved rapid growth in the UK, expanding our range of innovative services and our locker network to reach even more consumers across the nation.”

“Our success and partnership with Tesco demonstrate that out-of-home delivery solutions like our lockers not only offer unmatched convenience for shoppers but also benefit retailers. We're proud to continue expanding our network with them and look forward to making everyday shopping trips even easier for millions of shoppers across the UK.”

A Tesco spokesperson says: “We are always looking for ways to enhance the shopping experience and make things easier and more convenient for our customers. With the installation of the 1,000th InPost Locker location, more Tesco customers can now benefit from the convenience of collecting, returning or sending parcels during their regular shopping trips, across the UK.”

1.7 million...e.l.f. Beauty reports that its financial literacy game on Roblox has pulled in 1.7 million plays thus far.

Fortune Island: Earn. Learn. Flex is designed to help Gen Z players develop money management skills through interactive challenges. The experience was developed by metaverse studio Karta in partnership with Chime and marks the first time a beauty brand has introduced financial education on the platform.

In a LinkedIn post, Patrick O'Keefe, Chief Integrated Marketing Officer at e.l.f. Beauty, said: "1.7 million plays - and every single one matters. That’s 1.7 million chances to change the game on financial literacy. With Fortune Island on Roblox, we became the first beauty brand to build a financial literacy experience, because we believe beauty isn’t just skin deep - it’s about confidence, control, and future readiness.”

$222 million...An Arkansas federal jury has found that Walmart owes Zest Labs more than $222 million over claims that the US retail giant stole the firm's technology that extends the shelf life of produce. 

The jury concluded that Zest Labs proved its claim of “trade secret misappropriation” and found Walmart’s misappropriation was “willful and malicious,” according to court documents.

It awarded Zest $222 million, comprising $72.7 million in compensatory and $150 million in punitive damages against Walmart.

In a press release, Zest said:"This is one of the largest verdicts in Arkansas history and likely the highest trade secret verdict in the history of the state."

$14 million...Doji has raised $14 million in a seed funding round led by Thrive Capital, with continued participation from Seven Seven Six Ventures and a group of angels. It says that the cash will be used to improve its AI models.

The startup, which has been in private beta, is enabling online fashion fans to create an AI likeness, try on real products and shop their favourite looks.

In a LinkedIn post, CEO and Co-founder Dorian Dargan (formerly of Meta, Apple and YouNow), said: “Fashion is meant to be fun. But somewhere along the way, shopping for clothes online became overwhelming instead of exciting. We believe there's a better way – one that celebrates creativity and self-expression.”

“We’re building the most personal way to shop for fashion online. Create your photorealistic AI likeness and try on real clothes. Doji is designed to encourage play - helping you feel confident, explore new looks and find pieces you’ll love.

60 million...Smart Charge, Sainsbury’s ultra-rapid EV charging network, has reached a milestone by saving the equivalent of 60 million fossil fuel miles on UK roads, resulting in a reduction of 10.71 million kg of CO2 emissions compared to non-electric vehicles.  

Sainsbury’s launched the Smart Charge brand in January 2024 and says that the success of its uptake by EV drivers reflects the scale and pace of the roll-out, with more than 650 ultra-rapid charging bays now live across over 75 of its stores nationwide.