Endless Aisle Live focues on omnichannel transformation: our most read articles from last week

Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including Etsy, Evri, Vusion Group, Lekkerland, Walmart, Roblox, e.l.f. Beauty, InPost UK, Tesco, M&S, Footasylum, NewStore, and Veesion.

No card filling required as Etsy brings instant bank payments to US buyers in partnership with Stripe

Etsy reports a new payment option for users in the US.

In a LInkedIn post, Brian Gallagher, Staff Product Manager at Etsy, said: "I’m delighted to share what I’ve been working on over the past few months. Instant bank payments are now available for US Etsy buyers. This new option allows shoppers to connect their bank account at checkout for a secure and streamlined purchasing experience - no card filling required."

He added: "Buyers now have: A fast, secure way to pay directly from their bank account; More choice with a card free and cost-effective payment method. It’s been a pleasure to bring this to life with my fantastic teammates, in close partnership with the team at Stripe. More to come as we continue evolving how money moves on Etsy."

Evri announces multi-million pound acquisition of Irish customs clearance and logistics firm Coll-8

UK parcel delivery company, Evri, has announced the acquisition of Coll-8, an Irish customs clearance and logistics specialist.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although a press release states that this is a multi-million pound move.

The aim is strengthen Evri’s end-to-end capabilities in the Republic of Ireland and wider European Union by integrating its parcel delivery services with Coll-8’s bespoke, digital customs clearance platform, which automates and streamlines cross-border trade.

Currently, while Evri can guarantee next-day delivery within the UK, deliveries into the Republic of Ireland can take up to five days. By leveraging Coll-8’s technology, it expects to reduce delivery times to two days, boosting its end-to-end service proposition with coverage across first mile, middle mile and customs clearance for international customers.

REWE Group's Lekkerland taps VusionGroup retail technology for roll-out of 24/7 smart kiosks in Germany

Lekkerland, REWE Group’s specialist in convenience solutions, has partnered with VusionGroup for a project involving its network of autonomous 24/7 smart kiosks that leverage self-checkout technology across Germany.

Located in clinics, workplaces, and public spaces, these mini-stores are now equipped with VusionGroup’s solutions, enabling GDPR compliant real-time shelf monitoring, cloud-based pricing, promotions, and stock management - all remotely controlled from Lekkerland’s headquarters in Frechen.

By integrating VusionGroup’s Cloud platform, digital price tags, and AI powered shelf monitoring technology, Lekkerland says that it gains complete visibility into every product on every shelf. The system enables pricing and promotion updates, accurate restocking alerts, and item level performance insights.

Walmart Discovered Pass launches on Roblox, pitched as first ever branded game pass on the platform

Walmart says that it is raising the bar on Roblox with the launch of Discovered Pass, pitched as the first ever branded game pass on the platform offering exclusive monthly perks across popular and up and coming experiences.

The US retail giant worked with GEEIQ and Sawhorse Productions to bring this to life.

This month, those include the following:

Fisch​: a fishing adventure game to catch the rarest fish on Roblox with more than 162K average players per month.

Catalogue Avatar Creator​: one of the most popular experiences to customise avatars with more than 3.6 billion total visits to date.

Jail Break​: a global top 100 game on the platform with more than 5.6 million likes allowing players to strategise with friends.

Mega Hide and Seek​: a top 50 game in the United States where players have one minute to hide before the seeker looks for them.

Horse Valley: with more than 815K items favourited, players build ranches, train horses, and solve mysteries alongside friends.

Select developers of participating games will be participating in AMA events and hosting game nights with Walmart’s Discord community each month. They’ll also be highlighting their branded or favourite products from Walmart with links to buy.

The pass can be purchased for 199 Robux in Walmart Discovered or directly in participating games and experiences. New perks will be added every month. Pass holders can also earn free limited UGC from their favourite creators in Walmart Discovered each month.

e.l.f. Beauty financial literacy game on Roblox hits 1.7 million plays as brand aims to be on pulse of Gen Z culture

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.”

InPost UK hits milestone as it announces installation of 1,000th Tesco parcel locker location

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.

Veesion lands $43 million in Series B funding as it looks to lead charge in tackling retail theft with AI

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.”

ShopAi and Gregg London claim first conversational AI platform designed for in-store shopping intelligence

ShopAi, a UK-based startup launched by former Jisp MD Ilaan Hepworth, has announced a collaboration combining its conversational Ai technology with supply chain consultant Gregg London's 30-year product database containing over 350,000 food and beverage records.

The pair are launching GREGG, pitched as the first conversational AI platform specifically designed for in-store shopping intelligence. This aims to transform how consumers interact with products.

They start by scanning a QR code with no app download required, ask natural questions about any product using voice or text and get instant, accurate answers about ingredients, allergens, and dietary information. They can compare products, find alternatives, make informed decisions, and receive personalised recommendations based on dietary needs.

The solution provides retailers with: Zero integration requirements - deploy in days, not months; Reduced staff burden answering product questions; Valuable shopper insight data; New brand partnership revenue streams; Multilingual support for diverse communities.

Endless Aisle Live: Footasylum talks NewStore retail technology powered omnichannel transformation journey

At Endless Aisle Live, which took place in London this month, representatives from British sportswear retailer Footasylum and its private equity investor owner Aurelius Group shared how the company is embracing omnichannel. 

“We talk about change management, but this was really Footasylum starting over from scratch,” explained Richard Noon, Product Manager. 

In defence of Marks and Spencer as UK retailer gears up for eye watering £300 million profit hit from cyber attack

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.