Marks and Spencer and adidas under attack: RTIH's rounds up its most read articles from last week
Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including TCS, Snappy Shopper, Justin King, Primark, Fixtuur, Rohlik Group, AutoStore, Walmart, and Amazon.
Tata Consultancy Services greenlights internal investigation amid fall out from M&S cyber attack
TCS is conducting an internal investigation over whether it was the gateway for the cyber attack on Marks & Spencer.
The Indian IT giant has provided services to M&S for more than a decade.
The retailer recently said that the hackers had managed to gain access to its systems via a third party. It is hoped the investigation will be concluded by the end of the month, according to a report by The FT that cites people familiar with the matter.
Both M&S and TCS did not reply to our request for comment.
adidas cyber attack shows how quickly such incidents can ripple through a company's entire supply chain
adidas this week reported a cyber attack incident in which customers' personal information was stolen.
In an online post, it said: “We recently became aware that an unauthorised external party obtained certain consumer data through a third-party customer service provider. We immediately took steps to contain the incident and launched a comprehensive investigation, collaborating with leading information security experts.”
“The affected data does not contain passwords, credit card or any other payment-related information. It mainly consists of contact information relating to consumers who had contacted our customer service help desk in the past.”
It added: “adidas is in the process of informing potentially affected consumers as well as appropriate data protection and law enforcement authorities consistent with applicable law. We remain fully committed to protecting the privacy and security of our consumers, and sincerely regret any inconvenience or concern caused by this incident.”
Chris Clowes, Executive Director at global supply chain and logistics consultancy, SCALA, said: “The recent IT disruptions at Marks & Spencer, Co-Op and most recently adidas, show just how quickly a system fault or cyberattack can ripple through a business’ entire supply chain.”
“Within hours, stock visibility can disappear, deliveries can stall, and shelves begin to empty - potentially eroding customer trust in turn. The incidents come at a moment when supply chains everywhere are already under strain from armed conflict, trade disputes, and climate driven weather events.”
Justin King headlines as Snappy Shopper Snappy Summit 2025 quick commerce event is set for September
Snappy Shopper has launched what is pitched as the UK’s first of its kind Q-commerce event.
Snappy Summit will take place on 9th September at Glasgow Science Centre.
“We're bringing together over 250 of the UK’s most influential independent convenience retailers, retail symbol and company owned fascia, for an unmissable day of networking, insights, innovation and celebration,” says Greg Deacon, Vice President, Retail Media, Retail & Business Development at Snappy Shopper.
“Q-commerce is now a £3.2 billion industry and growing. We’re not just riding the wave, we’re shaping it. This summit is a chance to connect with our top performing retailers, leading FMCG brands, and industry innovators who are redefining what convenience means in 2025 and beyond.”
The headline speaker will be Justin King, former CEO at Sainsbury’s and a Snappy board member, who will share insights from his decade at the grocery giant and his vision for the future of Q-commerce.
Keith Alexander takes on expanded role within tech leadership team at value retailer Primark
Primark’s Keith Alexander is taking on an expanded technology portfolio within Interim CIO Dave Robertson’s tech leadership team.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I am now accountable for all colleague operational products and business platforms (with the exception of Digital and Customer Experience). I have a terrific front, middle and back office tech team and have so many exciting innovations to deliver together as we grow Primark. It feels like every week we are delivering something new for our colleagues.”
Alexander joined the Information Technology function at Primark two and a half years ago from Currys, where he had served as Supply Chain Tech Transformation Lead.
European online grocer and technology specialist Rohlik Group nabs major AutoStore systems milestone
Rohlik Group reports that, after four months of preparation and execution, all 12 of its AutoStore systems are now fully operated by its own control system: ARCOS - developed in-house, designed around the European e-grocery specialist’s processes, and optimised for speed, efficiency, and agility.
In a LinkedIn post, Jindřich Vašák, Product Owner at Rohlik Group, said: “What makes this achievement special? Zero downtime: Every single migration was executed without disrupting running operations. In DACH, we performed full migrations on Sundays - each site in about six hours. In Czech Republic, where Sundays aren’t an option, we migrated overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in under four hours – ensuring the morning shift could start as usual.”
Composable architectures and MACH not failing companies, what’s often missing is organisational readiness
There’s a wave of frustration among some business and tech leaders around composable architectures and MACH, with criticisms including it’s too complex, too expensive, and “we tried, and it didn’t work.”
But here’s the hard truth: what’s often missing is organisational readiness. So says Mobarak Said, a business technologist, MACH ambassador, and former Colleague Domain Optimisation Lead at H&M.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “It’s not just about swapping out tech, it’s about transforming how your teams work, how they collaborate, and how they think. MACH isn’t a plug and play solution. It demands an intentional shift in people, process, and culture. Composable can become complex and expensive, but usually as a direct result of poor strategy, unclear ownership, and lack of alignment across the business and tech.”
Gaming is culture: Walmart Unlimited journey reaches its finale with launch of episode three
Walmart Unlimited, a gamified mini-series, has returned with a third and final chapter.
This made its debut earlier in the year, brought to you by Walmart, Unity and Spatial in collaboration with animators and producers Martian Blueberry and game development studio PIGIAMA KASAMA.
The first episode introduced characters inspired by Walmart’s real-life suppliers, including A Dozen Cousins founder Ibraheem Basir.
It’s the US retail giant’s latest attempt to tap immersive commerce - a form of online shopping that combines VR with 3D visualisations and gamification - to connect with the next generation of consumers.
Walmart preps largest centralised prescription processing facility powered by automation tech
Walmart has announced the opening of its largest centralised prescription processing facility to date in Frederick, Maryland. The 102,000 square foot site is designed to fulfill up to 100,000 prescriptions a day, supporting more than 700 stores across 16 states and Washington, D.C.
The US retail giant says that, with this launch, it continues to scale its Central Fill operations to meet growing demand for faster, more convenient pharmacy services including online shopping with fast delivery of prescriptions as well as pharmacist provided clinical services including immunisations and testing and treatment for strep throat, flu and Covid.
Two more facilities are in development - one in Phoenix, Arizona, and another in Republic, Missouri - and are expected to open in 2026.
Fixtuur research: augmented reality is set to transform furniture retail space but adoption gap remains
A new study conducted by London Research in partnership with visual commerce technology company Fixtuur reveals that while augmented reality (AR) and 3D visualisation technologies are delivering significant returns for furniture retailers, widespread implementation still lags behind growing consumer expectations.
Research based on a survey of 100 senior decision-makers in the furniture industry in the UK and US, finds that only 58% have implemented AR technology, despite 96% reporting that 3D visualisation and AR tools have led to increased sales, and 82% are able to estimate a strong ROI from their investments.
“This research confirms what we’ve long believed at Fixtuur: the future of furniture retail isn’t about transactions, it’s about confidence, experience and personalisation,” says David Thomson, CEO at Fixtuur. “The brands pulling ahead aren’t ticking a tech box, they’re using visual commerce as a strategic lever to inspire trust, build loyalty, and accelerate sales.”
Amazon revamps online store to mark International Women's Football Day as Euro 2025 fast approaches
This includes a refreshed online store, and a UEFA Women's Euro 2025 ticket giveaway.
The storefront features thousands of products and offers fast delivery for Prime members on eligible products.
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