The science of shopping and future of retail technology: RTIH's biggest articles on LinkedIn right now

We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we power towards the 25,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including East of England Co-op, Walmart, Tesco, Attabotics, Vantage, HomeByMe, BoConcept, THG Beauty, Snappy Shopper, Foodhub, Kate Hardcastle, and Bang & Olufsen.

Loyalty and promotion software firm Talon.One bags $135m in funding for AI innovation push

Talon.One, an enterprise loyalty and promotion software provider, has announced a $135 million funding round from new investors Silversmith Capital Partners and Meritech Capital, with participation of existing backer CRV.

Talon.One’s platform enables over 270 customers across a range of sectors to tap data in building personalised, scalable promotions and loyalty programmes. Customers include H&M, adidas, Costa Coffee, Sephora, Ticketmaster and Nordstrom.

The new capital will accelerate innovation of the Talon.One platform and strengthen the company’s market position in the US, UK, Europe and APAC. The investment will focus on delivering AI powered intelligence and predictive insights, as well as deepening enterprise capabilities across sectors.

East of England Co-op's Rob Smith talks future of retail and strong tech partnerships at AWS event

We've entered a transformative moment for the retail industry. So says Rob Smith, Technology Officer at East of England Co-op.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "This week, I had the fantastic opportunity to take part in a fireside chat at the AWS Retail Symposium. It was an inspiring day filled with forward thinking conversations about the future of retail, and I was honoured to contribute to the dialogue alongside such passionate and innovative peers."

He added: “I was especially pleased to be on stage with Mike Dotson from our hugely valued retail systems partner, Trust Retail, and Stuart Gibbon from Waitrose & Partners. Hearing Stuart share insights from their journey - and recognising how closely their challenges mirror our own - was both validating and energising. A big thank you as well to Justin M. Swagler (Worldwide Head of Physical Retail at AWS) for expertly facilitating the conversation and bringing out the key themes that matter most to retailers right now."

"We explored the importance of strong partnerships in technology to help us reshape customer experiences, drive operational efficiency, and unlock new possibilities for retailers of all sizes. The energy in the room made it clear: this is a transformative moment for the industry."

"Thank you to the AWS team for the invitation and for putting together such a well curated event. And to everyone who attended and engaged - your thoughtful questions made the discussion even richer. Looking forward to continuing these conversations. Let’s keep building the future of retail together."

Time is running out to enter the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, with deadline for submissions being Friday, 18th July.

As we witness a digital transformation revolution across all channels, AI tools are reshaping the omnichannel game, from personalising customer experiences to optimising inventory, uncovering insights into consumer behaviour, and enhancing the human element of retailers' businesses.

With 2025 set to be the year when AI and especially gen AI shake off the ‘heavily hyped’ tag and become embedded in retail business processes, our newly launched awards celebrate global technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world and the resulting benefits for retailers, shoppers and employees.

Our 2025 winners will be those companies who not only recognise the potential of AI, but also make it usable in everyday work - resulting in more efficiency and innovation in all areas.

Winners will be announced at an evening event at The Barbican in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September.

This will kick off with a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a three course meal, and awards ceremony in the Garden Room hosted by the rather excellent actress, writer, presenter, and comedian Lucy Porter.

Time is running out to enter the RTIH AI in Retail Awards. Deadline for submissions is Friday, 18th July. Our 2025 winners will be announced at an evening event at @BarbicanCentre in Central London on Wednesday, 3rd September #ai https://t.co/YnOwZgTVOc pic.twitter.com/CnEx2ZKQHb
— Retail Technology Innovation Hub (@RTIH_RetailTech) June 23, 2025

Walmart Unlimited gamified mini-series ends with a bang as episode three pulls in over one million players

Last month, Walmart Unlimited, a gamified mini-series, served up 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 was 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.

In the third episode, players joined Jabari, an aspiring artist guided by the Young Kings founder, as he journeyed through a sci-fi dreamscape to find elixirs and unlock his crown. Along the way, they faced new challenges and also discovered shoppable beauty and self-care products woven into the adventure.

"With over 1.2 million players and an average in-game time of more than 35 minutes, our gamified series has exceeded expectations," says Matteo Fanchin, Co-founder at PIGIAMA KASAMA.

"For the first time, immersive storytelling, action gameplay, and real product discovery converge in a multi-platform branded experience - built entirely on Spatial and playable on any device."

Vantage raids Zitcha to bring in retail media veteran Nick Hinsley as VP of International Operations

Vantage, an orchestration platform for retail and commerce media, has announced the appointment of Nick Hinsley as Vice President of International Operations.

Hinsley brings more than 20 years of experience in SaaS, marketing technology, and media companies.

Most recently, he held senior executive roles at Lexer and Zitcha, where he played a pivotal role in customer acquisition, revenue expansion, and the evolution of integrated retail media and customer data solutions.

Sports Emotion taps Nextail AI tech to optimise in-season inventory and boost operational efficiency

Spanish sportswear retailer, Sports Emotion, has chosen Nextal to help level up inventory operations and lay the foundation for future growth.

With more than 30 stores in Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and a digital footprint, Sports Emotion is home to specialty banners such as Fútbol Emotion, Basketball Emotion, and soon Running Emotion.

As the group accelerates its expansion, it is implementing Nextail’s AI driven merchandising platform to improve availability across channels and categories, reduce excess inventory, and strengthen margins.

With Nextail, Sports Emotion gains real-time visibility, demand forecasting, and automated, store-level decisions that will improve seasonal and continuity product performance and availability. The solution also provides teams with intelligent reporting and standardised processes to reduce manual work and support decision-making at scale.

HomeByMe inks BoConcept deal for 3D room design and product configuration experiences

Dassault Systèmes has announced a five-year partnership with BoConcept, which operates in the affordable premium furniture space, to bring new 3D technology to its customers in 65 countries.

BoConcept will integrate Dassault Systèmes’ HomeByMe 3D space planner and product configurator into its customer buying journey.

HomeByMe solutions include a tool that vendors can use to design an interior in 3D, and a web-based product configurator that both vendors and customers can tap to select and modify furniture colours, materials and sizes, and view them in a high definition virtual twin.

Customers can visualise their future interior and collaborate with vendors in BoConcept’s 300 stores to finalise the design and purchase of their made to order furniture.

RTIH's Liz Morrell talks to Kate Hardcastle about her new book and views on the state of retail today

In her nearly 30-year portfolio career, Kate Hardcastle has had one constant. “My heartbeat is insight, advocacy and empowerment but my north star is the consumer,” she says.

She continues to take on a variety of roles both within retail and in wider industry, from chairing conferences (she’s off to host London Tech Week as we conduct the interview for this article), being interviewed as a consumer expert in print and broadcast (over 2,000 documentaries and interviews), to advising boardrooms (large and small).

Her latest project has seen the launch of her first book. The Science of Shopping, will, she hopes, put the consumer at the centre of the universe for even more businesses – including retail.

“We have had lots of interest over the years for different types of books, including a consumer shop smart book but I didn’t think that was the right thing for me at the time,” explains Hardcastle. “I thought that if I was going to start with any book it should probably talk about the retail I came into and the retail I think we’re going into, and the intermediary between which is the technology and human side.”

Christmas windows aren’t just displays—they’re experiences! ✨

Tonight, after The Holiday on primetime TV, I’ll be discussing why these festive masterpieces are vital for retail, from storytelling to customer connection.

Perfect Sunday viewing ☕️#TheCustomerWhisperer pic.twitter.com/gMyQ6oyt4e
— Kate Hardcastle MBE (@katehardcastle) December 1, 2024

THG Beauty reports major increase in incremental revenue thanks to adMarketplace partnership

THG, a UK-based e-commerce group, has reported a 10% increase in incremental revenue at its beauty retail business thanks to its partnership with native search advertising platform adMarketplace.

The collaboration is also said to have improved marketing efficiency and delivered savings for THG, which owns beauty retailers LOOKFANTASTIC, Dermstore and Cult Beauty.

Tesco preps Attabotics tie up to install micro-fulfillment systems for online grocery orders

Tesco has entered into an agreement with Attabotics that will see the UK grocery giant tapping the firm’s micro-fulfillment systems to fulfill online grocery orders.

It’s a move that is likely in line with plans to grow Tesco’s Whoosh and Marketplace offerings.

According to a report by Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive, citing multiple unnamed sources, it has evaluated numerous micro-fulfillment solutions on the market including AutoStore and Fabric.

The retailer looked at the technology from Attabotics for nearly two years before entering into an agreement to purchase and install a system. It required the Canadian company to meet stringent requirements across a variety of areas including picking speed, uptime, ease of use, and safety.

Danish consumer electronics firm Bang & Olufsen taps YOOBIC store operations and retail app offering

Bang & Olufsen has rolled out YOOBIC technology to power its store operations and as its go to retail app, with the aim of giving teams a seamless, all in one digital hub for everything from VM checklists and store visits to their retail handbook.

B&O has over 2,000 employees across 400 stores in Europe, the US, APAC, and EMEA.

In a LInkedIn post, Fabrice Haiat, CEO and Founder at YOOBIC, said: "Excited to welcome the legendary Bang & Olufsen to the YOOBIC community. When a brand known for perfection in sound and design chooses us to power its store operations, it’s not just a win, it’s a statement."

"With 400 stores and 2,000+ employees worldwide, B&O is embracing YOOBIC as its go to platform to drive operational excellence, boost execution, and empower every store team to deliver the premium customer experience they’re famous for. Huge kudos to the B&O team for their trust. The mission is clear: streamline, elevate, and amplify. Let’s make every store visit pitch perfect."

Asos focuses on exclusive benefits and experiences with launch of new loyalty programme for UK customers

Online fast fashion giant Asos has announced the launch of a new loyalty programme for UK customers after a trial earlier this year.

Called ASOS.WORLD, the scheme offers exclusive benefits and experiences such as early access to collections and edits, priority back-in-stock alerts, invites to events and early access to sales.

The loyalty programme will be offered to customers in four tiers: