Vista takes wraps off McTraining Centre: our biggest retail technology 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 VoCoVo, Wonder, Boxbar Tech, Orderly, Footasylum, Zipline, Jigsaw, Sitoo, Simbe, Homebase USA, PayPal, alentr, Polytag, and Bojangles.

Vista Technology Support opens McTraining Centre as part of Engineering Centre of Excellence in Cardiff

Vista Technology Support has unveiled a new training facility, the McTraining Centre, a fully operational replica of a McDonald’s restaurant - minus the food and customers - designed to elevate the standard of engineering training across the business.

Located at Vista’s Head Engineering Centre of Excellence in Cardiff, this mirrors the technology and layout of a real McDonald’s restaurant. The facility enables engineers to train in a realistic, hands on setting, ensuring they are fully prepared to support the complex technology ecosystem found in modern quick  service restaurants.

It was conceived by James Pepper, CEO at Vista. After a meeting with

McDonald’s colleagues and franchisees, the idea emerged to create a holistic restaurant environment for training. The feedback highlighted that, while the training was comprehensive, the technology was scattered across desks and shelves. This inspired the creation of a complete restaurant environment where engineers could interact with technology as it would be installed in an actual McDonald’s restaurant.

“We wanted to create a space that reflects the quality of training we deliver and the high standards our customers expect,” says Pepper. “The McTraining Centre brings that vision to life - offering our engineers the opportunity to work with the exact systems they’ll encounter in the field.”

The Midcounties Co-operative puts focus on colleague safety with roll-out of VoCoVo headset technology

With retail crime increasing nationally and concerns about colleague safety an industry wide challenge, VoCoVo has supported The Midcounties Co-operative to ensure its team remains supported and connected at all times.

The Midcounties Co-operative is a consumer co-operative with 6,000+ colleagues spread across over 220 food retail stores in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Shropshire, the West Midlands, Worcestershire and the surrounding counties. It also operates Travel, Childcare and Utilities businesses, and is made up of over 700,000 members.

Colleague safety is one of the biggest challenges facing the in-store retail industry. The BRC describes the situation as “out of control”, with incidents of retail violence and abuse growing year on year.

The Midcounties Co-operative is one of the retailers that has been battling this issue. With rising incidences of abuse and theft in stores, it wanted to find a solution that would support its colleagues.

Simon Shankster departs Focal Systems for VP of Business Development and Partnerships role at Orderly

Simon Shankster is starting a new role as Vice President of Business Development and Partnerships at Orderly, a UK-based platform for forecasting, stock and store execution.

He joins from 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards winner Focal Systems where he served as Vice President Sales & Customer Success EMA.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "I'm incredibly grateful for my time at Focal Systems and the superb experiences, relationships and partnerships created, and for the fantastic opportunities that I was able to bring to life with retailers all over the world. A special thank you to the brilliant EMEA team at Focal."

"I'm really looking forward to this new chapter at Orderly, an amazing company with incredible people and a set of values to match, and proud to be a certified B-corporation. Since 2008, Orderly have been helping global food and retail businesses reduce waste, improve efficiency, and build more sustainable operations. By optimising everything from forecasting and ordering to inventory and task management, and I'm ready to start contributing to Orderly's continued success."

Focus on Nottingham as Jigsaw taps Sitoo PoS solution in UK stores with unified commerce tech now taking off

Jigsaw is rolling out Sitoo's in-store unified commerce technology.

In a LinkedIn post, James O'Hare, VP UK at Sitoo, said: "We are live! Visited a Jigsaw store in Nottingham earlier this week as they went live with Sitoo. The amazing project team at both Jigsaw and Sitoo have worked so tirelessly on this roll-out, and so to hear how well it had gone on day one was amazing and testament to all their hard work."

He added: "It felt like a real moment for me in store on Tuesday because such a massive part of what drives me and Sitoo as a business is the impact a great PoS solution can have on store teams. The feedback that’s come in across their stores nationwide has been. We are just getting started, more roll-outs to come as unified commerce begins to take off in the UK."

Marc Lore's FoodTech startup Wonder now serving all of Manhattan and planting roots in Rosslyn, VA

Wonder, a food delivery and technology startup founded in 2018 and fronted by former Walmart U.S. eCommerce executive, Marc Lore, has opened its 55th and 56th locations in the US.

In a LinkedIn post, Tony Hoggett, who left Amazon and the position of SVP Worldwide Grocery stores to join Wonder as CEO, said: "We’re excited to share that we have officially opened two new locations - Wonder #55 in Washington Heights and Wonder #56 in Rosslyn - bringing our signature dishes and multi restaurant ordering to even more neighbourhoods."

"In Washington Heights, we kicked things off at 3780 Broadway with a festive ribbon cutting ceremony and an electrifying live dance performance by local favorite Fuerza Dance Studio. Down in Rosslyn, we partnered with the Rosslyn BID for a vibrant ribbon cutting ceremony and community celebration. Live music from the talented Benjamin Gates added energy and excitement to an unforgettable evening."

Brian Monahan departs dentsu for dream job at Albertsons Companies' retail media network spin out

Brian Monahan is leaving dentsu to take the helm at Albertsons Media Collective, the grocery chain’s retail media network.

He replaces former SVP of Retail Media at Albertsons Companies, Kristi Argyilan, and will hold the same title. Argyilan recently left to take on a role as Global Head of Uber Advertising.

In a LinkedIn post, Monahan said: "After seven awesome years, I’ve made the hard decision to leave dentsu. A heartfelt thank you goes to the inspiring leaders for whom I was privileged to work – Nick Brien, Wendy Clark, Jacki Kelley, and Jeff Greenspoon. And sincere best wishes to Hiro Igarahsi-san, Jean Lin, William Swayne and the incredible team of innovators at dentsu who work tirelessly to drive impact for their clients."

He added: “I love the craft of media. It's been my life’s work. And I love retail - the proximity to the customer, the frequency of interactions, the ability to read and react in an instant. It’s a rush. Retail media is the only media transaction where the objective of buyer and seller are aligned. I am so grateful to Susan Morris, Jennifer Saenz, and Omer Gajial for bringing me back to the retail industry and entrusting me to lead the next chapter for the Albertsons Media Collective."

Simbe's Tally autonomous shelf scanning robot rolls into Homebase USA stores as pilot kicks off

HomeBase USA is testing out Simbe’s Store Intelligence platform, which includes the Tally autonomous shelf-scanning robot, at its locations in Copperas Cove, Texas, and Laramie, Wyoming.

Tally captures real-time data on product availability, pricing, and placement, with the aim of achieving fewer out of stocks and an improved customer experience. The Laramie store introduction marks the first deployment of the robot in Wyoming.

Simbe said: “HomeBase joins other farm and ranch retailers already using me to make shopping smoother and team jobs easier. Together, we're ensuring the right items are always in the right place, at the right price.”

Caitlin Allen, SVP of Market at Simbe, added: “For store associates, repetitive inventory checks can eat up hours each week, and aren’t exactly anyone’s favourite task. Automating those checks means teams can focus on what really matters: helping customers and keeping the shopping experience smooth. Excited to watch HomeBase unlock even more efficiency and team impact with Tally in the aisles.”

Mark Dremel, District Manager at HomeBase, commented: “Getting inventory right is fundamental to our business, and with Tally, we’re equipping our teams with the insights they need to succeed. This pilot is an exciting step toward improving both operational performance and the in-store experience, and we’re eager to see Tally’s impact as we look to scale.”

Self-service drinks technology firm Boxbar Tech adds Costa Express co-founder Scott Martin to its advisory board

Boxbar Tech, an automated, self-service drinks technology company focused on hospitality at stadiums, venues, festivals and events, has announced the appointment of Scott Martin to its advisory board.

Martin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Coffee Nation, which evolved into Costa Express following acquisition by Whitbread.

Under his leadership, Costa Express grew from a UK startup to become one of the world’s largest self-service premium coffee brands and a $700 million global enterprise with over 15,000 locations across 15 countries. He later served as Founder and Managing Director of Costa X, a global innovation unit under The Coca-Cola Company.

At Boxbar Tech, Martin will support the company’s leadership team with three core priorities: Driving international expansion; Enhancing strategic partnerships with leading hospitality groups, venue operators, and festival organisers; Advising on operational excellence.

Currys veteran Robert Bates joins contextual AI pricing software firm alentr as VP of Products

alentr has announced the appointment of Robert Bates as Vice President of Product.

In a LinkedIn post, the contextual AI pricing software specialist says: “Dr. Bates joins us with over 15 years of experience in pricing strategy, decision science, and customer analytics, most recently as Head of Decision Sciences at Dixons Carphone (Currys), where he led AI powered pricing initiatives across the UK and Ireland.”

It adds: “He played a key role in integrating predictive pricing approaches described as “the retail industry’s most overlooked growth lever” into AI frameworks to boost profitability. He’s spent his career tackling the operational and analytical gaps in pricing and now joins alentr to solve them at scale.”

“Applying contextual pricing allows you to both maximise the insights hidden within the models and to make them available across all pricing decisions across the customer journey,” says Bates. “I’ve spent my career tackling this very problem from the inside. Joining alentr is a chance to solve it for the entire industry.”

Footasylum hails 'game changer' for store teams as it goes live with Zipline retail operations platform

Footwear and sportswear retailer Footasylum reports deployment of Zipline’s retail operations platform.

In a LinkedIn post, Shannon Osman, Head of Retail at Footasylum, said: “Thrilled to announce that we have just launched Zipline. This platform is a game changer for our store teams. Streamlining communication, improving visibility, and making it easier than ever to deliver an exceptional customer experience.”

She added: “Huge thanks to everyone who made this possible, especially the team at Zipline who have been incredibly supportive throughout this process.”

Brian Peters exits Shopify to join PayPal as Vice President of Strategic Partnership Innovations

Brian Peters has been appointed by PayPal as Vice President of Strategic Partnership Innovations. He joins from Shopify where he spent six and a half years, most recently serving as Head of Product Partnerships.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Today marks the end of one memorable chapter and the beginning of an incredibly exciting new one. Merchants and organisations increasingly look to PayPal not just for payments, but for deep partnership to co-create the next wave of global commerce experiences that accelerate growth. As the saying goes, the tide lifts all boats - and I’m excited to play a small role in helping to influence that tide.”

American QSR brand Bojangles expands Spanish language ordering across platforms including AI solution

American fast food firm Bojangles is expanding its Spanish language ordering capabilities for online ordering, its mobile app, in-store kiosks and drive-thru AI assistant, known as Bo-Linda.

At the drive-thru, Bo-Linda offers a fully Spanish spoken experience at more than 400 locations, with Bojangles claiming that it is one of the first major QSR brands to deliver bilingual functionality at this scale. Additionally, about 35 locations will feature kiosks with this option.

“This is about more than just technology - it’s about making every guest feel welcomed and understood,” says Jose Armario, CEO at Bojangles. “As a Hispanic leader, I take pride in ensuring our brand reflects the communities we serve. Language should never be a barrier to hospitality.”

“This initiative shows what’s possible when you blend innovation with Southern hospitality to find new ways to make more guests feel welcome,” says Richard Del Valle, Chief Information Officer at Bojangles. “We’re not just translating menus - we’re redesigning the guest experience.”

Jordon Pullen takes on Business Development Manager role at green retail tech firm Polytag

Recycling technology company Polytag has appointed Jordon Pullen as Business Development Manager.

She was previously at ThisThat, where she held the same role, and has also worked at Euromonitor International.

In a LinkedIn post, Pullen said: “For years, I’ve admired companies proving that profit and purpose don’t have to be at odds. One idea I keep coming back to: “small” choices, at scale, have very real impact. And packaging brings that to life in a tangible way that affects everyone.”

“So when I got the offer to join Polytag, I jumped at the chance and am thrilled to be joining them in their mission to increase traceability in recycling and empower a smarter, more circular economy.”

Smart move: autonomous retail technology startup Reckon.ai picks up €5.1 million in funding round led by Iberis Capital

Reckon.ai, a Portugal-based startup, has raised €5.1 million in funding in a round led by Iberis Capital. This also included participation from private equity funds Alea and Touro.

Reckon.ai will use the cash to accelerate international expansion and enter new market segments.

In a LinkedIn post, it said: “A warm welcome to our new investors Iberis Capital, Alea Capital Partners, and Touro Capital Partners, bringing our total funding to €8.5 million - more exciting news will come soon! This investment marks another significant milestone in our journey to transform autonomous retail through smart cabinets.”

It added: “We are grateful to our amazing team, loyal customers, trusted partners, and current investors who have made this possible. Here's to the future and the exciting opportunities ahead! Stay tuned.”