Next has that winning feeling as Lionesses roar online: 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 Nexi, Chargebacks911, Ikea, Ocado Technology, Wonder, Next, Knit, Lincolnshire Co-op, Be.EV, VTEX, and SAP Emarsys.
$16.1 million...Knit, whose AI powered consumer research platform is used by brands like NASCAR, Amazon, Mars Wrigley, and Overtime, has raised $16.1 million in Series A funding. This was led by GFT Ventures and Ashton Kutcher’s Sound Ventures with continued participation from Silicon Road Ventures, Osage Ventures, Rise of the Rest, and others.
Notable angel investors such as David Kirk, former Chief Scientist at NVIDIA, and Gokul Rajaram, founding partner of Marathon Management, also took part.
“Today’s enterprise researchers are being asked to do more with less,” says Aneesh Dhawan, Co-Founder and CEO at Knit. “Knit empowers them to deliver fast, cost efficient insights without sacrificing quality or control. This funding accelerates our vision for a human + AI platform that makes research accessible, contextual, and decision ready.”
“Enterprise research is a massive market that’s ripe for AI disruption,” says Jeff Herbst, Founding Managing Partner at GFT Ventures. “Knit has built technology that truly meets the needs of modern research teams. Their traction with some of the world’s largest and most forward thinking brands, standout team, and clear vision for where this market is headed position them to lead the new era of enterprise insights.”
11.1%...Next’s strong start to the year continued into its Q2, with total product full price sales rising by 11.1% as it was able to capitalise on conditions that played to its strengths in the UK.
As a result of its continued strong performance, the retailer has uprated its guidance for full price sales in H2 from an increase of 3.5% to 4.5%, with this also putting Next once again in the position to increase its full year profit before tax guidance by £25 million to £1,105 million.
"As consumer confidence and spending on clothing and footwear remains muted in the UK, this is testament to the retailer’s operational strength and agility, and how well its proposition is resonating with shoppers," says Emily Salter, Lead Retail Analyst at GlobalData.
“In the UK, Next’s sales rose by 7.8%, with this being driven by online growth of 9.5%. Its performance was boosted by the continuation of warm weather into May and June, with consumers being persuaded to continue buying summer attire, while it saw a boost from the ongoing impacts of the cyberattack on key rival Marks & Spencer."
"As M&S’ online platform remained down until early June and third-party brands were only reintroduced from late June, Next was an obvious switch for many consumers. Its wide range of brands won shoppers over, alongside the bonus of its leading Click & Collect proposition adding to its convenience, with M&S’ Clck & Collect service still being unavailable."
"Next expects UK growth to slow to 1.9% in H2 as M&S’ trading normalises, but it should work to convince those who have switched from M&S to stay with it, such as by signing up to its NextUnlimited account or better persuading them of its style credentials.
“Meanwhile internationally, the retailer’s digital marketing drove online full price sales to increase by 26.4%. This will enable Next to invest in more marketing than planned in H2, leading it to increase its international sales growth expectations to 19.4%.”
100...Jisp reports a milestone just weeks after the retail launch of its new prize draw platform, JispWin, with more than 100 independent stores now signed up and dozens more in the onboarding pipeline.
Designed to be simple, free, and rewarding for store owners, JispWin offers 15% commission on ticket sales generated in-store, requires no special equipment, and provides full PoS support.
“JispWin is a natural evolution of our mission to support independents,” says Alex Rimmer, Narketing & Communications Director at Jisp. “We’ve created a product that’s fun for shoppers, financially beneficial for retailers, and socially responsible - all at no cost to store owners.”
28,000...New research into the payment preferences of 28,000 consumers, conducted by Nexi, highlights how online shopping habits continue to evolve across Europe.
Its survey reveals the different stage that European societies are at in their payment journey: the Nordics, long seen as the pacesetter in digital payment transformation, increasingly use mobile payments, including digital domestic wallets like Vipps and Swish; the DACH region demonstrates a clear preference for e-wallet services like PayPal; while consumers in southern Europe still value physical payment cards and even cash.
Tommaso Jacopo Ulissi, Head of Strategy and Transformation at Nexi Group, comments: “Europe’s payment landscape has many commonalities - consumers across the board continue to indicate expectations for secure, simple and fast payments - but there are also key differences.”
“Retailers and independent software partners and integrators must recognise that, if they are to grow, their customer experience offering must reflect local payment preferences across cards, e-wallets, invoicing, and even emerging technologies like A2A payments. This must be done while ensuring resilience and reliability are assured as standard.”
54%...New research from Visualsoft shows that the Women’s Euros outpaced the Men’s in online retail sales as fans rallied behind the Lionesses, with sports and outdoors, fashion and footwear, and children’s sectors all seeing higher revenue, more orders and increased AOV.
Comparing the two weeks leading up to each final, the data highlights clear shopping spikes around key matches and a 54% YoY revenue jump in the children’s category alone.
Jen Pollard, Data Analyst at Visualsoft, says: “It’s been incredible to see the Lionesses inspire not just the nation but also noticeable shifts in retail behaviour.”
“Our data shows that the Women’s Euros had an even bigger impact on online sales than the men’s tournament the year before, especially in categories like children’s, where it’s clear the enthusiasm is being shared across the whole family. Big matches are becoming more than just sporting events, they’re now key cultural moments that drive meaningful online engagement and spending.”
41%...Reward, a specialist in customer engagement and commerce media, has released new consumer spending insights revealing a continued decline in brand loyalty among UK grocery shoppers.
Switching behaviour among UK grocery shoppers has accelerated since 2023, with June 2025 marking a new high - as 41% of consumers move away from their primary grocer. Discounters are benefitting most from this shift as shoppers manage their budgets, claiming a market share of 20% in June - higher than their 2025 average of 19.3%.
Meanwhile, cross-shopping is now the norm, with 80% of consumers using two or more grocers in June and the average shopper visiting 3.2 different grocers. These behaviours reflect the growing importance of price, availability, and perceived value in shaping grocery choices.
€5.1 million...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.”
That’s according to Chargebacks911 research based on responses from over 1,200 cardholders in the US and UK.
“Younger shoppers are digital natives who want what they want, when they want it. When it comes to disputing a transaction with a merchant, they aren’t waiting on hold, searching for support emails, or even looking to speak to an actual person,” says Monica Eaton, CEO at Chargebacks911.
“More often than not, they’ll tap an app, file a dispute with their bank, get an instant refund and move on. They do this because it’s convenient and it works nearly every time. If merchants aren’t meeting them with digital first solutions, they’re already behind.”
Key findings:
Mobile wallet preference skews young: Consumers under 30 are more than twice as likely to prefer mobile wallets than those over 60.
Buy now, pay later adoption is rising: Nearly half of shoppers aged 18–44 have used BNPL services, compared to just 33% of those over 60.
Bank first mentality: 83% of 18–44-year-olds prefer resolving disputes through their bank, not the merchant. Just one-third of consumers over 60 disputed a transaction without contacting the merchant in the past year.
Dispute short-cuts are normalised: Over half of younger consumers skip contacting the seller altogether and initiate disputes directly through mobile banking platforms.
1...Ikea has announced the upcoming opening on 29th August of a new Plan and Order Point store in Clifton Moor Retail Park, York. This marks a milestone as the retailer establishes its first presence in the city.
Plan and Order Points are smaller stores, designed to provide customers with bespoke kitchen and storage planning services.
Also on offer are collection areas for online orders, with customers able to return Ikea purchases to the store. In addition to planning services, customers can browse and purchase from a curated range of 100 home furnishing accessories, available for immediate takeaway.
The store will showcase 11 different kitchens and 10 PAX wardrobe solutions and an appliance studio. Customers will be able to drop-in or book an appointment to start their design with one of the six design specialists based in the store, part of the 12-strong York co-worker team.
70%...A new YouGov poll finds broad support among Americans for body camera use in retail, public transit, private security and other sectors where frontline workers increasingly face disruptive behaviour.
As H&M becomes the latest major retailer to start testing bodycams for employees, a survey of over 2,500 American adults, commissioned by tech firm HALOS, found more than 70% are comfortable with, or indifferent about, the growing prevalence of body worn cameras beyond law enforcement.
"There’s been a lot of conversation about how bodycams impact businesses and employees, but we wanted to understand how the public feels about seeing them in everyday settings,” says Alan Ring, CEO at HALOS.
"Our study found the majority don’t mind that bodycams may be capturing their interactions in a store, on a train or at a concert because this era of over-sharing on social media and hyperconnectivity has sort of made that the expectation. It goes to show how bodycams are quickly becoming an accepted part of the public safety toolkit."
71%...While 71% of US consumers shop for groceries online at least occasionally, friction in the experience is preventing brands from fully capturing loyalty and long-term spend, according to research by VTEX.
The company surveyed 1,000 Americans to uncover the expectations driving digital grocery behaviour in 2025, and where retailers are still falling short.
55 and 56...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."
2...EV charging network Be.EV has partnered with AAAZ Investments to install ultra-rapid charging bays at a site on Livesy Branch Road in Blackburn, which features a Tesco Express store (BB2 5AY).
The deal has seen Be.EV invest £223,000 to install two 150kW Kempower ultra-rapid charging bays at the site, which give drivers up to 80% of charge in a 20-minute stop.
It comes in the wake of an eventful few weeks for the EV sector, with the UK government announcing new subsidies of up to £3,250 for the purchase of new electric cars.
3...Ocado Technology has taken to social media to highlight three online shopping features that have stood the test of time, offering up ‘before’ and ‘after’ app shots to show how its UX has progressed over the years.
In a LinkedIn post, the company said: "Fun fact: When the Ocado app launched, it was the first ever transactional shopping app in the UK. Beyond these look and feel tweaks, our e-commerce technology has been on quite a journey. We’ve run countless experiments - getting it right most of the time, and taking valuable learnings when things didn’t go to plan."
Ofcom, which estimates about 14 million people watch online pornography in the UK, says the move will make it harder for children to stumble across harmful material online. Critics, however, have labelled it a draconian attack on a free and open internet.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, there has been a massive surge in VPN sign ups in recent days. Digital ID specialist Yoti is also seeing business boom.
In a LinkedIn post, Robin Tombs, Co-founder and CEO at Yoti, said: “I said on Friday evening the introduction of the UK Online Safety Act age checks resulted in an insane day for us. It’s Sunday evening now and it’s now been a crazy last three days.”
“We launched our Porno Pete video (which flags that millions of UK adults will be able to share anonymously an over 18 age credential with porn sites or other sites needing to comply with the Online Safety Act) on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook on Monday afternoon and over 1.5 million UK individuals had watched it by Wednesday evening.”
After seeing UK Yoti app downloads go past six million on 15th July, the company shared a link to the video in the app on Friday 25th July and by Sunday UK Porno Pete viewers had jumped past four million views.
100...Lincolnshire Co-op has opened its 100th food store. The £2.5 million outlet on March Road in Cambridgeshire is serving the Coates community and surrounding areas.
In a LinkedIn post, the retailer said: “With our trading area continuing to grow beyond Lincolnshire, we’ve introduced new branding and signage to highlight our hyper-local community-focused approach. This will be rolled out as part of a major cyclical refresh programme, including a ‘Your Community Shop’ fascia at the front of the store and end of aisle advertisements.”
It added: “We’ve also installed a community unit that has a noticeboard where posts can be put up about events happening in the local area, soft plastics and batteries can be recycled, and donations can be made towards the local food bank, Whittlesey Emergency Food Aid.”
57% of UK consumers have little to no trust in brands to use AI responsibly, while 76% say they lack confidence in the data privacy of AI, a 41% drop since 2024. That’s according to new research from SAP Emarsys, which includes insights from 2,000 Brits and 250 UK marketers.
The findings show a growing disconnect: as many as 87% of UK marketers now use AI, and 63% are increasing investment in it this year, but just 19% of shoppers feel they receive enough value in return for their data.
Despite AI making shopping easier - a benefit recognised by 57% of UK supportive consumers, trust continues to erode. With transparency still lacking, and many consumers unsure how or why their data is being used, British shoppers now rank as the least confident globally when it comes to data use.
“We’re in a new kind of loyalty economy - driven by AI, but built on trust,” says Sara Richter, CMO at SAP Emarsys. “Many brands are now in what we call the Engagement Era - where speed and personalisation are expected, but it’s the value exchange that sets leaders apart.”
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