Retail media becomes operating system of modern commerce: RTIH's biggest 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 Currys, Xpand, Click Labs, Evermile, Walmart, Sainsbury's, Quorso, Visual Art, Sailing Group, Simbe, and EE.

Retail technology startup Xpand bags $6 million in funding and preps first smart autonomous store in Vienna

Xpand, a retail technology startup building autonomous, AI powered stores, has raised $6 million in a funding round led by Ibex Investors and Emerge.

The company’s executive team, including Chairman and CEO Joel Bar-El, also participated. Bar-El previously co-founded Trax Retail. Other senior team members bring experience from companies including SAP, Retalix, Bringg, and Magic Leap.

Headquartered in Tel Aviv and founded in 2021 under the name 1MRobotics, the venture was rebranded as Xpand to reflect its shift from research and development to commercial deployment. The new capital will accelerate store roll-outs across Europe and North America and fund the expansion of the sales, marketing, and technology teams. The launch of its first smart autonomous store in Vienna is in the works.

“With this new investment, we are ready to move from vision to global execution,” says Bar-El. “The Vienna store is only the beginning. Our leadership team is deeply committed to bringing scalable, autonomous retail to life.”

Lounge Underwear integrates Order Editing with technology stack that includes Netsuite and Peoplevox

Lounge Underwear has gone live with Order Editing, whose self-service portal lets customers make changes to their online orders.

In a LinkedIn post, Hamish McKay, Co-founder and CEO at Order Editing, noted that Lounge Underwear has a combined following of over six million on socials, more than 100 staff at its head office, and 25 orders per second at the peak of BFCM.

He added: "I first met Dominic Hague (Head of Systems of Lounge Underwear) just 11 days into quitting my job and going all in on our Shopify app. We weren't ready to handle their scale. Not yet. Nine months later and we were smashing it with other $100 million+ brands and I came into the head office to say hello.”

Click Labs announces expansion of logistics footprint as it buys Evermile, an AI platform built for SME retailers

Click Labs, a specialist in logistics and on-demand delivery software, has announced the acquisition of Evermile, a London and Tel Aviv-based AI retail operations platform built for SME retailers.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2022 by Omer Goldschmidt, Ynon Cohen, and Omry Hochberg, the Evermile platform acts as a “virtual operations manager” for retail - automating daily workflows typically handled manually by SME teams. Its AI agents and proprietary orchestration engine handle everything from order prep and delivery assignment to SLA tracking, support resolution and personalised customer engagement.

Since launching in 2023, Evermile has powered hundreds of thousands of orders and supported the daily operations of thousands of independent retailers across the UK. It has become a partner to brands like Ottolenghi, CakeBox, and Paul’s Bakery.

Walmart sets sights on Gen Z and Gen Alpha as retailer introduces new immersive online storefronts

Walmart has launched a new series of immersive online storefronts, with a focus on cultural movements inspired by and shaping Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

In a LinkedIn post, Justin Breton, Head of Brand Partnerships & Emerging Experiences, said: "Over a year ago, we launched Walmart Realm, an immersive shopping experience blending culture, content, and commerce to facilitate product discovery and brand reappraisal. Since then, it’s connected millions of younger shoppers with creator curated products, interactive mini-games, and trend driven storytelling through this emerging medium."

He added: "We’re now introducing our boldest wave of new immersive storefronts yet, all rooted in the cultural movements inspired by and shaping Gen Z and Gen Alpha, as we redefine how they discover, connect, and shop with our brand online. We’re starting with the vibrant K-POP Era, followed by Lo-Fi Playing, Rodeo Dreams, Nature Breaks, and Group Woosah."

The move is in support of Walmart Delivers, the US retail giant's IRL mobile pop-ups bringing these social trends to cities nationwide where consumers can expect photo booths, customisable giveaways, and interactive zones that turn shopping into an event. On 2nd September, the Walmart Delivers K-POP pop-up will be at the BABYMONSTER concert in Chicago.

Mobile communications firm EE opens first Experience store in Yorkshire as it touches down in Sheffield

EE has opened the doors of its first Experience store in Yorkshire, in the city of Sheffield.

With a focus on reimaging the role of a retail store, these locations are designed to help customers explore the latest in connected technology.

They feature Experience Zones, including a dedicated area for gamers and a hands on area for testing the latest devices and receiving personalised recommendations.

In a LinkedIn post, Asif Azoz, Retail Director at EE/BT Group, said: “This is an immersive and welcoming space for the South Yorkshire community to test out the newest innovations and visualise their lives with the latest connected tech.”

“It’s also home to an incredible team of expert EE Guides who are always on hand to help our customers make the most of their smart devices and with a personal touch that makes technology accessible to everyone. Huge congratulations to the whole team behind today’s launch, your expertise and enthusiasm is unmatched.”

Simbe expands Store Intelligence technology platform as it looks to boost retailers' fresh department performance

Simbe has announced Store Intelligence capabilities tailored for fresh departments, with the aim of delivering near real-time visibility into some of grocery’s most operationally complex and strategically important zones.

With expanded multimodal coverage across produce, deli, bakery, prepared foods, and more, Simbe says it is helping grocers reduce shrink, increase availability, and consistently deliver the fresh experiences that drive shopper trust and loyalty.

“From produce to baked goods, fresh is the performance centre of the grocery store because of its importance to shoppers,” says Brad Bogolea, Co-founder and CEO at Simbe. “Deloitte research shows they’re three times more likely to switch grocers if fresh execution falters. Simbe gives retailers the visibility and control to meet those expectations, at a time when outdated, manual processes are no longer an option.”

AI powered e-commerce tech firm Claimit taps David Clark, Chief Customer Officer at Frasers Group, as Strategic Advisor

Claimit, whose AI powered platform automates courier claims for e-commerce companies, has appointed David Clark, Chief Customer Officer at Frasers Group, as a Strategic Advisor.

He brings extensive experience in retail operations, digital innovation and customer experience with a backdrop of companies such as Zalando, Asos, Selfridges and now Frasers Group.

Clark says: "I’ve seen first hand how Claimit is transforming the way retailers manage courier claims, saving an abundance of time and cost, whilst improving recovery rates and providing clear visibility. I’m excited to support Andy and the team as they continue to innovate for the retail industry."

Andy Watson, Co-founder and CEO at Claimit, says: "David’s expertise in retail logistics makes him an incredible addition to our journey. His perspective from one of the UK’s largest retail groups will help us push boundaries and deliver even more value to our clients."

UK tech retailer Currys connects with Quorso for AI powered platform that helps store teams work more efficiently

UK technology and electricals retailer Currys has teamed up with Quorso to launch a new tool called Action AI in its stores.

This brings together information like sales, footfall, promotions, surveys and customer satisfaction, into one dashboard. The aim here is to help managers and teams focus on what matters most and take the right action, in the right way, at the right time.

For example, a Sales Manager can instantly identify product categories that aren’t performing well - thanks to millions of calculations across the store network - and be guided to the root cause through real-time transaction trends. At the same time, teams can learn from top performing stores through seeing what works well right across the estate.

This week, the platform launched in an initial 16 stores across the UK, with full roll-out planned in September.

Visual Art signs five-year agreement with Danish grocery retailer and Netto owner Salling Group

Visual Art has inked a five-year agreement with Salling Group, the Denmark-based grocery retailer with brands such as Netto, Føtex, and Bilka.

The deal includes Visual Art’s digital signage software, full technical migration, remote and on-site support, and integration with Salling Group’s current ad tech platform. The pair will also explore new functionalities related to audience data, campaign measurement, and sensor-based activation.

“I meet many companies working with in-store retail media, but Salling Group’s drive and innovative mindset truly stand out. They have a purposeful and forward looking approach to how digital communication should create value every day. We look forward to building a long-term partnership together,” says Andreas Lind, Chief Commercial Officer at Visual Art.

UK and European retailers playing retail media catch up as US powers ahead, Currys CIO Andy Gamble

Retail media is becoming the operating system of modern commerce. It has rewriten the retail playbook Stateside and the UK/Europe are in catch up mode. So says Andy Gamble, Group CIO at Currys.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: "I was in the US last week. Four days. Some of the biggest names in global retail. All $100 billion+. And one clear takeaway: one retailer I spoke with has now unified media, loyalty, and insights under one roof."

"No more silos. No lag between data and action. I’s all connected. All real-time. All strategic. As their exec told me: “We’ve removed the friction. Now brands grow with us using precision data, personalisation science, and seamless marketing tech.”

"And the most powerful part? The data is now the product - fuelled by AI, scaled by strategy. It’s not just what you know. It’s how fast you can act on it."

Sainsbury's Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer Mark Given gets ready for another squiggle

Sainsbury’s recently reported significant changes to its operating board across customer experience, technology, commercial and sustainability.

This included the announcement that operating board accountability for technology will move to Mark Given, who becomes Chief Technology, Marketing and Data Officer from 1st September, following Clodagh Moriarty’s move to Dunelm.

Given has taken to social media to discuss his new job. In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Some big changes announced at Sainsbury’s this week including my role.”

“In the book ‘Squiggly Careers’ by the super talented Sarah Ellis and Helen Tupper they define these type of careers as ones that emphasis adaptability, continuous learning, and exploring different roles and opportunities as they arise. Which is a great summary of where I am right now.”

He added: It’s been the greatest privilege of my career to lead sustainability for the last four years with the excellent Ruth Cranston (Group Director of Sustainability at Sainsbury's). But it’s time for another squiggle. And I’m really looking forward to working with our brilliant technology teams from September.”

“Finally a huge welcome to Tracey Clements (Chief Retail, Logistics and Supply Officer) and Rob Barnes (Chief Technology Officer) looking forward to you joining the Sainsbury’s family soon.”

Trust Payments expands Pennies micro-donation tech partnership to John Bell & Croyden pharmacy

Trust Retail, part of the Trust Payments Group, has announced implementation of Pennies micro-donation technology at John Bell & Croyden, a London pharmacy dating back to 1798 and a Royal Warrant holder since 1958.

The Pennies functionality has been fully integrated into John Bell & Croyden's PoS application and payment devices, allowing customers to make micro-donations during purchases.

Unlike the standard fixed donation amount used in many retail environments, this deployment will offer variable donation suggestions based on transaction value - recognising the premium nature of many purchases at John Bell & Croyden's Wigmore Street location. The pharmacy has operated at this site since 1912.