Fake TikTok profiles and Sydney Sweeney: our most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out our most clicked articles from last week, including American Eagle, Sydney Sweeney, M&S, Hobbycraft, Currys, Blue Yonder, Pinterest, Optoro, and the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
American Eagle Sydney Sweeney jeans campaign controversy powered by AI driven social media manipulation
Most recently, Dr. Phil McCraw weighed in with his take.
The TV personality appeared on an episode of Real Time with Bill Maher, which saw the titular host say: "Sydney Sweeney came out as - not came out - she was exposed as a Republican. And she has the big jeans ad that was controversial. And they reported this like it was a scandal, [that] she's a Republican. I just got to say this is not where I want America to go. It is not a slur that someone is a Republican."
"For people to go crazy over that ad [that says] 'she's got good genes,' and for them to say that's the equivalent of the Holocaust, is an absolute insult," McCraw added. "Six million people were killed. Six million Jews were massacred and murdered, and they equate that to a blue jeans ad for a Hollywood actress? What an insult."
He continued, "That is ridiculous. I'm gonna go out and buy those jeans for every woman in my family, everybody I know just to show support."
The backlash has been amplified by fake TikTok profiles, according to Cyabra research.
"What we found out about American Eagle Outfitters' Sydney Sweeney campaign is wild - 15% fake profiles, 77,000 engagements, 4,000% spike in negative sentiment in just seven days. The shift from positive buzz to full blown crisis happened in only 36 hours," says Dan Brahmy, Co-founder and CEO at Cyabra.
"The coordination, linguistic patterns, and posting velocity all point to one thing: this was powered by LLMs. This is what modern, AI driven manipulation looks like - fast, targeted, and devastating for brand reputation."
Call for entries: just one month left to get your submissions in for the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards
Time is running out to enter the seventh edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by Vista Technology Support, 3D Cloud, EdTech Innovation Hub, and Retail Technology Show.
Deadline for submissions is Friday, 19th September.
The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world. Check out our 2024 winners here.
Our latest winners will be revealed at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 16th October.
Key dates
Friday, 19th September: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 23rd September: 2025 finalists revealed
Wednesday, 24th September - Wednesday, 8th October: Judging days
Thursday, 16th October: Winners announced at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 16th October.
We're hugely pleased to announce @VistaTechSup as Headline and Drinks Reception Sponsor at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards. Welcome onboard, guys! #RTIHAwards25 https://t.co/8GCmjjn4nQ pic.twitter.com/2LplgXg5jo
— RTIH Innovation Awards (@AwardsRtih) June 13, 2025
Jon Nicholson exits Royal Mail after 11 year run and gears up for new challenge in parcel delivery sector
Jon Nicholson has left Royal Mail, where he spent the past almost 11 years, most recently serving as MD Sales, Marketing, Customer Experience & Digital.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: "After 10.5 brilliant years, it is time to leave Royal Mail. I have had the privilege of working with some of the best people in the industry, and under some phenomenal leadership."
"I've had amazing opportunities, and some really tough times too. I've learnt something new everyday, and been humbled by some awesome humans who just go above and beyond. There are simply too many people to thank here, but to all that I have worked with over the last decade - thank you! You have made it a pleasure and a privilege."
"But now is the time to move on, and so after a period of garden leave, I will be joining one of, if not the most, exciting company in the parcel delivery sector and I can't wait!"
Pinterest launches Thrift Shop allowing users to buy secondhand items on social media platform
Pinterest is launching Thrift Shop, a new shopping experience that makes vintage and secondhand items available to purchase directly on the platform.
Available from 20th August to 26th September, Thrift Shop is the first experience of its kind on Pinterest. It will partner with vintage and thrift retailers from across the world, creating weekly closet drops on the site.
The move comes as the company says more than half of its users are now members of Gen Z, with 66% of these turning to it for shopping. It also says clicks to advertisers from its platform have nearly quadrupled in the past two years.
M&S stumps up £340 million for automated Northamptonshire food DC with go live in 2029
Marks & Spencer has announced a £340 million investment in its food supply chain - the largest in its history. This will fund the development of an automated national distribution centre (NDC) in Northamptonshire - a key part of plans to double the size of the M&S Food business.
Alex Freudmann, MD at M&S Food, comments: “We’re transforming M&S into a destination for the weekly shop and modernising our supply chain is central to that ambition. This investment will boost capacity for future growth, lower our cost to serve over the long-term, and improve product availability - ensuring customers find the right products in the right place at the right time.”
“Our new site will strengthen our network and help us get ahead of the volume curve as we build a bigger, better Food business. By using the latest, proven automation, we are future-proofing both our business and UK retail logistics, as well as creating 1,000 jobs permanently on site and 2,000 during the construction phase.”
Spanning 1.3 million square feet, the new facility will be based at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal, and is expected to open in 2029. The move follows an announcement earlier in the year to open a new 390k square foot distribution centre at Avonmouth in Bristol, serving stores in the Midlands, South-west England and South Wales.
Big news from M&S Food:
— M&S News (@MandSnews) August 21, 2025
We’re investing £340m in our largest-ever supply chain project - a 1.3m sq. ft automated food distribution centre in Daventry, opening 2029.
It’s a key step in our plan to double the size of M&S Food and serve more weekly
shop customers across the UK.… pic.twitter.com/t3fHl9WaU3
Currys connects with McAfee and MyPlayer to launch AI focused QR gamification experience in retailer's stores
Currys has teamed up with McAfee to roll-out a new QR gamification experience in stores, helping customers put their AI spotting skills to the test.
In a LinkedIn post, Naveen Sarvananthan, CI Technology Support Manager at Currys, said: "Can you tell if it’s AI… or not? It’s a fun, fast, interactive way to show how convincing AI generated content can be and why tools like McAfee Scam Detector are more important than ever. A big shoutout to MyPlayer for helping us bring this idea to life."
"The experience is live in-store now - go scan the code (or click the link in my post), play the game, and see if you can really tell what’s real."
Hobbycraft TV shoppable channel launches on Freeview, YouTube and connected televisions
Hobbycraft is marking its 30th year of operations with the launch of a shoppable TV channel.
The new media platform offers daily, demonstration led content from expert crafters, with the aim of making it easier for viewers to learn new skills and access all the materials needed. It will offer people more than 100 new brands.
They can tune in from 7.30am on Thursday 4th September on Freeview Channel 97, hobbycraft.co.uk/tv, Youtube.com/hobbycraft or via the red button on connected TV’s.
Blue Yonder announces acquisition of US-based retail technology and consumer returns firm Optoro
Blue Yonder has acquired Optoro in a move that, the supply chain specialist says, enhance its returns management capabilities.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“With e-commerce sales continuing to grow, retailers need to be prepared when it comes to returns, which were projected to hit $890 billion last year, representing 16.9% of annual retail sales and is more than double the return rate from 2019,” says Tim Robinson, Corporate Vice President, Returns, Blue Yonder.
“We are excited to acquire Optoro, to enrich the capabilities available to our customers, allowing them to enhance their ability to manage returns with increased efficiency and effectiveness to meet the needs of consumers. This strategic acquisition affirms our commitment to leading the industry, providing customers with unparalleled opportunities to refine their operations and driving transformative business success through a comprehensive returns solution.”
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