Vineta Bajaj heads to H&B: check out our most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out our most clicked retail technology articles from last week, including Holland & Barrett, Walmart, Morrisons, Simbe, Pinterest, B&Q, RELEX Solutions, Decathlon, Qualcomm, Zenline AI, and the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.
Vineta Bajaj departs Rohlik Group for CFO role at health and wellbeing retailer Holland & Barrett
Holland & Barrett reports that Vineta Bajaj is taking on the role of Group CFO in September, replacing Nick Allen who is leaving the retailer to pursue other opportunities.
Bajaj previously held the same position at Rohlik Group. a Pan European online grocer spanning five countries that has unicorn status.
She also spent ten years at Ocado Group, the FTSE 50 online grocer and technology provider, supporting its growth and strategic M&A, strategic divestments and fundraising over £1.5 billion.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Holland & Barrett at such an exciting moment in its journey.” says Bajaj.
“As the business accelerates its transformation to become a global, digital first wellness leader, I look forward to bringing my experience in omnichannel retail, e-commerce and AI and technology led growth to support its bold ambitions. It’s a fantastic brand with a powerful purpose in a sector that’s only growing in relevance and impact.”
Just three weeks 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.
There are now just three weeks left to get your submissions in for the 2025 @RTIH_RetailTech Awards. Deadline for entries is Friday, 19th September. Winners to be announced at an event in Central London on Thursday, 16th October #RetailNews https://t.co/yx34T5cJr8
— RTIH Innovation Awards (@AwardsRtih) August 30, 2025
Daniel Danker talks innovative technology and first week at Walmart as he makes the jump from Instacart
Daniel Danker recently completed his first week as EVP, AI Acceleration, Product and Design at Walmart, having joined from Instacart.
“Wrapping up an exhilarating first week at Walmart, I'm even more optimistic and inspired to build the future together. Every chapter of my career has shown me this: breakthrough products are born from bold teams, and innovation starts with listening,” he says.
“One week into my Walmart journey, I’m even more energised by what’s possible. From our first All Hands - equal parts connection and candid Q&A - to signing up as a Spark Driver with my leadership team, I’ve had the chance to experience our tech not just on screens, but on pick walks and doorstep deliveries.”
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.
'Retail geek' and Aptos veteran Helen Kostis Fourtounis joins smart technology firm RELEX Solutions
Helen Kostis Fourtounis has joined supply chain technology specialist RELEX Solutions as Enterprise Account Manager.
She was previously at Aptos Retail, where she spent just over ten years, serving most recently as Vice President, Retail Strategy (Merchandising Lifecycle and Omnichannel Solutions).
In a LInkedIn post, she said: "After years in retail, I’ve seen how unpredictable markets, inflation, and supply chain disruptions can derail even the most well run businesses. That’s why I chose to join RELEX Solutions as an Enterprise Account Executive, because they’re not just keeping up with the future of retail, they’re building it. RELEX is doing cutting-edge work in supply chain and retail planning delivering provable ROI through advanced machine learning, AI and generative AI tools.
"Their platform is trusted by some of the world’s largest retailers to: Forecast demand with up to 30% higher accuracy than industry averages; Optimise inventory to free up cash, reduce waste, and boost availability; Simulate “what if” scenarios with digital twins; React to market shifts with AI powered demand sensing; Reduce food waste by up to 40%, saving 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalents annually."
B&Q pilots GXO AI powered transport optimisation platform, driving savings of 240,000 km and 150 tonnes of CO₂
B&Q is piloting GXO’s AI powered transport optimisation platform. This technology analyses millions of route variations to identify the most efficient schedules, with early results indicating potential savings of 240,000 kilometres and 150 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Full implementation is planned for 2025.
As part of its path to net-zero, GXO employs an activity-based carbon accounting methodology, using DEFRA conversion factors to calculate emissions from fuel usage, energy consumption, and mileage. This data is submitted monthly to Kingfisher and independently audited annually.
Since their partnership began in 2015, GXO has managed B&Q’s retail transport network, including national and regional distribution centres, store to home final mile services, returns processing, and a flagship seasonal warehouse. B&Q has a strong online presence and marketplace, with over 700,000 products available for home delivery or Click and Collect.
GXO and @BandQ are soaring along our #Sustainability Glidepath, a comprehensive roadmap to decarbonize B&Q's fleet: 🪁
— GXO (@GXOLogistics) August 27, 2025
📆 The plan was for B&Q to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 — but with a 40% reductions in our emissions forecast just last year, we're ahead of… pic.twitter.com/zEff9YEZ7J
AI startup Zenline bags $1.6m in funding from Seedcamp, Yellow, First Momentum, Arc Investors
Zenline AI has secured $1.6 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Seedcamp, with participation from Yellow, First Momentum, and Arc Investors.
The startup develops artificial intelligence that combines margin data with market trends to deliver automated, product level recommendations - from pricing actions to assortment consolidation.
Retail teams use Zenline to support new product launches, rationalisation efforts, and the ongoing optimisation of existing listings.
It will use the cash to accelerate product development, refine its AI model, and expand into additional verticals.
“We build AI agents that think like assortment decision-makers, but operate in seconds. Our mission is to empower European retailers to compete profitably again. Given how critical and shopper centric assortment is, a retailer can win by increasing its top line and building a competitive edge against Amazon and Temu, because customers will easily find what they are looking for, consciously or not.” says Arber Sejdiji, CEO at Zenline AI.
Decathlon onboard as Qualcomm claims world first with launch of Dragonwing Q-6690 mobile processor
Qualcomm Technologies has announced a new processor, the Dragonwing Q-6690, which is pitched as the world's first enterprise mobile processor with fully integrated UHF RFID capabilities.
The processor includes built-in 5G, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, and ultra-wideband. Designed to support a range of form factors from ruggedised handhelds to retail Point of Sale systems and smart kiosks, the Dragonwing Q-6690 promises OEMs and ODMs a scalable and upgrade ready platform with software configurable feature packs that can be upgraded over the air.
“The Dragonwing Q-6690 combines integrated RFID, AI, and next-gen wireless capabilities in a single, scalable platform, designed to accelerate innovation across industries including retail, logistics, and manufacturing,” says Art Miller, Vice President and Head of Retail at Qualcomm Technologies.
“We are particularly excited about working with retailers today that need platforms that are not only powerful and connected, but also adaptable to evolving customer expectations, from smarter kiosks and handhelds to real-time inventory analytics and contactless experiences.”
Former Schnuck Markets executive David Steck takes on Expert in Residence role at Simbe
David Steck has joined Simbe, whose Store Intelligence platform includes the Tally autonomous shelf-scanning robot, as an Expert in Residence.
Steck is President and Founder at Steck Consulting and also spent almost 11 years at Schnuck Markets, serving as VP - IT Store and Emerging Technologies.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: "One of the highlights of my career was spearheading the first ever chainwide deployment of autonomous mobile robotics at Schnucks - a journey that transformed how we thought about delighting guests and empowering store teammates with in-store technology."
"I’m looking forward to working with Simbe’s clients (the largest number globally in the sector!) to bring the power of shelf data to life, so they can unlock the same significant value from in-store intelligence that we did at Schnucks.”
Hej Norwich! Ikea hits Alan Partridge country as it opens second of three new format small stores
Ikea this week opened a store in Hall Road Retail Park, Norwich, marked with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by the Lord Mayor of Norwich, Councillor Paul Kendrick, as well as 40 co-workers.
The doors were then opened for the first customers to experience this new format, with a compact layout that aims to be easy to navigate and designed for everyday convenience.
Norwich is the second of three small stores to open this year, following the opening of Harlow in July, and with another location planned to open in Chester in the coming months.
The retail park locations are designed to offer a simpler, faster shopping experience for customers, where they can explore roomsets, shop second-hand finds, and take home a wide range of home furnishings and small furniture items the same day. Dedicated planning services for kitchens and bedrooms are also available, supported by a team of co-workers.
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