2025 RTIH Innovation Awards entry deadline fast approaching: 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 Adobe Analytics, American Eagle, Sydney Sweeney, REWE Group, Augmodo, MACH Alliance, Ocado, Prime Day, Ikea, Vinted, Royal Mail, Lowe's, and Handwave.

£10.7 billion...UK online retailers experienced a confidence boosting July, with e-commerce spending hitting £10.7 billion - a 7.2% year-on-year increase and a 17.6% jump on the £9.1 billion spent in June, according to research from Adobe, powered by Adobe Analytics.

July’s figures brought UK online spending for the year-to-date up to £62.1 billion, up 2.6% YoY. The uplift was largely thanks to the four-day Prime Day event which saw shoppers spend £2.08 billion across the e-commerce landscape over the sale period (up 11.1% YoY) as shoppers made the most of deep discounts. 

Across all retail categories, prices were 14% lower than normal levels, with apparel and TVs discounted by 18%. The first day of Prime Day (8th July) was the highest spending day of the year, with £676.5 million spent. 

The success of the Lionesses on the pitch also caused spending on England shirts to spike, as sales skyrocketed by 750% after the semi-final victory against Italy, and by 325% after the final when compared with normal levels.  

6...There are now just six weeks left 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. FAQs, entry forms, categories etc can be found here.

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.

-3.90%...American Eagle’s in-store visits fell -3.90% across the USA last week, coinciding with rising backlash over its campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney.

The actress has recently faced criticism over her political associations, with calls to boycott brands she works with gaining traction online. American Eagle, one of her most prominent partnerships, saw its first notable drop in store traffic in weeks, hinting that the controversy may be moving from digital discourse into consumer behaviour.

64...REWE Group reports that 64 new Mercedes-Benz eSprinters will now be handling deliveries in Berlin, and from September also in Neuss.

These vehicles represent REWE Delivery Service's largest single order with new partner Mercedes-Benz. It is investing almost five million euros in the EVs alongside charging infrastructure expansion.

"We are delighted to support REWE with our eSprinter vehicles and to be able to contribute to making everyday life easier for many people. In terms of their efficiency and range, the vehicles are ideally suited to the needs of our commercial customers. They demonstrate that locally CO2 emission free driving, impressive performance, and comfort can be optimally combined," says Andreas Böger, Head of New Vehicle Sales at Mercedes-Benz Transporters and Vans Germany.

2 and 3...Ikea is gearing up to open a new location in Norwich on Thursday, 28th August. This small store format is the second of three to open, with a third planned for Chester in the coming months.

These locations, all of which are located in retail parks, reflect a new format for Ikea, designed to be quick to market and offering a simpler, faster shopping experience, just around the corner.

Key features and services include: 

• A showroom and market hall featuring Ikea’s most popular families, home furnishing accessories and limited edition seasonal ranges.

• Online access to the full range, with the option of home delivery or free collection in 48 hours.

• Planning services for kitchens and bedroom storage to help customers design their dream spaces.

• The opportunity to buy pre-loved Ikea products at more affordable prices and bring back items that are no longer needed in exchange for store credit.

• A selection of food offered at The Swedish Bite for those wanting to eat in or take away.

$37.5 million...Augmodo, a real-time inventory and task tracker using wearable Smartbadges to create live 3D store maps, has closed a $37.5 million Series A funding round.

This was led by TQ Ventures, with participation from existing backers Lerer Hippeau, NewFare, WIN and Interlace, who joined newcomer Arena Holdings - an investment firm founded by Feroz Dewan, former Managing Director at Tiger Global, as well as Jefferson River Capital - the family office of Tony James, former President and COO at Blackstone Group.

In a LinkedIn post, Ross Finman, CEO and Founder at Augmodo, said: “This will accelerate bringing spatial AI to the largest workforce on the planet: retail. Combining wearables plus AI with our Smartbadges is going to change the physical workforce just as much as AI is changing knowledge work today.”

“While there is a lot of excitement about the future across the industry, retail has the biggest physical data problems today and are very grounded applications solving out of stocks, inventory, safety, training, and more.”

2...The MACH Alliance, a non-profit profit group whose members include software vendors, systems integrators, agencies, and individual experts known as "Ambassadors", advocating for open technology ecosystems, reports a change to its leadership structure.

There will be shift over to a model that will see main positions filled by end user companies instead of vendors. Two end user ambassadors will be appointed to the executive board in September alongside the nine elected member seats.

Current President Casper Rasmussen will step down on 30th September 2025 after three years in the post. A President will be elected from its membership in September 2025 and then there will be a transition to an appointed end user President in September 2026.

25...Ocado’s 25th anniversary celebrations have prompted James Gralton, Chief Product Officer, to think back on his own 20 year journey with the company.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Walking through the doors in 2005 I could not have imagined the journey Ocado and I would go on. It’s a story of many companies all wrapped up into one. I originally joined as a software engineer, working on new Java applications for our customer fulfilment centre.”

At that time, Ocado had just one warehouse. Watching the firm go from a single fulfilment centre to an international business with sites live all over the world has been a clear highlight for Gralton.

“Our journey has had its fair share of bumps but the tenacity and hard work of our teams has pushed us through each challenge. I’ll never forget launching our first two international CFC partners on the Ocado Smart Platform, at the same time, in the midst of Covid-19,” he commented.

2,000 and 8,000...Vinted customers can now collect and send their orders from Royal Mail’s 2,000 lockers and almost 8,000 Collect+ Parcelshops across the UK, in an expanded partnership between the pair. Vinted sellers were previously able to send parcels via the network of lockers and Parcelshops, but now buyers will be able to collect their purchases from these locations.

Royal Mail is expanding its parcel pick up and drop off network across the UK to meet growing demand from online shoppers and second-hand marketplace sellers. As well as the locker and Collect+ Parcelshop networks, Vinted customers can use 11,500 Post Office branches, 1,200 Royal Mail Customer Service Points.

Royal Mail also recently made it possible to send larger parcels through postboxes and request proof of posting on its app. In April, the company launched a pilot of its solar powered ‘postboxes of the future’, featuring a slot to allow customers to drop off larger parcels and get digital proof of posting via its app. This functionality will be rolled out to Vinted users in the coming months.

69.3%...Concerns around cybersecurity are prompting a shift in online shopping behaviour, particularly among younger consumers in the UK. With one third of 16-34s considering cutting back or stopping online purchases, retailers face rising pressure to reinforce digital trust. This is especially the case for pureplays, which cannot redirect sceptical consumers to stores, according to GlobalData.

Emily Salter, Lead Retail Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “However, the convenience and choice associated with the online channel will still trump security concerns for most consumers. This is potentially more important to older shoppers who have children and greater pressures on their time, or less ability to visit stores as they age. Younger shoppers also place more emphasis on experiential shopping, so this combined with security concerns could push more consumers to stores.”

GlobalData’s UK monthly survey (involving 2,000 people) reveals 69.3% of consumers are worried about their personal security because of recent cyberattacks, with 79.3% of 25-34s feeling the most concerned about this issue.

30...Lowe's Companie's Lowes.com e-commerce site is turning 30.

In a LinkedIn post, Alison Young, Director of DIY Engagement Planning, said: "Thirty years of innovation, resilience, and reinvention. That’s three decades of learning how to meet customers where they are - at home, on the go, or in-store -and delivering value with every click."

"This milestone is more than just a celebration - it’s a moment of anticipation of what's to come! The digital shelf is no longer just a channel - it’s the heartbeat of modern retail. And what’s next? Smarter tools. Seamless journeys. Personalisation at scale. And above all, continuing to grow with purpose."

"This week, we celebrated this milestone with the Lowe's cheer in both campuses and heard from our great leaders, Joe Cano (SVP Digital at Lowes.com) and Neelima Sharma (SVP - E-commerce and Omni Commerce Product & Technology). Here’s to the next chapter of growth, progress, and possibilities."

$4.2 million...Handwave, a biometric startup founded in Latvia, has raised $4.2 million in seed funding to launch its palm-based payment and identity platform in Europe and the US.

The round includes backing from regional investors, led by Practica Capital, with support from FirstPick, Outlast Fund and Inovo.vc, and will fund product development, regulatory certifications, and live retail pilots.

Using proprietary technology, the solution enables customers to onboard themselves, scan their palm using their phone camera, and link payment and loyalty cards, as well as identity credentials, to a digital wallet. Once enrolled, users can hold their palm over a reader to pay, activate loyalty, or confirm their age - no apps, phones, or wallets needed at checkout.