Aldi Shop & Go embraces the hybrid path: our biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we cross the 25,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Vineta Bajaj, Holland & Barrett, Nina Mimica, Global Council for Business Resilience, StrongPoint, Order Editing, Focal Systems, Asda, Zyntrix, RNV.ai, and Ahold Delhaize.
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.”
Nina Mimica joins Global Council for Business Resilience advisors after Studenac exit
Nina Mimica has joined the advisory board at the Global Council for Business Resilience (GCBR), a global, cross-sector platform focused on business leadership, community partnerships, technological innovation, and sustainable practices.
Mimica was previously Chief Innovation and Digitalisation Officer at Studenac, She left the Croatian retailer earlier this year.
In a LinkedIn post, GCBR said: “Nina is a C-suite executive with over 18 years of international experience across retail, telecommunications, global appliances, and advertising. She brings expertise in executive leadership, business transformation, innovation, and digitalisation - combined with a strong track record in strategy, new revenue generation, CSR, and people management.”
It added: “Passionate about mentoring, community impact, and empowering the next generation of leaders, Nina also finds inspiration in travel, art, and new experiences. Her global leadership and people centered approach will greatly strengthen GCBR’s mission to co-create resilience and sustainable growth across industries and regions. Welcome, Nina - together, we build resilience for a stronger future.”
Aldi Shop & Go stores go hybrid as retailer places customer choice at forefront of checkout-free push
Aldi is making changes to its Shop & Go checkout-free stores, moving from a tap in to a hybrid experience.
In a LinkedIn post, Lennart Hoffmann, Lead Engineer Seamless Stores at Aldi DX, said: “Since opening our first checkout-free Shop & Go store in London in 2022, we have continuously evolved the customer experience to make shopping faster, easier, and more convenient. After introducing tap in during December 2023, we are excited to announce the next big step in our journey: Shop & Go is going hybrid.”
He added: “Our new hybrid store model puts customer choice at the forefront - keeping the ease of checkout-free shopping while bringing the concept closer to the traditional Aldi shopping experience.”
As with any other Aldi store, customers can now just walk in. At the exit, they can choose how they want to pay: use the retailer’s app or tap on a fast lane, or try new self-checkout terminals. These let people manually scan their items or use an AiFi powered checkout system.
Hoffmann added: “This evolution reflects our commitment to understanding and responding to the needs of our customers. We’re offering more flexibility to suit different shopping preferences while maintaining speed and convenience. We’re proud of this milestone and look forward to welcoming customers to the new Shop & Go experience.”
Asda kicks off trial of Focal Systems AI powered store shelf scanning cameras in five locations
Asda has deployed AI powered cameras from Focal Systems that scan shelves on an hourly basis to detect in-stocks, out-of-stocks, lows, and if products are in the wrong spot.
A trial is currently underway at five of the UK grocery giant’s stores. The cameras are placed on poles on top shelves in stores and can monitor around eight feet of shelf space opposite.
Shout out to Steve Dresser, CEO at Grocery Insight, for bringing this to our attention.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I remain unconvinced on this technology. Battery life requires the swap out of physical batteries, the resolution on the images is low and it's far too easy to game this system also. (IE facing over). It relies on stores informing Focal the plan has been changed (why?) and fundamentally it will always end up with central teams monitoring the stores.”
He added: “Sure they may not at the start, but there's the optionality....I remain concerned by the ability to zero stock files based on imagery alone and alert after alert each hour just makes teams responsive, not reactive.”
Beyond forecast: Chief Technology Officer Ahmet Kayıran talks how RNV.ai manages retail in real-time
In today’s landscape, marked by volatile consumer demand, real-time market dynamics, and widespread uncertainty, powerful forecasting systems go beyond historical data: they capture environmental signals in real time, learn rapidly, and continuously reshape themselves.
With this vision, RNV.ai is redefining the boundaries of forecasting - combining data driven decision-making, continuously learning AI algorithms, and the generation of meaningful insights. Going beyond traditional systems, RNV.ai not only delivers recommendations but also clearly reveals the underlying cause and effect relationships, empowering brands with operational agility.
In the summer 2025 issue of Bi’Sektör Magazine, RNV.ai discussed the most common areas where forecasting errors occur in retail, how the right system creates advantages not only in inventory management but also across customer satisfaction, sales, cost, and time - and how RNV.ai is leading a transformation in the industry.
Warehouse automation and food retail specialist Oliver Baggaley ends time at Ahold Delhaize
Oliver Baggaley has left food retail giant Ahold Delhaize, where, based in the Netherlands, he spent the past five years, holding a number of roles, most recently Director Global Warehouse Automation.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “After almost five incredible years at Ahold Delhaize, the time has come to share that I’ve stepped away from the company. I began in Group Strategy focused on digital and e-commerce - and was later asked to establish a new, group wide capability in warehouse automation.”
He added: “What I’m most proud of? Creating a new model of global collaboration that made our automation projects successful, improving efficiency, capacity and the working environment. I had the privilege of working closely with teams at Albert Heijn and bol (Netherlands), Delhaize Belgium, MEGA IMAGE - Ahold Delhaize Group (Romania), and ADUSA Distribution. I learnt about the local cultures, our unique brands, and how to tailor central expertise to individual projects.”
Former InPost and Wayfair exec Aurelijus Valeisa takes on CTO role at grocery tech firm StrongPoint
StrongPoint, a provider of grocery technology solutions, has announced the appointment of Aurelijus Valeisa as Chief Technology Officer.
Valeisa started his first company at just 15 years old, later founding and selling two businesses. Before moving into retail technology, he held senior roles at Boozt, Wayfair, and InPost.
“What excites me most is the opportunity to scale StrongPoint’s solutions. This is not a company where everything is already set in stone, there is still a lot of room to innovate, solve problems, and bring new solutions to grocery retailers. It has massive potential to become even stronger in its core markets as well as expanding into new ones with its solutions,” he says
“We are thrilled to welcome Aurelijus as our new Chief Technology Officer. His unique mix of entrepreneurial drive, deep engineering knowledge, and experience scaling leading European technology companies will be a huge asset as we look to continue expanding our solutions into new markets,” says Jacob Tveraabak, CEO at StrongPoint.
Tom Hill takes on CEO role at Zyntrix following Director of Digital role at Poundland and Dealz
Tom Hill has been appointed CEO by Zyntrix, a FinTech firm that aims to unify loyalty, Open Banking and digital ID into one seamless customer experience.
He was previously Director of Digital at Poundland & Dealz.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I’m delighted to share that last month, after a relatively short (but incredible) break, I stepped into a new chapter of my career as CEO of Zyntrix.”
“Over the past 20 years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the biggest and best brands in retail and hospitality - leading operations, customer experience, business development and transformation strategy, across both physical and digital estates. Along the way, I’ve learnt a huge amount from some brilliant people - insights I look forward to leveraging as I enter this new and exciting chapter.”
He added: “At Zyntrix, we have a simple but ambitious mission: to unify loyalty, Open Banking and digital ID into one seamless customer experience. We’ve worked hard to develop a product that enables businesses, through their existing or new loyalty programmes, and e-commerce platforms, to: Supercharge loyalty with exclusive, unique and instant rewards; Cut transaction costs dramatically across multiple sectors via Open Banking; Remove friction at the checkout, including automated ID verification for age-restricted sales.”
Claudia Ditri exits AI powered e-commerce tech firm Klevu to join Order Editing as Head of Partnerships
Claudia Ditri has left Klevu, where she spent the past eight years, holding a number of roles, most recently Vice President Partnerships & Customer Success, to join Order Editing.
"After eight incredible years, my time at Klevu has come to an end. It’s hard to put into words the gratitude I feel - to the partners, customers, and colleagues who have been part of this journey. I’ve learned so much along the way and, most importantly, built friendships that I know will last a lifetime."
"A very special thank you to my team/ mentors, you've given me some of my fondest memories, and the foundation that shaped so much of who I’ve become in my career. I’ll always be grateful for those early days and the people who made them so special."
She adds: "From the moment I met Hamish McKay (Order Editing Co-founder and CEO), I knew I wanted to be part of the journey he’s building. His energy, vision, and sheer passion are infectious, and I’m truly inspired by the path he’s carving out for Order Editing I’m beyond thrilled be working alongside him and the team to shape and grow the global partnerships function."
Central Co-op, Lincolnshire, Midcounties co-operatives tap SymphonyAI Connected Retail platform
SymphonyAI reports that Central Co-op, Lincolnshire, and Midcounties co-operatives have deployed its Connected Retail platform in a bid to modernise operations, localise assortments, and enhance the member experience across more than 700 stores serving over 1.3 million shoppers.
Using generative and predictive AI, this delivers real-time intelligence across inventory management, shelf execution, and supply chain operations.
“With SymphonyAI’s range and space planning, we can quickly adjust our assortments to meet changing member shopper preferences while automating labour intensive tasks to allow our teams to focus on delivering exceptional service,” says Jacob Isherwood, CIO, Midcounties Co-op.
“Our priority is to keep shelves stocked with the right products, reduce waste, and minimise overhead costs. With SymphonyAI’s platform, we’re able to enhance our operational efficiency and meet the evolving needs of our shoppers,” says Steve Leach, COO, Lincolnshire Co-op.
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