Retail tech innovation of the week: Merchmix enters pilot with fashion and pharmacy retailers

Retail Technology Innovation of the Week is a series brought to you by RTIH, and sponsored by 3D Cloud, highlighting stand out deployments, launches, and initiatives by retailers and tech suppliers.

Every week, we will showcase forward thinking tech plays that have impressed our Editor and the Retail Technology Innovations Report judging panel, alongside the publication of the 2025 report.

And this week we’re focusing on Merchmix which is laying claim to the world’s first agentic SaaS retail platform - a solution that, the company says, doesn’t just analyse retail data, but uses AI to ingest 200+ external sources, and delivers agentic workflows to act on it.

By autonomously optimising stock levels, sending supplier alerts, raising purchase orders, or reconfiguring in-store layouts in real-time, Merchmix claims to eliminate one of retail’s most costly inefficiencies: stock optimisation.

It unites planning, buying, merchandising, and store operations in one platform. Retailers can ask: “Which SKUs will sell out in Manchester this weekend?” or “What if I move 10% of stock online?” - and Merchmix delivers both the analysis and takes action with autonomous agentic workflows.

"Launching new international markets at Marks & Spencer taught me every customer base in each country behaves differently, and those nuances are expensive to get wrong,” says Nicola Bond, Co-Founder and CEO at Merchmix who has 18 years expertise spanning retail and tech including senior buying roles at Asos, Debenhams and Best and Less.

“We’ve built the colleague every retailer wishes they had - one who never sleeps, knows the data inside-out, and helps you make the right call to protect margin and growth whether you’re a buyer, merchandiser, or store manager.”

Gemma Mowser, Co-Founder and COO, who has worked in retail and tech enabled fulfilment for Tesco, Kmart, Alshaya Group (for whom she managed the American Eagle franchise through MENA expansion) and Australian Heritage Brands Sportscraft, SABA & JAG, adds: “As a merchandiser, I saw first-hand how buyers and merchandisers worked from different playbooks. Merchmix gives everyone the same facts, and turns data into action so teams can focus on trading, not chasing spreadsheets.”

Aneesh Bond, Co-Founder and CTO, who was part of the team that built the product lifecycle management (PLM) system for Groupo Inditex, parent brand of Zara and Massimo Dutti, comments: “We engineered Merchmix to give retailers of all sizes the agility and reliability usually reserved for global giants.”

The company is in pilot with retailers in fashion and pharmacy, and targets companies across the retail sector spectrum from pet care, to FMCG and automotive. Merchmix is now available to retailers in the UK, Europe, and US.

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

AI will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards. which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.