Tesco tackles crime and Amazon UK goes faster: this week's biggest retail technology stories

It's Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail tech space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past few days, including Good2Go, JD Sports Fashion, Checkpoint Systems, Frasers Group, Goddiva, Rokt, Cineplex, Breezm, and M&S.

1. Former Starbucks exec and store development specialist joins Good2Go board of directors

Good2Go, which specialises in automated access and virtial queuing technology, has added Andy Adams to its board of directors.

A spokesperson for Good2Go says: "Andy is a global retail leader with over 30 years of experience shaping store formats and driving large scale growth. He spent 21 years at Starbucks, where he guided store development and design across 80+ countries."

"As we scale our secure access platform across retail, Andy's expertise in store development, customer experience, and global expansion will be invaluable."

"Good2Go is redefining how modern stores are imagined, built, and experienced, and that's exactly where I want to be," says Adams.

"Joining this team is an opportunity to bring together world class store development and cutting-edge secure access technology to create the store of the future: spaces that are safer, smarter, and designed from day one for the way customers actually want to shop."

2. First Amazon Now quick commerce site goes live in the UK following launches in India and UAE

Amazon reports the launch of QLD1 - the first Amazon Now on demand delivery site in the UK.

Amazon Now lets customers purchase thousands of everyday essentials, such as groceries and personal care items, that will be delivered within minutes. In India, the service last year brought ten-minute delivery to Mumbai following launches in Bengaluru and Delhi, with 100+ micro-fulfilment centres operational.

In a LinkedIn post, Elisa Michelin Salomon, Ops Lead, EU Quick Commerce, said: "What started in May ‘25 as a few people around a table in Bangalore, discussing how we could learn from India and the UAE and bring quick commerce to Europe, has now become a live service for London customers - with fresh groceries and everyday essentials delivered in as fast as 30 minutes in Southwark area."

She added: "Six month ago, when we started this journey, I would never have imagined we could deliver a brand new service at this speed. This wasn’t just a site launch - it meant taking on the huge responsibility of standing up an entirely new network, shaping new operations, and enabling a new last mile delivery model from the ground up."

"From that initial small group, the journey grew into a collaboration across 57 partner teams, all aligned to make this possible. Proud of what we’ve built together - and just getting started."

3. JD Sports Fashion and Checkpoint Systems tackle challenges using RFID inventory management

Checkpoint Systems has inked a multi-year global agreement with JD Sports Fashion to deploy its RFID inventory management software, ItemOptix, across the retailer’s Sports Fashion Group stores, starting in Europe.  

The tie up began with a pilot in the second half of 2024 across five stores in the UK, France, and Spain, and has scaled into a full SaaS roll-out. By the end of 2025, Checkpoint had launched the initial phase, bringing more than 400 stores live in the UK and Ireland, with the deployment expanding across Europe to reach nearly 1,000 stores by the end of 2026.

In parallel, its DC tunnel solutions are already operational in JD Sports’ UK DC, with installation at the Netherlands DC scheduled imminently. 

During the pilot phase, JD Sports reported a 12% increase in on-shelf availability and a 20% improvement in restocking speed with a 95% increase in items found, driven by the real-time insights and operational agility provided by the platform.

Daniel McGrath, JD Group Head of Customer Operations, says, “We are very excited to take our partnership with Checkpoint to the next level over the coming months and years ahead, and we thank Checkpoint for their support and for everyone’s efforts to date as we start our RFID Journey.” 

“We are forming a partnership to span many years, and that needs to start on the right footing, and I firmly believe we have created that between us. Both sides have worked tirelessly and in very short timelines to get us to where we are today.”

4. Online fashion retailer Goddiva preps launch of AI tech powered virtual try-on experience

Goddiva has announced the upcoming launch of an AI virtual try-on experience.

Designed initially for the online retailer’s VIP customers, this allows users to upload their own image and visualise themselves wearing Goddiva styles across both collection pages and individual product pages. This is not a simple overlay or face-based visual, the company says. The system analyses body structure, proportions, and size data to simulate how a garment will fit, drape, and sit on the customer’s unique body shape.

“This is about confidence and clarity,” says Yathu Kanagaratnam, Head of Technology & AI Strategy at Goddiva. “When customers can see themselves in a dress - not a model, not an avatar, but them - they can make better decisions. That means fewer returns, less frustration, and a far better overall experience.”

The initiative also plays a role in Goddiva’s sustainability strategy. It says that, by improving fit accuracy and purchase confidence, the virtual try-on experience is expected to significantly reduce return rates.

The platform is built entirely in-house, using Google Gemini alongside proprietary AI systems developed by Goddiva’s technology team. The feature is fully GDPR compliant, opt-in only, and customer images are processed solely to deliver the virtual try-on experience.

5. Rokt goes to the movies as Cineplex brings AI powered tech to online checkout experience

Rokt, an e-commerce technology company using machine learning and AI to make transactions more relevant to customers, has added Cineplex to its portfolio of brands.

Cineplex has integrated Rokt's AI powered technology into its e-commerce checkout experience, enabling the company to deliver relevant, non-endemic offers and messages to guests in real-time.

“We're always looking for innovative ways to elevate the guest experience both in our theatres and across our digital platforms," says Kristie Painting, Executive Vice President, Cineplex Media. "By partnering with Rokt, we can deliver more relevant messages to our moviegoers while unlocking new revenue opportunities. We're excited about how this collaboration will enhance the customer journey and drive meaningful engagement."

"We're thrilled to partner with Cineplex as they bring Rokt's AI powered relevance into their transaction flow for the first time," says Craig Galvin, Chief Revenue Officer at Rokt. "Cineplex is an iconic entertainment leader, and this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to innovation and performance. By activating relevance within the transaction moment, we're helping Cineplex unlock sustainable, incremental value across their digital ecosystem."

6. Josie Smith exits as M&S tech executive shake up continues following cyber attack

Josie Smith is stepping down as Marks and Spencer's Chief Technology Officer nine months after a major cyber attack hit the retailer hard.

The departure of Smith, who only joined M&S 18 months ago, was disclosed internally this week in a memo.

She previously worked at BT Group and Vodafone and will be replaced by Darren Gibson, the fashion, home and beauty Technology Transformation Director. This comes four months after Rachel Higham, M&S's Chief Digital and Technology Officer, also headed for the exit.

Conducted by a group called Scattered Spider, the aforementioned cyber attack brought the retailer’s online operations to a halt and resulted in empty shelves in stores..

A former WPP and BT Group executive, Higham was appointed by M&S in 2014. In an internal memo, it said she was "stepping back from her role…Rachel has been a steady hand and calm head at an extraordinary time for the business, and we wish her well for the future.”

7. Tesco preps ten week trial of Auror retail crime reporting platform across grocery giant's 40 stores

Tesco will next week start testing out a new crime reporting platform across 40 of its stores.

The ten-week trial will be conducted across Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, with the aim of driving down retail crime, protecting colleagues and increasing collaboration with the police and the wider retail industry.

The Auror platform, which is already used by several retailers and UK police forces, aims to make it easier and quicker for colleagues to report security incidents. By bringing all the data and information into a single source, this simplifies the process for retailers and the police to build, manage, track, and resolve cases faster.

8. Presenting the star studded judging panel for the inaugural RTIH AI in Retail Awards

RTIH, organiser of the industry leading RTIH Innovation Awards, proudly brings you the first edition of the RTIH AI in Retail Awards, sponsored by VenHub Global, 3D Cloud, EdTech Innovation Hub, and Retail Technology Show 2026.

Check out our 2026 finalists here.

The judging panel for the RTIH AI in Retail Awards includes representatives from the likes of Amazon, C&C Group, Gordon Ramsay Restaurants, NCC Group, Holland & Barrett, PoundFun, Boots, JD Sports Fashion, and IGD.

We have brought together a broad spectrum of independent experts, who have experience and insight into different aspects of the retail technology industry.

9. Seoul founded eyewear brand Breezm launches AI powered shopping app across USA

Breezm, a South Korean founded specialist in custom fit eyewear, has launched nationwide in the United States with its iPhone app, Breezm: Eyewear Made for You.

Users can:

Complete a guided facial scan with their phone to capture precise measurements that inform how each frame is designed to fit.

Receive personalised recommendations through Breezm’s AI Fit Finder, which analyses facial structure and proportions to identify frame styles optimised for balance, comfort, and lightweight wearability.

Customise more than 80 frame styles, selecting from a range of colours, such as Concrete Gray, Leather Brown, and Ruby Red, and premium titanium finishes.

Order custom fit eyeglasses, made on demand with Breezm’s in-house 3D printing and laser cutting process, delivered directly to their door.

10. STRATACACHE powers in-store retail media push for Iceland and The Food Warehouse

Iceland Retail Media, a retail media network operated through Iceland and The Food Warehouse, is partnering with STRATACACHE to provide in-store digital signage, CMS and analytic sensor technology across 766 locations.

The tie up makes Iceland and The Food Warehouse the first European retailer to employ STRATACACHE’s Walkbase solution for precise audience attribution. The deployment of the camera free sensor solution means that the Iceland Retail Media Network will be able to accurately confirm real-time in-store advertisements impressions without a biometric indicator and fully aligned to consumer privacy best practices. 

“In retail media, it’s not enough to simply run ads in-store, you have to prove impressions and conversions. The ability to measure and validate shopper impressions is what transforms retail media from guesswork into a unique, performance driven channel that delivers real value for brands and retailers,” says Chris Riegel, Founder and CEO at STRATACACHE.

“Our technology means that not only will the Iceland Retail Media team be able to accurately report performance to their brand partners but that they will also be able to gain crucial in-store insights to help serve their advertisers and customers better.”