Juicy deals on TikTok Shop and drone delivery expansion in America: the retail technology week in numbers
Do you like numbers? Do you like retail tech news? Then this is the article for you. Including Walmart, Wing, Shopify, Snappy Shopper, Fenty Beauty, finmid, Kiehl’s, Procuros, YEEP!, Asos, VenHub Global, and the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
10…Asos customers received a push notification on 6th October, just before 10am, directing them to a Telegram account and informing them that the fast fashion online retailer had been hacked. The alleged hackers claimed they "compromised" Snowflake, but Asos later said it had found "no compromise" of its platform.
A statement noted that customers' personal information may have been accessed in the "unauthorised activity involving third-party platforms that we use to communicate with customers. We do not believe that payment card information or account passwords were impacted.”
£440 million...Retailers face a £440 million increase in electricity costs this year, despite their energy use remaining virtually unchanged, according to a new report from the British Retail Consortium (BRC). The trade body says it’s concerned that this will feed directly into consumer prices, raising the cost of living for millions of families.
The report notes that electricity costs are expected to rise from £2.72 billion in 2025 to £3.16 billion in 2026, an increase of 16% in just one year. Much of this rise is being driven by growing non-commodity charges (NCCs), government driven costs added to electricity bills, rather than global energy prices. These charges, which include government levies and rising and volatile network costs, now typically make up around two-thirds of retailers’ electricity bills. Transmission Network Use of System charges alone are expected to rise by 72%, adding almost £200 million to bills.
Retail is one of the UK’s major energy using industries and, following investment in decarbonisation, around 90% of the industry’s energy use now comes from electricity. This leaves retailers particularly exposed to rising electricity costs, with recent volatility in energy prices following conflict in the Middle East adding further pressure.
8...We're hugely pleased to present the finalists and shortlists for the eighth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by 3D Cloud, Business France, and Retail Technology Show 2027. We received a record number of entries this year and many fantastic examples of technology excellence driving transformative change across the global retail sector
Congratulations to all those who made it through the initial submission process! It’s now over to our star studded judging panel who will decide the winners to be announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London.
The event will be held on Wednesday, 4th November and consist of a drinks reception, three course meal, awards ceremony presided over by award winning stand-up comedian, presenter, actor and broadcaster, Aurie Styla, and after party until 1am.
Click here to book your place at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, 4th November.
4,000...YEEP! reports that it has reached 4,000 parcel locker locations across the UK and is preparing to roll-out its new Generation 3 touchscreen lockers. The company, which operated just over 2,250 locations when Jamie Dickinson was appointed CEO in December last year, is now aiming to reach 5,000 by the end of 2026.
Developed with YEEP!’s hardware partner and shareholder kernTerminal, Generation 3 combines the company’s solar and battery powered technology with a new touchscreen interface designed to significantly improve the experience for both delivery drivers and consumers. All new YEEP! lockers will move to the Generation 3 specification from 2nd November, with a programme to upgrade the existing estate by end of Q1 2027.
Alongside the hardware, a bespoke operating system has been designed around the requirements of an open locker network. The system manages site surveys, installation, scheduling, maintenance and upgrades, with the aim of giving YEEP! greater visibility and control as the network scales.
€20 million...Hamburg-based software company Procuros has announced the closing of a €20 million Series A funding round led by XAnge, with W23 Global joining as a new investor. This takes total funding to date to €34 million.
Existing backers Point Nine, Creandum, SquareOne and b2venture are joining again, alongside several angel investors. Procuros will use the cash to accelerate its AI native supply chain connectivity platform and expand its trading network internationally. Over 300 companies are using Procuros, including Breuninger, Chefs Culinar, KoRo, flaconi, The Quality Group (ESN) and Hitschler, with more than €3 billion in annualised order volume said to be flowing through the platform.
“AI is advancing at incredible speed, while supply chains still run on infrastructure built decades ago. Operations teams are forced to bridge these gaps between systems that simply don’t communicate. We built Procuros to change that. Our infrastructure gives retailers, suppliers and AI agents the connectivity and trusted data they need to automate trade and make autonomous supply chains possible. Because ultimately, AI agents are only as good as the infrastructure they run on,” says Patrick Thelen, CEO and Co-Founder at Procuros.
"Procuros is showing that AI agents can make autonomous B2B trade a reality today. The team has built the infrastructure AI agents need to work across entire tradingnetworks and proven the model at scale in DACH. What excites us is the opportunity ahead: to take this beyond its home market and establish an entirely new category for global B2B trade,” says Valerie Bures-Bönström, Partner and Managing Director DACH at XAnge.
€17 million...Berlin-based embedded lending company, finmid, which is behind the financing programmes of Wolt, Delivery Hero and myPOS, has raised €17 million from Big Pi Ventures and Mainset, with Earlybird following on. The Series A extension brings total funding to date to €52 million.
The cash will be used to expand finmid's asset finance products, multi-source funding infrastructure and underwriting capabilities, and to support a move into vehicle financing and marketplace loans for the first time with Bolt and Skroutze. This is its first funding announcement since its €23 million Series A in April 2024.
Alexander Talkanitsa, Co-founder, says: "Two years ago, embedded lending meant a cash advance for a restaurant. Today the same rails carry a multi-year vehicle loan, a marketplace's own balance sheet, and the potential for more. Every platform with business customers now has a way to become their financing partner without becoming a bank."
53%...Consumers are entering the holiday season under significant economic pressure, with 53% of UK shoppers saying recent conditions have negatively affected their shopping plans. Planned Black Friday weekend spending across the UK is expected to drop to £165 on average from £181 in 2025.
A Shopify survey was conducted among 18,000 consumers in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US. And also 7,500 owners and business decision-makers across Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK and the US in companies with fewer than 1,000 employees.
One third of British shoppers have postponed a purchase in the past year because of increased living costs. To combat this, they are value-maxxing: spending more time researching, comparing and weighing up whether a purchase is genuinely worth it. 86% of Brits feel more in control after researching.
They’re also turning carts into watchlists. 28% said they deliberately leave products in their cart to see if the price drops. When shoppers did leave items in their carts, 32% said they return to complete the purchase when the price drops, while 29% buy after a discount code, voucher or special offer becomes available.
1…VenHub Global has announced plans for the first deployment of its smart store autonomous retail platform at Penn Lofts, a new 59-unit multifamily development in Bend, Oregon, USA.
It says that this represents an important expansion of its technology into the multifamily residential market, where it reports growing demand from developers and property owners seeking new ways to enhance the resident experience and differentiate their communities.
“Multifamily residential communities represent a significant growth opportunity for VenHub, and we are seeing increasing demand from developers and property owners who recognise the value of bringing autonomous retail directly into their communities,” says Shahan Ohanessian, Founder and CEO at VenHub.
“Residents increasingly expect convenience to be built into where they live. Our flexible platform helps owners meet that expectation with a distinctive, highly visible amenity that adds value for residents and helps properties stand out - from smaller communities to larger multifamily developments. Penn Lofts is an ideal first deployment to demonstrate how our technology can be thoughtfully integrated into a community from the beginning.”
70...A.F. Blakemore has expanded its partnership with Snappy Shopper, with more than 70 additional SPAR stores launching on the rapid delivery platform. The roll-out across August and September increased A.F. Blakemore’s Snappy Shopper estate from 95 stores to 167.
Customers in participating areas will be able to order groceries, everyday essentials, snacks, drinks and household products from their local SPAR for rapid delivery through the SPAR Delivered service, powered by Snappy Shopper technology. Around 40 of the new stores are located in areas where Snappy Shopper does not currently have another retail partner.
20...Walmart and Wing have announced the next phase of their US wide network roll-out with plans to bring 30-minute drone delivery to Denver and Seattle metros in 2027, bringing home delivery of thousands of Walmart items to more than 20 major US metros.
To date, the tie up has brought drone delivery access to more than three million customers across major US metropolitan areas, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Houston and Orlando.
“Adding new metros to our expansion speaks to how quickly people across the country are adopting drone delivery," says Heather Rivera, Chief Business Officer at Wing. "We're excited to serve the needs of busy families in nearly 20 major markets spanning diverse communities and climates by delivering the everyday items these families need fast.”
“Expanding drone delivery to Seattle and Denver is about giving more customers a practical option when they need something quickly,” says Greg Cathey, Senior Vice President, eCommerce Transformation, Walmart. “Our stores put everyday items close to the communities we serve, and Wing helps bring those items to customers’ homes in minutes.”
1...Fenty Beauty, a cosmetics brand launched by singer Rihanna and luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, reports its first ever TikTok Shop LIVE. This took place on Monday, with an Instagram post promising “juicy deals, the chance to win exclusive freebies and more surprises”.
In a LinkedIn post, Amanda Uduku, a social commerce strategy advisor and former TikTok Partnerships Project Manager, said: “Rihanna is actually perfect for this, as she comes across funny and real, if you’ve seen her socials. I expect record numbers across the board, as this is as close fans will get to communicating with her (as long as they don’t ask about the album).”
“Also spotted, the brush she’s using in the announcement video is already linked, smart. Now that Meta is improving their social commerce capabilities, this will be the new way to get viewers to convert on both platforms. Why not increase sales potential, while getting fans excited for a shopping event? I think this method will reduce comments about what’s being used in the video and increase comments on how to use the products instead on Instagram. This is perfect for all categories, and to me says tutorial type content will increase going forward. Also, if this puts a stop to ‘comment Keyword to be sent the links’, then I’m all for it, bring back active comment sections.”
She concluded: “I’m ready to see Rihanna, the presenter. She’s not the first celebrity to do a TikTok Shop LIVE either. Both Nicki Minaj and Kim Kardashian have presented during their brand events (to name but a few), so I wonder who’s next?”
2...Shaftesbury Capital reports that beauty and wellness brand Kiehl’s has opened a new European flagship space, at 43 Carnaby Street in London. This spans three floors, and its design has been engineered to optimise customer flow, supporting an omnichannel experience that, according to the retailer, utilises in-store product showcases and exceptional customer service to drive brand loyalty.
It is only the second standalone boutique for Kiehl’s in the West End, joining 55 Monmouth Street, which was a recent upsize for the brand, also with Shaftesbury Capital.
William Oliver, Director of Retail and Restaurant Leasing at Shaftesbury Capital, says: “Bringing Kiehl’s to the heart of Carnaby Street strengthens a great partnership. Having worked closely with the brand on an upsize in Seven Dials, this new store ensures more visitors to the West End can explore and experience a quality offer, building brand loyalty and pointing to the power of having prime space as both a direct retail environment and showroom for the online customer. That Kiehl’s wanted to launch this European flagship on Carnaby Street, in its 175thyear, also highlights just how highly regarded the destination is, and how important it is for unmatched brand exposure and opportunity.”
Niki Lo, General Manager for Kiehl’s UK, says: "Carnaby Street is a legendary retail destination, and it is rapidly evolving into a key epicentre for beauty in London. Our continued investment in standout free-standing stores demonstrates our dedication to creating exceptional physical retail environments that drive high footfall and deep brand connection. This flagship allows us to reinforce our market share in the UK, partner more closely with our retail and real estate stakeholders, and deliver an elevated, best-in-class brand presence in one of Europe’s most vibrant commercial districts." the retail technology week in numbers
