Starbucks lands in London's West End: our most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out our most clicked retail technology articles from last week, including Ocado, Mondra, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Satalia, Royal Mail, Tesco, Gap Inc., John Lewis, and the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
Ocado notches up a sustainable first as it taps Mondra carbon accounting and management platform
Mondra, an AI powered platform delivering product level intelligence for food supply chains, reports that Ocado has become its first customer to fully integrate its product lifecycle management system, Click-PLM, with the Mondra carbon accounting and management platform.
The integration enables automated, product level Scope 3 emissions accounting across Ocado’s food retail operations, connecting live product and volume data directly into its carbon reporting processes.
It can now track changes in its product portfolio dynamically and use carbon data to support sustainability decision-making more efficiently.
Laura Fernandez, Senior Sustainability Manager at Ocado, comments, “Integrating our product lifecycle data with Mondra allows us to automate key elements of our Scope 3 emissions accounting and better understand how changes in our product portfolio affect our carbon footprint. This supports more informed decision-making as we continue to develop our sustainability approach.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards winners to be announced at event in London on 4th November
The eighth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards is now open for entries.
The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world. Our latest winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
FAQs 👉 here.
Categories and entry forms 👉 here.
Key dates for 2026
Friday, 20th February: Awards open for entries
Friday, 2nd October: Awards entry deadline
Tuesday, 6th October: 2026 finalists revealed
Wednesday, 7th October - 20th October: Judging days
Wednesday, 4th November: Winners announced at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London
UK retailer John Lewis taps TikTok Shop and AI platforms like Google Gemini and ChatGPT
John Lewis is investing in AI powered shopping and says it wants to become one of the first UK retailers to fully adopt and integrate the technology.
The move will see its products served to customers looking for inspiration on AI platforms like Google Gemini and ChatGPT, starting later this year. John Lewis has extended its partnership with commercetools, a digital commerce platform, to utilise its new AI capabilities.
It has also launched on TikTok Shop. Initially a 90-day pilot timed to help with Mother’s Day gifting, the trial focuses on a curated edit of beauty and gifting items, instantly shoppable through the platform. This includes a final drop of its Mother’s Day Beauty Box, featuring a collection of beauty products from brands including Jo Malone London, Augustinus Bader and Estee Lauder.
Royal Mail announces go live of six month trial for parcel lockers at Tesco stores across the UK
Royal Mail has launched a new parcel locker trial at selected Tesco stores across the UK, enabling people to collect, send and return parcels 24/7.
The six-month trial will see lockers installed outside Tesco stores, enabling customers to access them at any time. The first of these are now live at stores in: Ashby-de-la-Zouch; Barrow; Burnham-on-Sea; Bury; Cullompton; Horwich; March; and Preston.
Royal Mail lockers feature label printing, with the aim of making the process convenient for customers who do not have access to a printer. To use them, people need to pay for postage online and get a QR code or request a QR code if they are returning a purchase.
Royal Mail now has 25,000 locations where customers can drop off and collect parcels, including 2,600 lockers, 11,500 Post Office branches, 8,000 Royal Mail Shop outlets, 1,200 Royal Mail Customer Service Points and 1,400 parcel postboxes. The company also delivers to and collects from every address across the UK.
Starbucks UK hits London's West End through tie up with The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical
Starbucks UK is entering the West End through a new partnership with The Devil Wears Prada: The Musical.
As the production’s official coffee partner, the coffee giant is launching a fashion led pop-up round the corner from Dominion Theatre (where the show is currently playing). The Coffee Edit took place at its Soho Place store on 13th March and featured designer pieces inspired by the costumes in collaboration with luxury resale platform THE CIRKEL.
Vic Robertson, Marketing Director at Starbucks UK, says: “This new partnership builds on the renowned role Starbucks plays in The Devil Wears Prada and now the musical, celebrating how everyday coffee rituals can become a symbol of individuality, fuelling creativity in an industry that never stands still. Our coffeehouses are spaces where ideas are shaped, perspectives are formed, and creative ambition takes root.”
Waitrose taps Satalia AI powered technology for online grocery delivery route optimisation push
Waitrose has partnered with AI solutions specialist Satalia as it looks to optimise online delivery routes.
The aim here is to better plan delivery schedules, reduce travel times, and minimise fuel consumption across its fleet.
“Delivering the best possible experience for our customers has always been at the heart of what we do,” says James Lee, Head of Fulfilment at Waitrose “Working with Satalia allows us to offer even greater convenience, while taking another important step toward our goal of reducing emissions and operating more sustainably.”
“By harnessing AI powered technology, we can now offer customers more precise and convenient delivery times while significantly reducing our environmental impact. This is a brilliant example of how technology can help us deliver on our promises of both exceptional service and sustainability,” says Pav Kalia, Head of Change Delivery and Technology.
Gap Inc. CTO Sven Gerjets talks reimagining retail with AI via human centric approach
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “We are reimagining retail with AI - and reshaping how we design, plan, serve customers, and enable our talent. That foundation showed up in our results.”
“In 2025, we enabled teams with intelligent tools, began reinventing how product moves from concept to closet, and began optimising the customer experience - all grounded in a human centered, digitally enabled strategy.”
He added: “Most importantly, this progress belongs to an amazing global tech team - driving speed, trust, insight, reinvention, and collaboration across Gap Inc. I’m proud of what we built together in 2025 and excited for what we’ll achieve in 2026 as we continue building momentum. AI isn’t changing who we are. It’s extending what’s possible.”
Claire Pickthall lands role leading transformation agenda at UK grocery giant Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's has appointed Claire Pickthall as Retail, Omnichannel and Logistics Transformation Director.
She has been with the UK grocery giant for almost three years and was previously Retail and Digital Director. Prior to that, she was at Tesco.
"Delighted to say I’m taking up a new role leading our transformation agenda at Sainsbury's. Exciting times ahead as we build the future of our operating model - watch this space. Huge thanks to Tracey Clements (Chief Retail, Logistics & Supply Chain Officer) for the opportunity,” she says.
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