Tesco, Leon and Pret top loyalty schemes index: last week's most read retail technology articles
Check out our most clicked retail technology articles from last week, including Korger, Fulfil, Co-op, VoCoVo, Coles Group, THG Fulfil, HyperFinity, Bloomreach, Eagle Eye, Asda, DFS, Aldi UK, and Selfridges.
Kroger has no time to waste as it inks automated micro-fulfillment solution deal with Fulfil
Kroger is partnering with Fulfil to pilot its automated micro-fulfillment solution inside a US West Coast location, according to a LinkedIn post courtesy of Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.
In the post, Ladd states that sources from Kroger have confirmed the retailer is additionally in discussions with Blue Collar Robotics, a startup that leverages teleoperated robots to pick groceries and fulfill online grocery orders. The robots will also replenish shelves with products.
“Both of these decisions are a wise move by Kroger. Great job!” Ladd commented. “Fulfil is the same company that Amazon and Whole Foods Market partnered with to open an MFC inside a Whole Foods store in PA.”
He added: “Will this drive Amazon to acquire Fulfil? I've written multiple posts about Fulfil, and I recommended to Amazon to partner with or acquire it three years ago. The challenge for Kroger is that Amazon and Walmart are accelerating their investments in technology and micro-fulfillment to deliver online grocery orders in one to three hours.”
“Kroger partnered with Ocado Group to open automated customer fulfillment centres (CFC) but the CFCs are unable to fulfill and deliver orders in one to three hours. Even same-day deliveries are a challenge for the CFCs due to their locations. Ocado has announced they're piloting store-based automation beginning in 2026, and Kroger appears to be one of the companies that will pilot their in-store micro-fulfillment solution.”
Ladd believes that Kroger should pilot an AutoStore, and assess solutions from Veloq and Oda, in addition to Fulfill and Ocado's SBA. “I believe H-E-B has the most advanced automated MFC capabilities out of any grocery retailer in the world. HEB's MFCs are powered by AutoStore. I support the partnership with Fulfil, but I would have preferred for Kroger to pilot Fulfil's solution two years ago.”
He concluded: “Amazon and Walmart have multiple pilots planned as well related to MFCs. For example, Amazon is piloting a 50,000 square feet MFC in the Supercenter they're opening near Chicago in 2027. Walmart is piloting SymMicro MFCs from Symbotic. DoorDash is testing its own robotics and autonomous vehicle solutions related to online grocery fulfillment. They should be revealed by early 2027 if DoorDash is successful. Kroger has no time to waste.”
Kroger and Fulfil did not respond to our request for comment.
Tesco Clubcard, Leon Club, and Pret Perks flagged as UK's favourite retail loyalty schemes
The Retail Loyalty Index (RLI), developed by HyperFinity, in partnership with Bloomreach and Eagle Eye, surveyed 2,200 UK customers of 51 major retailers to identify the UK’s top performing retail loyalty schemes and the revenue impact of customer loyalty.
The research covered nine sectors, including grocery, quick service retail (QSR), coffee, health and beauty, and fashion. Customers were asked to rate two loyalty programmes they actively use by answering questions about satisfaction, how likely they are to recommend the scheme and how it influences their decision to shop with the retailer over any other.
They were then asked questions around seven ‘core revenue drivers’ of customer loyalty. These included: how valued the programme makes them feel, personalisation, ease of use, the appeal of rewards and whether the retailer handles their data securely.
The index found there was a clear ‘power trio’ of revenue drivers, accounting for 53% of total influence on customer loyalty. These were: Better value (18.8% influence) - customers want clear financial returns; Feeling valued (18.5% influence ) - recognition matters as much as rewards; Appealing rewards (16.1% influence) - benefits must be desirable and relevant.
The findings were then analysed to generate an all-in-one revenue indicator score for retailers, coined as the ‘RLI score’. The score out of 10 incorporates customer satisfaction, likelihood to recommend, and influence on choice, as well as how highly each retailer scored for the core revenue drivers.
Overall, the analysis showed that a one point increase in RLI is associated with a 7-8% increase in the likelihood to shop again, therefore generating increased revenue for retailers.
Tesco Clubcard is the nation’s favourite loyalty programme - scoring highly across each of the ‘power trio’ of revenue drivers. Fans describe Clubcard as a “very generous programme with plenty of options to redeem” and as making shopping “extra affordable and easy.”
Customers scored Tesco Clubcard highly for emotional loyalty and frequency, with the highest ‘continue to shop’ score (9.16/10). Leon Club ranked second in the UK, scoring highest for providing value to customers (8.03), how valued customers feel (8.28), and the personalisation of loyalty schemes (8.22). Despite a restructure of store estate following administration, Leon's loyalty programme is going from strength to strength.
The quick service restaurant scored highly in the index for personalisation and how valued customers feel. It also scored highly for satisfaction (8.05) and recommendation (8.28), indicating customers are happy to refer the programme to others. One customer surveyed in the poll commented: “It's quicker and cheaper to build up rewards compared to other schemes."
Also making the top ten were Pret Perks, Sainsbury’s Nectar, Itsu Rewards, Wickes Trade Pro, Gregg Rewards, JD Status, Sweaty Betty Insiders, and Hamleys Rewards Points.
Aldi UK ditches Greenwich, South East London Shop & Go checkout-free store experiment
Aldi UK is binning its checkout-free stores trial and converting its only Shop & Go location to a standard Aldi Local with self-service.
The store in Greenwich, South East London went live in 2022 at a time when checkout-free stores were being touted by many industry observers as the next big thing in retail. But the technology never really took off in the UK, with high profile failures including Amazon ditching its ambitious Just Walk Out technology powered Amazon Fresh experiment, just four years after the US online giant launched its first grocery store in London.
An Aldi spokesperson said: “Whilst our Shop & Go trial has now come to an end as planned, our Greenwich High Road store will remain open as an Aldi Local, ensuring customers can still get everything they need at unbeatable Aldi prices.”
Shaun Byrnes exits Asda and joins Senior Service Delivery Manager at furniture retailer DFS
Shaun Byrnes is gearing up to start a new role as Senior Service Delivery Manager at DFS.
He is joining from Asda, where he spent the past three and a half years, serving as Technology Service Manager - Commercial, Supply and Data.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Excited to be moving onto the next chapter. Thanks for all the messages of support over the last couple of weeks. Big LinkedIn love right there.”
Co-op boosts colleague communication and safety with latest VoCoVo headset technology
VoCoVo, a retail communications specialist, has announced a new five-year partnership with convenience retailer Co-op, which will see its Series 5 (S5) Pro Headsets deployed to more than 2,300 stores nationwide.
Following a pilot across 114 stores, full roll-out commenced in February and is expected to be concluded next year. Co-op has worked with VoCoVo since 2017 and is upgrading its existing headset devices as part of a long-term investment in its in-store technology.
By enabling instant communication within stores and with Co-op’s Support Centre, the retailer says that teams can respond more quickly to customer needs, whether answering enquiries or requests for assistance, checking stock availability, managing parcel collections or handling online orders.
Ryan Mason becomes Senior Service Operations Manager at department store retailer Selfridges
Ryan Mason has started a new role as Senior Service Operations Manager at luxury department store retailer Selfridges.
He has been with the retailer for almost five years and previously served as Service Assurance Manager - Sell & Fulfil Domain. His CV also includes stints at Sainsbury's and Barron McCann.
In a LinkedIn post, Mason said: "Service operations is all about people, processes, and delivering consistently great outcomes, so I’m looking forward to working with many of the talented colleagues I get to work with to continue improving services, solving complex challenges, and making a real impact to the business."
"I’m grateful to everyone who has supported and challenged me along the way thus far - it’s played a big part in getting me here. Excited for what’s ahead."
Winnie Yang exits Coles Group and heads to Wesfarmers Health for new technology challenge
Winnie Yang has left grocery retailer Coles Group, where she served as Head of Technology - Customer, and joined Australian health, beauty and wellness company Wesfarmers Health as Head of Technology - Marketing E-commerce and Loyalty.
In a LinkedIn post, she said: "After a rewarding chapter with Coles Group I’m excited to be starting the next. During my time there, I worked across technology, customer and commercial teams, to shape investment decisions and deliver capabilities that improve how we serve customers every day.”
“Much of this work sat across strategy and delivery, including establishing foundational platforms, such as master product and customer data capabilities, that underpin how the business operates and scales."
She added: "What I’ll value most from this chapter are the people. I was fortunate to work alongside teams who care deeply about doing things well, embrace change and stay focused on outcomes that matter. I’m grateful to the many leaders, peers and partners who trusted me to contribute along the way."
"With that experience and perspective, I’m delighted to have started my next chapter at Wesfarmers Health I look forward to working alongside a passionate team and helping build better lives through better health."
THG Fulfil announces launch of global fulfilment operations integration with Shopify
THG Fulfil, a provider of e-commerce fulfilment and courier management solutions, has announced the launch of its new native application for Shopify. This zero code integration allows brands on Shopify to connect with THG Fulfil’s global network, providing access to logistics and end-to-end fulfilment and courier management services without complex development.
Key benefits include a global reach (250 courier services across 195 countries), and automation and an advanced technology suite.
Tom Killeen, COO, THG Ingenuity, says: “Our goal is to provide ambitious brands with a competitive edge, and this native Shopify integration does precisely that. We are democratising access to enterprise level fulfilment.”
“Shopify merchants can now plug their operations directly into our advanced, automated infrastructure and global courier network. This allows brands to scale fearlessly, knowing their fulfilment is powered by a solution that is built for e-commerce, optimised for efficiency, and dedicated to providing a superior end-to-end customer experience.”
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