Ann Summers tackles aggression toward staff: presenting the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail tech news? Then this is the article for you. Including RTS 2026, atis, Replenit, Dollar General, QSIC, Lidl GB, Scala, Serve First, Tesco, Talon.One, and Bookshop.org.

£66.6 billion...Tesco’s full-year sales (excluding fuel) rose 4.3% to £66.6 billion.

Aarin Chiekrie, Equity Analyst , Hargreaves Lansdown, says: “Tesco delivered for shoppers and investors alike this year, as the nation’s largest supermarket saw sales grow across all its divisions. Expanded Everyday Low Prices, Clubcard Prices, and Aldi Price Match are just some of the initiatives that are drawing more customers through its doors, helping Tesco record its highest market share in over a decade."

"At the other end of the price scale, its Tesco Finest range continues to perform well, with sales growing at an impressive 15% as it helps the group poach customers from more premium supermarkets. Cost saving initiatives have also been part of Tesco’s success, which has more than offset operating cost inflation amid rising employment costs. The all-round strong operating performance meant that Tesco edged ahead of its full-year guidance, with underlying operating profits rising 0.6% to £3.2 billion, ignoring exchange rates."

Looking ahead, the conflict in the Middle East is creating greater uncertainty for consumers and the broader economy. Tesco’s in a better position than most of the competition when it comes to weathering these headwinds. Its enormous scale and strong relationships with suppliers are its key tools in keeping prices down for customers, giving them little reason to look elsewhere. 

But the pressure on consumers’ budgets in the coming year will depend on the duration of the conflict, and as a result, Tesco has issued a conservatively broad guidance range, pointing to underlying operating profits of £3.0-£3.3 billion.

Chiekrie concludes: "Despite the short-term headwinds, we like the long-term outlook for Tesco, and there’s also a respectable 3.4% forward dividend yield on offer. But with its valuation sitting towards the top of its peer group, the scope for near-term upside looks limited.” 

42%...Ann Summers, a UK lingerie, underwear and bedroom toys retailer, reports a 42% reduction in personal safety incidents during a trial of body worn cameras across three flagship stores. The Reveal Media camera technology will now be rolled out to further high risk stores.

The eight-week trial occurred at stores in Edinburgh Princess Street, London Oxford Street and Nottingham city centre. Edinburgh reported zero police attended incidents during the trial period, and recorded its quietest Fringe season on record in terms of incidents.

The body worn cameras also received zero complaints from customers in the trial.

Ann Summers introduced the cameras in response to increasing concerns around staff safety. Many of its stores are staffed by women, including colleagues in early supervisory roles, who were increasingly encountering aggression, intimidation and people under the influence of alcohol or other substances during their work day.

55%...Consumers’ loyalty expectations are shifting from discount-based rewards to experience led perks, according to research from Retail Technology Show (RTS). 

Its survey of over 1,000 shoppers by RTS revealed that 55% want retailers to do more with their loyalty programmes rather than just offering discounts.  

A further 54% now want experience-based perks, rising to two thirds of Millennials, while a quarter said being recognised as a valued customer is just as important as the financial benefits when becoming part of a loyalty scheme.

“As the cost of customer acquisition rises, and AI platforms take a greater share of discovery and engagement in shoppers’ buying journeys, retailers are pivoting their loyalty offerings to focus on retention and relevance,” says Matt Bradley, Founder & Event Director at RTS. “By offering brand rich loyalty experiences, retailers can offer deeper and more personalised perks that discount-only models simply can’t match.”

51%...Consumers are ready for a new era of brand promotions, with 51% saying a genuinely creative promotion would make them try a brand for the first time, but many brands are still defaulting to basic money off discounts.

That's according to a new report commissioned by Talon.One and including analysis from WPP Enterprise Solutions and Mando.

The report, based on a survey of 2,000 UK consumers, carried out by Censuswide, reveals a significant gap between the promotions brands are serving up and what consumers actually respond to. Loyalty points, BOGOF (buy one get one free) offers and discount codes dominate what consumers see. Yet 29% cannot recall a memorable promotion at all. Meanwhile, 51% describe the promotions they receive as generic or predictable, and 48% often find them irrelevant.

The commercial cost of this over-reliance on discounting is clear. 55% say that when brands discount products constantly, they become reluctant to pay full price.

Christoph Gerber, CEO and Founder of Talon.One, comments: "Price promotions are one of the most overused and costly activities in marketing - not only are brands discounting away 20% of their revenue to drive short-term metrics, but constant discounts train customers to wait for price drops, eroding brand equity and margin. While a price cut might drive an immediate transaction, marketers need a more creative approach to build the equity and emotional pull that brings customers back."

1...Neighbourly has launched a new tool, Pulse, with Lidl GB as the first retailer to use it.

Pulse is designed to help organisations understand hyper-local community need, plan meaningful interventions and, where appropriate, evidence delivery as part of public sector procurement. Lidl GB is using it to help better understand local community need and inform how it directs support through its localised giving partnership with Neighbourly.

Developed with the UK’s Procurement Act 2023 in mind, Pulse allows users to analyse deprivation and community need data, identify where support is most needed and connect directly with trusted local charities and good causes to deliver activity in the exact communities where it will have the greatest impact.

Steve Butterworth, CEO at Neighbourly, says: “Pulse marks a real step forward for Neighbourly. As procurement and planning expectations evolve, organisations need to demonstrate not just that they want to do good, but that they’re doing it in an informed, considered and authentic way that meets community needs and stands up to scrutiny. Pulse gives them the insight and practical routes to deliver meaningful impact that’s both credible and efficient.”

Georgina Hall, Director of Corporate Affairs at Lidl GB, says: "We’ve always been committed to ensuring that our support reaches the heart of the communities we serve. Being the first retailer to integrate Neighbourly’s Pulse tool is a significant step forward in making our social impact as targeted and effective as possible. By leveraging hyper-local data, we can move beyond broad commitments to deliver precision-led support directly to the areas that need it most."

$2.5 million...Replenit, a Warsaw-based startup behind an AI decision engine for retail that turns customer signals into real-time, individualised decisions, has raised $2.5 million in a pre-seed funding round.

This was co-led by Movens Capital and Vastpoint, with participation from Logo Ventures, DigitalOcean Ventures, Finberg, Caucasus Ventures, and angel investor Mati Staniszewski, CEO and co-founder of ElevenLabs.

Ilyas Kurklu, Co-founder and CEO at Replenit, says: “Retailers can no longer rely on prediction alone. They need to understand intent, reason in context, and decide what to do next for each individual customer.”

“Most AI tools today focus on efficiency or content generation, but the real challenge is decision-making. Replenit improves the quality of every commercial decision, helping retailers move from static rules to real-time, AI driven actions that directly drive revenue. Our vision is to define a new standard for retail intelligence.”

Lukasz Lewandowski, Investment Director at Movens Capital, says: "Retailers are sitting on tons of customer data, but very few can turn it into real-time decisions that drive revenue. Replenit is building the AI layer that closes that gap, helping brands act at the exact moment a customer is ready to buy again. With a team that has already scaled global martech platforms and early proof with major retailers, we believe Replenit has the potential to define a new category in retail infrastructure."

1...atis is set to launch its first customer app this May. Built in-house over the past 18 months, this is powered by atis’ proprietary technology, giving the brand full control over Click and Collect ordering, loyalty and the end-to-end customer journey.

Around 50% of all orders are currently placed digitally, a figure expected to increase further following the launch. By integrating Click and Collect, loyalty and rewards within a single ecosystem, atis says that it is enhancing personalisation and building a more direct relationship with its customers.

The app integrates with the new loyalty programme, atis Insiders, enabling customers to skip the queue, earn and redeem rewards, save favourite build your own orders and access exclusive perks, including future secret menu items.

The company will roll-out a city wide activation across London, which will see 100 QR codes hidden for customers to discover via the app, with free meals available to those who find them first. Those that download the app during launch month will receive £5 off their first order.

6,000...Dollar General has announced the roll-out of an AI enabled in-store audio network across approximately 6,000 DG stores in 48 US states.

Through a new partnership with QSIC, Dollar General says it will deliver more relevant, localised and measurable audio experiences to customers while providing brand partners with accountable, data driven advertising across its retail footprint.

This deployment will double DG’s existing in-store audio presence and increase measurement capabilities, bringing the total number of DG stores with in-store audio capabilities to 12,000 in Q2 2026.

“We’re constantly looking for innovative ways to help brands meaningfully connect with our customers, and by introducing an AI powered in-store audio network, we’re unlocking an entirely new layer of relevancy and accountability in the shopping experience,” says Austin Leonard, Vice President and General Manager at DG Media Network.

“This platform allows us to deliver localised, real-time messaging at scale across the thousands of communities we serve, especially in underserved and often overlooked rural areas. It’s a powerful way to create value for our brand partners while enhancing the in-store experience for the millions of customers who rely on Dollar General every day through more relevant, contextual messaging designed to add value, not noise, to their shopping trip.”

£5 million...Bookshop.org, which positions itself as an ethical alternative to Amazon that champions independent bookshops, has now generated £5 million in profit since its launch in 2020, for more than 650 bookshops using the online platform. 

Thanks to the incremental financial revenue coming from this, book retailers have been able to fund IT upgrades, further the range of books in stock, acquire promotional materials to run themed promotions, and host in-store events.

200 million...Loyalty programmes have quietly evolved into some of the largest and most powerful consumer ecosystems in the world, reshaping how brands own and activate customer relationships.

That's according to a newly released report from Let’s Talk Loyalty in partnership with Capillary Technologies. This finds that brands like KFC China, adidas, and Nike are operating prorammes at massive scale - with dozens now exceeding 100 million members globally and a growing number surpassing 200 million.

Among the findings: Retail accounts for over 40% of the largest loyalty programmes globally; North America represents nearly half of the world’s largest programmes; Travel and hospitality brands continue to operate some of the most mature, large scale ecosystems .

The bigger takeaway: as third-party data declines, loyalty is becoming the system through which brands directly manage customer relationships at scale - not just a marketing tool, but core infrastructure.

The world’s largest loyalty programme operates in China courtesy of KFC. It is part of Yum China which operates a total loyalty membership of 590 million member accounts across its brands, also including Pizza Hut.

In second place is adidas (adiclub), followed by Nike (Nike Membership), Marriott (Bonvoy), H World Group (H Rewards), Hilton (Hilton Honors), and McDonald's (MyMcDonald's Rewards). Also in the mix are Amazon Prime, H&M Membership, Ikea Family Club, and Costco Membership.

10...Marketing technology and digital signage company, Scala, is bringing its solutions to Retail Technology Show at Excel London on 22nd and 23rd April.

This appearance will be the tenth time that the firm, now in its 40th year, has appeared at the event, and you will find them on booth U10. 

“This year the Scala EMEA team has demonstrated their expertise and skill as full service digital communication providers. We have deployed some truly stunning retail, hospitality and communications solutions with work that has been recognised and celebrated across Europe,” says Harry Horn, General Manager of Scala EMEA.

“We are taking on new clients and projects as well as working with existing partners to expand some of our most sensational display solutions to more locations. It is great to be returning to Retail Technology Show to show off what we have been working on and share the exciting projects that we have coming up.” 

79%...WRAP, an environmental action non-governmental organisation (NGO), is launching a UK circular living focused TV campaign, Rescue Me, Recycle, airing across Sky channels from this week.

WRAP’s latest research reveals that, while 89% of UK households regularly recycle, 79% admit to throwing away at least one item that could have been recycled, with the average household typically missing two to three items that could have been recycled. Confidence about what can and cannot be recycled also remains low, with just 9% of people feeling “very confident” about what can be recycled.

£5 million...Serve First, an AI driven customer experience and performance management platform, has secured £5 million in new funding from Pembroke VCT and the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, through fund manager Mercia Ventures.

Both firms first invested in June 2025 as part of a £4.5 million funding round. Serve First has raised £9.6 million in total to date.

Since the initial investment, Serve First has landed new customers including Brentford FC, The Sushi Co, Topps Tiles, The Body Shop and Spud Bros. It has also expanded into Europe by securing a contract with a chain of over 2,500 pharmacies in seven countries.

Launched in 2023, Serve First’s AI powered platform collects and analyses customer feedback from in-store surveys, online reviews and mystery shopping. Its software then translates these insights into actions for frontline teams.

The latest funding will be used to strengthen its sales and marketing function, including the imminent appointment of a Chief Revenue Officer, and will also support continued product development, including further investment in AI capabilities. 

18%...Social media platforms are prioritising influencers, adverts and brands over posts from friends and family, contributing to a more divisive and less social online experience, according to a new report from charity IPPR. 

1,000 Brits participated in the research. Its analysis of Instagram, Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok finds that among the top four posts in users’ feeds, just 18% come from someone they actually know. In contrast, 35% are from influencers, public figures or recommended content, and 29% are from adverts and brands. 

Just one in ten posts seen by users on TikTok and X were from friends and family, but one in seven posts were adverts. Those who voted Reform UK in the 2024 general election are the least likely to see content from someone they personally know, and the most likely to see content from brands and news organisations. Only 13% of Reform UK voters see content from someone they know, compared to 23% of Green Party voters. Channels are no longer primarily connecting people to each other - instead, they are optimised to keep users scrolling, IPPR argues.

53% and 58%...The rise and rise of AI generated content is increasing shopper demands for more human led content within social media buying journeys, according to new research from Retail Technology Show (RTS).  

Its research of over 1,000 shoppers revealed that 53% are mistrustful of AI generated social content. This rises to 58% of Gen Z consumers, despite this demographic being among the strongest adopters of AI technology. 

51% of those polled agreed that AI risks eroding brand trust on social platforms, while separate research by Klaviyo showed that a further 50% of shoppers had noticed low quality AI slop being used by brands within social campaigns over the last six months.

This scepticism is creating a growing need for trusted content, with 43% saying that the rise of AI has made authentic, human led content more important when browsing and buying on social channels, rising to 62% of Gen Z shoppers. 

This dynamic is also changing the tide on influencer fatigue, which previously saw almost 90% of consumers no longer trusting online influencers back in 2023.  As brands have pivoted their influencer strategies, moving away from celeb driven product promotion towards interest led content creation and micro-influencers, credibility has been regained.  

Now, 34% of customers trust campaigns put together by content creators over brand content, while 48% say authentic, human led content is more likely to prompt them to purchase on social platforms, rising to 70% of Gen Z.