Pop Mart goes large in London with new store: check out 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 Tesco, The Home Depot, Sobeys, Pricer, Bringg, VAST Data, Debenhams Group, Touker Suleyman, RTS 2026, and the first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100 List.
1. Chinese firm Pop Mart takes wraps off its largest London store yet with Charing Cross Road launch
Pop Mart, a Chinese entertainment brand and specialist in designer collectibles, has opened its largest London store to date, unveiling a new retail destination in the heart of the West End.
Located at 69–71 Charing Cross Road (WC2H 0NE), the new store spans 5,090 square feet and introduces a mezzanine level, a first for a Pop Mart store in the UK.
Situated in the former home of House of Spells and close to the brand’s first London store in Soho, the Charing Cross Road addition marks Pop Mart 16th store in the UK. It boosts ts London presence with seven standalone stores and nine London locations overall, including dedicated spaces within Harrods and Hamleys.
Ian Ashton, Head of UK Retail at Pop Mart, says "The growth of our London community has been incredible, and this store is a reflection of that momentum. Charing Cross Road is more than a retail space - it’s where the Pop Mart universe comes to life, bringing together collectors, creativity and culture in one destination. This opening is about giving our community a home, while inviting new fans to discover what makes Pop Mart so unique."
2. Significant step as Tesco bins barcodes and embraces QR codes on own brand sausages
Tesco has replaced traditional barcodes with QR codes on 13 of its own brand sausage products.
Whilst shoppers will continue to checkout as usual, they can now access detailed product information by scanning the QR codes with their smartphones.
Tesco Development and Change Director Peter Draper says: “For customers, this is a tiny and almost invisible change at the checkout, but for the retail industry it’s a significant step forward. Moving to QR codes will help us reduce food waste, improve stock control and unlock new digital benefits for our customers.”
He adds: “Customers will continue to shop and pay in exactly the same way, but they’ll have the option to access far richer information about the products they buy simply by using their smartphones. Over time, this opens up exciting possibilities, such as personalised digital tools to help customers manage the food they buy and reduce waste at home.”
3. The Home Depot boosts on demand delivery push with SIMPL Automation startup acquisition following pilot
The Home Depot has acquired SIMPL Automation, a two year old US-based startup focused on automation and technology systems. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
SIMPL uses engineering and AI technology with the aim of helping distribution facilities operate faster and more efficiently. The Home Depot says that the technology furthers its strategy of same-day/next-day fulfillment while also improving safety and increasing speed.
The acquisition follows a pilot at The Home Depot’s Locust Grove, Ga. distribution centre, where it drove faster pick speed, faster cycle times and less product touches. It also has a patented storage and retrieval solution that helps maximise storage density, allowing the home improvement retailer to house a broader assortment of high demand products closer to the customer.
“We’re focused on providing the best interconnected experience in home improvement by having products in stock and ready to deliver to our customers whether it's to the home or jobsite,” says Amit Kalra, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain at The Home Depot. “By bringing SIMPL’s industry leading automation into our operations, we’re accelerating the flow of products through our distribution network to deliver with unprecedented speed and precision.”
4. Pricer and JRTech Solutions ink digital store transformation deal with Canadian grocery retailer Sobeys
Pricer reports that its partner JRTech Solutions has signed an agreement with Canadian grocery retailer Sobeys. The contract includes the deployment of Pricer’s latest electronic shelf label (ESL) technology and the cloud-based platform Plaza across an estimated 300–350 stores.
The agreement covers the supply of multi-colour electronic shelf labels and the necessary store infrastructure, with a total hardware and infrastructure value of approximately $51 million (excluding Pricer Plaza). The deployment is scheduled for an 18-month period starting in May.
"We are very grateful for the trust and that Sobeys has once again chosen Pricer as its long-term strategic partner,” says Mats Arnehall, Chief Growth Officer at Pricer. "This deal confirms our leading position in the North American market and the value of our high performance system in high density retail environments. Our scalable cloud platform, Plaza, will be the intelligence behind every label, enabling Sobeys to act faster and work smarter."
“After years of close collaboration and shared success, we’re proud to grow our partnership with Sobeys even further with an expanded roll-out,” says Diego Mazzone, President and CEO at JRTech Solutions.
5. Have your say and vote today! First ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100 List goes live, sponsored by 3D Cloud
In partnership with 3D Cloud, RTIH is pleased to announce the launch of its first ever Retail Technology Hot 100 List.
We have scoured the global retail technology world to bring you the hottest companies whose solutions and systems are helping drive the retail sector forward.
Our Founder and Editor, Scott Thompson, has drawn up a list of 150 companies that have consistently been on his radar over the past 12 months whilst bringing our community the latest retail tech news and views that matter. These companies operate across the omnichannel retail landscape (stores, online, mobile, supply chain, payments etc).
Our judging panel, including Vineta Bajaj, Group CFO, Holland & Barrett, Dan McGrath, JD Group Customer Operations, JD Sports, and Paula Bobbett, Chief Data and Digital Officer, Boots, will now provide feedback on those who have the most innovative, forward thinking technology offerings and are best addressing retailers' current challenges, painpoints, and opportunities.
And there will also be a public vote, with our community of retail tech enthusiasts invited to select their top five picks (one vote per person). The public vote closes on Friday, 26th June.
Based on the judging panel's feedback and the public vote, we will then draw up our first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100, aka the 100 hottest global retail technology companies during 2026, which will be published across our website, social channels, and the next edition of our printed magazine (to be published in August).
"RITH has long been at the forefront of recognising exceptional performance in retail technology. We’re proud to support this programme and to play a part in elevating the role of retail tech in shaping the future of the customer experience," says Leigh Davidson, Managing Director, UK and International at 3D Cloud.
6. Bringg adds former Co-op E-commerce Director Chris Conway as Senior VP and GM for EMEA region
Last mile solutions specialist, Bringg, has appointed Chris Conway as Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEA. Conway will lead its commercial strategy, customer relationships, and go-to-market operations across the region.
Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Quick Commerce and Food Operating Board Member at Co-op, where he helped build and scale a £500 million-plus q-commerce operation delivering from nearly 2,000 stores.
Conway also founded Peckish, a rapid delivery app that gave independent retailers access to q-commerce technology. Ane he led Asda's online grocery business and ran the online commercial team at Morrisons.
“Chris built one of the UK's most successful delivery operations as a Bringg customer and decided to come over and build it for others,” says Guy Bloch, CEO at Bringg. “EMEA retailers are making increasingly complex delivery decisions, and Bringg is building AI capabilities that help them get those decisions right. Chris knows what that looks like from the operator's seat. That firsthand experience is exactly what the market needs to scale their last-mile capabilities.”
“On the retail side, I spent years trying to make last mile delivery a competitive advantage rather than a cost,” says Conway. “I know what it takes because I lived it. I've also seen how Bringg does it, starting from deep understanding of customers' problems and using automation and AI to improve last mile performance. That's the conversation I want to have with the market.”
7. Shining stars: the latest edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List goes live at RTS 2026
The latest edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List is here, sponsored by 3D Cloud and launching on the first day of RTS 2026 in London.
The list has seen a surge in popularity over the past few years, to the point that we’ve decided publishing it once a year is no longer enough. Here, then, is the first edition for 2026, with some names dropping out of the top 100 and some new names coming in (the latter are flagged as new entries for ease of reference).
RTIH has scoured the retail technology world to find the most influential figures for this comprehensive round up of people and trends that shape the industry and help drive it forward.
We’re witnessing a seismic change in shopping habits. Retailers are doubling down on innovative technologies like AR, AI, machine learning, robotics, and automation, and finding ways to use them to boost business efficiency and make customer experiences more exciting and dynamic.
Which is where the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List comes in, presented, we should stress, in no particular order.
Such disruption requires new ways of problem solving and thought leaders who can both evangelise and execute on the likes of digital transformation and omnichannel excellence.
We hope you enjoy reading through it and, as always, if you would like to give feedback or believe that there are some glaring omissions, please feel free to get in touch via the form at the end of this article.
Many thanks to 3D Cloud, which provides 3D product visualisation software trusted by top furniture and DIY retailers, for sponsoring the report.
8. Paul Aspden moves on up at Debenhams Group as he takes on Chief Technology Officer position
Debenhams Group has announced the appointment of Paul Aspden as Chief Technology Officer.
He joined the retailer in 2023. Most recently Director of Technology, he has been instrumental in developing and scaling the group’s proprietary technology ecosystem which underpins its marketplace model.
In his new role, Aspden will focus on scaling Debenhams Group’s technology platform, with enhancements to make brand partner onboarding and management faster, smarter, and more seamless. He will also drive innovation, including the expanded use of AI to enhance decision-making, operational efficiency and customer experience.
He has already worked on key partnerships with Peak AI to deliver AI powered pricing, merchandising and inventory optimisation. He also supported the creation of the group’s AI Skills Academy, developed in partnership with Multiverse.
Aspden has also overseen a partnership with Mirakl, supporting theexpansion of its marketplace model and simplifying onboarding for new brand partners. More recently, the group partnered with PayPal to launch an AI driven shopping experience, becoming the first retailer in the UK to enable customers to discover, receive personalised recommendations and check out entirely within the PayPal app.
9. VAST Data announces $1 billion Series F fund raise, tripling AI tech company's valuation to $30 billion
VAST Data, an AI operating system specialist whose customers include CVS and Lowe’s, has announced the closing of its Series F financing at a $30 billion valuation, representing more than a threefold increase from its $9.1 billion Series E valuation in late 2023.
The latest round was led by Drive Capital, with Access Industries acting as co-lead, and included participation from existing investors including Fidelity Management & Research Company, NEA, and NVIDIA, alongside new backers.
The financing included primary and secondary capital, bringing the total transaction value to approximately $1 billion. Primary proceeds will be used to fuel global growth, including transactions that expand its technology footprint and partnerships.
“We are already supporting AI environments spanning millions of GPUs globally, operating across every layer of the AI stack,” says Renen Hallak, Founder and CEO at VAST Data. “What is becoming clear is that these layers are no longer independent. Applications, models, and infrastructure now operate as a single system through data. VAST sits at the centre of how that system works, which is why we are seeing this level of demand at global scale.”
10. RTS 2026 review: Dragons’ Den star Touker Suleyman says retail technology an overhead but helpful
The Dragons' Den panellist and serial investor encourages entrepreneurship, as evidenced by his investments in a number of British startups and firms, such as Loop Generation (Circular Fashion); Matchstick Monkey (baby teethers and toys) and Sonisk (on-the-go toothbrushes and dental care).
Suleyman used his speech at RTS 2026 on 22nd April to encourage the thousands of retailers attending “not to give up” during the present tough times and recommended harnessing technology in the right way, namely, to enable:
· Manpower reductions and better cost control
· Improve decision-making power
· Enhance customer insights and service, citing CRM systems as “important in this area”.
In regard to artificial intelligence (AI), which was inevitably a hot topic on the first day at RTS 2026, Suleyman said: “My question is does it help the bottom line? Does it help with staffing costs, marketing, targeting and so on?”
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