Milestone for Scala and a major supply chain modernisation step for M&S: the retail technology week in numbers
Do you like numbers? Do you like retail tech news? Then this is the article for you. Including WorkJam, Amazon Now, Ikea, Kallikor, Asda, Quadient, Eme Studios, Carrefour, GS1, IGD, Sainsbury's, Yocuda, and Nuvei.
1.3 million...Marks & Spencer has begun construction on its new automated national distribution centre (NDC) in Northamptonshire.
To mark the start of the build, Michelle Elliman, from M&S Rugby store joined Kevin Bennett, CEO at Gist (M&S Food’s logistics arm), Stuart Andrew, MP for Daventry and Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and Prologis for an on-site steel signing ceremony.
This recognised the start of construction on the 1.3 million sqft facility, celebrating the largest supply chain investment in M&S history and a major step toward doubling the size of the Food business. The retailer says that the site will significantly increase capacity, reduce long‑term cost to serve, and improve product availability for customers.
Over 200 M&S Food stores will be serviced by the new DC.
Bennett says: “Starting the build on this site marks a major step in transforming M&S into a true destination for the weekly shop, with a modernised supply chain at the heart of that ambition. This investment will boost capacity for future growth, lower our long‑term cost to serve, and improve product availability so customers get the right products in the right place at the right time.”
“With construction underway, this new site strengthens our network and puts us ahead of the volume curve as we build a bigger, better Food business. By deploying the latest proven automation, we’re future‑proofing our operations and UK retail logistics, while creating 1,000 permanent jobs on site.”
1...Sainsbury’s has opened its first ever airport store in England.
People passing through Luton Airport will be able to purchase items from a Sainsbury's Local location.
“This has been a fantastic project to be part of and a real milestone for the business. Bringing a Sainsbury’s Local into a completely different retail environment, designed around the needs of customers travelling through one of the UK’s busiest airports," says Andy Robinson, Central Convenience Stores Director at Sainsbury's.
"A huge thank you to everyone who has played a part - so many colleagues and support teams have worked incredibly hard behind the scenes over the last few months to get us to opening day, and the finished result is something everyone involved should be proud of."
"The store looks fantastic, the team are excited, and it’s another strong example of how we continue to bring convenience and great service to customers wherever they need us."
37%...WorkJam has released new research revealing that retailers are increasingly prioritising cost control over employee experience as rising labour costs and operational pressures force organisations to rethink how they manage their frontline workforce.
The findings, based on a survey of over 150 retail professionals conducted at Retail Technology Show 2026 in London last month, suggest the sector is undergoing a significant strategic shift compared to last year, with retailers moving away from workforce engagement strategies and toward short-term cost and operational measures.
Specifically, 37% of respondents are now prioritising cost control over employee retention and experience in their workforce strategy, while only 5% said employee experience remains the priority. This represents a dramatic change from 2025, when employee engagement was identified as the sector’s biggest challenge for the frontline workforce.
In addition, following rises in National Insurance contributions and the National Minimum Wage, 44% of retailers are responding by reducing or slowing hiring, while 29% are raising prices. This aligns with 2025 expectations, when 62% anticipated price increases and 59% expected redundancies.
“This is one of the sharpest and most risky strategic reversals we have seen in the sector in recent years,” says Mark Williams, Managing Director EMEA at WorkJam. “The pressure retailers are facing is real, but deprioritising employee experience is a short-term reaction that will negatively compound over time. The challenge for retailers is finding ways to reduce costs and simplify operations without losing focus on frontline engagement. With the right platform strategy, retailers can consolidate their tech stack while also improving the employee experience.”
3...Whole Foods Market this week opened the doors to its third of six new UK stores - marking the halfway point in its latest expansion - this time in Notting Hill Gate, London.
Located at 66-74 Notting Hill Gate, W11 3HT, the 7,200 square ft store offers a variety of natural and organic products alongside fresh, ready-to-eat meals and everyday essentials. It will be open 08:00-22:00 Monday to Friday, 08:00-22:00 on Saturdays, and 11:00-17:00 on Sundays. Additionally, it will be available on Deliveroo for deliveries.
"Notting Hill Gate is a vibrant, eclectic, and highly diverse community, full of character and creativity. It was very important for us to reflect that in the store. From the selection of products to the overall atmosphere, we've aimed to create a space that feels relevant, welcoming, and connected to local life. Our goal is to be a place where people can shop, discover, and feel a sense of belonging - a store that feels like it's part of the fabric of Notting Hill Gate,” says Maryam Bayat Shahbazi, Store Team Leader.
35,000...Shein has announced the opening of a new UK logistics warehouse for in the Midlands. The 35,000 sqm facility in Cannock creates 450 new jobs and is equipped with automation technology, including robotic picking systems and automated sorting lines.
A Shein spokesperson said: "The site will help us deliver a faster and more reliable experience for customers. This marks another important step in our continued investment in the UK and our growing European logistics network."
70%...Lidl GB has ramped up its partnership with Neighbourly, introducing a new trial with the food sharing app Olio to redistribute more surplus food.
Managed by Neighbourly, the model introduces Olio’s Food Waste Hero network as an extra layer to support the discounter’s primary charity partners. Using the free Olio app, registered Food Waste Heroes collect items in the evenings, including chilled food, meat, fish, and poultry, alongside Lidl bakery goods, and share them with neighbours for free.
Launching Friday 15th May across 20 stores in London and Northern England, the trial, if successful, is expected to redistribute more than 5,000 tonnes of food, the equivalent of 11.9 million meals, to those in need annually. With ambitions for a nationwide roll-out by the end of the year, the initiative is pitched as a critical step toward Lidl GB's target to reduce food waste by 70% by the end of FY2030.
Matt Juden, Head of Sustainability at Lidl GB, says: “We believe that no good food should ever go to waste. While we have already made massive strides in reducing our surplus, this extension of our Neighbourly managed programme allows us to have even more impact. It ensures that we are reaching every corner of the communities we serve, making sure edible food stays on plates and out of the bin."
55%...New research from Nuvei shows how checkout behaviour in the US has emerged as a broader economic signal, revealing how consumers assess trust, security, AI adoption, and brand value, all at the moment of checkout.
1,000 Americans were surveyed for this. Notable findings include:
Payment logos outweigh the store itself: 55% of Americans trust payment methods more than the brand. This shows safety in the sale.
It’s more than just cash or card: 57% feel meaningful differences between payment methods. They expect to find the one they prefer waiting for them.
61% of Americans actively choose how they pay rather than treating payments as a routine step.
37% would abandon a purchase if their preferred payment method wasn’t available.
On the AI commerce side, only 19% would let AI complete a purchase without reviewing it first, while 72% still want to personally approve every purchase
The full dataset is available through a landing page, where you can filter responses by generation, gender, income, employment, education, marital status etc.
1 million...Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer, and Too Good To Go report that they have saved one million Surprise Bags with surplus food from going to waste.
Since the partnership started in 2017, the pair say they have demonstrated that managing surplus efficiently and engaging customers are not separate efforts, enabling Too Good To Go users to rescue good food across 14 countries and 240 Ikea stores. Since FY17, Ingka Group has cut production food waste in its kitchens by 60%, the equivalent of 47.5 million meals avoided.
“One million Surprise Bags saved with Too Good To Go is something we are genuinely proud of. It sits on top of our effort to reduce food waste in our kitchen production to the equivalent of 47.5 million meals since FY17. One is rescue. The other is prevention. You need both, but prevention has to come first,” says Connor Hill, Head of Circular, Ingka Group.
“We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Ikea, saving one million Surprise Bags together. This milestone shows how collaboration can increase sustainable living, accessibility and affordability,” says Mette Lykke, CEO at Too Good To Go.
4.83 million...Quadient has published research showing that a record breaking 4.83 million homes fell victim to porch piracy last year, equal to one package stolen every seven seconds.
37% of the 2,000 UK consumers surveyed for this say it caused them stress and anxiety, with women more likely to feel this way than men (42% vs 33%). While 26% note that the theft left them feeling unsafe or more vulnerable where they live.
Parcel theft also disrupts day-to-day life and relationships. 26% of victims say it delayed them from doing something important, while almost one in four state they disappointed someone - for example, by not having a gift or item they had promised. Beyond the emotional and social impact, 29% of victims say parcel theft caused them financial loss, as they struggled to secure refunds or replacements. With £666.5 million worth of parcels stolen across the UK last year, the cost to consumers is significant.
76%...Research from Yocuda shows that digital receipts are quickly becoming the preferred choice for fashion shoppers, with 76% opting for them when offered in-store.
Its survey of 1,015 UK consumers also reveals that this shift is being driven first and foremost by practicality. 52% of shoppers cite convenience as the main reason for choosing digital. 48% value easier storage, access, and returns. 61% say they are less likely to lose a digital receipt.
69% of shoppers have lost a paper receipt and later needed it for a return or exchange, leading to frustration and inconvenience. In an industry where returns are part of the experience, removing friction at this stage is becoming essential.
30...Amazon has announced the roll-out of its on demand delivery service Amazon Now to dozens of cities and millions of customers across the US.
The offering, which provides thousands of fresh groceries, everyday household essentials, and locally relevant items in about 30 minutes or less, is now widely available in Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Philadelphia, and Seattle, and is expanding in several more cities including Austin, Houston, Minneapolis, Orlando, Phoenix, Denver, and Oklahoma City.
The company plans to expand the service to tens of millions of customers in these and other cities by the end of the year.
"Amazon Now is for when you need or want the convenience of getting your Amazon order delivered in 30 minutes or less,” says Udit Madan, Senior Vice President, Amazon Worldwide Operations. “With thousands of items available for ultra-fast delivery, you can get everything from groceries for dinner, to AirPods before a flight, to household essentials like laundry detergent or toothpaste delivered right to your door. Amazon Now complements Amazon’s existing fast-delivery offerings, including one-hour and three-hour delivery on more than 90,000 products and same-day delivery on millions of items.”
Its report draws on insights from 200 senior retail supply chain leaders from across the UK and US, revealing that more than four in five significant strategic decisions encounter issues during delivery. It reveals a growing gap between the scale of decisions being made and the ability to evaluate their impact across the full supply chain.
Nearly nine in ten leaders expect to deliver at least one step-change decision in the next 12 months, spanning areas such as network redesign, automation, and service transformation. However, many are doing so without clarity or confidence in how those decisions will play out across interconnected operations.
As supply chains become more interconnected and interdependent, the ability to understand how decisions will perform across the full system is becoming more difficult. Leaders are often forced to choose between a simplified strategic view or a detailed operational view in isolation, with no practical way to evaluate both together: 63.5% say they are unable to evaluate decisions both end-to-end and in operational reality; 92% report unintended performance trade-offs emerging elsewhere in the system following major decisions.
This lack of system wide visibility is contributing directly to underperformance. Fewer than one in five major decisions achieve their original objectives, with many requiring significant rework, being scaled back, or reversed entirely.
Despite this, organisations are struggling to build cumulative insight from past decisions, with most models not reused across initiatives - limiting learning and reinforcing reliance on assumptions rather than evidence.
Leaders also reported that decisions can take up to 18 months with 74% admitting that slow decision-making reduces willingness to pursue bold change.
Mark Simpson, Former Chief Supply Chain Officer at Asda, says: “The sorts of decisions involved in supply chain transformations rarely fail in a clean, obvious way. What I’ve seen is that the impact shows up somewhere else in the business, often only after you’ve already committed.”
“The challenge is moving the business forward, without creating unintended consequences you couldn’t see at the point of decision. And in many organisations, that comes back to how those decisions are evaluated. The approaches haven’t kept pace with the complexity of the systems they’re trying to change.”
1...Shaftesbury Capital has announced the signing of streetwear brand Eme Studios, set to open at 57 Carnaby Street in London. The arrival will mark the brand’s UK debut and its first permanent store outside of Spain.
It currently operates physical locations in Madrid, Barcelona, and Valencia, and trades online in over 100 countries. The new 1,500 sq ft Carnaby Street store will feature a collection of men’s, women’s, and unisex pieces, including knitwear, jackets, and other apparel.
It says it is targeting Soho for its reputation as a world famous shopping and cultural hub, and successful launchpad. Eme Studios follows in the footsteps of several international brands that started their UK journey in Soho, including the likes of Adidas Originals, Axel Arigato, Autry, and Alohas.
40...Scala, a digital signage and marketing technology company, is calling on its network of partners, integrators, clients and industry colleagues across Europe and beyond to contribute memories, images, video, press coverage and personal anecdotes as the company prepares to mark its 40th anniversary in 2027.
“Forty years is a remarkable milestone in any industry, but in the fast-moving world of marketing technology, it is truly extraordinary and is a testament to the brilliance and dedication of the Scala team, our partners and our clients. From our earliest days as a pioneering multimedia company in Norway to the award-winning, continent spanning projects we are delivering today, Scala has always been driven by innovation and a passion for creating exceptional digital experiences,” says Harry Horn, General Manager at Scala EMEA.
“What better place to begin our appeal to the AV community than at the AV Showcase? We hope that our partners past and present will be able to help us as we collate the milestones from the last 40 years for a celebratory campaign which will run across 2027.”
50...Carrefour reports that 50 of its private label products now feature QR codes powered by GS1.
The move builds on the French retail giant initially adopting the technology across its private label wine products.
“The barcode is 52 years (half a century!) of a system deeply rooted in the entire distribution chain. This is why cohabitation with 2D codes is a major transformation, far from being anecdotal for mass consumption,” says Miguel Ángel González Gisbert, Global and France Chief Digital Officer at Carrefour.
“The increase in possible data - from 13 characters to more than 4,000 - is not just a technical feat: it is an open door to concrete improvements for our customers, as well as for our employees in stores and logistics. At the level of a distributor like us, this lever has enabled us to anticipate regulatory changes, starting with wines and spirits, before extending to textiles and batteries.”
He adds: “Today we are taking a new step for our customers. Thanks to the great collaboration between the MDC and digital teams, 50 products from our own brands already have a QR code on their packaging. A little scan and hey presto, our customers discover everything: online purchase, product information and (soon) the history of the brand. It's easy transparency, without cluttering up our packaging.”
“This project is particularly close to my heart because it enhances our private labels. As a loyal customer, I am convinced that our private labels are among the best on the market, with nuggets such as Reflets de France. This brand embodies the richness of our terroirs with exceptional products such as Normandy shortbread, Espelette pepper pâté or Normandy Camembert. A real treat! These 50 or so references are only the first step in a profound transformation. The deployment of QR codes is intensifying in the coming months.”
£67.5 million and 437,000...M&S has announced a conditional £67.5 million deal to acquire a new 437,000 square foot fully automated fashion distribution centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire. The former Asos site will become operational as part of the retailer’s network in 2027. It will employ 600 people.
It says that this will add capacity and process orders quickly, helping to realise M&S’ long-term ambition to double the size of its online fashion business.
M&S Managing Director for Fashion, Home and Beauty, John Lyttle, says: “As we transform M&S Fashion, Home and Beauty, our ambition is to double online sales. To achieve this and serve our customers faster, more efficiently and with better availability, our 24/7 distribution network needs more capacity.“
"We’ve always said that we’ll deliver our transformation with highly disciplined capital investment, always mindful of spending shareholder money wisely. This acquisition does just that, delivering tangible business benefits that move our transformation forward, at a much lower cost compared to a new build option.”
63%...The UK online grocery market is increasingly fragmented, with 63% of online shoppers now using multiple online sub‑channels, switching between them depending on the mission, according to IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution) research.
This also highlights the growing influence of younger shoppers as Gen Z drives use of quick commerce and social commerce.
Based on a survey of 2,000 UK shoppers in Q1 2026, 49% of those aged 18 to 24 said they had used quick commerce in the last four weeks, compared to only 5% of over-65s. Social commerce, meanwhile, plays a significant role in discovery, particularly for vitamins and supplements where 88% of social commerce shoppers research them on social platforms.
Quick commerce is no longer confined to last minute or emergency purchases. IGD’s findings show it is becoming more habitual, with usage increasing both in reach and frequency. Half of quick commerce shoppers return to the same apps when placing orders, signalling emerging platform loyalty.
Usage is also becoming more routine. Weekly use of quick commerce has increased from 27% in Q4 2024 to 33% in Q1 2026. While monthly use remains the most common cadence, the rise in weekly usage highlights headroom to drive higher frequency.
Its survey, a barometer of consumer’s spending intentions, recorded an index score of -13 in April, falling from a score of -1 at the start of this year and reversing the improving trend seen since the start of last year.
Now the score sits in line with the long run average since PwC began tracking sentiment in 2008. Although sentiment is trending downwards across all age groups, young people are still more optimistic than older people and the gap remains wide. The findings come as the full supply chain impacts of the Middle East conflict, for example on energy prices and food, are yet to be felt by consumers.
With people bracing themselves for rising living costs, the survey reveals the biggest quarterly drop in perceived household finances since 2022 - a 7% decline in those reporting healthy finances (i.e. having money left at the end of the month for luxuries or savings) since January, and a 4% rise in those struggling or in trouble (i.e. missing bills or loan repayments, or in danger of doing so). Under 35s have been hardest hit, with a 20% fall in those feeling financially healthy and a 9% increase in those struggling or in trouble.
Almost 90% of consumers say they are concerned about the cost of living, the top concern for consumers, particularly middle age groups (35-54 year olds) and the less affluent. The other joint top concern is the UK economy (almost 90%), followed by global events (87%), with other big rises this quarter for concern about household earnings (up to 63% from 58%) and mortgage repayments or rent going up (up to 44% from 36%).
