Ooh, wee, ooh: Sainsbury's lands at Luton Airport - last week's most read RTIH retail technology articles
Check out our most clicked articles from last week, including Morrisons, Vroom Delivery, Ocado, M&S, Carrefour, GS1, and the first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100 List.
Former Morrisons Aldridge store manager Sean Egan ramps up social media efforts following controversial dismissal
Egan, 46, who had worked in the store, near Walsall, for 29 years, said at the time: "As the store manager, I put myself in a position to protect my staff and customers. There's a lot of pressure in retail to protect the product, to not lose money, as you would in any business and I tried to do that."
Morrisons said it could not comment on individual cases, but the health and safety of all colleagues and customers was of paramount importance.
In a LinkedIn post, dated Friday, 8th May, Egan commented: "A new chapter begins. Over the past few months, I’ve connected with thousands of people through conversations around retail, leadership, community, resilience and personal growth."
He added: "One thing that’s become very clear is the power of sharing experiences and bringing people together. So moving forward, I’m going to become far more active across social media and begin documenting more of the journey, the lessons, the challenges, the fitness goals, community work, behind the scenes moments and everything in between."
"I’ve always believed in showing up with energy, authenticity and positivity, even during difficult periods, and I’m excited for what comes next. Appreciate all the support and connections recently. Let’s see where this journey leads."
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.
Online grocer Ocado upgrades Smart Pass offering with addition of new exclusive offers from partner brands
Ocado has announced an addition to its Smart Pass subscription service that offers free deliveries and other benefits.
In an email to customers, the online grocery retailer said: "Our members love the convenience of Smart Pass, but we’ve heard you want even more from your membership. So now we’ve got exciting news to share: we’re launching Smart Pass Rewards."
"With Smart Pass Rewards you'll be able to enjoy exclusive member-only offers from partner brands we think you’ll love. And we refresh them regularly, so there's always something new. We can't wait to show you what we've got in store."
Primark preps online delivery move as retailer loses out to M&S in bidding war for Asos automated warehouse
Primark is working on its first ever venture into the online delivery space, according to a report by The Times.
The fast fashion and homeware retailer recently lost out to Marks & Spencer in a bidding war for an Asos online fulfilment centre in Lichfield, Staffordshire, which sold for £67.5 million.
The Times, citing unnamed sources, reports that Primark had identified this as a step towards ramping up the digital side of its business. “They know they need to go online…They wanted this warehouse as it has automation equipment that lets you do delivery directly to peoples’ homes,” a source told the newspaper.
Meanwhile, M&S Managing Director for Fashion, Home and Beauty, John Lyttle, said of the deal: “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.”
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.”
Carrefour deploys QR codes powered by GS1 across 50 of French retail giant's private label products
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.”
Sainsbury’s touches down at Luton Airport as UK grocery giant notches up a convenience stores first in England
Sainsbury’s has opened its first ever airport store in England. People passing through Luton Airport will be able to purchase food, drink and travel essentials from a Sainsbury's Local location.
This builds on the opening in 2024 of the UK grocery giant’s first ever store in a UK airport (Edinburgh Airport).
"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.
He adds: "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."
Amazon Now expands to dozens of cities across the US including Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, Denver and Orlando
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.”
HyperFinity launches Agentic Insight solution and expands team with hires from Deloitte and Dentsu
HyperFinity, an intelligence platform for retail, reports that it closed FY26 with double-digit revenue growth and net revenue retention exceeding 150%.
The company, whose customers include Morrisons, Toolstation and JD Sports, is focusing its FY27 strategy on what it sees as the two most underserved challenges in retail today: loyalty without accountability and pricing without intelligence. It is launching Agentic Insight - an AI powered, real-time Q&A layer designed to accelerate retail decision-making. It says that, while retailers have invested heavily in business intelligence tools, accessing actionable insights often remains slow and dependent on analyst workflows. Agentic Insight removes this bottleneck, enabling commercial teams to query complex data in plain language and receive immediate, context aware answers.
“Despite widespread adoption of loyalty programmes and pricing tools, many retailers still lack a clear, unified view of customer behaviour and its commercial impact,” says Pete Denby, CEO at HyperFinity. “Loyalty schemes have become ubiquitous, yet proving ROI remains elusive. At the same time, pricing decisions often fail to fully leverage customer level data, leading to margin leakage and missed opportunities. “Retailers don’t have a technology problem, they have an accountability problem. The market is full of vendors who’ll sell another platform. We’re one of the few who will stand behind a number.”
HyperFinity has also announced the addition of four new roles, including the appointment of David Spencer and Tom Smith as Sales Principals.
In a press release, it says: “These hires represent the latest milestone in the company’s ambitious expansion strategy. Together the new team members bring experience from some of the industry’s most established organisations, including Deloitte and Dentsu. Their decision to join HyperFinity underscores the company’s growing momentum and its ability to attract high calibre talent.”
Vroom Delivery adds former Rovertown and Standard AI executuve as Frank Beard as Strategic Advisor
Vroom Delivery, a digital commerce platform built for convenience retail, reports that Frank Beard has joined the company as a strategic advisor focused on marketing strategy, positioning, and brand development.
“As we continue to grow and evolve, it’s critical that we clearly communicate what we’ve built and where we’re going,” says John Nelson, Founder and CEO at Vroom Delivery. “We've worked with Frank several times before, and we're thrilled to have him officially join in an advisory capacity. He brings a high standard for clarity and craft in B2B marketing, and that will be crucial as we tell our story in this next phase."
Beard brings experience marketing technology solutions within convenience retailing, with past roles at GasBuddy, Standard AI, and Rovertown. In his advisory role, he will work with Vroom Delivery's leadership to refine how the company communicates its platform, long-term vision, and the specifics of new products and enhancements as they come to market.
