Pragmatic Primark disappoints online delivery fans: last week's most read retail technology articles
Check out our most clicked articles from last week, including Asos, Bambuser, Kenvue, Exotec, Proximity, Fortnum & Mason, Searchable, Scala, PMC, Ann Summers, and the first ever RTIH Retail Technology Hot 100 List.
Primark insists that its position on online home delivery remains unchanged amid Click and Collect push
Primark has responded to media reports that it is working on its first ever venture into the online home delivery space.
And we regret to inform fans of the fast fashion and homeware retailer that such a move ain’t happening any time soon.
The Times, citing unnamed sources, reported 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.
However, a Primark spokesperson has told us: “Our position on home delivery remains unchanged. As part of regular reviews of our distribution network to support future growth, we explored this site as a potential option for our Click & Collect service in Great Britain.”
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.
Asos announces launch of Stylist app in ChatGBT powered by Bambuser video commerce technology
Asos has launched Stylist, an app in ChatGPT that brings fashion discovery through products and video content to customers in the UK and US.
This helps customers discover Asos products directly in ChatGPT and shop them on the fast fashion giant’s website. It has been built using video commerce platform Bambuser.
Stylist uses Bambuser’s new Intelligence Layer capability and video player widget to turn Asos’ product catalogue and video library into structured, machine readable data that can be processed, retrieved, and returned, by large language models (LLMs) in real-time as shoppable videos.
Shoppers can browse individual products or complete looks by category, occasion, or trend, receive styling guidance, and explore pieces from hundreds of brands.
For example, when Stylist responds to a prompt such as “show me pastel floral A-line dresses for spring” it instantly searches across Asos’ brand portfolio and returns a curated edit tailored to the context of the conversation. Customers can see products in motion through video, click through for more details, and continue their journey on Asos.com to explore and purchase.
The experience is designed to be highly visual, bringing immersive product imagery and video, including livestream content, directly into the chat. When customers click on a product this expands to show more details, including pricing, and customers can tap through to “Shop on Asos” to complete their purchase.
Sugababes gear up to perform live at 35,000 ft powered by Virgin Atlantic and Starlink Wi-Fi
Virgin Atlantic has announced a live performance from British girl group Sugababes at 35,000 ft, streamed globally in real-time via the company’s Instagram page using Starlink Wi-Fi on Tuesday 26th May at 8pm.
Taking place onboard an Airbus A350 in the airline’s upper class social space, The Loft, Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy will perform a selection of their biggest hits alongside a live Q&A, with fans able to submit questions and requests during the stream.
The performance is designed to demonstrate the power of Starlink’s high speed, low latency connectivity, which Virgin Atlantic is rolling out across its fleet. With speeds capable of supporting streaming, gaming, browsing and more across all cabins, the airline is aiming to fully connect its fleet by 2027.
Juha Jaervinen, Chief Customer Officer, Virgin Atlantic, comments: “This isn’t just about introducing Wi-Fi, it’s about showing what it can do. By livestreaming a performance from 35,000 ft, we’re demonstrating the power of Starlink to deliver a seamless, high quality connection in the air, just as our customers expect on the ground.”
“Sugababes are an iconic part of British culture, bringing generations together through their music, so they’re the perfect partners for a moment like this, connecting people in the air and on the ground in real-time. As we roll out Starlink Wi-Fi across our fleet, this is just the beginning of a more connected, more flexible onboard experience.”
Kenvue hires former PepsiCo exec as SVP, Global Head of Digital Strategy and North America Digital Commerce
Meghan Archer has joined Kenvue, whose brands include Listerine, Nicorette, and Johnson's Baby, as SVP, Global Head of Digital Strategy and North America Digital Commerce.
She was previously at PepsiCo where she served as Vice President, Digital Commerce, Omni Retail Transformation. Her CV also includes a ten year stint at Amazon.
In a LinkedIn post, she said: "Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about building and scaling digital experiences that sit at the intersection of technology, retail, and the consumer journey. What drew me to Kenvue is the opportunity to help shape how some of the world’s most trusted, science backed brands connect with consumers in an increasingly digital first marketplace."
She added: "In this role, I’ll be focused on strengthening Kenvue’s digital and e-commerce capabilities - helping turn brand and growth strategy into action across media, content, commerce, data, AI, and next generation technologies. North America will serve as a proving ground as we build, refine, and scale digital excellence across the organisation."
"As someone who has spent much of my career focused on the end‑to‑end consumer journey, I’m excited by the opportunity to build seamless digital experiences that meet people where they are, and make everyday care for these iconic brands across personal care, skin, oral and essential health, and baby more accessible."
Warehouse automation specialist Exotec appoints Ocado veteran Nick Millard as Lead Solutions Engineer
Nick Millard has started a new role as a Lead Solutions Engineer at Exotec. He joins from Ocado Group, where he spent almost 16 years, most recently serving as Principal Solutions Architect at the Ocado Intelligent Automation part of the business.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “So excited to start my journey here, learning and getting involved in developing awesome solutions. I’m joining an incredible team who have already made me feel very welcome in my first week in Lille, France. Looking forward to this exciting new step.”
Stratacache announces sale of digital signage big hitter Scala to Vertiseit in SEK 265 million deal
Digital signage software specialist, Scala, has been sold by US firm Stratacache to Sweden-based Vertiseit for SEK 265 million (around $28 million).
The deal follows a decision to put two Stratacache owned companies in the UK (Stratacache UK and PRN) into liquidation.
“Scala is the most iconic software brand in our industry, with a strong global footprint, deep industry expertise, and long-standing relationships with many of the world’s leading retailers and brands,” says Johan Lind, CEO at Vertiseit.
“This acquisition aligns closely with our strategy to scale through partners, strengthen our global market position, and deliver on our vision of becoming the world’s leading platform company within in-store experience management. As a former Scala partner, the opportunity to bring Scala back to a partner first strategy will create significant value for the partner community.”
“Scala has played an important role in shaping the digital signage industry over several decades. We intend to accelerate its transition toward a modern SaaS-based and device agnostic offering, fully aligned with a partner first go to market strategy focused on openness, enablement, and long-term ecosystem growth,” says Sebastian Kryh, CEO at Dise, Vertiseit’s main software brand.
The acquisition is expected to close during May.
Founded in Norway in 1987, Scala nowadays delivers a CMS platform for digital signage deployments across a variety of industries, including fashion, DIY, automotive, airports, grocery, QSR and convenience. With a global network of more than 100 partners and over 1,000 brands as customers, the firm is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania, USA, with operations across Europe and Asia, and has been part of the Stratacache Group since 2016.
Fortnum & Mason taps Proximity technology to power luxury retailer’s new Fortnum's Connect clienteling platform
British luxury retailer, Fortnum & Mason, has partnered with Proximity to launch Fortnum's Connect, a new clienteling platform.
This provides store teams with a real-time, centralised view of customer profiles, with the aim of helping them deliver more informed and personalised service on the shop floor.
Built on Proximity's clienteling technology, Fortnum's Connect gives retail teams instant access to customer insights including preferences, purchase history, and recommendations. The platform also supports: 1:1 communication via email, SMS, and WhatsApp; Customer preference and recommendation management; Appointment booking and in-store event management; Real-time reporting and analytics.
Cathy McCabe, CEO at Proximity, says: "Fortnum & Mason is one of the most recognisable names in British retail, with a heritage built on exceptional service and customer relationships. With Fortnum's Connect, we're giving store teams the tools and insights they need to deliver that experience consistently at scale. By bringing everything into one place, colleagues can focus on what matters most: building meaningful customer relationships and creating exceptional experiences.”
Sean Ghouse, Director of UK Retail, Fortnum & Mason, says: "Exceptional customer service is part of our DNA at Fortnum & Mason, and it's something we've been extremely proud of throughout our history. But we can never stand still, which is why I'm delighted to be working with Proximity, and with their support we're launching Fortnum's Connect.”
“It allows our customers to build a personal relationship with our teams in-store, and gives us the chance to enhance our existing levels of service. To connect and talk even more meaningfully to our customers in future, means that we can continue to know, and serve them brilliantly."
Ann Summers partners with PMC to overhaul its data foundations
Ann Summers reports that it has completed the transformation of its data integration layer in a partnership with PMC.
As part of its transformation strategy, the lingerie retailer sought to modernise its core IT infrastructure, after its legacy systems had, through years of use, become overly complicated. This was making its tech stack not only difficult to manage, slowing innovation and creating operational friction, but also expensive to maintain.
“We’d gotten to the stage where we were continually building on top of things,” says Jeannette Copeland, Technology & Supply Chain Director at Ann Summers. “And that gets to the stage where you’re almost building on top of sand. We got to the point where we needed to dig in and change that.”
“With the most recent push from an AI perspective, unless you've got your data straightened out, it can hold you back. We are trying to ensure we've got foundations within our data so we can scale in the future and that we've got options, so we don't find ourselves in a technical corner.”
The transformation project also needed to support Ann Summers’ marketplace strategy. As a retailer of adult products, its website is often hidden from traditional online - and increasingly AI - search results. To ensure ongoing visibility, Ann Summers wanted to create more discoverability across marketplaces and third-party sellers, such as Next, which also required it to overhaul its data systems set-up.
AI driven search specialist Searchable secures £10.3 million in funding from headline at £62.9 million valuation
Searchable has raised £10.3 million ($14 million) at a £62.9 million ($85 million) valuation in a funding round led by venture capital firm Headline (backers of Semrush, Bumble, Farfetch, and Sonos).
Following the company's launch in January, Searchable says it achieved £1.4 million ($2 million) in annual recurring revenue in under 4.5 months and has an annual recurring revenue of £2 million. It plans to accelerate product development across its execution engine and expand its presence in both the US and UK markets.
Dominic R. Wilhelm, Partner at Headline, says: “AI driven discovery is rewriting how customers find products, and the economics are moving fast. As more searches are answered directly by AI, brands that are invisible in this layer of search will simply see less demand. The companies that adapt first will protect and grow market share; those that don’t will lose it quietly.”
“We backed Semrush early as the category leader and exited following its IPO at around a $2 billion market cap. Now, we see a new generation of businesses coming up and Searchable is primed to win this market, which is why we are ecstatic to lead the current round."
Wilhelm adds: “We see Searchable becoming part of the core infrastructure for this shift, not just reporting on what AI engines say about a brand, but directly improving the visibility and revenue outcomes that matter to management teams and boards.”
