Retail planning and inventory decisioning platform Invent.ai appoints Joe Groves as Global CRO
invent.ai has announced the appointment of Joe Groves as its new Global Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). He joins after spending over 20 years at Centric Software.
"Retail isn’t just about plans, it’s about execution," says Groves. "Margins are tighter, lead times are longer and planning stacks are lagging behind real-time demand. Invent.ai closes the gap between planning and reality, giving retailers the signals they need to act decisively."
The appointment comes amid growing momentum for invent.ai’s solution in the UK, having signed partnerships with retailers and brands including Iceland, Boots, Alo and Footasylum.
Multi-agentic AI, the architecture behind invent.ai’s platform, connects decisions across inventory, pricing, allocation and merchandising. The company says that, by turning insights into immediate action, retailers reduce stockouts, cut forced markdowns and improve forecast accuracy to drive tangible revenue and margin growth.
"Most planning tools were built before real-time data existed," adds Groves. "Our platform gives allocation and planning teams a live signal, not a static report. That precision is what separates retailers who simply manage operations from those who consistently outperform the market."
Under his leadership, the firm intends to expand its reach with retailers worldwide who demand actionable results, operational clarity and measurable business outcomes.
"The retailers outperforming the market aren’t just guessing less, they’re deciding faster," says Gurhan Kok, Founder and CEO at invent.ai. “Joe brings the expertise and vision to ensure our solutions reach the teams who need them most: those responsible for revenue, margin and operational efficiency. His leadership accelerates our mission to close the gap between plan and execution at scale."
Iceland Foods
UK frozen food and grocery retailer, Iceland Foods, says it is boosting the way it manages inventory and replenishment with the help of invent.ai.
The move addresses the challenge of keeping thousands of SKUs consistently available across a nationwide network of stores and distribution centres. By leveraging invent.ai’s platform, Iceland can now turn complex sales, supply and demand data into real-time operational actions at scale, ensuring that the right products are in the right place at the right time.
The solution factors in seasonal demand, promotions, new product launches and one off anomalies. It automates replenishment decisions, with the aim of providing operational teams with optimised stock recommendations that reduce waste, minimising stockouts and maximising sales opportunities.
“AI is giving us the visibility and control we’ve never had before,” says Matt Downes, Supply Chain Director at Iceland Foods. “We can now keep shelves consistently stocked with the products our customers want, reduce lost sales and improve the overall shopping experience across every store and distribution centre.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
AI will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.
The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.
Check out our 2025 winners here.
Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.
In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”
“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”
He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”
Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.
