Moonpig invests in AI and M&S becomes a data company: presenting the retail technology week in numbers
Do you like numbers? Do you like retail tech news? Then this is the article for you. Including Nudge, MINISO, Asda, Deliveroo, VoCoVo, dentsu, RELEX Solutions, Pop Mart, Joe & The Juice, Amazon Prime Day, Currys, and BoxBar Tech.
£373 million...Moonpig this week released its FY26 results. It has reported revenue growth of 6.5% to £373 million, adjusted PBT up 13.4% to £76.5 million and adjusted EPS up 19.5% to 18.0 pence. There was orders growth of 2.1% driven by active customers growth to 12.3 million (April 2025: 11.7 million) in Moonpig and Greetz.
The online retailer also strengthened partnerships with various brands. Customers can now order JoJo Maman Bébé, Next Flowers and Laura Ashley Flowers, as well as a range of luxury products from Boots, through its platform.
Sales of football themed Father's Day cards were up 451% YoY - more than 50,000 World Cup cards were sold (the most popular featuring everyone’s favourite grumpy pundit Roy Keane. 18,000 giant cards were sent and 250,000 large cards - almost five million family photos were uploaded).
In terms of leveraging data and technology, Moonpig said in a statement: “Our proprietary data assets are one of our most important sources of competitive advantage and an enabler of future growth. Our opportunity to increase customer frequency starts with helping customers remember and celebrate more occasions.”
During FY26, its database of customer occasion reminders grew by 11.2% year-on-year to 113 million, whilst Moonpig Plus and Greetz Plus memberships increased by 29.3% to 1.2 million. These assets enable it to engage customers throughout the year, beyond the point of purchase. Moonpig commented: “Our reminders proposition remains a significant differentiator, with around 40% of orders placed within seven days of an occasion reminder. Plus continues to strengthen customer loyalty and engagement, with members now accounting for around a quarter of Moonpig orders. Together, these capabilities deepen customer relationships, support higher purchase frequency and provide a strong platform for long-term growth.”
$1.1 million...AI shopping startup Nudge has launched its Agentic Commerce Platform and announced $1.1 million in pre-seed funding. Investors include s16vc (a fund backed by the founders of Miro, Datadog, and Intercom), Antler, and operators from Shopify, Nutanix, and Postman.
The platform gives commerce brands a single system to measure AI visibility, enrich product catalogues for agent recommendations, and convert AI discovery into revenue.
“Shopping is becoming a conversation. People ask AI platforms what to buy and get an answer back with a list of recommendations to choose from," says Kanishka Thakur, Co-founder and CEO at Nudge. "Every brand needs an ongoing read of how shoppers describe them in AI conversations and which products surface in answers. But the real differentiation is going from search to action: closing the conversion gap between AI discovery and purchase. Being recommended is the start. Being bought is the win."
Early customers include a health nutrition brand and a large footwear brand, with active deployments across apparel, beauty, food and beverage, and wellness brands.
£94 million...New research from consultancy Beano Brain shows that for Gen Alpha, shopping is about far more than buying things. This finds that for 7–14-year-olds, the high street has become a social and sensory experience, closely tied to identity, family and food.
1,000+ 7–14-year-olds were surveyed for this. They have access to £94 million in immediately disposable cash, with 91% regularly receiving regular money to spend. 69% of children surveyed think shopping is fun, and 68% prefer to shop in “real” shops over online.
90% of Gen Alpha consumers say they enjoy shopping with someone else, and 87% want to touch or feel products before they buy them. 41% say getting food or treats makes shopping with family more fun, and 25% feel that eating together makes the trip feel more special.
Spending on physical goods and shared experiences outperforms digital products and services. 57% of Gen Alpha consumers report spending on sweets and snacks over the past 12 months, 41% on toys and collectibles, and 34% on food and drink. By comparison, 27% report spending on gaming currencies, 21% on online games and apps, and 19% on in-game purchases such as character skins.
Survey respondents say they will spend more than 20 minutes in a shop if there are fun things to try, a signal that experience, not just stock, keeps kids in-store. The research also points to a gap in how the high street currently serves Gen Alpha: 85% of girls find the shopping experience exciting, compared with 53% of boys. With physical retail clearly capable of capturing this generation’s attention and spend, the findings suggest an opportunity for brands and retailers to close that gap and engage boys as effectively as girls.
300...Asda is expanding its on-demand food delivery service, adding more than 300 superstores to the Deliveroo platform. Shoppers can now order through the Deliveroo app up until 11pm. This latest roll-out brings the total number of Asda locations offering its quick commerce service to over 850 stores.
Barney Burgess, Vice President for Online Grocery at Asda, says: “Our ability to offer customers a broad and ever‑growing range of services is a real strength for Asda, and expanding our partnership with Deliveroo builds on that. We’re focused on making shopping as convenient as possible, and by bringing Deliveroo to even more stores, customers can enjoy great Asda products and value delivered to their doorstep.”
Suzy McClintock, VP Consumer at Deliveroo, says: “Our expansion with Asda is a significant milestone in our continued mission to offer unmatched selection and great value groceries, delivered directly to your door. Now covering more than 850 stores and an increased range of over 10,000 products, we are bringing the ultimate convenience to more households across the UK.”
1 million...VoCoVo, a retail team communication solutions provider, has taken to social media to announce a series of milestones. In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “Our growing global impact could not have been possible without our trusted customers, partners and the whole VoCoVo team.”
It added: “We are delighted and so proud that we currently have a million daily headset users. Over 30 years ago, our Founder, Rob Gamlin, brought VoCoVo to life in the heart of Oxfordshire, and now, as market leaders, we empower so many people to streamline their daily operations and improve their efficiency and customer experience.”
“Not just our daily users, but the fact that we are able to operate in 39 countries wouldn't be possible without the help and partnerships from our value-added resellers and distributors, to connect store teams within different regions. And finally, just to really emphasise how proud we are of where we've come, 75+ global retailers are using VoCoVo, in 42,000 stores worldwide. All we can say is a massive thank you to everyone who continues to partner with us and support us. We wouldn't be here without you all.”
1...Asda has announced a partnership with Amazon Ads. This will see the UK grocery giant become the first retailer outside of the US to introduce Amazon Retail Ad Service to its online stores.
Rolling out in phases from Q4 this year, the partnership will use the solution to deliver more relevant ads based on real shopping behaviour and intent. In practical terms, customers who know what they’re looking for will find it faster, while those who don’t will be guided to relevant products in one place, with less effort.
Rachel Eyre, Asda’s Chief Customer and Digital Officer, says: “We serve millions of customers each week and this partnership is about using technology to improve the online shopping experience by helping them to quickly find what they need. At the same time, it creates a stronger retail media proposition, giving our current and future brand partners a more effective way to reach customers, using deeper insight to deliver impactful and measurable campaigns. This builds on the partnership with Ocado we announced recently and is another clear step forward in how we’re using technology to improve the Asda shopping experience.”
“Amazon’s Retail Ad Service gives UK advertisers the signals, measurement and scale they need, in a way that is seamless and familiar from day one. This partnership is a significant step in making Asda the most effective and frictionless place for brands to reach British shoppers.”
For advertisers, the partnership promises clearer insights and better measurement, alongside a simpler way to plan and execute campaigns through familiar Amazon Ads tools and consistent cross-platform reporting. It also enables brands to scale activity across Asda’s platforms and Amazon Ads inventory.
260m2...MINISO will open its latest UK store at Bristol’s Cribbs Mall, on 26th June at 12pm. The 260m2 unit will showcase its signature mix of vinyl plush blind boxes and plushies, beauty and lifestyle accessories
Customers will be able to explore product from global pop culture brands, such as Hello Kitty & Friends, Sylvanian Families, Pokémon and Disney, including the latest Star Wars collection. To celebrate the opening, there will be a meet and greet with MINISO’s mascot, PenPen, and the first 200 customers who spend a minimum of £5 will receive a goody bag.
Saad Usman, Chief Operating Officer at MINISO UK, says: “Opening at Cribbs Causeway is an exciting step for MINISO UK as we continue to expand our presence nationwide. Cribbs’ dynamic and fast growing customer base makes it the ideal location for our next store, and we’re delighted to bring our fun, pop culture products to such a vibrant retail destination. We’ve created a joyful, imaginative space designed to appeal to Gen Z and Alpha, while also welcoming Millennial families, and we can’t wait to welcome shoppers through our doors.”
£1.3 billion...British Airways ARC, an entertainment and music venue, recently opened its doors at London Olympia. Opening performances include Self Esteem and McFly, followed by Van Morrison, Khalid and The Black Keys later this year.
The 3,800-capacity venue forms part of a £1.3 billion transformation of Olympia.
Hamish Mcvey, Director of Marketing at British Airways, said: “British Airways ARC represents an exciting new chapter in our partnership with Olympia and AEG, and a step forward in how we connect our customers with unforgettable experiences, both in the air and on the ground. We’re proud to be a founding partner of a destination that celebrates British creativity and world class entertainment, and we can’t wait for our customers and Club members to step inside, take their seats and experience it for themselves.”
Boxbar Tech has been announced as the self-serve bar partner at the venue. In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “It has been a real privilege to work alongside AEG Presents UK and the wider project team on such an exciting development. The venue welcomed its first public events last week and the atmosphere was incredible. The permanent Boxbar Tech TapWall installation is located on the ground floor, just off the gig floor and within view of the stage. Fans can grab a drink in seconds and get straight back to the action without missing a moment.”
It concluded: “The energy throughout opening week was something special and we can’t wait to see the venue flourish in the months and years ahead.”
40%...New research by dentsu, involving 2,003 people, shows UK consumers are embracing AI when they shop, but a major trust gap is holding back fully automated purchases, creating a critical window for retailers to shape how AI driven purchasing evolves.
Although AI has created a new discovery environment, there is a contradiction between its growing use and traditional consumer trust signals. Although more than a third of Brits, rising to over half in Millennials and Gen Z, use AI shopping tools, nearly two-thirds remain uncomfortable allowing AI to purchase for them autonomously.
Almost 40% say they use AI to find the best product, compare brands and find cheaper alternatives. But while AI is taking up a new advisory space in the customer journey, customer reviews (54%), friends and family (48%) and in-store information (45%) still anchor final purchase decisions.
Further conflicts exist when it comes to social media. Although two-thirds of Brits say they discover products more easily through social media, traditional retailer websites are rated higher than social media on almost all other aspects of the shopping experience. That includes personalisation, product information, convenience and pricing – and a huge 80% say retailer websites are more trustworthy than social media.
Physical retail stores add an emotional layer in the shopping journey. Around 80% of UK consumers say they enjoy browsing in-store, and for two-thirds, it’s something they look forward to. Physical stores continue to be an important part of the discovery journey, despite the emergence of AI tools, as 83% say they discover products while browsing in-store.
Its Hype to High Street study, conducted with Retail Economics, found that 63% of UK adults have visited a shop or hospitality venue within the last year, such as a café or restaurant, after being influenced by content they saw on social media. Among Gen Z consumers (aged 18-28), that figure rises to 88%.
82% of consumers return to a business after a socially influenced first visit, rising to 96% among Gen Z. These customers are also powerful advocates; 79% say they shared their most recent visit in some way - whether that meant recommending that business, posting about it on social media or leaving a review online. Among Gen Z, that figure rises to 89%.
Short-form social content is helping translate viral and ‘hot’ products into offline demand, with the rise of products such as Dubai chocolate and matcha drinks, along with trending locations or experiences motivating consumers to visit in person. This points to the emergence of a new ‘viral pilgrimage’ economy, where consumers travel significant distances to other towns and parts of the country, to experience products, venues and trends they first discovered online. 35% of Gen Z consumers have travelled to another city or region to purchase a product they first saw trending online. Once there, 87% would be willing to queue for a sought after product or experience.
1...British clothing retailer Boden has hosted its first ever AI Roadshow: Behind the Screens event. In a LinkedIn post, it said: "AI is everywhere right now. And at Boden, it’s moved well beyond a future focus. People are already using it in different corners of the business, so last week we wanted to create some space for everyone to see what that actually looks like."
It added: "We hosted our first AI Roadshow: Behind the Screens. For 90 minutes, teams set up stalls around our Great Hall and showed how they’re using AI day-to-day. There were demos, questions, conversations and plenty of curiosity. From design to supply chain planning and data tools, it was a chance to see real examples rather than hear someone talk about them."
"People wandered between stalls, asked questions they might not have asked in a larger session, and swapped ideas with colleagues they wouldn't normally work with. We even had our founder, Johnnie Boden, spend time making his way around every stall and have a go at one of our AI games."
Claudia Harris, CEO at Makers, and AI consultant, Phil Hayes, were also in attendance for a fireside chat on AI adoption and what work might look like in the years ahead. "It was a great opportunity to slow the pace down and give our teams the chance to hear from the experts who offer a different perspective to this space," Boden commented.
It concluded: "A huge thank you to everyone helped set up the day, who hosted a stall, or came along to learn something new. The event lasted a day but the conversations seem to be sticking around a bit longer, which was exactly the point."
10...Ellen Svanström has announced her departure from H&M Group, where she spent the past ten years, most recently serving as CDIO. In a LinkedIn post, in which she did not reveal her next move, she said: “The time has come to conclude my ten years with H&M Group. It's been a fantastic journey filled with amazing colleagues and great memories that could fill an entire book.”
She added: “The journey started with driving group strategy, business and tech development, then moving on to building business ventures and lastly, leading our global tech organisation. I'm especially grateful and proud of the last 3,5 years with all my fantastic colleagues in business tech and everything we have accomplished together. H&M Group will always have a special place in my heart. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey - I will miss you all.”
Drawing on surveys of both consumers (2,028) and online retailers (201), the UK-based study found that 45% of the former are frustrated with AI powered e-commerce experiences, specifically citing issues with AI powered search, AI recommendations feeling too generic and AI recommendations showing items that are out of stock.
A further 44% of consumers reported frustration with personalised experiences more broadly, including seeing the same recommendations repeatedly, being targeted with irrelevant or inaccurate product recommendations, and feeling that brands do not understand their preferences.
On the retailer side, 84% of respondents said planned improvements have been delayed or not delivered in the past year, with 40% citing budget pressures, 25% citing security requirements and 23% citing data fragmentation as key barriers. 40% of retailers also say they are now spending over 25% of their e-commerce budgets maintaining existing systems, leaving less capacity for innovation or customer experience improvements.
Meanwhile, a separate study published by Quickfire Digital earlier this year found that 52% of retailers say they are adopting further AI use to drive revenue, despite shoppers’ frustrations with the technology.
£666.5 million...Amazon has brought Prime Day forward this year, giving shoppers the chance to snap up deals during the World Cup. With many expected to use the sale to buy everything from TVs and speakers to team shirts and flags, Quadient is warning that Britain's porch pirates could be targeting some of the year's most valuable deliveries.
New analysis of police data by the company found more than 2,800 parcel thefts were reported across the UK during the summer months of June, July and August 2025, with the sharpest increase coming in June, when theft reports rose by 92%. The total value of parcels stolen across the UK now stands at £666.5 million, while the average stolen parcel is worth £138.
Quadient's research also found that almost 60% of parcel thefts occur between 9am and 5pm, when many households are at work and deliveries are most likely to be left unattended. 37% of victims said parcel theft left them feeling anxious
1,000...Henderson Technology reports the installation of its 1,000th EDGEPoS digital media screen. This was recently completed at a store operated by independent retailer Jempson’s Supermarkets alongside a new Barista Bar coffee-to-go machine. Barista Bar is a brand owned by Henderson Foodservice.
The milestone also marks four years since the first EDGEPoS digital media screen was introduced. Today, more than 800 retail locations across the UK use the technology, with some retailers operating multiple screens throughout their stores.
Darren Nickels, Retail Technology Operations Director at Henderson Technology, says: "Reaching 1,000 installations is a significant milestone for Henderson Technology and reflects the growing demand for digital signage solutions within the convenience and forecourt sectors. Retailers are increasingly looking for ways to communicate more effectively with customers while improving operational efficiency. The ability to update content quickly and maintain consistency across multiple locations has made digital signage an increasingly important part of the modern retail environment.”
He adds: “As retailers continue to look for ways to enhance customer engagement and respond quickly to changing market conditions, we are committed to developing solutions that help them create more connected, efficient and engaging store environments."
140...There’s something quietly remarkable about a 140-year-old retailer such as Marks and Spencer behaving like a data company and adopting AI in a strategic way. So says retail technology veteran, Claudio B. Landsberg.
In its latest annual results, M&S reported sales above £17.4 billion, and included within its report was £140 million going into AI, e-commerce and supply chain automation, and a line about using AI “selectively, where it reduces cost or improves decisions” - pricing, waste, personalisation. Earlier this year it put AI tools in the hands of 11,000 colleagues, including every store manager.
Landsberg commented: "What strikes me isn’t that M&S is adopting AI. Everyone says they are. It’s how deliberately it’s doing it. A company selling clothes and food since 1884 has every excuse to treat technology as someone else’s game. Instead it’s quietly rebuilding the plumbing - supply chain, planning, pricing, the data underneath the decisions - rather than chasing the shiniest front-end trend. One of its own tech leads put it well recently: the experimentation phase is over; what matters now is what actually works."
He added: "That’s the part the AI conversation in retail tends to skip. The headline grabbing stuff is the customer facing magic. The durable advantage is far less glamorous - it’s whether the data running underneath the business is clean, connected and trusted enough to make a decision on. M&S seems to understand that the moat isn’t the feature you can see. It’s the infrastructure you can’t. A 140-year-old brand may turn out to be more “tech company” than half the brands that call themselves one - not because it moves fastest, but because it invests where it compounds."
£2.24 billion ...Adobe’s Amazon Prime Day forecast shows that the event is set to deliver its biggest UK spending year yet, with shoppers expected to splash out £2.24 billion across the event, up 7.9% from 2025. Prime Day 2026 will take place between 23rd-26th June.
Adobe's data shows total June online spend is forecast to hit £10.39 billion, up 14.3% year-on-year, largely because Prime Day has moved from July into June this year.
With the event landing right in the middle of the 2026 World Cup, shoppers look set to use the discounts to upgrade their at-home matchday setups rather than buying everything before the tournament started.
1...Joe & The Juice has entered the Irish market, with the opening of a store on Dublin's Dawson Street. The Danish retailer has more than 500 locations worldwide, including several in the UK, and places an emphasis on healthy offerings including juices, smoothies, matcha, and salads.
In a LinkedIn post, Graham Fenwick, Operations Director UK&I at Joe & The Juice, said: "Another day, another new market. Joe & The Juice has officially landed in the Republic of Ireland.”
He added: "What looks like a store opening is actually the result of months of hard work from an incredible group of people. On a personal note, I'm especially excited about this one. I've had some amazing experiences in Ireland over the years, and every visit has left me wanting to come back. Great people, great energy and a market I've always loved. Now it's Joe's turn. From Denmark to Dawson Street. Congratulations to everyone involved - now, on to the next one!"
61%...Consumers are making more deliberate choices about what stays in their grocery baskets as rising costs, evolving eating habits and broader economic uncertainty influence purchasing decisions, according to new research released by RELEX Solutions.
Its survey of 1,000 consumers across the US and UK found that 61% have changed how much food they purchase due to higher grocery prices. 46% have cut back on snacks and junk food, 39% have reduced beef purchases and 34% have cut back on alcohol. At the same time, 68% say fresh groceries remain worth paying more for and 49% say the same for household essentials, suggesting consumers continue to prioritise freshness even as they make tradeoffs elsewhere in their grocery baskets.
Consumers are not reducing spending uniformly across grocery categories. Instead, they are making different tradeoffs based on price, value, health priorities and household budgets, creating a more complex demand environment for retailers and manufacturers.
1...Meadowhall, a shopping centre in Sheffield, has announced the signing of a regional debut for Pop Mart, in tandem with openings for LEGO and Crew Clothing.
Chinese born Pop Mart has signed for a 2,618 sq ft unit on Meadowhall’s High Street upper level, marking its debut in South Yorkshire. It will use this regional flagship to sell its collection of collectable toys, such as Labubu’s, Hello Kitty, and Disney, and joins fellow East Asian inspired brands in Miniso and Kenji.
LEGO, meanwhile, has relocated into an upsized store on Meadowhall’s lower mall High Street, following 15 years at the scheme. The 4,561 sq ft unit serves as a hub for the building community, hosting product launches, interactive experiences, and special events. LEGO now sits among the recently launched spaces for Pull&Bear and Stradivarius.
Now open on The Avenue’s lower level, a 2,000 sq ft Crew Clothing unit showcases signature coastal inspired collections across womenswear, menswear, and childrenswear. It joins a group of premium brands on The Avenue, such as Whittards, The White Company, and L’Occitaneon on the lower level and Molton Brown and Frasers on the upper level.
Richard Crowther, Retail Leasing Director at British Land, saus: “The addition of three powerhouse retailers to Meadowhall’s retail mix, including a regional debut for Pop Mart and a significant upsize for LEGO, is indicative of sustained leasing demand here, and its reputation amongst the best brands as the region’s prime retail destination. Having Crew Clothing on The Avenue is also a sign of the role we play in shaping the destination, putting the right brands in the right places, as this part of the mall takes shape as a more premium shopping experience.”
59%...Research from logistics technology company, Locus, suggests retailers could slow online sales before they meaningfully reduce return levels if they tighten policies in this area. Key findings from its survey of 2,000 UK shoppers suggests shoppers may pull back spending due to strict return policies rather than reduce returns.
59% say they would be less likely to make a purchase if a retailer introduced return fees or stricter returns policies
56% say they would switch to a different retailer if faced with strict returns policies
38% say stricter policies would make them keep more items rather than return them
63% say stricter policies would make them more selective about what they buy online
Two thirds say refund speed would make them more likely to shop with that retailer again (67%)
The findings come as retailers such as Asos look for ways to reduce returns costs during a difficult period for discretionary spending.
Subhro Chakraborty, CRO at Locus, says: “Retailers are always looking for ways to reduce returns which lack efficiency and have an impact on costs. A lot of retailers assume stricter returns policies will mainly change what happens after purchase. However, what this data points to is shoppers changing behaviour much earlier than that. If customers start cutting items out of the basket, delaying purchases or shopping around more before they buy, retailers can end up slowing demand before they materially reduce returns volume. That becomes particularly difficult in categories like fashion, where retailers are already trying to move stock quickly and protect margin on seasonal inventory.”
The retailer surveyed 2,000 people for this. It found that more than 880 million unused items nationwide are sitting in UK homes, with an average of 30 per household. And among the most prolific offenders are mobile phones, with four in five Brits holding onto a defunct device, and one in three still have their very first - a quarter of which are old Nokias.
And while 20% of Brits say they’re oversentimental about their old phones, the study revealed a number of reasons for not recycling mobile devices, including: 27% keep devices ‘just in case’; 23% don’t know how to recycle; 23% worry about data security; 33% haven’t got round to it.
To remind customers just how easy it is to recycle old tech, and even earn money in the process, Currys has launched Track the Tech, a new video showing exactly what happens to your devices after drop-off, all while helping to solve the UK’s e-waste crisis. There are some promising signs that customers are increasingly waking up to the problem of e-waste. The research reveals that they are much more likely to recycle old electricals like TVs and kitchen appliances.
Despite clear awareness of the benefits, only a third of the 2,000 people asked said they had recycled tech in the past year, even though:
81% knowing batteries in household waste can cause fires;
77% understanding recycling reduces the need to mine for new raw materials;
64% knowing that old tech can earn them some money.
