Gen Alpha seek meaningful connections in stores: last week's most read retail technology articles
Check out our most clicked articles from last week, including Ocado Group, M&S, Macy's, The Magnum Ice Cream Company, Sainsbury's, Currys, Walmart, and Manna Air Delivery.
Ocado Group prepares for life after Tim Steiner, eyes Vonage boss Niklas Heuveldop as successor
British technology and online grocery retail specialist Ocado Group is looking to appoint a successor to Chief Executive Tim Steiner, Sky News reports.
Niklas Heuveldop, Chief Executive at Vonage, a subsidiary of Sweden's Ericsson, is a front runner to take over from Steiner. The search for a new boss is being led by Adam Warby, who has chaired Ocado for the last 18 months. Ocado Group and Vonage did not respond to our request for comment.
Steiner was one of the founders of Ocado Group more than 25 years ago and was a key player during its London float in 2010.
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 is also a public vote, with our community of retail tech enthusiasts invited to select their top five picks (one vote per person). The public vote closed 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.
Tiffany & Co. veteran heads to Macy's for Principal, Customer Experience - Omnichannel Role
Amanda Wells has joined Macy's as Principal, Customer Experience - Omnichannel. She was previously at Tiffany & Co., where she spent the past 17 years, most recently serving as Manager - Client Experience Programmes.
In a LinkedIn post, she said: "I am so excited to share that I have started a new role as Principal, Customer Experience - Omnichannel at Macy's. I will lead omnichannel customer experience insights and strategy, focusing on supporting our stores, loyalty programme, and other omnichannel initiatives."
She concluded: "I am so grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to learning a new side of retail while bringing my experience from one iconic American brand to another."
Walmart's Sparky AI assistant makes live shopping debut as retailer launches Summer Deals campaign
Walmart is laying claim to one of its biggest Walmart Live experiences to date, an initiative that also saw the use for the first time in this space of Sparky, the retailer’s AI assistant.
Walmart Live is a feature on the US retail giant’s website and app, enabling consumers to watch livestreamed shopping events hosted by influencers and celebrities.
Sparky, meanwhile, helps customers find their favourite items, synthesise reviews and make informed purchases. For example, you can ask it to help you find the best laptop for an art student or the best birthday gift for a two-year-old.
In a LinkedIn post, Justin Breton, Head of Partnerships, Content & Emerging Experiences at Walmart, said: “From a TV commercial to a live, shoppable dance cardio workout! Today (Monday, 22nd June), we launched one of our most ambitious Walmart Live experiences yet for Summer Deals, bringing the world of Alwayz, the campaign jingle, and our hottest deals to life alongside fitness expert and dancer Ally Love.”
He added: “We paired products with custom choreography, original beats, and even introduced Sparky, Walmart's AI shopping assistant, into a live experience for the first time. The future of marketing isn't just about getting attention. It's about creating experiences people can participate in.”
Here's why M&S is a technology and data company as retail giant quietly rebuilds the plumbing
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."
Manna Air Delivery founder hits back at 'disingenuous commentators' as drones firm ends Ireland ops
Bobby Healy, Founder at drone delivery specialist Manna, has taken to social media to address critics of his company’s decision to cease operations in Ireland and concentrate its growth on the US, UK and other international markets.
The company said "the lack of a clear national framework has left the sector reliant on local planning processes and created uncertainty around the infrastructure required to support drone delivery at scale".
It added that the US, UK, China and the UAE are "demonstrating rapid regulatory progress and strong commercial momentum…As a result, Manna has decided to concentrate its investment, talent and operational resources in markets where large scale drone delivery is now a reality.
The announcement came after Manna's plans for a drone aerial delivery hub in Dundrum, Dublin, were knocked back.
Company veteran Martin Raper steps into Head of UK Stores role at UK omnichannel retailer Currys
Martin Raper has taken on the role of Head of UK Stores at Currys. He has been with the electricals and technology retailer for almost 20 years and previously served as Head of Operational Excellence for UK & Ireland.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I started on the shopfloor of this great business 19 years ago. I've been a store colleague, a Store Manager, a Regional Manager, a Territory Director, and most recently Head of Operational Excellence. Every role has shaped how I think about what great retail leadership looks like, and what it means to the people delivering it every day.”
He added: “I'm incredibly proud of what the Operational Excellence team has built. Over the past four years we have reqired the store operating model. The simplification work, the operational frameworks, the colleague experience improvements, none of that happens without an exceptional team behind it. Thank you to every one of them. Now I get to take everything I've learned and put it to work across 279 stores and 9,200 colleagues. The ambition is simple: grow sales, make Currys famous for great customer service, and make working in one of our stores the best job in retail. Excited doesn't cover it. Let’s go!”
The Magnum Ice Cream Company announces Kinaxis, Microsoft, Salesforce and SAP as key technology partners
The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) has shared an update on its technology roadmap as it prepares for the planned sunset of key transitional services agreements (TSAs) with Unilever by the end of 2027.
It says that the roadmap is focused on putting in place practical, ready for the future digital foundations across areas including supply chain, sales, finance, procurement and other collaboration functions. As part of this work, the company has reviewed processes across the business to help select simpler, more intuitive systems that can support better visibility, collaboration and execution over time.
Roadmap as follows:
Establishment of simpler systems and capabilities to support key supply chain planning processes, including AI assisted forecasting and weather-based demand insights.
The selective use of AI where it can add practical value over time, helping teams make more informed decisions and simplify processes, including in areas such as forecasting, demand planning, security and cabinet management.
Supporting smarter and more consistent ways of working through more connected systems, with the aim of improving productivity and helping teams respond more effectively to changing business needs.
Sainsbury's biggest ever hackathon sees technology colleagues push boundaries of AI integration
Sainsbury's last week wrapped up the biggest hackathon in its history. The event saw the UK grocery giant bring together 140 of its colleagues across technology, with the aim of enabling them to step away from the day-to-day, throw out the rulebook, and truly innovate.
Teams hacked away to push the boundaries of AI and AI integration, designed to elevate the experience for both Sainsbury's customers and colleagues across its four core strategies:
• First Choice for Food
• More Argos More Often
• Loyalty Everyone Loves
• Save and Invest to Win
In a LinkedIn post, Sainsbury's Digital, Tech and Data said: "It wasn't all code and coffee! To celebrate all that hard work, we wrapped up day one with an epic evening festival. Colleagues got to unwind and recharge with a massive BBQ, a Mexican food truck, games tents, a dedicated chillout area, a live DJ keeping the vibes going - and of course, plenty of ice cream to honour our fantastic sponsor."
It added: "A massive shoutout to our incredible tech partner, SoftServe, for sponsoring the event and helping us pull off our most ambitious hack yet. A huge congratulations to 'Aisle Be Back', who were crowned this year's overall Hackathon Winners. Watch this space - some of these incredible hacks might just be coming to a store near you soon."
Gen Alpha could be a key driver of in-store growth if the experience is right, new research finds
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.
