Gap Inc and Microsoft share AI insights: last week's most read RTIH retail technology articles
Check out our most clicked articles from last week, including Tesco, Simbe, Asda, Vusion, Domino's Pizza, Ulta Beauty, Ocado Retail, Joybuy, shu uemura, Evri, and Fortnum & Mason.
Tesco follows grocery rival Morrisons as it tests out Simbe's Tally in-store stock scanning robot
Tesco is trialling Simbe’s Tally in-store shelf scanning robot. This is taking place at a single store, with plans to extend the pilot to a small number of other locations.
Last year, in a UK first, Morrisons also tested out Tally. Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner at IGD, and a member of the judging panel for the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards, first brought this to RTIH’s attention.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “I saw a Tally robot from Simbe in a Morrisons. This is the first time Tally has been deployed in the UK. It has only been in store for a few weeks, and there are two other stores trialling the technology. The tech should help with price accuracy and stock availability, along with other benefits. It is great to see technology being tested in UK retail that can help store associates and improve the shopping experience.”
Seamus McHugh, Head of European Market Development at Simbe, commented: “Delighted to have Tally live in the UK and to be working with the innovative team at Morrisons on this project. This is a significant milestone for Simbe as we add another country and a new retailer to our growing list of deployments.”
Asda launches Natasha's Law information for bakery products on Vusion ESLs at Express stores
Asda reports the launch of Natasha’s Law allergen and calorie information for bakery products on Vusion electronic shelf edge labels across 150+ of its Express stores.
Natasha’s Law, introduced in October 2021, is regulation focused on food allergen labelling in the UK. It is named after Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who died aged 15 after eating a baguette containing sesame seeds to which she was allergic. Sesame wasn’t listed as an ingredient on the packaging. It requires all pre-packed foods for direct sale - food made on the premises and packaged for sale, such as sandwiches, salads and cakes - to display a full ingredients list with the top 14 allergens clearly highlighted.
In a LinkedIn post, Tom Clark, Wholesale and Convenience Service Manager at Asda, said: “This is a significant step forward in making food information clearer, more accessible, and compliant for our customers; helping them make informed and safe choices every day. What makes this launch especially impactful: Improved efficiency in how we manage and update product information; The ability to stay safe and legally compliant with timely updates and changes; Simple, clear display for both store colleagues and customers; Efficient way of working with little to no resource used in-store.”
He added: “I’m especially proud to have played a key role in bringing this to life; setting up the templates, ensuring all information is accurate and relevant, and working closely with food safety compliance teams to get everything reviewed and signed off. A fantastic team effort and a great example of how the right technology can enhance both safety and efficient operations. Continuing to utilise our great tech partners like Vusion to deliver greater operations in our stores. On to the next milestone!”
Kelly Garcia departs Domino's Pizza and gears up to take on CTO role at Ulta Beauty
Ulta Beauty reports that Kelly Garcia has been appointed as its Chief Technology Officer, effective 31st August. Garcia has been a member of the retailer’s board of directors since 2022 and will now resign from that position.
“Kelly has been an impactful member of our board of directors, providing valuable business insights and technology expertise, including perspectives on emerging technologies such as AI, and we are excited to enhance our executive team with his leadership as our new CTO,” says Kecia Steelman, President and Chief Executive Officer.
“With more than 25 years of leadership and broad experience across global e-commerce, customer loyalty, digital innovation, and cybersecurity, Kelly will be a great addition to our team as we continue to advance our technology capabilities and execute our Ulta Beauty Unleashed strategy to drive market share growth and deliver long-term value for all our stakeholders.”
Most recently, Garcia served as the Executive Vice President and CTO at Domino’s Pizza since July 2012. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Business Intelligence and North American Operations at R. L. Polk & Company.
Fortnum & Mason launches immersive beehive experience at London St. Pancras International
Launched in partnership with The Walt Disney Company, this stands almost nine metres tall, featuring golden honeycomb windows, a buzzing bees soundscape, illuminated Winnie the Pooh illustrations and bee facts, plus a built-in archway for passersby to step inside the hive itself. It is inspired by the working beehives on the train station roof and on Fortnum & Mason’s Piccadilly store rooftop.
Passers by will be able to discover more about the importance of bees, learn about the rooftop hives, and explore the storytelling behind A.A. Milne’s classic Winnie the Pooh book. The installation runs until 30th August.
Retail media specialist Jack Johnson departs Ocado Retail to join JD.com's Joybuy UK/Europe business
Jack Johnson has announced his departure from Ocado Retail, having spent the past five years there, serving as Head of Retail Media & Data. He is heading to Joybuy, JD.com’s online retail business in Europe, where he will continue his work in the retail media space.
In a LinkedIn post, Johnson, whose CV also includes a stint at dunnhumby, said: “After nearly five years, the time has come for my next chapter. Leaving Ocado Retail is incredibly bittersweet. Building the Ocado Ads and Beet by Ocado businesses has been one of the most challenging, rewarding, and flat-out fun experiences of my career, and the wider Ocado business is incredibly special. To the brilliant Ocado Ads team (way too many people to list), our incredible partners, and our brands - thank you. I’m so grateful for everything we built together. I’ll miss the people here immensely.”
He added: “Onto the next adventure! At the end of the month, I’ll be continuing the journey through retail media, and the most exciting industry in advertising, by joining Joybuy to lead and build their retail media business across the UK and Europe. Being part of what promises to be one of the most exciting retail launches in a generation was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”
Japanese beauty brand shu uemura launches Loook.ai powered AI mirror at flagship store in Tokyo
shu uemura, a Japanese makeup artist brand owned by L’Oréal, is introducing in-store technology developed by Loook.ai. An AI mirror is now live at the brand’s newly designed global flagship store, shu:ARTstage in Omotesando Hills Tokyo, where customers can experience a real mirror featuring AI powered 3D facial scanning that delivers instant facial insights for makeup artists to translate into personalised beauty recommendations.
The experience starts through a touch interface styled as a digital makeup brush. Once a customer begins the scan, the mirror guides them through a short sequence: a full face scan, a reveal of their face shape, a breakdown of their face ratio, an assessment of feature balance, and a personalised face ID summary.
That summary brings together the customer’s face shape, ratio, and feature balance into a set of specific recommendations, for example, brow shaping or contouring techniques suited to that particular face, along with a suggested next step, such as booking a sit-down session with a shu uemura makeup artist to bring those recommendations to life.
“We aim to continuously innovate to push the boundaries of artistic expression through technology,” says Jaron Chan, International Brand General Manager at shu uemura. "The 3D face ID scan at our new shu:ARTstage flagship in Omotesando Hills represents the ongoing mastery of our founder’s pioneering spirit. Tradition is a continuous cycle of innovation. By fusing digital technology with the expertise of our makeup artists, we are redefining the future of retail beauty to help reveal each individual’s unique beauty.”
M&S taps Lily AI Product Intelligence Platform to boost Google shopping and organic search performance
Lily AI has announced a partnership with Marks and Spencer. The retailer is using its tech to automate and improve the creation of structured product data at scale. It says that it has dramatically reduced the manual effort and multiple partners required to bring new items to market while ensuring every product is accurately attributed, categorised, and ready for discovery from day one.
M&S deployed Lily AI’s Product Intelligence Platform to improve its Google shopping and organic search performance. By boosting its product feed with AI powered attributes, it claims to be driving stronger visibility, higher click through rates, and a meaningful lift in revenue from paid and organic channels.
"Lily AI has become a core part of how we manage and scale our product content at M&S. From setting up new items to optimising for Google, the platform delivers across the board. It’s already making a measurable difference to our efficiency and our commercial performance,” says Stephen Orford, Head of Online Experience, Marks & Spencer.
“In a world where your product feed is your storefront - on Google, in AI powered search, and across every channel the quality of your product content is a competitive advantage. Marks & Spencer gets that. And we’re proud to be their partner,” comments Purva Gupta, Co-founder and CEO at Lily AI.
Gap Inc. Microsoft research finds that mindset beats mandate and there is such a thing as an AI hangover
Gap Inc. recently hosted a readout as part of its AI Learning Series, with representatives from Microsoft sharing results from a study the pair ran together last November.
In a LinkedIn post, Sven Gerjets, EVP, Chief Technology Officer at Gap Inc., said: “388 Gap Inc. employees volunteered to spend a day as research participants testing how AI adoption actually works. I want to thank every one of them!”
“Two findings stuck with me. First, mindset beats mandate. Teams forced into a rigid AI workflow did worse than teams left to figure it out themselves, more friction, lower quality, more incomplete work. But when we simply reframed AI as a thought partner instead of a tool, people produced meaningfully better work with the exact same access.”
He added: “Second, and this made me laugh, there is such a thing as an AI hangover. People who struggled through a forced workflow without the mindset shift carried that frustration into their next task and it measurably lowered how they felt about AI afterward.”
You can check the study out here.
Evri appoints former Parcel Pending by Quadient and InPost exec Tim Eaden as Locker Partnership Director
Tim Eaden has joined Evri as Locker Partnership Director. He was previously at Parcel Pending by Quadient, where he served as Head of Acquisition. Prior to that, he worked at InPost UK. His CV also includes stints at Selecta and PayPoint.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “At Quadient, I had the privilege of working across the Open Locker Network, building partnerships with retailers, transport hubs and property managers to make parcel collection and returns more convenient and sustainable. I learned so much about what it takes to scale a locker network the right way, and I'm grateful for the team, partners and industry connections I built along the way.”
He added: “Now I'm looking forward to bringing that experience to Evri, a business already carrying over one billion parcels a year and rapidly expanding its ParcelShop and locker estate across the UK. I'll be focused on growing its locker partnerships and helping make parcel delivery even more convenient for millions of customers. Great opportunity to connect with partners and friends as I move into this exciting new role. Looking forward to connecting with as many people as possible. As always reach out directly.”
