Merkle expands George data driven digital journey partnership with UK grocery giant Asda
Merkle has announced an expanded partnership with Asda to support the next phase of digital growth for George, the UK grocery retailer’s clothing and homeware brand. Building on an 18-year relationship, Merkle will lead a new programme designed to accelerate online growth and enhance customer experience for George. This builds on its existing remit to deliver end-to-end digital support for the brand.
At the heart of this move is a jointly developed transformation programme focused on scaling George’s digital business over the next five years. The aim here is to create a more connected, insight led and commercially effective digital model.
The initiative will focus on five key workstreams designed to modernise and futureproof George’s digital ecosystem: Enhanced web and app experience to deliver a faster, more seamless shopping journey; Advanced customer intelligence to better leverage data and drive customer engagement; CRM modernisation through more personalised, relevant communications; Operational excellence to improve speed, efficiency and scalability; Innovation and growth enablement, including the development of new customer experiences and service propositions.
Merkle will continue to provide 24/7 operational support for George’s digital platforms through its global delivery network, alongside dedicated teams focused on continuous improvement, feature development and innovation.
Chris Freeland, CEO, Merkle UK&I, says: “George is an iconic British brand with significant growth potential, and we’re proud to have supported its digital journey for nearly two decades. This next phase of our partnership is focused on unlocking that potential through a truly customer centric, data driven approach, combining experience innovation with operational excellence to deliver meaningful business impact.”
Barney Burgess, VP Online, George.com at Asda, says: “Our collaboration with Merkle has been instrumental in shaping George’s digital evolution. This new programme represents an important step forward as we invest in delivering an even better, more personalised experience for our customers, while driving sustainable long-term growth across our clothing business.”
2026 RTIH Innovation Awards
Digital retail 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.
