Lefties lands in UK and Pacsun connects with young folks: 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 askpolly, Sainsbury's, Aptos, TheCode, Mediamarkt Saturn, Advisar, Landsec, M&S, Depop, Vinted, eBay, Anthropic, GreyOrange, and H&M.
30-35% and 60%…Anthropic is giving retailers a blueprint to build shopping and merchant agents on Claude, it announced this week.
"We've seen encouraging results - cart size up about 30–35% for one partner, and customers (are) about 60% more likely to complete a purchase," says Angela Jiang, Anthropic's Head of Product on its Claude platform.
Retailers can taps the blueprint to build an agent that makes suggestions on inventory, prices and marketing campaigns. It does not complete purchases on behalf of shoppers or merchants.
$3 million...askpolly has raised $3 million in seed capital. Differential Ventures led the round, with participation from The 98, and Forum Ventures. askpolly says it will use the cash to expand product development and accelerate go to-market efforts across the United States.
The startup turns organic social media conversations into market research. The self-serve platform removes bots, influencers, and paid content before building representative samples based on census demographics. This allows companies to understand what real audiences think, without waiting weeks for a traditional survey or relying on synthetic results.
“Market research has not kept pace with the way people communicate,” says Erin Kelly, Co-founder and CEO at askpolly. “Consumers are already sharing what they think online, but the loudest voices are not always representative. We built askpolly to remove that bias and give companies rigourous answers while those insights can still shape a decision.”
The platform is currently used by more than 200 companies, including McDonald’s and Mastercard, and supports research ranging from audience analysis to message testing. It is designed for marketing teams that need to make faster decisions and for data leaders responsible for ensuring those decisions are based on credible evidence. Agencies can also use it to test creative concepts and validate recommendations before presenting them to clients.
3,800...GreyOrange reports that more than 3,800 retail locations globally now run on its technology, with the likes of H&M Group using its inventory software gStore.
The AI powered platform, which includes merchandising software and connects with technologies such as RFID (radio frequency identification) readers and smart mirrors, has managed approximately 200 million retail inventory items across live deployments.
It uses sensor agnostic technology, including overhead or handheld RFID readers, to locate specific inventory items to within three to five feet. It connects with sales data to inform retailers which SKUs sell the fastest and which get abandoned in fitting rooms, where to place products to optimise sales, and when stock is running low. This real-time inventory “heat map” helps associates quickly replenish shelves and find items for customers.
“Many of the world’s largest retailers run their core operations on GreyOrange. Their scale, operational complexity, and willingness to co-develop the future of omnichannel technology rather than simply adopt it have helped us shape how our platform performs,” says Akash Gupta, Co-founder and CEO at GreyOrange. “We’ve reached this milestone of 3,800 stores live thanks to customers like H&M Group, whose deep partnership empowers us to keep building physical AI solutions that fit how busy retailers operate.”
$27 million...Huskeys has landed a $27 million Series A led by Blackstone Innovations Investments, bringing the company’s total funding raised to date to $35 million, following an $8 million seed round. Other investors in the round included Merlin Ventures, Skinos Ventures, Zscaler Ventures, Okta Ventures, Bright Pixel Capital, and SV Angel, as well as individuals including WAF and CAPTCHA inventor Eran Reshef and executives from organisations including Palo Alto Networks, Cloudflare, Check Point, AWS, Google, Microsoft, and Intel.
Its customer base includes the likes of TikTok, LEGOLAND, Ro, Blackstone, and Hugging Face, with Huskeys currently analysing more than a trillion web requests and thousands of network configurations every day across organisations worldwide.
“The way organisations secure internet facing applications is fundamentally changing. AI driven traffic and increasingly fragmented edge environments require a new approach to security management,” says Adam Fletcher, Chief Information Security Officer at Blackstone. “Huskeys has built a platform designed to operate at enterprise scale while advancing a new category for the modern network edge. We believe the company is well positioned to redefine how organisations manage edge security, and we’re excited to support Huskeys as they continue to develop their product in this important category.”
38%...Charity shops are under pressure as donors sell higher value clothes and goods through online platforms such as Vinted, eBay and Depop, rather than donating them, according to research from Rathbones, a UK charity wealth manager.
Its study, involving 100 senior charity executives and 1,000 donors, found both groups are seeing fewer of the best clothes and other items reaching charity shops as more people use online resale sites. 38% of senior executives at charities which run shops say they have seen a fall in the quality of donations they receive since the rise of Vinted, eBay and Depop. Around one in ten say the drop in the quality of donations has been significant. Around 42% note that the quality of donations is unchanged while 18% are receiving better quality items.
85%...Aptos has released a new study conducted by Coresight Research. A key takeaway: 85% of retailers that have recently modernised their Point of Sale systems say the investment either met or exceeded their return on investment expectations. The report is based on a survey of 150 global retail decision-makers involved in PoS strategy, selection and modernisation.
“Modern PoS platforms, typically characterised by cloud native deployments, microservices-based architectures, mobile first development and API driven integration, help retailers adapt to the changing role of stores as well as shifts in consumer expectations,” the report states. “Retailers that view PoS modernisation as simply a checkout upgrade risk undervaluing its strategic and financial impact.”
Beyond the headline ROI finding, the study found that retailers that have modernised their PoS systems reported:
A 1.2 percentage point average increase in in-store conversion rates.
A 4.3% increase in average transaction value.
68% of retailers running cloud native PoS reported a moderate to high positive impact across operational efficiency, inventory visibility, customer experience and sales performance.
3...Health and beauty retailer Bodycare will open the doors to its third Studio Store at Highcross Leicester on Saturday 5th September. This builds on launches in Sheffield and Derby.
Last year, Bodycare closed all its stores after collapsing into adminstration. Its brand and intellectual property were acquired out of administration in late 2025 by an investor group led by former The Body Shop and Molton Brown CEO Charles Denton, and it is now aiming to open 15 UK stores in 2026, growing to 150 locations over the next five years.
At the heart of the Leicester location will be a free to use Creator Studio, giving local creators, influencers, charities, schools, clubs and community groups a professional space to create, collaborate and share their stories.
Denton says: “The welcome we’ve received since bringing Bodycare back to the high street has been incredible, and we’re absolutely delighted to be bringing our next-generation Studio Store to Leicester. Leicester is a city with a huge sense of identity, community and creativity, exactly the qualities we want to build into our new stores.”
“The Creator Studio gives local people and organisations a place to create, connect and have their voices heard, while our customers can discover great value, new experiences and the brands they know and love.”
100,000...Luxury fashion marketplace Love the Sales has rebranded to TheCode and relaunched with more than 100,000 curated styles across menswear, womenswear and accessories. TheCode is an invite only marketplace, with partners selected according to product quality, positioning and their adjacency to the wider assortment.
The aim here is to create a coherent fashion destination rather than an indiscriminate marketplace built around volume alone. A membership proposition is on the cards, offering benefits including early access to selected events and collections.
For brands and retailers, the venture says it offers a data led environment for reaching relevant customers, generating incremental demand and managing selected inventory separately from owned, full price channels. This allows partners to keep their core customers focused on new-season collections while placing surplus inventory within a distinct and considered environment.
Proprietary AI technology is designed to optimise how and when products are surfaced, helping partners minimise markdowns and maximise financial returns. AI powered onboarding, automated stock management and intelligent marketing also make it easier for partners to sell through the platform with minimal ongoing management.
“A large assortment only becomes valuable when customers can navigate it effectively. Our proprietary AI technology helps us understand product relevance, recognise intent and create a more individual edit for every shopper,” says David Bishop, Co-founder and CTO at TheCode. “Technology allows us to manage complexity for both customers and partners. The aim is not simply to show customers more products, but to help them discover the right products, and to help our partners achieve the right commercial outcome.”
M&S Marketing Director for Fashion, Home and Beauty Sharry Cramond, said at the time: “Welcoming Gillian Anderson as our first ever Chief Compliments Officer is a major moment for us. She’s here to showcase our brilliant womenswear, spark joy and champion the power of a great compliment - and we couldn’t be more excited. With this campaign, we are reinforcing our new fashion, home and beauty brand line - Love That!”
Six months on and the retailer has provided an update on the Love That campaign. In a LinkedIn post, Anderson said: “Back at my desk after time away over summer and one of the first things I've been doing is reviewing the performance of the Love That campaign over the last six months. What started with two simple words has become something so much more, and the results on our style/confidence index speak for themselves. Love That. A campaign built on something we could all do a little more of: giving compliments.”
Highlights include: 29 million views on social media; Millions of compliments sparked; Various interactions generated; 99% positive sentiment.
400...Sainsbury's is rolling out radio frequency identification (RFID) technology across its TU clothing departments in approximately 400 stores, with the project set for completion by early September.
This follows a pilot earlier this year, which enabled the retailer to improve its stock level visibility, speed up replenishment and manage stock more efficiently.
“Really proud of my team and the role they’ve played in deploying this project across our stores. A huge amount of work, collaboration and energy behind the scenes to bring this to life,” says Gillian Ekin, Head of Transformation and Operational Development at Sainsbury’s.
RTIH has reached out to Sainsbury’s regarding specifics of the implementation, such as suppliers involved, and we will update this article when we receive a response.
10...Mediamarkt Saturn has opened its tenth Tech Village, with the latest one being located in Cologne, Germany. In a LinkedIn post, Guido Monferrini, EVP and Regional CEO, said: “In 2020, we opened the very first Tech Village in Milan. This week marked an exciting new milestone: Tech Village Cologne is officially open!”
He added: “As our 10th Tech Village in Europe, it is built on years of experience, learnings and continuous innovation. One of our greatest challenges was to refresh and redefine the concept, transforming it into a modern, inspiring environment that reflects our future vision and serves as the blueprint for future European Tech Villages.”
“At its core, it is all about experience: we want to offer everyone the opportunity to discover and engage with the most cutting-edge, immersive technology. By combining inspirational experiences with personal consultation and seamless service, we build what matters most: lasting trust with our customers.”
Key features: A redesigned in-house store concept with a tech driven layout, large format digital media surfaces, and an atmospheric lighting design; Immersive 3D experiences bringing products and technology to life alongside 31 brand boutiques; Integrated Xperion: Bringing a 1,000+ sqm gaming destination and 200-seat arena under the same roof.
Monferrini concluded: “Bringing a vision of this scale to life is a demanding and complex undertaking. The successful realisation of this project is the result of the dedication, expertise, creativity and teamwork demonstrated throughout every phase of the journey. A heartfelt thank you to my concept and construction team and to the German team for their fantastic collaboration on this remarkable achievement.”
$750,000...Advisar, an AI powered decisioning layer for retail suppliers, has raised a $750,000 pre-seed round led by Clutch VC, with participation from Venture Center Arkansas Fund, The Validation Fund at Winrock International, Rekall Capital, and White River Capital Advisors, along with angel investors Michael Paladino, Co-Founder of RevUnit, and Jeff Amerine, General Partner at Cadron Capital. The funding will be used for product development and go to market efforts.
Founded by Christina Johnson, former Chief of Staff to the GM of Walmart Connect, Advisar aims to bring clarity and insight to the world of retail media analytics, giving suppliers a clear view of how investment in this space connects to business results. Currently in beta, it lays claim to significant early adoption of its solution among key partners. It is set to become generally available during the autumn.
“Advisar helps suppliers treat retail media like an investment they actively manage, rather than a line item they simply accept,” says Johnson. “What suppliers need is the same standard of measurement they hold every other marketing investment to, so they know what's working, what's not, and where to optimise for efficiency and impact.”
“Every fast growing marketing channel eventually gets an independent measurement layer, and retail media is at that point now. Christina's experience across marketing, customer strategy, and retail media innovation at Walmart positions Advisar to deliver what suppliers have been asking for: attribution insights on retail media investments, integrated alongside all their other sales and marketing metrics,” says Rajiv Bala, General Partner at Clutch VC.
1,000...Pacsun has announced the second cohort of its Youth Council and the launch of a new Ambassador Programme, with the aim of expanding opportunities for Gen Z and Gen Alpha to directly shape the brand. Nearly 1,000 young people applied to join the Youth Council, which brings together young creators, tastemakers, and culture shapers who provide firsthand perspective on the trends, experiences, and ideas influencing their generation.
Through quarterly strategy sessions, workshops, executive mentorship, and immersive brand experiences, members work with Pacsun to inform everything from product development and campaigns to community initiatives.
The new Ambassador Programme expands that model to a wider community of young people. Youth Council applicants who expressed interest in joining the programme this year will have another opportunity to get involved as Pacsun Ambassadors, giving them an ongoing opportunity to engage with the brand and share their perspectives.
Ambassadors will submit feedback through surveys focused on products, emerging trends, and areas of interest, helping Pacsun understand what matters most to young people. They will also represent Pacsun within their schools and communities, receiving exclusive Ambassador sweatshirts, as well as discount codes and community building tools to share with their peers.
1 and 10...New analysis from ReBound Returns flags the European markets where retailers are currently most exposed to returns fraud, with Poland recording the highest average fraud rate of countries in the region.
Its data, analysing millions of returned items, showed that one in ten of returned items in Poland were flagged as potentially fraudulent. The Isle of Man followed at 8%, with Hungary and Greece both recording a rate of 7%.
In 2025, July saw the biggest spike in returned items outside of peak season. As return rates grow, the impact of returns fraud scales with it.
Previous analysis by ReBound highlights how scaling up also increases potential losses from returns fraud: A mid-market fashion retailer with £100 million in annual sales, a 20% return rate, and a 5% fraud rate would face a projected loss of £1 million each year to fraudulent returns; For a large omnichannel retailer with the same fraud rate, the loss would rise to £3.5 million annually. At enterprise scale, with £960 million in sales and a 7% fraud rate, the projected loss reaches £20 million a year.
1...Landsec reports that the first Lefties store in the UK has opened its doors at Liverpool ONE. Owned by Inditex, the fashion retailer has launched a flagship store on South John Street, spanning over 27,000 sq ft across two floors, stocking women’s, men’s, teen, kids, baby, newborn, home, accessories and footwear collections.
This will feature some of the brand’s latest retail technology, already introduced at recent European openings, including robotic hanger sorters and radio frequency identification self-checkouts, removing the need to scan each item separately.
Pablo Sueiras, Head of Retail & Hospitality Leasing at Landsec, says: “Lefties making its UK debut at Liverpool ONE is a significant milestone for the destination and highlights its continued appeal to retailers looking to establish themselves in the UK market. Lefties’ arrival builds on our long standing relationship with Inditex and the success of its existing brands at Liverpool ONE. It also reflects the confidence global retailers have in the destination’s ability to deliver the scale, visibility and highly engaged customer base needed to support long-term growth.”
With the addition of the UK, Lefties is now present in 20 markets globally with 225 stores.
400...Miniso, a Chinese retailer perhaps best known for its blind boxes, has opened its 400th store in America as the brand taps into the demand among US consumers for experiential in-person shopping experiences.
In a LinkedIn post, Tom Bartlebaugh, CEO, Miniso USA, said: "400 and counting......Amazing team work. Amazing collaboration. So proud of the entire team."
