Running it back: these are the retail technology news stories you might have missed last week

Failed to keep up with the breaking retail technology news last week? Then have no fear as we have you covered. Here are the major stories that you need to know about. Includes Adyen, DoorDash, Ulta Beauty,  Getir, Haz, Laws of Motion, Mountain Warehouse, Metapack, Emperia, Zilch, and Max Retail.

Swedish retail technology firm Voyado appoints Erica Sandelin Ekelund as CEO as it pushes for UK growth

Voyado has announced its current CFO and EVP of Strategy, Erica Sandelin Ekelund, will take over the role of CEO from Per Åkerberg on 1st June.

She will now lead the company's push for growth in the UK, identified as a key market.

Per Åkerberg has been CEO since 2022, when he left his position as Chairman of the Board to become more operational within the company.

He will now return to the board to continue his position in advising on the growth ambitions of the business.

Ekelund’s relationship with Voyado began in 2017, and one of her first acts with the business was securing an investment from Novax.

She was appointed to the role of CFO in 2019 and has taken responsibility for establishing Voyado's growth strategy, which included the acquisitions of Apptus and ReDeal.

FinTech giant Adyen announces pasta, pizza and payments partnership with Italian restaurant group Vapiano

Adyen has announced a partnership with Italian restaurant group Vapiano.

Adyen’s technology is enabling guests to customise their checkout experiences, and making it possible for them to order food on their phone using digital wallet payments for the first time.

The announcement follows a pilot in one of the group’s London branches, in which data analysis found that 80% of orders were made via a mobile ordering platform on customers’ phones.

While the pilot revealed a demand for faster and more seamless ordering services, it highlighted the limited choice of payment options for customers.

Getir exits UK and leaves multi-million pound outstanding debt to Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C.

Getir, the rapid grocery delivery company that was valued at $12 billion just two years ago, quit the UK recently, and is also leaving the US and western Europe.

The Turkey-based company has a three-year training kit sponsorship deal with Tottenham Hotspur F.C. which expired at the end of the Premier League season on Sunday.

And according to a report by Sky News, it owes close to £5 million to the club.

This comes as Getir tries to access a tranche of agreed funding from major investors Mubadala and G Squared to help facilitate its withdrawal from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands.

At the time of publishing this article, it was unclear whether it had the means to settle its debt to Spurs.

Getir and Tottenham Hotspur did not respond to our request for comment.

Social commerce startup Haz bags $1.4m in pre-seed funding to connect people through the things that they own

London-based startup Haz, an AI social commerce app that connects friends through the things they own, has landed $1.4 million in pre-seed funding led by Speedinvest with participation from the scout programmes of A16Z (co-founder Reface, Dima Shvets), Atomico (Sameer Singh), Concept Ventures (Oliver Kicks), and individuals from Lapse, Lendable, Lottie & Ecoigo.

The cash will be used to develop its proprietary AI technology and launch the platform in the UK before expanding across Europe. 

“82% of Gen Z now think about the resale value of an item before they even buy it, yet 47% of items fit for resale remain unsold,” says Haz Co-founder Ronan Harvey-Kelly.

“It takes a lot of time to resell something and consumers still lack the data they need to make informed resale decisions. That’s where Haz comes in.”

US startup Laws of Motion scores $5 million in seed funding for AI FitTech licensing for brands and retailers

Laws of Motion, a specialist in AI sizing technology for e-commerce brands and retailers, has raised $5 million in seed funding from Corazon Capital, with participation from The Scout Program at Sequoia Capital, Leadout Capital, and serial entrepreneurs in the consumer tech and fashion industry, including Raine Group Senior Consumer Advisor Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti and John Howard, Co-Managing Partner of Irving Place Capital and a board member of Good American, Skims, and Frame.

This funding will enable the company to expand beyond its direct-to-consumer business with the launch of an AI sizing technology licensing solution.

It will also support its expansion into new markets, as well as the growth of its engineering, R&D, and licensing operations teams. 

UK retailer Mountain Warehouse extends partnership with e-commerce delivery technology specialist Metapack

UK outdoor clothing company, Mountain Warehouse, has extended its relationship with Metapack.

Already using Metapack Delivery Manager, Mountain Warehouse has added the Delivery Options and Intelligence solutions to its operations as it invests in its shipping infrastructure with the aim of providing customers with exceptional e-commerce experiences across the UK and Canada.  

Using Metapack’s Delivery Manager, Mountain Warehouse says that it has optimised its fulfilment operations by simplifying integrations with last mile carriers, automating how parcels are allocated and streamlining operations processes to reduce barriers and increase efficiencies. 

Now, leveraging the Delivery Options solution, it can provide customers with accurate and convenient shipping choices. This will also enable it to offer consumers with more out-of-home delivery options and reduce cost-to-serve.

Emperia Founder and CEO Olga Dogadkina talks challenges and rewards as virtual stores firm turns five

Olga Dogadkina, Founder and CEO at Emperia, has taken to social media to discuss her company turning five years old.

Emperia has developed an immersive commerce platform at the intersection of Web2 and Web3, enabling brands and retailers to boost their online channels through virtual stores.

It was shortlisted at the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards.

In a LinkedIn post, which included photos taken over the last few years, Dogadkina said: “I’m finding it hard to believe that Emperia is turning five today.”

“In these five years, we’ve seen (and contributed to) the world going from ‘VR is never going to work’, ‘what’s the point of 3D’, and ‘it’s going to take you 15 years to get anywhere with this idea’ to spatial computing, immersive commerce and 3D strategy being on the radar and planning of just about every corporate. And we’re just getting started.”

Being a founder is by far the most challenging and rewarding career journey, she noted.

It’s a a journey of ups and downs, of breaking down walls, putting out fires only to start new ones, and learning something new every single day.

Dogadkina concluded: “I am incredibly grateful to my team, driving the change together. Our investors and customers, who are sharing our vision. And most of all, thankful to Simonas Holcmann (Emperia Co-founder and CTO) for sharing this crazy ride with me.”

Belgian grocery retailer Colruyt Group tests out StrongPoint lockers for online shopping service Collect&Go

StrongPoint reports that Belgian retailer Collect&Go, Colruyt Group’s online shopping service, is trialling its grocery lockers for e-commerce orders. 

The lockers will be installed at a number of Colruyt Group locations, providing customers with a way to collect their online groceries.

“We are thrilled to partner with Collect&Go, Colruyt Group’s online shopping service, and have them use our grocery lockers,” says Jacob Tveraabak, CEO at StrongPoint.  

“Our Click and Collect e-commerce locker solution is designed to provide a high level of convenience, security, and efficiency, which perfectly aligns with Collect&Go’s commitment to exceptional customer service. We are proud to have been chosen for the pilot and look forward to the next steps.”

Big Four supermarket Asda green lights full store roll-out of Retail Insight Inventory Insight solution

Asda has extended its technology partnership with Retail Insight, a provider of store operations execution software, with a view to improving on-shelf availability and the in-store experience.

The tie up involves a full store roll-out of Retail Insight’s Inventory Insight solution.

Asda now operates over 800 locations across its UK wide store estate - from supercentres, superstores, supermarkets, Asda Living stores, petrol stations and depots, and serves 18 million customers every week. 

With its significant store footprint and the sheer number of SKUs it stocks, it has inevitably felt the impact of inaccurate inventory and wanted to improve stock accuracy across its store network. 

US startup Max Retail raises $15 million Series A to help independent retailers and brands sell excess inventory

Max Retail, a marketplace via which independent retailers and brands can sell excess inventory, has announced a $15 million Series A round led by Nosara Capital, with participation from Rethink Impact.

The round also includes continued support from VC M13, The Artemis Fund, and StandUp Ventures.

“Independent retail shops are core pillars of their communities but face limited options for their excess inventory other than discounting far below cost, sending to consignment, or donating for a tax write off,” says Melodie van der Baan, CEO and Co-founder of Max Retail and former independent retailer.

“With this investment, we will continue to grow our sales channel network and expand this excess inventory solution to support the full product lifecycle, giving independent retailers and brands the tools they need to increase their inventory turns and maximise cash recuperation on unsold goods.”

Zilch taps GenAI and machine learning as it announces four million customers milestone in 44 months

Zilch, a BNPL specialist which is pitched as the world’s first ad subsidised payments network, has surpassed four million registered customers within 44 months of its launch.

"In less than four years, we’ve transformed how millions experience, engage and - most importantly - are rewarded with their daily payments, generating our customers over $500 million in savings and counting," says Philip Belamant, CEO and Co-founder at Zilch.

Zilch says that it currently adds over 100,000 new customers each month and now around 12% of the UK’s 33 million adult working population has an account with it.

Since its launch, the platform has created over $3 billion in commerce, or Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), for retailers, with over half of this GMV generated in the last 12 months.

DoorDash partners with Ulta Beauty and lays claim to a beauty products and on-demand delivery first

DoorDash and Ulta Beauty have announced an expanded partnership to offer on-demand delivery from over 1,350 stores across all 50 US states.

People can now shop Ulta Beauty’s assortment of more than 25,000 products from over 600 brands spanning  the likes of cosmetics, fragrances, skincare, hair care, wellness, exclusively on the DoorDash app.

The tie up marks the first time all of DoorDash’s monthly active users can order from a beauty retailer in all 50 states. This builds on DoorDash’s recent entry into new categories across retail and grocery to broaden its selection.

Consumers can browse and discover their favourite beauty essentials within the dedicated Beauty tile on DoorDash and receive their items delivered straight to their door in under an hour, on average.

Autonomous retail technology startup Pixevia raises €1.5 million and eyes DACH expansion

AI retail technology company, Pixevia, has raised €1.5 million in new funding. This saw new investors Coinvest Capital, Omni Commerce Ventures and Rita Sakus join primary investor Iron Wolf Capital in the round.

Other prominent existing backers Open Circle Capital, Vladas Lašas, and Renaldas Zioma made significant contributions.

The cash will be directed towards planned expansions throughout the US and Europe, especially within the DACH region. Included in these plans are the integration of new venues such as sports arenas, university campuses, and airports.

Pixevia has raised €4.1 million to date. Some of that was from EU research grants and mostly from equity investment.