Ikea ready to hit London's Oxford Street: our biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn right now
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we power towards the 25,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Snappy Shopper, Kiwibot, Boxbar Tech, Theo Paphitis, Retail Technology Show 2025, Coles Supermarkets, Instacart, NearSt, Quorso, and Australia Post.
Snappy Shopper and convenience retailer Girish Jeeva achieve 24/7 delivery first in Scotland
Retailer Girish Jeeva has launched 24/7 delivery through Snappy Shopper from his flagship Premier @ Barmulloch store, making it the first physical location in Scotland to launch this service with the company.
In a LinkedIn post, Michael Watt, Regional Growth Manager at Snappy Shopper, said: "It was an icy cold Thursday night and we were hoping for five to ten orders throughout the night. To end up doing 25 orders during the newly opened times signalled a great success and pleasant surprise."
"Girish is always looking to be innovative and push boundaries and he certainly has with this new initiative. I joined him at the store to witness the first late night/early morning deliveries coming through and seen Girish's dedication, excitement and eagerness in full force."
He added: “At one point a brand new customer to Snappy and his store ordered and Girish immediately leapt up and said - "I'm going to personally deliver that one and thank him for ordering. I want to make sure he orders again!" It will be interesting to see how we can test and learn in this new late night/early morning market. Potentially a massive unlock to increase sales."
A new home for bigger and better things: Boxbar Tech makes investment in British manufacturing
Boxbar Tech, a startup specialising in automated self-serve drinks solutions for events and venues, has announced plans for a new manufacturing facility and office space in the UK.
In a LinkedIn post, it said: "A new home for bigger and better things. Last week, we took a major step forward, signing the lease for our brand new, soon to be state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and office space."
It added: "As a UK business, we’re proud to be investing in British manufacturing, creating jobs and driving innovation right here in the North of England. We can’t wait to welcome our team to the new space and watch it come to life. This new home will play a key role in the next chapter of the Boxbar Tech revolution as the first of many new facilities in our global expansion."
US retailer EG America taps Quorso Intelligent Management Platform to improve store operations
Quorso has announced a partnership with EG America, a convenience store retailer in the US. This will see its technology deployed throughout the company’s more than 1,500 retail and fuel locations.
Its Intelligent Management solution consolidates siloed solutions, like tasks, surveys, performance analytics, and exception reporting, into a single platform that aims to drive store performance at every level.
“Quorso is a significant enhancement from legacy reporting and traditional task management systems,” says Elizabeth Pierce, COO, EG America. “The platform enables us to take a more personalised, data driven approach to operational improvements in every store. It also drastically reduces the overwhelming amount of data that our store teams have to process”.
Pricewatch Group first retailer to tap last mile delivery solution from British retail tech firm NearSt
NearSt has announced a new solutions for UK convenience retailers that automatically connects their EPoS systems and in-store inventory to major delivery platforms such as Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Just Eat.
"This technology represents an important step forward for convenience retail," says Nick Brackenbury, Co-founder and CEO at NearSt.
"We're empowering local retailers with capabilities that were previously out of reach. With our extensive network of over 150 Point of Sale partners alongside our last mile delivery integrations, we enable retailers to seamlessly transform their last mile offering into a genuine competitive advantage and revenue driver."
Pricewatch Group - operating stores under Morrisons Daily, Nisa, Gulf, and BP brands - was the first retailer to leverage NearSt’s real-time local inventory feeds with delivery platforms, starting in September 2024.
It reports significant results in streamlining operations, enhancing customer experiences and improving staff productivity: 913% sales growth across last mile platforms (first 11 weeks); 233% increase in Just Eat sales alone; 59 hours per month saved in menu management; 37% reduction in failed orders weekly; 115% expansion in product range on last mile menus.
Coles Supermarkets first retailer in APAC region to launch Instacart AI powered Caper Carts
Australian retailer Coles Supermarkets reports the roll-out of Caper Carts, Instacart’s AI powered smart trolleys, at its Richmond Traders location in Melbourne.
Caper Carts are equipped with AI, cameras, and a built-in scale, which work together to automatically recognise items as they are added to the trolley. They enable customers to bag as they shop and watch their running total. At the end of their shopping, customers can checkout directly from the trolley.
Caper Carts sync to Coles’ Flybuys rewards programme. Customers can scan their Flybuys card or Coles app to instantly access personalised offers and view in-store specials on the trolley’s digital screen.
When they shop in-store, they can later view purchased items under their ‘buy it again’ list on the Coles app and website. Equipped with gamified capabilities, they also have the chance to win discounts by spinning a digital wheel on the trolley’s screen at checkout.
Coles is the first retailer in the APAC region to launch Caper Carts, and also the first in the country to introduce AI powered trolleys.
Retail magnate Theo Paphitis set to headline Retail Technology Show 2025 in London this April
Serial entrepreneur and retail magnate, Theo Paphitis, has been confirmed to headline at Retail Technology Show 2025.
Debuting in its new home, ExCeL London, RTS will welcome 15,000 retail professionals on 2nd and 3rd April. Paphitis is famed both for his appearances on the BBC’s investment series Dragon’s Den as well as for reviving the fortunes of retail brands including Ryman, Stationery Box, La Senza, Contessa Lingerie and Robert Dyas.
He went on to launch his own namesake retail group, the Theo Paphitis Retail Group (TPRG), in 2015, which now encompasses Ryman Stationery, Robert Dyas, Boux Avenue and London Graphic Centre, and comprises 300 stores and 4,000 employees. Paphitis also founded Small Business Sunday, a movement and network that has grown 3,500+ SMEs and heroes the passion and energy of small businesses.
Speaking on the Spectacular Headline Stage on 3rd April, he joins Customer Whisperer, Kate Hardcastle, in a fireside chat that will delve into key strategies for growing a successful retail business, even in challenging circumstances. The session will discuss how to keep retail workforces highly engaged and key leadership strategies for long-term success.
Australia Post tests out retail screen network in partnership with reo powered by oOh!media
Australia Post in partnership with reo, powered by oOh!media, is gearing up to trial its first in-store screen retail media network across 60 Victorian locations.
The aim here is to engage its customers at pivotal moments, whether they’re sending or collecting a parcel, or using other Australia Post services.
Providing advertisers with opportunities to deliver targeted and contextual messaging, reo’s retail media solution includes hardware, software, and services. Australia Post will use reo’s sales team to assist with the media sales.
Aimee Dixon, General Manager Enterprise Brand and Retail Marketing at Australia Post, says: “Our network of retail outlets offer’s brands an innovative way to engage with consumers. By leveraging our physical footprint, we are excited to expand the value we deliver to businesses across Australia, starting with a rollout in 60 locations in Victoria. Our collaboration with reo is a key part of this strategy, allowing us to connect brands with customers through dynamic in-store media solutions.”
SKUtrak Promote tool taps machine learning powered analysis to shake up way brands run promotions
Atheon Analytics owned SKUtrak is launching a new analytics tool which applies machine learning to give brands 360° visibility on their promotions, combining data from the past, with future projections.
The company says that SKUtrak Promote, which is built on TruDemand, SKUtrak’s intelligence layer, eliminates mitigating factors like cannibalisation and availability, giving brands the chance to build up a realistic picture of promotional performance.
“The magic of SKUtrak Promote is the deep and detailed picture it builds from many variables rather than the normal surface level view,” says Guy Cuthbert, Atheon CEO. “Working from a shallow summary reduces the chances of optimising future campaigns and increases the risk of wasted investment. By simulating the likely effects of all promotional tactics, SKUtrak Promote provides CPGs with the rich and nuanced insights they need to plan, evaluate and decide their promotional strategy.”
Sidewalk delivery robots firm Kiwibot hires former Uber Head of Business Development J. Kim Fennell as CBO
Autonomous robotic solutions specialist, Kiwibot, has announced the appointment of J. Kim Fennell as its new Chief Business Officer (CBO).
An investor and advisory board member since 2020, he will be tasked with spearheading strategic partnerships, cultivating key commercial relationships, driving corporate development, and boosting revenue growth.
Fennell is the former Head of Business Development US & Canada and Global Technology Partnerships at Uber and a Corporate VP at Lucent Technologies. He was a CEO for 16 years at companies including deCarta, Pinnacle Systems, and StorageWay, and also has 21 years of board experience in organisations like Ritchie Bros, Bird Construction, and The C100.
Ikea lands 3,700+ applications for new Oxford Street London store roles as it preps Spring opening
Ikea says that it has received 3,730 applications in just six days for its new Oxford Street, London store. Interest in the 150 available positions marks the largest ever response the home furnishing retailer has seen in the UK.
It provides the independently set Real Living Wage of £13.85 per hour alongside benefits including flexible work arrangements, enhanced parental leave, and a free healthy meal option served every day.
Successful applicants will be offered multi-skilled roles, working across different departments. They will work in a store that aims to fuse traditional retail expertise with new digital solutions and sustainable practices.
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