lululemon goes large in London: these are our most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including Pricer, Focal Systems, FuturMaster, PlaniSense, M-Cube, Dolce&Gabbana, Max Retail, Shopify, Currys, Ikea, and Etsy.
lululemon opens largest flagship store in EMEA to date as Regent Street, London location sees double
Performance apparel, footwear, and accessories brand, lululemon, is relocating its London Regent Street flagship store to a bigger space, making it the company's largest store in EMEA.
The new location is double the size of the previous one, with 8,923 sq ft of retail space. It will house lululemon’s men’s and women’s clothing and accessories for yoga, running, training, and everything in-between.
Unique features include lululemon’s biggest pant wall in Europe, its largest assortment of menswear in EMEA, and elements of its newest store design concept. There will also be a water bottle personalisation station and a staircase light feature, which changes tones depending on time of day.
“We’re so excited to open the doors to our biggest store in EMEA”, says Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President, lululemon EMEA. “Regent Street is one of the most important shopping destinations in the world, and 11 years after opening our first store in London we’re delighted to welcome our community to our newest flagship store.”
“With double the space of our previous location, our guests will be able to discover our all gender offering for yoga, run, training, casual, localised product and more, across two incredible floors showcasing our latest beautiful store design. lululemon has seen significant International growth in recent years - we have ambitions to quadruple International sales from 2021-2026 - and this London flagship store will be a must visit destination for both our local and international guests at an exciting time in our EMEA expansion.”
Retail technology tie up as Pricer and Focal Systems announce in-store digitalisation strategic collaboration
Pricer and Focal Systems have annnounced a partnership focused on accelerating the digitisation and optimisation of physical retail stores.
This brings together Pricer’s dynamic pricing and shelf-edge communication expertise with 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards winner Focal Systems’ computer vision and product availability solutions.
By integrating Focal Systems’ AI powered shelf vision cameras with Pricer’s electronic shelf label (ESL) platform, retailers will benefit from real-time shelf insights, which power automated detection and alerting of out-of-stock or low items to achieve rapid replenishment.
Meanwhile, dynamic task automation from the combined solution streamlines store staff workflows, prioritising tasks to improve operational efficiency and productivity among store associates, with patented camera-based out-of-stock detection and communication solutions optimising replenishment, as well as delivering shelf-edge intelligence to support in-store analytics.
FuturMaster buys PlaniSense to boost analytics, supply chain optimisation, real-time scheduling expertise
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
FuturMaster says that the merger strengthens its expertise in analytics, AI driven supply chain optimisation, and real-time scheduling. By integrating PlaniSense’s technology into its Bloom platform, it aims to offer a market solution that enhances precision, responsiveness, and operational performance for manufacturers worldwide.
Among the companies that work with FuturMaster and PlaniSense are Heineken, L’Oréal, Forvia, LVMH, and Bel. The new combined platform will be deployed in over 90 countries.
Max Retail boosts leadership team with addition of e-commerce veteran Hoddi Hafsteinsson as CFO
Max Retail, a B2B platform that enables independent retailers and brands to sell excess inventory online, has announced the appointment of Hoddi Hafsteinsson as Chief Financial Officer.
Hafsteinsson played a key role in growing Moda Operandi’s revenue more than 10x. His appointment closely follows Max Retail securing a $15 million Series A funding round.
“Hoddi’s expertise in retail and marketplace strategies makes him the ideal financial leader for Max Retail,” says Melodie van der Baan, CEO and Co-founder at Max Retail. “His experience scaling global operations and driving profitability will help us strengthen our platform and support independent retailers’ growth, both online and in-store.”
M-Cube rustles up bespoke digital signage for new flagship Dolce&Gabbana store in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia
M-Cube has designed the digital customer experience for the Dolce&Gabbana flagship store in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.
This plays a key role in Bujairi Terrace, a high end shopping destination developed under Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme. It is the largest Dolce&Gabbana boutique in the Gulf region.
The store delivers an immersive experience, featuring exclusive fashion collections, jewellery, fragrances, and a dedicated Dolce&Gabbana Café, the first of its kind in the area. M-Cube designed, engineered, and installed custom LED solutions.
The circular design presented a unique challenge, requiring custom engineered digital solutions that complemented its curved architecture while maintaining the refined aesthetic. Every element is connected to a real-time content management system, enabling Dolce&Gabbana to adapt its digital messaging dynamically.
Luca Violato, Stores & Properties at Dolce&Gabbana, comments: "M-Cube engineered, supplied, and installed all LED walls in our Diriyah boutique. Their team also managed the complex logistics of Saudi Arabia with great efficiency. They were highly proactive, ensuring smooth execution despite the challenges of last minute modifications."
Here's why Etsy has peaked and a Michaels Stores merger or eBay, Temu acquisition could be best way forward
Retail industry darling Etsy has peaked and should look at merger or acquisition options, says Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.
Ladd made the observation as Etsy posted consolidated gross merchandise sales or GMS of $3.74 billion for the quarter ended 31st December, compared with analysts' estimates of $3.88 billion according to data compiled by LSEG.
The online marketplace, which recently made sweeping changes to its C-suite, posted quarterly revenue of $852.2 million, compared with analysts' expectations of $862.8 million. The company also forecast first quarter GMS to decrease 6.8% from a year earlier, a similar rate of decline as seen in the last three months of 2024.
In a LinkedIn post, Ladd said: "I remain convinced that the best move Etsy can make is one of the following: merge with Michaels Stores (new CEO David Boone should pursue this; be acquired by eBay or by Temu."
He added: "Etsy has peaked in my opinion. I think Michaels, eBay or Temu would greatly improve the business."
Shopify powered Yeezy e-commerce website taken down after Kanye West brand sells swastika t-shirt
Kanye West's Yeezy online store was taken down this month by Shopify following the sale of swastika t-shirts.
The musician and entrepreneur reportedly splashed out $2 million on a single advert which aired during the Super Bowl, directing people to his website where the t-shirts were being sold.
“So what’s up, guys? I spent, like, all the money for the commercial on these new teeth," he said, flashing a ridiculously white set of gnashers. "So once again, I had to shoot it on the iPhone. Um, um, um, go to yeezy.com.” The aforementioned product, which cost $20, was not mentioned in the ad.
This came as his X account, where he had millions of followers and had been posting highly offensive antisemitic messages, was deactivated.
The rapper's final entry stated: "I'm logging out of Twitter. I appreciate [X owner] Elon [Musk] for allowing me to vent. It has been very cathartic to use the world as a sounding board. It was like an Ayahuasca trip. Love all of you who gave me your energy and attention. To we connect again [sic]. Good afternoon and goodnight."
Smart stores in German airports: it can only be this week's biggest retail technology stories
Let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past few days, including Petbarn, SumUp, The O2, Hightouch, Lekkerland SE, MediaMarktSaturn, Dolce&Gabbana, Currys, Deloitte, Ikea, and Serve Robotics.
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