Tom Summerfield

Big news for UK retail tech - Logicbroker has acquired Virtualstock, the platform powering dropship and curated marketplaces for major brands including Aldi UK, Argos, Screwfix, Currys plc, and John Lewis & Partners. Together, they now form a global leader in multi-party commerce orchestration, connecting 15,000+ retail and brand partners and handling a GMV of $13 billion. This merger isn’t just about scale, it’s about next-generation agentic commerce technology (look it up - it's fascinating), enabling retailers to simplify supplier connections, expand online ranges, and deliver faster, smarter eCommerce. With the global dropshipping market projected to hit $1.2 trillion by 2030, this combination positions UK retail tech at the forefront of a rapidly evolving online commerce landscape. Exciting times ahead for retailers, suppliers, and customers alike. More here on Insight DIY - https://lnkd.in/eXyxMdZw #retail #ecommerce #marketplace #dropshipping

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Have you read Matthew Truman’s latest Retail Week column? 🗞️📣 'The uncomfortable truth is AI will cause significant job destruction' Matt's latest column explores the inevitable impact of AI on the retail and consumer sectors — and the urgent need for boards and governments to act. AI is reshaping industries at lightning speed. Early data shows entry-level roles are already declining, with new AI-driven automation set to transform supply chains, factories and front-line jobs across the globe. Key insights: 🤖 Major economic gains come with real job disruption 📉 Entry-level roles are already being affected 💡 Boards need bold, “blank page” thinking The challenge isn’t just technological, it’s societal. Clear frameworks, honest communication and proactive planning will be essential. 👉 Read the full column here: https://lnkd.in/eMipw_Y3 #True #RetailWeek #AI #Advisory #ValueCreation

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What’s been happening in retail this week? · John Lewis & Partners has partnered with TOPSHOP TOPMAN to launch Topshop in 32 stores and online from Feb 2026, with Topman in six locations. Great collab! · Aldi UK rolled out InPost UK parcel lockers across 536 UK stores, enabling customers to collect and return parcels, with plans to cover 600 locations by the end of the year. · Amazon has launched its first UK sale focused on returned and refurbished items, with discounts of up to 70% across tech, gaming, home, beauty, fitness and more. · eBay has expanded its authenticity guarantee to apparel, shoes and accessories in the UK, offering a “head-to-toe” service for pre-loved fashion. · Poundland is simplifying grocery pricing nationwide, returning to three clear price points – £1, £2, £3 – as part of efforts to streamline ranges and refocus the brand. · SHEIN will host a 2nd London pop-up on Oxford Street from 26 to 28 Sep, showcasing its autumn-winter collection. · Primark opened its first standalone homeware store in GB, spanning a 12,000 sq ft in Manchester. · Holland & Barrett trialled a revamped beauty category in six stores between June and August, reporting a 7% sales uplift versus control sites. The format mixes topical products, ingestible supplements and expert advice, with rollout to larger city stores planned for 2026. · FatFace launched in Germany using Zalando’s platform. Early trading in Germany is said to have been “positive”, as the retailer eyes further European expansion. · John Lewis Partnership appointed former Tesco executive Tom Denyard as managing director of Waitrose & Partners, replacing James Bailey. Tina Mitchell will act as interim MD from late September until Denyard takes over in January. · Currys plc announced a £50m share buyback after posting a 3% rise in like-for-like sales in UK & Ireland during the 17 weeks to 30 August. Growth was driven by B2B, gaming, AI computing and services. · Sweaty Betty returned to profit with a £1.5m pre-tax profit in 2024 versus a £13.4m loss the year before. Sales slipped from £144.2m to £140.4m, with UK and US under pressure, but rest-of-world sales grew. · H&M has named Karen O’Rourke as UK & Ireland MD. With 25+ years at the retailer, she steps up to lead over 200 stores. · Mulberry England has appointed Tom Burrow (ex-End Clothing) as chief customer & digital officer to drive digital and omnichannel growth. 💥 💥 💥 We're delighted to launch our latest thought leadership research in partnership with beBettor, exploring how retailers can fix customer segmentation. We reveal that whilst retailers see customer segmentation as their most valuable dataset, they rate their level of sophistication at only 60% exposing a critical "segmentation gap". The report reveals that most segmentation frameworks still rely solely on internal datasets, leaving information such as customer spending power invisible to most retailers. Download now ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eC7Ucrwy

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Sainsbury's CMO, Mark Given, is taking on an expanded remit as chief technology, marketing and data officer. According to the retailer, the move reflects the strategic role of AI, loyalty and personalisation in enhancing the customer experience. The sustainability part of Given's existing remit - only added in February - will move to chief commercial officer Rhian Bartlett. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eT5kkUEK

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Yesterday we held our first AI Day at Ocado Retail 🤖 Everyone was invited to come and join the various sessions we put on throughout the day to help them understand more about how to move forward on their own journey with AI. Many of our colleagues are already integrating AI into their jobs to speed up day-to-day tasks and to unlock the new opportunities that generative AI brings. I thought I’d share a few common themes discussed throughout the sessions: ▪Get stuck in - the best way to learn is to just get started ▪Be part of the conversation - great use cases come from people discussing how they are using it, sparking ideas for others ▪Love thy prompt - as the old adage goes, the output is only as good as the input ▪Stick at it - keep trialling when something doesn’t work but also recognise it’s not yet perfect - the tech and tools will keep on getting better and better ▪Using AI is everyone’s job - this isn’t a tech project - those closest to the action will really understand how AI can help their day-to-day tasks ▪Be proud of using AI - it’s not cheating, it’s a core skillset Thanks so much to the ORL team for organising and the teams at Salesforce, Devoteam, monday.com and Multiverse for joining us! #Innovation #AI #AIDay

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