Starring Dr. Max, AllSaints, and Foot Locker: it can only be this week's biggest retail technology stories

It's Thursday, the Easter weekend is almost upon us, so 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 RTS 2025, JD.com, Daemon, Asda, Crew Clothing Company, VusionGroup, Nedap, HEMA, and Woolworths Group.

1. Record breaking Retail Technology Show 2025 wins plaudits from Sainsbury's, Rituals and Ann Summers

Nineteen Group, the organisers of Retail Technology Show, report that 14,116 retail professionals attended the 2025 event, which took place at London ExCel on 2nd-3rd April,  an 11% increase on the previous year and the highest ever turn out.

There were 483 exhibitors from across the retail tech landscape, and 125 speakers on the various stages around the showfloor.

Penny Grivea, former Managing Director UK & Ireland at Rituals, remarked that RTS helps retailers remain “relevant” and “stay on their toes.”  While Maria Hollins, CEO at Ann Summers, added: “you’ll always find something that’s interesting you can take away to your own business.” 

Prerana Issar, Chief People Officer & Head of Corporate Affairs at Sainsbury’s, also highlighted the role the event plays in unifying the retail industry through technology innovation and the symbiotic relationship between the two. “The fact that technology and retail come together [at RTS] is fantastic because they aren't two different things anymore - they haven't been for a while now.  It isn't possible to talk about retail without talking about technology, digital, AI - they are all one and the same thing,” she said.

A conference programme saw sector leaders including M&S’ Archie Norman, serial entrepreneur Theo Paphitis, The Body Coach Joe Wicks, and All Saints Founder Stuart Trevor take to the stage.  Speaking to RTS, Trevor talked about how the show was a unifying force within the retail sector, commenting: “it brings together all different people, from all walks of the industry.” 

Meanwhile, Customer Whisperer, Kate Hardcastle, who chaired the Spectacular Headline Stage across the two-day conference programme, added: “RTS has become a beautiful meeting point where technology and retail converge.”

2. Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com builds on Ochama move in Europe as it gets ready to rumble in UK

JD.com has entered into recruitment mode as it works on an entry in to the UK market.

This follows an initial excursion under the Joybuy brand, with a soft launch beginning in the second half of 2024, and the platform running a closed beta among users in London.

In 2022, JD.com introduced a new offering in Europe under the Ochama brand, aiming to bring its omnichannel retail model - blending online and offline channels - into European countries. The UK moves marks its latest attempt to secure a foothold in a mature e-commerce space. As of 2024, the UK’s retail e-commerce market was valued at $160 billion, ranking third globally.

In a LinkedIn post, Matthew Nobbs, Chief Merchandise Officer, JD.com, said: "Getting ready to rumble in the UK for one of China’s biggest success stories. With global annual turnover of in excess of $157 billion last year- we are coming to the UK. Calling all category superstars. If you are a Category Manager or a seasoned expert Senior Category Manager- we are hiring right now in London.

He added: "We need passionate talent in: Small and Large Domestic Appliances; Consumer Electronics; Home and Living; World Foods; Toys; Baby; FMCG; Ambient Grocery; Fashion; Commercial Internships and the renowned TET graduate leadership programme."

3. British fashion retailer AllSaints follows app launch with roll-out of NewStore unified commerce platform in stores

AllSaints has gone live with NewStore technology in the UK.

In a LinkedIn post, Simeon Wynn, Director, Partner Enablement at NewStore, said: “As an incredibly fashionable individual (sat here in one of my ten plus plain white t-shirts), this is a really cool one to see, and such a great brand to be partnered with."

He added: “In 2023, we worked with the iconic British fashion retailer to launch the AllSaints shopping app. Now, their digital transformation continues with the roll-out of our unified commerce platform. With ten plus locations live (and more coming online each week), AllSaints is redefining its in-store experience - seamlessly connecting mobile, digital, and physical retail. Excited to see the global roll-out across 200+ stores coming soon."

4. Smart casual lifestyle brand Crew Clothing Company agrees a new data partnership with Datitude

Crew Clothing Company has selected Datitude as its core data partner. 

This forms part of its multi-year strategic IT transformation project; replacing legacy technology with a range of systems and applications. This includes Origin (product platform) and Archean (stock management) from Retail247, BigCommerce (e-commerce) and PMC’s Graphene (store PoS).

The partnership will see Datitude’s platform being deployed as the middleware to integrate data, automate data flows and manage data storage across its core systems. The platform will also power complete, accurate and up-to-date data feeds from all channels to Workday Financials to enable better, business wide reporting and insights.

Richard Surman, IT Director at Crew Clothing Company, says: “Datitude has a strong reputation in the retail industry for its data expertise, client relationships and project delivery. Having worked with Datitude at a previous company, I know they can be trusted to deliver against our requirements.” 

5. Foot Locker taps Ometria customer data platform for deeper insights and long-term loyalty

Foot Locker has chosen Ometria as its new customer data platform (CDP).

“We are thrilled to work with Ometria as our customer data platform to unify our customer data we’re gathering through programmes like our enhanced FLX Rewards loyalty programme to unlock deeper, more meaningful connections with our customers,” says Stephanie Bleymaier, Vice President, Loyalty & CRM at Foot Locker.

“Ometria’s advanced data capabilities, innovative vision, and ability to deliver real-time, actionable insights to our marketing team will empower us to drive more personalised experiences with our customers.” 

“We’re thrilled to support Foot Locker - a brand that truly understands the impact of data-driven personalisation. Our mission is to help retailers turn customer data into marketing experiences as personal and seamless as shopping in-store. We’re proud to support Foot Locker’s journey in leveraging our CDP to gain deeper customer insights and deliver meaningful, relevant experiences that drive engagement and long-term loyalty,” says Djalal Lougouev, President and Co-Founder at Ometria.

6. Daemon appoints former Sainsbury’s CTO Richard Newsome to Non-Executive Chairman role

Richard Newsome, ex-Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Sainsbury’s, has been appointed to the role of Non-Executive Chairman at digital transformation consultancy Daemon.

Newsome previously worked with the company while still at Sainsbury’s, where Daemon provided technical expertise and support on complex business challenges. Since then, he has continued to work with Daemon, providing insight on the voice of the customer and helping to shape the delivery of its work.

Daemon says Newsome, who has also previously served as CTO at Cancer Research, will now look to support its growth and work in the retail sector, while expanding its footprint into financial services and the public sector.

The consultancy claims banks and financial institutions are increasingly looking to the retail sector for inspiration in creating seamless digital experiences and says it is well placed to support them in this aim.

“Having someone who was a client join us to chair the board is incredibly valuable for our business,” comment Daemon Co-founders Steve Bennett and Calum Fitzgerald. “Richard understands what we do, what our competitors do, and, most importantly, why our approach works. His role will be key as we set out our next phase of growth where we retain the agility and expertise that have made us a leader in digital transformation.”

7. Pharmacy chain Dr. Max teams with VusionGroup for store digitalisation push across Europe

VusionGroup has announced a new roll-out with Dr. Max, a pharmacy chain, to deploy its solutions throughout stores across Europe.

Dr. Max says it has made the move to digitalise its locations and create a connected store experience for both associates and customers.

"VusionGroup's innovative solutions help us simplify and modernise how our pharmacies operate - from daily workflows to the way we engage with customers and patients. This partnership supports our ambition to lead the digital transformation of pharmacy care while reinforcing our strong position across Europe”, comments Branislav Chmela, Group Retail Operation Officer, Dr. Max.

"By combining greater efficiency with smarter tools, we’re creating more space for our pharmacists to focus on what truly matters - providing personal, professional care.”

Pricing and promotional updates will be centrally managed and fully automated, reducing the need for manual tasks at the pharmacy level. This will allow pharmacy teams to focus more on professional care and meaningful customer interactions. At the same time, VusionCloud will provide Dr. Max with tools to manage and monitor its in-store connected devices.

8. Nedap connects with Dutch retailer HEMA for RFID roll-out at stores in Netherlands, Belgium, France

Nedap is implementing its iD Cloud RFID platform across more than 740 HEMA stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Customers will be able to see exactly how many of their favourite items are available in a store via the app or website. Staff will also be able to track inventory faster and more accurately.

All HEMA stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany, and Austria will be live with the RFID solution by mid-2026.

"This partnership is special: two Dutch companies with a rich history, innovative spirit, and strong customer focus are joining forces," says Hilbert Dijkstra, General Manager iD Cloud at Nedap. "We are proud to support HEMA on their RFID journey and look forward to the results we will achieve together."

9. Woolworths Group taps RELEX Replenishment solution in Australia and NZ stores and DCs

RELEX is to partner with Woolworths Group to implement its Replenishment solution in all distribution centres and 1,400 stores in Australia and New Zealand for the retailer.  

Stefano Scandelli, General Manager, Consumer Goods and Production Business Unit and Senior Vice President, Sales EMEA & APAC at RELEX, says: “We’re proud to partner with Woolworths Group in supporting and modernising their replenishment capabilities. Our platform can handle even the largest data sets overnight, streamlining operations and providing cross-company visibility into inventory and sales.” 

Woolworths Group Director of Group Replenishment Justin Henderson comments: “We identified an opportunity to modernise our existing replenishment platform to support maximising product availability for customers, optimising cost and forging stronger supplier collaboration.”

“By partnering with RELEX we expect to see improved visibility across the Group which will ensure that our team and partners can focus their time building greater consistency with their supply and demand plans across our businesses. This will ultimately help improve product availability for customers in store and online.”

10. Rob Barnes departs Asda and CIO role after driving technology change across the business

Rob Barnes has left grocery giant Asda where, for the past 15 months, he held the position of Chief Information Officer.

In a LinkedIn post, Barnes, who joined Asda from Marks and Spencer, said: “Thanks for your messages this week folks! As some of you have seen, I've taken the decision to leave Asda. It's been an incredible 15 months, where we've landed so much technology change as a business across our stores; online; supply chain: and home office.”

He added: “We've also made a fundamental shift in our tech and data operating model to align us all more closely to our customers and colleagues, but I've been offered a great new opportunity that I'm really looking forward to starting later this year.  I look forward to sharing more details of my new role later in the year.”

Earlier this year, Asda was granted an extension to the timescale for an £80 million IT upgrade by its former owner Walmart, after it missed a crucial deadline target. This is required to fully separate Asda’s IT system from that of Walmart. Project Future, as it is known, had been set for completion by February.