The Retail Recap – 19 September 2025 – what’s been making waves in retail this week?

From Midcounties Co-op revealing it plans to build Agentic AI in to its WFM at NRF Europe, to sports brand On growing its DTC sales by +52% thanks to ‘quiet but powerful’ tech, to VEJA tapping NewStore for unified commerce capabilities, what’s been making waves in retail this week?

GenAI use for Christmas shopping set to more than double

Twice as many UK shoppers will use GenAI to help hunt for Christmas gifts this year, says research by Coveo.

Seven in ten (71%) will put GenAI to work when Christmas shopping this year – an increase of more than two-fold in those planning to use the tech to find gifts when compared to 2024 (31%).

“Consumers are not just open to GenAI in their shopping journeys, they’re actively seeking it out,” said Peter Curran, GM of Commerce at Coveo.

But, rather than using AI as a ‘short-cut’ for Christmas shopping, Brits plan to remain thoughtful and considered when choosing festive presents. With 85% of UK consumers saying they were concerned about their gift budgets being squeezed, most plan to use AI to search out the best deals and help stick to budgets.

Midcounties Co-op taps WorkJam for Agentic AI-enabled WFM

Midcounties Co-op has revealed forward-looking plans to activate AI agents within its Workforce Management (WFM) platform in partnership with WorkJam.

Speaking at NRF Europe, its Head of Store Support, Chris Chandler, said the move towards Agentic AI will make it easier for colleagues to access and use AI-powered insights and information from across the business within the flow of daily work.

Chandler was speaking on the Exhibitor Big Ideas stage, where he outlined how the co-operative had been leveraging WFM technology to move beyond staff compliance and into colleague community-building.

He described how, through peer-to-peer learning, best practice and communication sharing on its WFM app, the WorkJam platform helped staff “feel part of a much bigger entity and community.”

Read the full session write up: NRF Europe 2025 – Midcounties Co-op on moving from frontline compliance to empowerment.

VEJA deploys global unified commerce with NewStore, SAP & Syntax

Sustainable French footwear brand, VEJA, is now live on unified commerce platform Newstore’s Omnichannel POS, as it updates store technology and unifies global retail operations.

A key component of the deployment is the integration between the NewStore platform and VEJA’s enterprise systems. VEJA uses SAP as its ERP to manage merchandise and operations.

With built-in integration capabilities and support from Syntax, an SAP-certified systems integrator, the NewStore Omnichannel POS now connects to VEJA’s SAP environment.

By adopting the NewStore platform and through the design of a global ecommerce and store omnichannel architecture, VEJA store teams now have access to capabilities that unify online and in-store shopping. This includes mobile checkout, endless aisle, mixed cart, Click&Collect and buy online return in-store (BORIS).

What not to miss at Ecommerce Expo

With just one week to go until eCommerce Expo, the UK’s biggest online retail event, opens at London Excel (24 – 25 Sep 2025), we take a look ahead at some of the standout innovation from the show floor.

With 200+ exhibitors spanning retail tech – from payment and logistics to AI analytics and creative agencies – eCommerce Expo is an essential stop for those navigating the future of digital trading.

Here, we round-up our top ten tech picks of the innovation you won’t want to miss out on at the show next week, including Mapp, Loop, Scayle, Scurri, and ShipStation.

Find out the full list of our top ten ten picks here: Ecommerce Expo 2025 – Top 10 tech picks: What not to miss at the UK’s largest digital retail event.

“Quiet but powerful” tech grows On’s DTC sales by +52%

On’s direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales increased by +52% year-on-year, supported by using technology as a “quiet but powerful” enabler and layering tech through human-led customer interactions, its CTO, Narek Verdian said at NRF Europe.

Veridan was speaking on the Main Stage alongside Roelant Prins, CCO at Adyen, where he revealed how its had streamlined mobile payment capabilities across its 60 global stores to offer slick customer experiences, while allowing staff to focus on shopper engagement delivery.

Mobile terminals now outnumber fixed payment terminals across Adyen’s payment platform, with the tech provider seeing a +700% increase in tap-to-pay transactions in the first half of this year, while Apple Pay usage had increased by +60% in 2024.

Retailers report rising instances of cyber crime targeting frontline workers

UK retailers are reporting a rising number of cyber crime attempts on their businesses, says research by KnowBe4, with frontline teams, including helpdesks and IT support workers, increasingly being targeted.

Nearly all (99.6%) are facing significant increases in cyber threats. So much so, that 71% of retailers are now setting aside dedicated budget lines for potential ransom payments.

Over half (58%) have reported rising instances of helpdesk and IT support teams being targeted, as scammers look to exploit frontline retail workers. Helpdesk scams (58%), phishing (47%) and credential theft (54%) were cited as the most frequent and growing threats to the sector.

“These threats highlight the human dimension of modern retail cyber risk. Phishing, credential theft and helpdesk scams all exploit human decision-making,” said Javvad Malik, Lead Cyber Security Advocate at KnowBe4.

Fortnum & Mason partners with Avalara to drive compliant cross-border growth

As demand for Fortnum & Mason’s iconic luxury British produce continues to grow internationally – overseas sales reached £12.5million in 2024 (~5.5% of total revenues) – cross-border commerce remains a strategic growth area for the heritage brand.

But, with fast-changing and unpredictable trade policies, the opportunity for international growth comes with complexities, Nataliya Schipka, Director of Finance at Fortnum & Mason, told audiences at NRF Europe.

Speaking on the Exhibitor Big Ideas stage, Schipka explained that it had partnered with tax specialist Avalara to overcome duty and tariff challenges. This included navigating the end of the U.S. de minimis threshold, which previously exempted packages valued at $800 and under from fees when entering the North American market.

Read the full session write up: NRF Europe 2025 – Fortnum & Mason on taxes, tariffs and navigating international growth.