From luxury jeweller Damiani unifying operations across its global boutique network, to predictions returns will peak by +45% post-Christmas and River Island modernising its product data management, what’s been making waves in retail this week?

Damiani selects XY Retail to unify global boutiques & enhance CX

Luxury Italian jeweller, Damiani, has selected XY Retail to unify store operations and client engagement on a single, cloud-based platform, as part of its continued international growth strategy.

The partnership will give Damiani real-time visibility and centralised control across its global boutique network, helping the brand uphold a consistent customer experiences across every location.

The platform will also support Damiani in showcasing the history and craftsmanship behind each jewellery piece, through the creation of a unique digital identity via serialisation – tracing each item’s full lifecycle, from creation and sale to after-sales care, across all stores and systems.

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Sitoo recognised in 2025 Gartner Market Guide for Unified Commerce

Sitoo has been recognised by Gartner in its 2025 Market Guide for Unified Commerce Platforms Anchored by AI-Enabled POS for Tier 2 Retailers, having been named as a Representative Vendor in the report.

The guide explores how the unified commerce landscape is rapidly evolving, with AI emerging as a cornerstone of next-generation POS systems, and highlights advancements driving store-staff enablement, personalised CX and operational excellence.

Commenting on Sitoo’s inclusion, Jens Levin, Co-Founder & CEO of Sitoo, said that being recognised within the report was “a powerful validation of our vision and the incredible work of our team and customers.”

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2026 Trends: RTS’ Matt Bradley on how retail media will reshape the sector

In week two of Retail Rewired’s 2026 industry predictions series, Matt Bradley, Founder & Event Director of the Retail Technology Show, explains why the year ahead is about turning retail’s challenges into growth opportunities, including:

📺 Retail Media Networks (RMNs) – the first genuinely new revenue stream for physical retail in years allowing retailers to monetise footfall, first-party data and physical space

🔐 From cyber security to cyber resilience – After a year of high-profile attacks, cyber risk has moved firmly into the boardroom as a business priority

🎤 RTS 2026 – RMNs and cyber resilience are key focuses at the show with expert insight and peer-to-peer learnings to support the retail community in the coming year

Read the full piece here ➡️ RTS’ Matt Bradley on how retail media will reshape the sector in 2026 & beyond

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Retailers face ‘Christmas returns hangover’ as send-backs spike 45%

UK retailers are facing a sharp post-Christmas operational squeeze, with return requests predicted to rise by +45%, alongside a +34% increase in overall customer support enquiries, according to analysis from eDesk.

The surge is already placing a strain on support teams, with average issue resolution times slowing by 28% during the peak returns period, quietly eroding margins built during festive trading.

“The moment the holiday shopping rush ends, the real pressure starts,” said Gareth Cummings, CEO at eDesk.

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Wrexham AFC & Avation Gin’s Ryan Reynolds joins NRF 2026’s speaker line-up

With just over three weeks until the doors of the Javits open for the National Retail Federation’s Big Show in New York, Ryan Reynolds has been confirmed as a keynote speaker.

Best known in the UK for his ownership of Welsh football club, Wrexham AFC, Reynolds is also a Golden Globe-nominated actor and producer behind the billion-dollar Deadpool franchise, and the owner of a portfolio of consumer and media businesses, including Aviation Gin.

Moderated by Adyen’s CFO, Ethan Tandowsky, the session will explore how Reynolds has built challenger brands by leveraging digital media to create outsized reach, alongside the role authenticity plays in earning consumer trust.

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River Island selects Akeneo to modernise product data management

River Island will partner with Product Experience (PX) company Akeneo to streamline its product information processes, as part of its ongoing digital transformation programme.

Akeneo confirmed its Product Information Management (PIM) solution will become “the central backbone” for the fashion retailer, powering structured product data and enabling efficient enrichment.

Working with River Island, Akeneo also said it would deliver smoother data operations, faster go-to-market and powerful retail execution.

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2026 Trends: Charlotte Morley on re-sale – retail’s silent disruptor

Charlotte Morley, Founder & CEO of thelittleloop, outlines how the next phase of circular retail means embedding re-sale into the core channel mix, not treating it as a sustainability side project. In her article, she explores:

♻️ How peer-to-peer platforms have captured not just the pre-loved economy, but the customer relationship itself

🧥 Why brand takeback often fails as fragmented, brand-by-brand schemes with clunky user experiences don’t reflect how customers behave

🔁 Why 65% of consumers won’t sell peer-to-peer due to time and emotional effort and how brands can capitalise on this

Read her article here 👉 Retail 2026 | thelittleloop founder Charlotte Morley on retail’s chance to get second-hand right

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