From M&S and Tesco announcing major AI shifts in their loyalty programmes, to Iceland rolling out AI to keep shelves stocked and Ann Summers improving in-store safety with body-cam deployments, what’s been making waves in retail this week?
M&S drives Sparks card reward relevancy with AI
M&S has unveiled a new and transformed Sparks loyalty programme, which will deliver more personalised perks and simpler reward mechanics.
The changes to Sparks, which will include a new digital wallet, are based on insights from thousands of M&S customers, who said they wanted more rewarding, personalised experiences.
M&S will use a suite of AI and data capabilities to power the new Sparks programme, including machine learning (ML) and advanced generative AI (Gen AI), delivering even more targeted and timely offers.
“Powered by new and transformed data and AI capabilities, a new Sparks helps us get even closer to customers and deliver an even better M&S experience,” said M&S’ CEO Stuart Machin.
Tesco taps Adobe for AI-powered Clubcard personalisation
Tesco and Adobe have announced a strategic AI partnership to improve shopping experiences for its 24million Clubcard members, offering personalised prompts and individual deals.
Tesco will use Adobe’s AI and creative technologies to accelerate personal engagement and use customer intelligence to anticipate shoppers’ needs.
This will allow the retailer to be “more responsive”, and deliver “the right messages, savings or ideas to the right customers, just when they need them,” said Becky Brock, Tesco Group Customer Digital Transformation Director.
The partnership will also see the launch of a new co-innovation model, the Tesco x Adobe Innovation Lab, which brings together Tesco’s in-house tech expertise with Adobe’s AI capabilities.
Consumers turn to experience-led loyalty
Consumers’ loyalty expectations are shifting from discount-based rewards to experience-led perks, new data from the Retail Technology Show (RTS) reveals.
Original research of over 1,000 shoppers by RTS revealed that over half (55%) want retailers to do more with their loyalty programmes rather than just offering discounts.
A further 54% now want experience-based perks, rising to two thirds (66%) of Millennials, while a quarter (28%) said being recognised as a valued customer is just as important as the financial benefits when becoming part of a loyalty scheme.
Five things you won’t want to miss at RTS 2026
With all eyes turning towards the 2026 Retail Technology Show (RTS) next week, we round up five things you won’t want to miss at the sector’s flagship event.
Taking place on 22 & 23 April 2026 at London’s ExCeL, RTS will welcome over 15,000 senior retail professionals, combining unmissable innovation and insight with unrivalled networking opportunities.
From a hotbed of hot tech and the next wave of AI innovation, to hard hitting headliners, including M&S’ Archie Norman, Sephora’s UK MD Sarah Boyd and TALA Founder Grace Beverley, to unmissable networking opportunities, check out the full preview 👇
Iceland partners with invent.ai to reduce stock-outs
Iceland is rolling out a solution from invent.ai to improve inventory and replenishment.
By leveraging invent.ai’s AI-powered platform, Iceland can now turn complex sales, supply and demand data into real-time operational actions at scale, ensuring that the right products are in the right place at the right time.
“AI is giving us the visibility and control we’ve never had before,” said Matt Downes, Supply Chain Director at Iceland. “We can now keep shelves consistently stocked with the products our customers want, reduce lost sales and improve the overall shopping experience.”
The invent.ai platform goes beyond traditional forecasting by factoring in seasonal demand, promotions, new product launches and one-off anomalies. This automates replenishment decisions, providing operational teams with optimised stock recommendations that reduce waste, minimise stockouts and maximise sales opportunities.
Ann Summers improves staff safety with body-cam rollout
Ann Summers has recorded a 42% reduction in colleague safety incidents during a trial of body-worn cameras across three of its UK flagship stores in partnership with Reveal Media.
Ann Summers introduced the camera pilot in response to increasing concerns around staff safety, after associates were encountering frequent aggression and intimidation on shift.
“It’s a sad fact that it’s tougher to work on our High Streets,” said Sam Tenner, Head of Business Risk at Ann Summers. “So, with instances of confrontation or aggression up, we saw body cameras as a viable personal safety tool.”
The pilot took place across the retailer’s Edinburgh Princess Street, London Oxford Street and Nottingham city centre locations, and helped to reduce crime and police-attended incidents during the eight-week trial, as well as being well received by customers.
Bensons for Beds selects WorkJam to connect 1,800 UK staff
Bensons for Beds has selected WorkJam as its new frontline operations platform, connecting 1,800+ colleagues across its UK operations.
Digitally connecting staff – from its 178-strong store network to manufacturing facilities and support centres – Bensons for Beds will consolidate multiple legacy systems into a single, unified platform. The move aims to enhance team communications and engagement, whilst improving task execution and coaching.
“We’re investing in colleague capability and skill development to build on the expertise that already exists across the business,” said Carrie Westwell, Chief People and Culture Officer at Bensons for Beds. “That means ensuring every colleague feels connected and clear on how they make a difference.”
Steve Kramer, CEO and Co-Founder of WorkJam, said the deployment would “bridge the gap” between support centres and frontline colleagues: “Strategy moves faster, productivity increases, and feedback flows both ways – all while reducing the complexity of managing multiple systems.”
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