From Lidl eying significant investment in its loyalty programme, to Boots being bought for $9bn by the Weston family, and Very Group turning to AI personalisation to grow customer revenue, what’s been making waves in retail this week?
Lidl doubles down on loyalty
Lidl will double down on its loyalty efforts in the year ahead, after a significant rise in memberships to its Lidl Plus programme helped drive sales and footfall last year.
In its latest financial results, the discounter posted double-digit revenue growth of +10.8% to £13billion, while operating profit for the financial year ending 28 Feb 2026 also increased to £345million.
Its loyalty scheme, Lidl Plus, saw a +23% increase in users in the past year, helping drive switching and footfall – in the last 12months Lidl said it drew an additional 43million shopping trips.
Looking ahead, innovation around its loyalty programme will remain a key focus for 2026, and will see Lidl “significantly increase investment” in the scheme, including a 60% rise in funding for personalised coupons and further roll out of Lidl & Go, its self-scanning service.
JD rolls out JD STATUS loyalty perks to JD Gyms
JD Sports Fashion will expand its loyalty proposition with the launch of the first JD Gyms loyalty programme as well as the introduction of third-party rewards on the existing JD STATUS platform.
The extension means customers of JD Gyms, JD’s fast-growing affordable gym offering which now has over half a million members, can now benefit from exclusive offers, discounts and cashback offers as part of their gym membership.
“We believe that gym memberships should deliver more than just a great place to train,” commented Lee Matthews, Chief Operating Officer at JD Gyms. “By bringing JD STATUS into the mix, we’re creating a proposition that goes far beyond traditional gym memberships… and a great example of how we’re continuing to invest in delivering greater value for members.”
The move aims to strengthen the connection between JD’s retail and gym brands, providing shoppers and gym-goers with value and benefits that stretch beyond the stores and gym floors.
Currys goes live on TikTok Shop
Currys has launched on TikTok Shop, offering customers new, seamless ways to discover and buy technology.
The move builds on Currys’ existing success on TikTok, with its page having already amassed 10million ‘likes’. Looking ahead, the retailer will partner with digital creators to showcase products, using videos, livestreams and content to engage new audiences alongside TikTok Live shopping events.
The TikTok Shop storefront, launched in partnership with THG Commerce, will feature a curated range of shoppable products – from health and beauty to seasonal and audio – which can be bought without leaving the app.
“Social media has become a genuine shopping destination for consumers, and we want to meet them where they are already scrolling,” Ed Connolly, Chief Commercial Officer at Currys, said.
Guest Post | Six Peak Trading trends for year-round commerce success
As the Golden Quarter gets underway, retailers are gearing up for one of their busiest trading periods of the year. But the rules of Peak Trading are rapidly shifting – from the growing influence of AI to increasingly fragmented customer journeys and the rising importance of retention.
AppsFlyer’s Elissa Brown looks at six key trends set to shape this year’s Golden Quarter – and how retailers can turn these into strategies for year-round commerce success – including:
📱 Why Peak Trading is becoming a year-round phenomenon
🔎 How more touchpoints are creating complexity & measurement challenges
🔄 Why retention & CLV will trump acquisition and conversion
Read the full guest post here 👉 Guest Post | AppsFlyers’ Elissa Brown on 6 Golden Quarter trends shaping year-round strategy.
Sainsbury’s adds SmartLists AI feature to its app
Sainsbury’s has unveiled SmartLists, a new AI-powered way to shop within the Sainsbury’s app, which helps customers plan their shops, create shopping lists, locate products in-store and manage budgets using Nectar Prices.
The new feature allows customers to create shopping lists by typing or taking a photo of what they need, which is matched to Sainsbury’s products, including Nectar Prices, with items added directly to online baskets.
In-store, an in-built Product Finder helps customers locate items, designed to make shopping easier for customers, whilst freeing colleagues’ time to focus on customer service and support.
Ben Edge, Director of Product at Sainsbury’s, said the feature would “take the effort out of creating and buying a shopping list, whether customers are typing, speaking or taking a picture of what they need.”
Boots snapped up by billionaire Weston family in a $9bn deal – Retail Rewired
Boots is snapped up by Canadian billionaires in $9bn deal
Boots has been bought up by Canadian billionaires, the Weston family, in a deal worth a reported USD $8.9billion. Expected to close in Q1 2027, the sale includes Boots’ UK&I retail operations, Boots Opticians and the No7 Beauty Company.
Retail Analyst, Richard Hyman, called the move “the most encouraging ownership of Boots for many years,” adding “Boots needs owners that will show it a bit of love, and history shows the Westons take a longer view.”
Consumer trust in the Boots brand was another cause for optimism around the acquisition. Retail Connections’ Chris Field said the deal could be a positive move for customers because “Boots has something that money cannot easily buy: generations of consumer trust. At a time when retailers are fighting harder than ever for loyalty, that is an extraordinarily valuable asset.”
“For all of our social impact and commercial success to-date, the opportunity ahead is even greater,” Alex Baldock, CEO of Boots, said. “I look forward to making the most of that opportunity and building a world class Boots for our colleagues, customers, patients and communities.”
The Very Group lifts customer revenues with AI personalisation
The Very Group has partnered with Made With Intent to enhance digital shopping journeys, curating more personalised buying experiences for its customers, powered by AI.
The new partnership will see Very use Made With Intent’s agentic decision engine to analyse over 800 behavioural signals, allowing it to predict customers’ intent in real-time. This insight will then be used to personalise what shoppers see and when content is served to that individual, from unique discounts to personalised prompts.
Sarah Hanna, Digital Director at The Very Group, said the solution would “unlock fast paced, scalable real-time personalisation” and added that just a month after going live, revenue per customer had increased by a fifth in one of its agentic strategies.
“Our agentic AI decision engine gives Very the scale that’s needed to deliver more impactful, hyper-personalised customer experiences,” David Mannheim, Founder of Made With Intent, added.
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