our most read retail technology articles from last week — Retail Technology Innovation Hub

lululemon opens largest flagship store in EMEA to date as Regent Street, London location sees double

Performance apparel, footwear, and accessories brand, lululemon, is relocating its London Regent Street flagship store to a bigger space, making it the company’s largest store in EMEA.

The new location is double the size of the previous one, with 8,923 sq ft of retail space. It will house lululemon’s men’s and women’s clothing and accessories for yoga, running, training, and everything in-between.

Unique features include lululemon’s biggest pant wall in Europe, its largest assortment of menswear in EMEA, and elements of its newest store design concept. There will also be a water bottle personalisation station and a staircase light feature, which changes tones depending on time of day.

“We’re so excited to open the doors to our biggest store in EMEA”, says Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President, lululemon EMEA. “Regent Street is one of the most important shopping destinations in the world, and 11 years after opening our first store in London we’re delighted to welcome our community to our newest flagship store.”

“With double the space of our previous location, our guests will be able to discover our all gender offering for yoga, run, training, casual, localised product and more, across two incredible floors showcasing our latest beautiful store design. lululemon has seen significant International growth in recent years – we have ambitions to quadruple International sales from 2021-2026 – and this London flagship store will be a must visit destination for both our local and international guests at an exciting time in our EMEA expansion.”  

Fifth Walmart No Boundaries drop on Zepeto with real-world versions of items shoppable without leaving platform

Walmart has announced its fifth No Boundaries drop on Zepeto, featuring ten new virtual items, inspired by the Spring No Boundaries collection.

As with previous drops, the real-world versions of these items are shoppable without leaving the Korean metaverse platform. Every purchase includes a free virtual twin of the item.

In a LinkedIn post, Justin Breton, Head of Brand Marketing Innovation at Walmart, said: “If you’re going to activate on an emerging platform: Do it right, by listening to the community; Do it well, by testing, learning, and optimising; Do it often, with consistent, fresh updates.”

“That’s exactly how we’ve approached our No Boundaries activations on Zepeto. And today, we’re marking a milestone: our fifth drop, featuring ten new virtual items, all inspired by our Spring No Boundaries collection. Why are these items just tops? Because that’s what the community asked for. And we listened to them.”

He added: “To make this drop even more engaging, we’ve also added a new photobooth backdrop, giving users more ways to create and share their No Boundaries looks. We believe the future of fashion is community driven, immersive, and borderless. And we’re just getting started.”

Superdry explores the world of AI and discusses how the retailer can leverage it to shape its future

Superdry has hosted an AI Lunch & Learn session at its HQ, led by the retailer’s Technology Director, Dafydd Moore, where it introduced colleagues to what AI truly means for humans, society, and the business.

In a LinkedIn post, Superdry said: “We explored the world of artificial intelligence – its impact on the economy and retail, and how we, at Superdry can leverage it to shape our future.”

“Why is this important for Superdry? Technology is a strategic enabler in achieving our business goals. It is essential for us to stay informed and embrace change to adapt, evolve, and thrive in a technology driven retail landscape.”

Key takeaways from the session as follows:

We cannot slow down technology, but we can learn how to utilise it effectively.

AI may seem intimidating, and concerns like “What about my job?” are common. However, remember that AI is not conscious – we are.

Humans will always play a crucial role. Developing a growth mindset is vital for thinking differently about our future.