presenting the retail technology week in numbers — Retail Technology Innovation Hub

160 million and 100…Amazon wasn’t the only game in town when it came to Prime Day savings (8th-11th July) this year. Including the likes of Argos, JD Williams, and Boots, various UK and global retailers rolled out competing promotions, hoping to ride the Prime Day wave, with many seeing success.

But did shoppers know to look beyond Amazon for deals? And do they associate mid-July with widespread savings, the way they do around Black Friday? New data from Constructire suggests the answer is: not yet.

The company analysed over 160 million search queries across more than 100 retail sites during Prime Day 2024 and 2025. The data shows:

• Amazon’s Prime Day dominance is clear. While many retailers ran competing sales, Constructor’s data shows shoppers weren’t looking for them. There was no increase in sales-related searches (such as for “sale,” “promo” or “clearance”) on non-Amazon sites during the Prime Day period this year or last.

• That’s a sharp contrast to Black Friday. Across the same set of retailers, promo related search activity jumped by 1.5x during Black Friday 2024 – signalling shopper expectations around discounts at many different stores.

• Deal hunting searches vary across categories year-round. For instance, beauty shoppers are more likely to search for “sale,” fashion shoppers look for “sale” and “clearance,” and home improvement shoppers lean on terms like “offer” and “outlet.”

7…UK listed retailers issued seven profit warnings during Q2 2025, more than double the amount recorded in the previous quarter, according to a report from EY Parthenon.

Silvia Rindone, EY Partner and UK&I Retail Lead, says: “This spike highlights both softening consumer demand and the deeper structural headwinds facing the sector. Retailers we speak to tell us that falling sales are currently indicative of a longer-term shift, with consumers becoming more value focused and less brand loyal, which leaves cost pressured retailers in a bind.”

“Despite ongoing pressures, including the rise in national insurance contributions and the national living wage, alongside tariffs, investment in technology including AI remains essential. The winners will be those who get the basics right, such as range, service, and pricing, whilst continuing to build for the future with leaner models, sharper propositions and digital resilience.” 

31…Store Computer Technology (SCT) has announced the retirement of its Managing Director, John Hogan, effective 17th July, after 31 years with the organisation.

Since opening the company in 1994, Hogan has played a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction and growth of the business, which was acquired by Vista Technology Support in 2024.

He comments: “Being part of a team, who have had the privilege of counting Ireland’s leading retail and leisure businesses as long-term customers, has been a great honour and sense of satisfaction, both to me personally and all in SCT. I would like to sincerely thank all colleagues, suppliers and customers who supported SCT over the past 30 years for their unwavering support. I believe we have ‘grown up together’ over that period.”

“Our culture of ‘customer service first’ has always been a core principle and remains so as we look forward to the next stage of the journey supporting you from within the Vista family. With professional dedicated management and a skilled support team, I know SCT will continue to deliver the highest standard of customer support services into the future.”

James Pepper CEO at Vista, comments: “It’s been an absolute privilege to have worked with John as a business partner initially and then more recently as a colleague, over the years I have observed and admired what John has achieved with his colleagues at SCT.”

1…Polytag reports that Marks & Spencer has become the first retailer to bring invisible UV tags to shelf, applying them to labels on its four-pint milk products, now available in stores across the UK. 

Once recycled by households, the bottles will enter recycling facilities where they will be scanned by Polytag’s Plastic Detection Units, with the retailer able to view live recycling data.  

Alice Rackley, CEO at Polytag, says: “Retailers and brands can no longer afford to lose sight of packaging the moment it leaves their supply chain. With EPR now in effect, we’re entering a new era where real data is not just helpful, it’s essential.”  

“By tagging products and tracking their journey through the recycling system, we’re creating a clear line of sight from shelf to sorting facility. M&S taking this first to shelf step signals not only a commitment to transparency, but a real shift in how the industry approaches responsibility. It’s a major milestone for the Ecotrace Programme and for the wider UK recycling industry.”