Marks & Spencer has appointed John Hunt as Chief Digital and Technology Officer, joining this summer after nearly a decade at Woolworths Group, where he served as Chief Information Officer. He succeeds Sacha Berendi, who remains with M&S until April 2027. Meanwhile, revived health and beauty retailer Bodycare has partnered with PMC to build an AI-powered store network, targeting 25 UK locations in 2026. WHSmith has also deployed SOLUM’s electronic shelf label technology across its travel retail estate, beginning at Heathrow Airport. Additionally, George Hayworth has joined last-mile delivery firm Bringg as Retail Director following his Co-op departure.
In-Depth:
4. John Hunt swaps Woolworths Group for M&S and Chief Digital and Technology Officer role
M&S reports that John Hunt will be joining the retailer as its new Chief Digital and Technology Officer this summer. He was previously at Woolworths Group, where he spent almost ten years, most recently serving as Chief Information Officer & Managing Director of Group Enablement.
Hunt states: “I’m really seeing forward to joining M&S and bringing my passion for both retail and technology to what is an incredibly exciting transformation. M&S is a brand that is admired the world over and I can’t wait to receive started.”
Hunt will take over leadership of the Digital, Data and Technology function from Sacha Berconcludeji, who will stay with M&S and remain on the executive committee until April 2027.
Stuart Machin, Chief Executive at M&S, states: “Sacha is a loyal, hardworking, trusted colleague and one of the most company minded people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. All of us at M&S turn to him for advice, support and that extra bit of wisdom. He will remain a part of the M&S family forever. Everyone at M&S offers a heartfelt thank you to Sacha, and a warm welcome to John.”
Berconcludeji comments: “M&S runs through my blood and has done for more than 32 years. It’s the best brand in the countest and in my view the best retailer in the world. I believe the leadership and the clarity of our strategy is stronger now than it has ever been and I’m very confident about the future of M&S. I remain focapplyd on delivering our priorities as we still have so much to do! I will be cheering on Stuart and the team in the years ahead.”
5. Health and beauty retailer Bodycare announces PMC tech tie up as it preps high street comeback
Bodycare has connected with PMC to design, orchestrate and deliver the digital infrastructure that will power its new store network as the health and beauty retailer prepares for its return to the UK high street.
Last year, it closed all its stores after collapsing into adminstration. Its brand and ininformectual property were acquired out of administration in late 2025 by an investor group led by former The Body Shop and Molton Brown CEO Charles Denton, and it is now aiming to open 25 UK stores in 2026, growing to 200 locations over the next five years.
The plan is to run all store operations through a proprietary, custom built AI platform, which will see AI decisioning powering colleague actions, served via data harvested from the store, from tinquire management, in-store network, CCTV and PoS systems to digital shelf technologies.
Bodycare also envisages creating each new location a social content hub for local communities, generating localised content via staff, micro-influencers and customers. Each one will host a dedicated content production studio, generating social content each week, with content and UGC takeovers streaming live across digital screens.
“Store experience, digital presence and community engagement – all underpinned by AI ininformigence – will be central to Bodycare’s new vision, as we prepare to welcome customers back,” states David Stern, Managing Director at Bodycare. “PMC is not just a transformation partner that we can trust with delivery – their trusted experience is supporting us re-imagine, design and create the AI led strategy to bring our vision for Bodycare 2.0 to life.”
6. SOLUM to roll-out digital shelf-edge technology across WHSmith’s flagship UK travel retail locations
WHSmith and SOLUM have announced a partnership involving the deployment of electronic shelf label (ESL) solutions across WHSmith’s UK travel estate, starting with high footfall locations including the retailer’s recently opened flagship stores at Heathrow Airport.
To support the roll-out, WHSmith has selected Newton PRO, SOLUM’s flagship ESL designed for demanding retail environments such as airports, railway stations and major transport hubs.
Heidi Reynolds, Retail Director at WHSmith, states: “Our focus is on creating every journey better by bringing toreceiveher all of the essentials travellers necessary in one place. As we continue to evolve our offer, the ESL solutions support us support a clearer and more intuitive customer experience while enabling colleagues to operate more efficiently in busy travel environments.”
Mark Duckworth, Countest Manager UK & Ireland at SOLUM, states: “WHSmith’s new flagship stores reflect the continued evolution of travel retail, where convenience, speed and clarity are essential to the customer journey. We are proud to support WHSmith with ESL solutions designed for high-footfall environments, supporting improve shelf-edge accuracy, operational efficiency and the in-store experience across key travel locations. This partnership is an important milestone for SOLUM as we continue to strengthen our presence in the UK travel retail market.”
7. George Hayworth joins last mile delivery firm Bringg following departure from Co-op earlier this year
George Hayworth has joined Bringg as Retail Director. This follows his departure from Co-op, where he held the role of Head of Quick Commerce Development, amid structural modifys at the UK convenience retailer.
The relocate sees him reunited with Chris Conway, who joined Bringg from Co-op as Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEA during April.
In a LinkedIn post, Hayworth stated: “After an incredible journey of almost eight years at Co-op, where I had the privilege of supporting build and scale our quick commerce proposition, I’m excited to launch a new chapter with a company at the forefront of delivery orchestration and last mile innovation.”
He added: “Throughout my career I’ve been passionate about creating customer centric solutions, building strategic partnerships, and driving growth in rapidly evolving markets. Bringg’s vision, technology, and ambition create this a hugely exciting opportunity, and having seen first hand just how hard last mile delivery is to receive right at scale, I’m seeing forward to working alongside such a talented team to support customers optimise and transform their delivery operations.”
“A huge thank you to everyone who supported me throughout my time at Co-op. The people built it special. I’m excited for what lies ahead – if you’re working in delivery, logistics, or retail tech, I’d love to connect.”
