Clémence Le Floch: “After the Klarna card, 12-installment payments are coming to France and a mobile plan will follow” Four years after launching in France, the Swedish payment specialist Klarna claims 6.6 million end customers and 21,000 partner retailers. Clémence Le Floch, Country Manager, reviews the company’s progress in France and details the roadmap: after savings accounts, now the card, 12-installment payments and even a mobile plan. The goal is to become a daily-use neobank.
Nacera Bekhat, CNIL: “Walking through a store aisle does not mean I have consented to data processing” In 2024, complaints related to the retail sector represented 19% of all complaints received by the French Data Protection Agency (CNIL). As in-store data capture technologies multiply, powered by IoT via smart cameras or counting sensors near screens, screens, Nacera Bekhat, Head of the Digital Economy and Financial Sector at the CNIL, presents the current stakes for the retail sector.
Logan Kluth, Blue Yonder: “Very soon, we will offer warehousing features tailored to each industry” Aa Blue Yonder signed another acquisition last month with Optoro's takeover, mind Retail spoke with Logan Kluth, Product Director at Blue Yonder, which specialises in digital demand and replenishment solutions. He details the user case studies for AI in omnichannel planning, inventory management, in-store execution and order orchestration within his software.
Interview Through the VC lens Frédéric Halley, Sonorcap: “We are going to invest in a company focused on CRM and digital loyalty programmes” Retail tech put to the test. Frédéric and Guillaume Halley, respectively Venture Capital Investor and Carrefour Franchisee, launched Sonorcap, an investment fund specialising in retail technology, with a unique approach: start-up solutions are tested in real-life conditions in stores, in parallel with investment. From AI applied to after-sales service to in-store computer vision, via a future project in CRM and digital loyalty, the two brothers are building a strategy around concrete use cases and international ambitions.
Jean-Yves Gras, Colissimo: “By October 2025, we will offer photos of packages in mailboxes or at home upon delivery” Europe In an e-commerce market that is growing in volume but disrupted by the pull of out-of-home consumption, Colissimo is adopting innovative AI digital twin and package tracking technologies. The goal is to optimise delivery efficiency, reduce parcel fraud and smooth out peak loads. In an interview with mind Retail, C.E.O. Jean-Yves Gras details his tech, data and customer journey roadmap for the coming months.
Hugues Chanoine, Hygie31: “In a year, our retail media revenue jumped 25% to €1 million” Expansion of a physical network, e-commerce upgrades, developing retail media, overhaul of digital tools... With little media exposure, the Hygie31 group—which operates 1,519 pharmacies and 5 websites in 7 countries—is undergoing a major transformation of an omnichannel ecosystem. With e-commerce accounting for 3.3% of business in 2024, the M.D. of the group's digital subsidiary, Hugues Chanoine, tells mind Retail about the new projects and future ambitions.
Through the VC lens Shabir Vasram, Daphni: “We are seeing valuation anomalies in certain AI cases due to investors’ pressure” Shabir Vasram is a Partner at venture capital firm Daphni. Focusing on seed to Series A funding, Daphni backed companies such as Back Market, Stockly, Albatross and Prediko, and is rapidly expanding into retail tech. He revealed to mind Retail that investments in agentic AI will be announced soon.
Thibault Tabard, Ingka: ‘With 2 to 3 openings per year, we are aiming for 20 design studios by 2030’ As Ikea expands urban stores dedicated to project design, mind Retail wanted to understand the results. How many appointments were made last year ? What is the uplift in consumer spending ? We have an exclusive analysis from Thibault Tabard, Director of Expansion for France at Ingka, the group's first franchisee.
Interview Through the VC lens Guillaume Echaudemaison: “Seventure is investing in a retail tech company that personalises customer relations on a large scale” Europe Interviews Guillaume Echaudemaison is a Senior Investment Manager in the Digital team at venture capital firm Seventure Partners. Focusing on Series A funding, Seventure has notably supported SumUp and Talentsoft, and is rapidly expanding in the retail sector. Another investment in retail tech will soon be announced, the partner revealed to mind Retail.
Interview Reglementary Gero Furchheim, Ecommerce Europe: “The challenges posed by marketplaces, often based in Asia, are the current priority” With the General Product Safety Regulation coming into force on 13 December 2024, but with no enforcement guidelines having been published since, mind Retail spoke with Gero Furchheim, the new President of Ecommerce Europe. In an exclusive interview, he details his stance on product safety issues, customs duties, the stakeholders involved, and the technological and investment implications.
