River Island has migrated to the Shopify platform and deployed real-time inventory technology as part of its omnichannel transformation.

Delivered through a partnership with digital commerce consultancy Tryzens Global, the move aims to cut costs while boosting data unification and improved operational efficiency across both online and physical channels.

In a statement, River Island explained that its digital ecosystem has evolved naturally over time.

“As many retailers are realising, operating a digital commerce architecture at scale can come with increasing complexity and cost,” it explained.

The omnichannel strategy aims to enrich the customer experience while providing the commercial team with the flexibility to adapt to market changes.

Simon Pakenham-Walsh, chief information officer at River Island, said that the move will help the retailer build a “modern and more efficient digital foundation”.

Founded in 1948 by Bernard Lewis, the family-owned retailer is known for trend-driven womenswear with a global online presence and over 200 stores in the UK and Ireland.

The brand was an early digital adopter, launching its first digital store in the late 1990s.

The announcement comes after River Island revealed earlier this week that it had rolled out a new central PIM as part of its omnichannel transformation strategy.

Integrated through a partnership with software company Akeneo, the cloud solution supports unified product experiences across online, mobile and physical stores, aiming to centralise product data, improve consistency across channels, and boost customer experience.

By consolidating product data, the technology aims to improve the accuracy and consistency of the retailer’s various e-commerce and retail platforms while enriching product content with more detailed descriptions, images and features, further increasing customer engagement.

The technology will help to reduce manual data entry and errors, accelerate product launches across multiple channels, and deliver richer while producing more personalised shopping experiences.

The move comes after it was reported in July that the clothing brand was at risk of running out of funds by the end of August unless property owners and creditors approved a radical rescue plan.

During the same month, the retailer announced the closure of 33 of its 230 stores as part of a comprehensive restructuring plan, with another 71 stores still under review following discussions with landlords.

A report by consultants PwC also revealed that River Island would face a £10 million funding shortfall in the second week of September, which could rise to £50 million by the end of the year.

The company attributed its financial difficulties to “a sharp rise in the cost of doing business over the last few years” and the changing retail landscape, noting that it had “a large portfolio of stores that is no longer aligned to our customers’ needs”.

Following the news, the retailer announced in August that more than 200 jobs would be cut at its headquarters in 2025

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