Business & Technology
Provenance appoints AI advisory board for retail shift
SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
Provenance has appointed a Strategic Advisory Board as AI-driven product search and recommendation gain influence in online retail.
The London-based company said the board will support its next phase of growth, advising on product strategy, enterprise partnerships and its approach to verified product data in digital commerce.
Members include Dr Orlando Machado, an independent non-executive director and AI adviser who previously served as Chief Data Officer at The LEGO Group and held leadership roles at Aviva and MoneySuperMarket. Also joining are Colleen Kerr, who leads the AI Economy Institute within Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab; Geert Eichhorn, Executive Innovation Director at Monks; and Brock Simon, Partner at Bain & Company.
Provenance works with brands and retailers to validate product claims and turn them into structured data for use by consumers and AI systems. Its clients include Holland & Barrett, Unilever, Estée Lauder, THG and Ocado.
The appointment reflects a wider shift in retail discovery as consumers increasingly use AI tools to evaluate products. Adobe Digital Insights found that traffic from AI sources to retail sites rose 393% year on year in the first quarter of 2026.
That shift is changing the role of product information. Details such as sustainability claims, ingredient benefits and sourcing statements often remain buried in marketing copy rather than presented as structured data that machine systems can read consistently.
Data focus
Chief Executive Officer Sarah Arana-Morton set out Provenance’s view of the shift in online commerce.
“AI is rapidly becoming the primary lens through which consumers discover products. As that shift happens, the data that sits behind products – what they contain, where they come from and what claims can be verified – becomes critical infrastructure.”
“Our advisory board brings together leaders who understand how AI, enterprise transformation and global brands intersect. Their experience will help guide Provenance as we build the independent proof layer for the next generation of digital commerce.” Arana-Morton said.
Provenance argues that retailers and brands face a new challenge as AI systems mediate more product searches and recommendations. In that environment, consistent, verified product information becomes more important for visibility in search results and recommendations.
Eichhorn said the shift could extend beyond search interfaces to AI systems making decisions on behalf of consumers.
“The next battleground in commerce isn’t just AI-powered search – it’s agents making purchasing decisions on consumers’ behalf, filtering by values, price and trust without the consumer actively choosing in the moment. For brands, that changes everything. Your product data will determine whether an agent recommends you or passes you over. Provenance is building the infrastructure that makes verified claims legible to those systems.” Eichhorn said.
Trust issues
Machado pointed to a longstanding issue in large organisations, where the same product may be described differently across channels, regions and internal systems.
“One of the biggest challenges organisations face is not access to data, but consistency and trust in the underlying information. The same product can be described differently across channels, regions and systems, making it difficult to scale reliably and even harder to build consumer trust. As AI becomes more deeply embedded into commerce and decision-making, those weaknesses become far more visible. Models trained on inconsistent or unverified claims will inevitably produce inconsistent results. What Provenance is working on is fundamentally important: improving the quality, structure and credibility of the information that AI systems – and consumers – increasingly rely on.” Machado said.
Simon framed the issue as a commercial one for brands that have spent years refining conventional search marketing.
“Brands have spent years optimising for search. The ones thinking ahead are already asking a different question: how do we show up when an AI is making the recommendation, not a consumer typing a query? That requires a different kind of investment – in the credibility and structure of your underlying product data, not just your content strategy. That’s the commercial case Provenance is making, and it’s the right moment to be making it.” Simon said.
More than 370 retailers and brands use Provenance’s services, according to the company. Its backers include S4S Ventures, Fiftyfive Capital, Working Capital Fund, Digital Currency Group, The Brandtech Group and Alumni Ventures.
The board brings together expertise in AI, public policy, digital marketing and corporate transformation as retailers and consumer goods groups reassess how product data is managed and presented to machine-led systems.
The company behind bikemaker Raleigh, which was founded 139 years ago and has supplied bikes to the UK’s cycling city of Oxford over the years, has filed to appoint administrators.
Accell UK and Ireland, part of Netherlands-based Accell Group, filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators as the wider group kickstarted insolvency proceedings.
This follows a difficult spell for Nottinghamshire-based Raleigh, which confirmed job cuts in 2024 before reporting a £30m loss in financial accounts published the following year.
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The boss of Accell said it was a “deeply sad and frustrating situation” and that it had “tirelessly explored” every option for the future of the cycling business.
The company bought Raleigh in 2012 for around 100 million US dollars (£74 million), adding to its roster of bike brands throughout Europe including Haibike, Winora and Ghost.
Raleigh was founded in Nottingham in 1887 and was well-known for its Chopper model, which featured extended handlebars and is now part of its “retro” range.
It no longer manufactures bikes from Nottingham, and its head office has moved to Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, while the company has shifted to selling electric bikes under Accell’s ownership.
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Accell went through a restructuring in February, securing additional funding from shareholders and lenders and reducing debts.
The group said it had since “explored every possible avenue” for its future, including discussions with potential buyers, but that it had not been possible to find a solution which means the business can continue operating.
It has therefore initiated insolvency proceedings in the Netherlands.
Accell’s chief executive Jonas Nilsson said: “This is a deeply sad and frustrating situation given all the hard work and everything we have achieved, with the support of shareholders and lenders, to restructure Accell’s operations and finances.
“It is an especially difficult moment for our employees, creditors, customers, suppliers, and partners.
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“Every realistic option for the future of the business has been tirelessly explored, and none have resulted in a solution to continue the Group in its current form.
“Our immediate focus is to support an orderly process, provide clarity wherever possible, and work with the relevant court-appointed administrators to preserve viable activities and employment where circumstances allow.”
At its 1970s height, Raleigh employed more than 13,000 people across the UK, with around 8,000 working at its various Triumph Road sites in Nottingham.
The former factory land later became the University of Nottingham’s Jubilee Campus.
Raleigh subsequently moved its headquarters to Church Street in Eastwood, before leaving that site and relocating to Durban House in 2024.
Celebrating both GCSE and A-Level Results Days, the chain will offer the popular dish to students who buy one of its bubble teas.
The free offer is available at all 42 Rosa’s Thai restaurants across England and Wales.
To avail of the free noodles, students need to register on Rosa’s Thai website for a unique code, which they should present at the restaurant together with a copy of their results.
Rosa’s Thai has a new range of bubble tea flavours, including Ube-Taro, Matcha-Coconut, Mango Sticky Rice, and Milo Chocolate Milk, as well as favourites like Home-brewed Thai Tea with Tapioca, and Lychee Mango with mango boba.
Students can sign up for their free Pad Thai at rosasthai.com/result-day-free-pad-thai and find their nearest restaurant at rosasthai.com/locations.
The London Mint Office, which distributes commemorative coins and medals, appointed administrators on July 31 after 20 years in business.
The company’s website now displays a message confirming the appointment of Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP as joint administrators.
A spokesman for Alvarez and Marsal said: “On July 31 2026, Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of The London Mint Office Limited in administration (the “Company”).
“Regrettably, the Company’s liquidity challenges have led to a number of immediate redundancies. We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.
What Happens When a Company Goes Into Administration?
“The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.”
The announcement confirms that it is no longer possible to purchase coins or medals through the company’s website.
The London Mint Office operates a distribution centre in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it employs a significant number of people.
Administration is a formal insolvency process triggered when a business cannot meet its financial obligations.
An insolvency practitioner is appointed to manage the company’s affairs and may attempt to restructure the business or sell off assets to repay creditors.
What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?
Founded in 2006, The London Mint Office describes itself as “one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of historic, commemorative, and collector coins.”
It is part of Samlerhuset AS, a Norwegian company based near Oslo and one of Europe’s largest distributors of commemorative coins and medals.
Samlerhuset’s website states that it offers “provide a wide range of coins from ancient to modern, originating from virtually every country in the world.”
The London Mint Office has advised anyone with an interest in the company’s assets to contact the administrators at INS_THLMOL@alvarezandmarsal.com.
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