Archives 2026

Key Takeaways:

• Galeries Lafayette achieved a 7% total revenue increase and an 8% rise in average basket value by replatforming its legacy search and recommendation stack with Google Vertex AI Search for Commerce and Grid Dynamics’ proprietary Merchandising Experience Platform (MXP).
• The solution successfully modernized a complex catalog of over 600,000 products—including 350,000 from third-party marketplaces—contributing to a 20% year-over-year increase in online sales.
• This successful program showcases Grid Dynamics’ expertise in bridging the gap between advanced AI models and measurable retail profitability for global enterprises.

Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GDYN) (“Grid Dynamics”), a premier AI transformation partner for the Fortune 1000, today announced the successful deployment of a hyper-personalized digital shopping experience for Galeries Lafayette, the iconic French department store. By integrating Google Vertex AI Search for Commerce with the proprietary Grid Dynamics Merchandising Experience Platform (MXP), the retailer has modernized its search, navigation, and recommendation engines across its web, client, and seller applications.

The initiative addressed significant challenges posed by a legacy search stack that struggled to manage a vast catalog of 600,000 products, including 350,000 from third-party marketplaces. This complexity often led to poor search relevance and high manual workloads for merchandising teams. The new platform provides a tailor-made experience for each visitor, leveraging real-time data ingestion to ensure accurate product availability and pricing. During peak commercial operations, the platform maintained rock-solid stability, achieving:

• 7% total revenue increase
• 8% rise in average basket value
• 20% year-over-year increase in online sales
• Measurable gains in search conversion, recommendation-driven revenue, and merchandising efficiency.

“The tests conducted this summer demonstrated significant benefits on all of our business and product KPIs, confirming the relevance of this technological choice for our hyper-personalization strategy,” said Lucas Serralta, Chief Product Officer at Galeries Lafayette. “Beyond this deployment, this platform paves the way for many innovations, such as the development of intelligent agents capable of enhancing the online and in-store shopping experience.”

“Our work with Galeries Lafayette is a marquee example of how we bridge the gap between sophisticated AI models and real-world retail profitability,” said Yury Gryzlov, COO and Head of Europe at Grid Dynamics. “By combining Google’s powerful search capabilities with our MXP’s precise merchandising controls, we’ve empowered one of the world’s most iconic brands to turn complex data into seamless, high-conversion customer journeys at scale.”

Watch a video case study on this collaboration to learn how Grid Dynamics drives measurable enterprise value through AI-powered search and merchandising solutions.

About Grid Dynamics

Grid Dynamics (Nasdaq: GDYN) is a premier AI transformation partner for the Fortune 1000. We combine deep AI expertise with proven enterprise-scale delivery to help clients identify where to invest in AI, build systems that work at scale, and capture real business value from AI deployments. A key differentiator for Grid Dynamics is our almost a decade of leadership in enterprise AI. Founded in 2006, Grid Dynamics is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices across the Americas, Europe, and India.

To learn more about Grid Dynamics, please visit https://www.griddynamics.com. Follow us on LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of Grid Dynamics to differ materially from those expected and projected. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words “believes,” “estimates,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “may,” “will,” “potential,” “projects,” “predicts,” “continue,” or “should,” or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, quotations and statements regarding the expected benefits of our capabilities and our company’s future growth including with customers, our collaboration with Galeries Lafayette, and Google Cloud.

These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside Grid Dynamics’ control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to our ability to achieve its expected benefits, as well as any factors limiting our capabilities, the benefits of our services and products, and our company’s growth strategy.

Grid Dynamics cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Grid Dynamics cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Grid Dynamics does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Further information about factors that could materially affect Grid Dynamics, including its results of operations and financial condition, is set forth under the “Risk Factors” section of Grid Dynamics’ annual report on Form 10-K filed March 5, 2026, and in other periodic filings Grid Dynamics makes with the SEC.

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Barnes Molding Solutions is now SPECTRIX. The new Brand offers the full Spectrum of injection molding capabilities delivered by its leading brands – Männer, Foboha, Synventive, Priamus, Thermoplay, and Gammaflux. The change, announced at Chinaplas 2026, reflects the integration of core technologies within a single organization: part design, material science, hot runner and mold technology, sensors & controls and injection molding. Day-to-day operations remain unchanged, including contacts, contracts, and processes.

Focused on global growth
Under President Marcello Vendemiati, SPECTRIX is strengthening its global market focus and expanding its footprint. This strategy is already visible with the opening of a new manufacturing facility in Pune, India. Another production site near Detroit, USA, is set to open soon.

The name SPECTRIX combines “spectrum” and “plastics,” while reflecting the company’s core strengths: expertise, experience, and excellence. Its tagline, “Enduring Advantage, Engineered,” underscores the goal: delivering sustainable customer value along the full value chain by advanced engineering.

Expanded manufacturing services
SPECTRIX offers OEMs and high-volume manufacturers a fully integrated, end-to-end value chain from part design to global injection molding production. For highly complex applications, the company now also provides access to its own manufacturing capacity. This allows customers to leverage advanced technologies such as cube molds as production solutions under one roof.

New name, strong commitment
Previously part of the Barnes Group, the Molding Solutions business has been repositioned following Apollo’s reorganization into separate aerospace and industrial segments. The former Molding Solutions group now operates as SPECTRIX within the industrial segment. Dedicated leadership and structures enable greater flexibility and customer-specific value creation.

“While our name and identity are changing to SPECTRIX, our commitment remains the same: precision, reliability, and sustainable performance,” said Marcello Vendemiati, President of SPECTRIX.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260420154984/en/

Inspirit Capital, a specialist investor in corporate carve-outs, is pleased to announce its plans to acquire KLG Kaplan Languages Group (“KLG”), a leading global language education platform, from Kaplan. All conditions for the sale have been met, and completion is due to take place on 1 May.

KLG comprises Kaplan International Languages, Alpadia Language Schools, Azurlingua, and ESL Education. Since 2006, KLG has provided high-quality language education, supporting students in achieving their language goals through academic excellence, cultural immersion, and life-changing experiences.

Inspirit Capital will support KLG in delivering on its ambitious growth plans, whilst continuing its fundamental mission to transform lives through language education. This next phase of ownership will also see the development of a refreshed standalone brand identity for KLG, with further announcements to follow on this in due course.

Paul Youens, Investment Director, Inspirit Capital:

“KLG has built a strong set of trusted brands over more than 20 years, helping students transform their lives through language and cultural immersion. We are focused on giving the business the support and independence it needs to build on that foundation. Students, families and agents can expect continuity and consistency – the same high-quality schools, experienced teams and strong standards of education, safety and student care – alongside the continued delivery of established programmes and support services.”

David Jones, CEO, Kaplan International:

“For decades our schools have been welcoming students from all corners of the world. Over that time, they have established a reputation for first-class academic standards and excellence in pastoral care. Our highly experienced management team will undoubtedly continue this tradition, and I wish them every success for the future.”

About Kaplan Languages Group

Since 2006, KLG has provided the highest quality language education and cultural immersion experiences. Kaplan International Languages, Alpadia Language Schools, and Azurlingua operate more than 20 language schools in eight countries, delivering professional, academic and language travel programmes in English, French and German. ESL Education, the language travel agency, maintains a portfolio of 200+ partner destinations worldwide for learning 17 languages. KLG’s students range in age from juniors through to mature 50+ and come from 140 countries. For more information, visit KLG here.

About Kaplan

Kaplan, Inc. is a global education company that helps individuals and institutions advance their goals in an ever-changing world. The broad portfolio of solutions helps students and professionals further their education and careers, universities and educational institutions attract and support students, and businesses maximize employee recruitment, retention, and development. Stanley Kaplan founded the company in 1938 with a mission to expand educational opportunities for students of all backgrounds. Today, Kaplan has thousands of employees working in 40 countries/regions, continuing Stanley’s mission as they serve about 1.2 million students and professionals, 16,000 corporate clients, and 2,700 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities worldwide. Kaplan is a subsidiary of the Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC). Learn more at kaplan.com.

About Inspirit Capital

Inspirit Capital is a London-based investment firm specialising in corporate carve-outs, acquiring businesses that are no longer core to their parent company’s strategic objectives and would benefit from a different ownership structure.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260420360576/en/

As demand for second homes and parallel living continues to rise among High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Auramah Valley, developed by Imperial Realty and Developments under the leadership of Imperial Holding Group Chairman Mr. Manavinder Singh, is emerging as a defining project in India’s luxury real estate landscape.

Auramah Valley is owned and led by Mr. Manavinder Singh, who is actively involved in the project from the ground level, from construction planning and quality control to design detailing and client interaction ensuring a structured, high-quality, and reliable development experience.

Addressing a Growing Need for Parallel Living

Evolving lifestyles and increasing urban pressures have significantly influenced how people view real estate today. Beyond a primary residence, there is a growing demand for a parallel home; a space that offers peace, privacy, and a meaningful escape from city life.

 Increasing congestion, pollution, constant noise, limited personal space, long working hours, and the mental fatigue of fast-paced urban environments are driving individuals to seek a calmer, healthier, and more balanced way of living. This shift has positioned second homes not just as investments, but as lifestyle decisions.

At the same time, there is a noticeable trend of investors choosing India over overseas markets. Regulatory complexities abroad, distance from family, limited usability, and a lack of emotional connection are encouraging buyers to invest closer to home. India offers familiarity, cultural belonging, and long-term growth potential, making it a preferred destination for luxury second home investments.

What is Auramah Valley

Located in Himachal Pradesh and surrounded by over 100 acres of pine forests, Auramah Valley has been designed as a private residential community that blends natural surroundings with modern luxury.

The project offers a range of residences, including 2 BHK, 3 BHK, 4 BHK, and 5 BHK homes, catering to diverse lifestyle needs while maintaining a consistent standard of luxury.

Auramah Valley offers freehold ownership and is a RERA-approved project, ensuring transparency, legal clarity, and long-term confidence for buyers.

How Auramah Valley is Redefining Mountain Living

Auramah Valley is built around five key parameters of luxury living:

• Privacy: A secure and exclusive residential environment
• Quality: Strong focus on construction standards and long-term durability
• Environment: Homes surrounded by pristine pine forests and clean air
• Service: 24/7/365 maintenance, housekeeping, security, and lifestyle support
• Community: Like-minded residents with shared values and global exposure

The development is designed as a fully managed ecosystem where residents do not have to worry about property upkeep, even in their absence. Homes are maintained, serviced, and ready for use at all times.

In addition, Auramah Valley integrates hospitality and lifestyle experiences, including a boutique hotel (The Manor, Naldehra) and club, offering wellness, dining, and recreational facilities, creating a complete living environment rather than just a real estate offering.

Leadership Perspective

 “Auramah Valley is not just about building homes,” said Mr. Manavinder Singh, Chairman of Imperial Holding Group. “It is about creating a lifestyle where people can step away from the pressures of city life and experience a more balanced, refined way of living. Every aspect of the project is designed to deliver long-term value, comfort, and peace of mind.”

A New Benchmark in Himalayan Real Estate

For buyers exploring second homes or a parallel home in the mountains, Auramah Valley represents more than just ownership. It reflects leadership, vision, and a long-term commitment to quality.

Backed by a group positioned among the leading developers in the Himalayas, Auramah Valley reflects a benchmark-setting approach to mountain living in India.

To learn more about Auramah Valley or to schedule a site visit, please visit:

https://auramahvalley.com

Loylty Rewardz, a leading provider of customer engagement and loyalty solutions, today announced it has successfully achieved the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) v4.0.1 certification following a highly rigorous auditing process conducted by QRC Assurance and Solutions. Loylty Rewardz is the first loyalty management company in India to be officially PCI DSS certified and this milestone reinforces its commitment to safeguarding payment data with the highest global standards.

In a fast-evolving payments landscape, protecting card data is not optional. The PCI DSS, issued by the PCI Security Standards Council, provides a strict baseline of technical and operational requirements. The comprehensive engagement required Loylty Rewardz to undergo deep-level audits of its technical and operational frameworks. To achieve this milestone, the company had to successfully demonstrate a resilient payment security environment through advanced access management, continuous monitoring, meticulous logging, and highly secure system configurations.

”Security isn’t just a milestone for us; it’s a standard we want to operate by,” said Amresh Acharya, Managing Director & CEO of Loylty Rewardz. “For an organization that processes data daily, undergoing this rigorous certification process isn’t just about compliance. It’s about building trust among our stakeholders with every transaction, every reward, and every experience. With evolving cyber threats, our focus remains constant: stronger controls, sharper monitoring, and systems designed to stay ahead.”

Issued by the PCI Security Standards Council, the PCI DSS mandates a strict baseline of protective measures for any entity that processes, stores, or transmits payment card data. The exhaustive and robust audit process to achieve this certification confirms that Loylty Rewardz has moved beyond reactive security measures to a deeply preventive control framework around all of its payment operations.

The successful completion of this rigorous audit was the result of focused execution and clear ownership by the Loylty Rewardz Information Security team, working in close collaboration with Qualified Security Assessors (QSA) from QRC Assurance and Solutions (QRC).

“In any payment ecosystem, protecting cardholder data is a fundamental responsibility, not a choice,” said Vamsi Krishna M., Founder and CEO of QRC Assurance and Solutions. “Effective payment security goes beyond implementing controls—it requires demonstrable evidence that controls are properly designed, consistently operating, and continuously monitored. This certification reflects Loylty Rewardz’s disciplined approach and commitment to safeguarding sensitive payment information.”

By successfully navigating this stringent certification process, Loylty Rewardz assures its banking partners, retail brands, and millions of end-users that their data is processed within a heavily fortified, continuously monitored, and globally certified environment.

Bringg, the last-mile performance leader, today announced Chris Conway’s appointment as Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEA. Conway will lead Bringg’s commercial strategy, customer relationships, and go-to-market operations across the region.

Conway brings more than 20 years of experience in eCommerce, digital commerce, and operational transformation at three of the UK’s largest grocery retailers. Most recently, he served as Managing Director of Quick Commerce and Food Operating Board Member at Co-op, where he built and scaled a £500 million-plus q-commerce operation delivering from nearly 2,000 stores. He also founded Peckish, a rapid delivery app that gave independent retailers access to q-commerce technology. He also led Asda’s online grocery business to more than £1 billion in revenue and 20% market share, and ran the online commercial team at Morrisons. Conway holds an AI certificate from Oxford Saïd Business School.

“Chris built one of the UK’s most successful delivery operations as a Bringg customer and decided to come over and build it for others,” said Guy Bloch, CEO of Bringg. “EMEA retailers are making increasingly complex delivery decisions, and Bringg is building AI capabilities that help them get those decisions right. Chris knows what that looks like from the operator’s seat. That firsthand experience is exactly what the market needs to scale their last-mile capabilities.”

In his new role, Conway will drive executive engagement with European retailers and logistics leaders, position Bringg as the definitive last-mile performance solution, and convert relationships into structured pilot engagements.

“On the retail side, I spent years trying to make last-mile delivery a competitive advantage rather than a cost,” said Conway. “I know what it takes because I lived it. I’ve also seen how Bringg does it—starting from deep understanding of customers’ problems and using automation and AI to improve last-mile performance. That’s the conversation I want to have with the market.”

About Bringg

Global retailers and logistics providers reduce costs and deliver differentiated customer experiences with Bringg Last-Mile Solutions. The combination of Bringg’s modular technology platform, integrated fleet network, and services suite drives last-mile performance to unlock flexibility at scale. www.bringg.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260420870902/en/