"Quote...unquote"

This week’s choice quotes from the retail technology world…

“Cryptocurrency has traditionally been a topic of discussion for its volatility and authenticity, with several industry experts not reckoning it as an alternative to traditional payment tools. This perception is changing with a large number of merchants and consumers in the APAC region now gradually embracing it as a payment tool. Lower transaction charges compared to traditional card-based payments could make cryptocurrencies a preferred choice among merchants.

In addition, merchants can also avoid costly chargebacks as purchases through cryptocurrencies are one-way and irreversible in nature. Customers also stand to benefit from cryptocurrency transactions in the form of potential pricing benefits from merchants, higher security, and easy borderless payments. This form of payments is now becoming increasingly popular among tourists, as they don’t attract foreign exchange charges.” Sowmya Kulkarni, Payments Analyst, GlobalData

“Technology is constantly pushing the boundaries of how we shop, and customer expectations are changing fast. Successful retailers are adapting to meet these new demands, while those failing to evolve are suffering – as headlines show us. Price wars simply won’t cut it; there will always be a cheaper alternative somewhere else. The real battleground is customer experience. And our survey shows that there are huge opportunities for retailers to differentiate themselves by addressing simple pain-points like queuing.” Myles Dawson, UK Managing Director, Adyen

“Ocado is very much in execution mode now, so all that red ink shouldn't be the cause of too much alarm. Capex and revenue guidance have been maintained and the new general merchandise warehouse in South London is up running as planned.

On the downside, the rate of retail revenue growth is still tracking towards the bottom end of the 10-15% guidance range, despite the weather improving markedly during the final weeks of the reporting period. It looks like investors expecting more big partnership deals will have to be patient, with management putting a 'medium term' time horizon on extra signings.

Overall, though, this is still a relatively solid result for a company that's putting the right building blocks in place to get back in the black next year -- and stay there for many years to come.” Fiona Cincotta, Senior Market Analyst, City Index

"We will really be able to speed up the transformation, and by God we need to speed up the transformation, because the retail landscape is pretty brutal at the moment." Mothercare’s Chief Executive, Mark Newton-Jones

“It’s a lesson to learn that with social media unbelievably good deals spread like wild fire and are passed on to like-minded shoppers in seconds. Certainly, this has put Build A Bear into a tricky spot well it be their biggest disaster or greatest success - only time will tell.” Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO and Founder, Savvy Marketing

“High Street retailers increasingly focus on using their physical stores to deliver an engaging and even an exciting in-store experience: creating a feeling, not necessarily a sale. When it comes to online retailers, however, more often than not any customer browsing but not purchasing is regarded as a failure. But what if retailers reconceptualised success in e-commerce and realised that, in a hypercompetitive landscape, experience is everything?” Angel Maldonado, Founder, EmpathyBroker