"Quote...unquote"

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

"This is still early days for the Whole Foods/Amazon merger. Because it has taken Amazon nearly a year to roll-out Prime benefits to in-store, the potential for the company to grow its food and beverage sales is just beginning. At just 1.8% of Amazon sales, according to eMarketer, this is the final frontier for Amazon.

As Prime members increasingly scan their mobile apps to get discounts, Amazon is collecting more data about consumers’ grocery purchase habits. This will help Amazon, not only to curate product selection in-store, but it will give them better insights into what online shoppers might buy. And, as Amazon continues to develop its private label brands, expect food and beverage products to grow." Patricia Orsini, Principal Analyst, eMarketer

“The research is clear: retail technology, such as digital signage and real-time inventory availability systems, will directly affect where consumers will shop in future. We’re seeing more retailers experiment with innovative technology and the ones who best capture its ability to enhance the customer experience will be most likely to satisfy the growing demand from younger generations. Considering these will be the highest earners and biggest spenders over the next few decades, retailers must seize the opportunity technology offers to gain their custom.” Hitachi Consulting retail specialist, Pierson Broome

“It's not that we have to change because otherwise we will not exist tomorrow, but I'm convinced that if we do not do the transformation then in the long-run we will not exist… Consumers were driving to where the stores were and picking up the goods and going home. This is changing totally. Online is impacting massively because people are ordering through phones and iPads." Ikea UK and Ireland Retail Manager Javier Quinones

"For me it's no longer just about selling products from Germany in China. I would also like to sell products in Europe. We have just got to clarify the details."JD.com Chief Executive Richard Liu

“Prime Day is clearly still an online event, despite Amazon’s attempt to integrate Whole Foods into this year’s promotions. Since those who already are regular Whole Food shoppers were the ones who benefitted from the discounts, it wasn’t driving additional footfall to bricks and mortar locations.” JoAnn Martin, Vice President, Retail Industry Strategy, North America, JDA Software

“While Poundworld cannot be blamed for the fallout of the referendum result, it is responsible for its attempt to mitigate its impact through a poorly executed multi-pricing strategy. Its rapid repositioning backfired, leaving shoppers confused about what to expect when walking into a store.

However, Poundworld is not alone as macroeconomic conditions have affected numerous retailers across the British high street this year, including household names such as New Look and Toys R Us. But for the seemingly impervious discounters, the loss of Poundworld will make it clear that the physical retail landscape is a treacherous one to all.” Thomas Brereton, Retail Analyst, GlobalData

"Apple Pay is one of the most ubiquitous forms of payments and provides users with an easy, fast and secure way to pay. Offering Apple Pay as a form of payment on eBay is the first step in providing more choice and flexibility in payment options to our tens of millions of buyers." Steve Fisher, Senior Vice President of Payments, eBay