The retail technology week in numbers

1,000…Pret a Manger says that, by using Maxoptra’s software and mobile app, it has been able to deliver an additional 1,000 free meals to vulnerable and homeless people across London

16…Spanish startup Nextail has been selected alongside 15 other companies for Lafayette Plug and Play’s sixth technology accelerator.

86% of Brits are Amazon users/shoppers, according to research by Mintel involving 2,000 people.

89%…New research from Divido highlights a huge disconnect between UK retailers and consumers.

Its study of 201 retailers (who post over £5 million in revenue) follows recent research of 2,000 Brits. 89% of retailers, meanwhile, believe that social media is an influential platform for their audiences when it comes to making high-value (£250+) purchasing decisions. Yet only 6% of Brits said social media influences them, admitting they are swayed more by advice from family and friends (69%), their loyalty to a brand (67%) and payment options available (60%).

29%…Just 29% of UK consumers would like to see leading online brands such as Amazon and Asos establish a presence on the High Street, according to research by HSO.

40.4%…For the first time, UK shoppers have spent more money through their smartphones when accessing UK retail sites than either desktop or tablet, according to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index.

In Q4 2018/19, the share of sales revenue spent through smartphone devices was 40.4%, with desktop securing 39.7% and tablet 19.9%. A further milestone was reached in December, where smartphones accounted for over 70% of mobile device sales for the first time (the other 30% was spent through tablets).

2…Virtualstock has announced two new client wins.

10 million…Alibaba has partnered with Office Depot on a co-branded e-commerce site, targeting small and medium businesses in US.

The Chinese e-commerce giant can connect with Office Depot’s 10 million customers and 1,800 sales agents. It will also be able to tap Office Depot’s distribution network that offers next day delivery Stateside. The latter’s customers, meanwhile, get access to Alibaba’s global network of over 150,000 suppliers.

230…Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions is to install 230 of its recently launched T10 Point of Sale system within 188 Cines Unidos locations in Venezuela.

51…Skincare company, Aesop, is upgrading its global PoS systems in partnership with Cegid.

It rolled out a new solution, Cegid Shopping, at 51 Australian and New Zealand signature stores and department store counters over a six-week period earlier this year. The project is now set to continue in Asia in the near future.

142…Kroger has had it up to here with Visa’s excessive transaction fees.

Its Smith’s Food & Drug Stores will join Foods Co. Supermarkets brand in not accepting Visa credit cards as a form of payment, beginning 3rd April. That means the boycott now extends to 142 supermarket and 108 fuel centre locations across seven US states.

$100 million….GSR Capital and Makara Capital are set to co-lead an investment of up to $100 million in tZERO, US online retailer Overstock's crypto offshoot.