The retail technology week in numbers
37%…Walmart is now a major competitive force in e-commerce and is capable of capturing shopper share from Amazon and others, according to Neil Saunders, Managing Director at GlobalData Retail.
Saunders was speaking as Walmart reported better-than-expected earnings during the first quarter, with e-commerce sales in the US up 37%, driven by strong growth in online grocery and its home and fashion categories on Walmart.com.
£33.2 billion…UK mobile retail spend will double in the next five years to reach £33.2 billion, according to GlobalData.
£102 billion…Retailers are losing up to £102 billion because of poor customer experiences, according to research from Adyen involving 811 UK consumers and 95 senior decision makers.
1,000…Last year, we reported that Waitrose was trying out a service allowing drivers to let themselves into customers’ homes while they are out and put their groceries away.
The retailer initially tested demand for the While You’re Away offering with 100 customers located within the delivery area of its dotcom fulfilment centre in Coulsdon, south London. And it is now opening the trial up to more than 1,000 people “due to excellent customer feedback”.
£12 billion…The GMB union has called for an urgent meeting with Walmart over a possible Asda £12 billion stock market float.
3…Marks & Spencer and Founders Factory have announced a third startup to enter their retail accelerator programme under joint venture, Founders Factory Retail. Take a bow Texel, which lines up alongside ChargedUp, a mobile phone battery sharing solution and Rocketo, a healthy subscription dog food service.
26% of UK retailers have seen an increase in the volume of goods being returned over the last two years, according to research from Barclaycard.
$35…Walmart is to offer free next day delivery on its online store with orders over $35.
5…Astound Commerce has launched five new e-commerce sites for Cotton Traders, with a focus on increased personalisation and a speedier checkout process.
660…A.S. Watson has switched on its Watsons One Pass loyalty offering in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
This means that loyalty club members now only need to use one card when travelling to other Asian countries. A.S. Watson Group is currently operating Watsons stores in all 11 cities in the Greater Bay Area. One Pass will launch in over 660 stores in the region, and plans are afoot to expand to other Asian markets including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan and Indonesia.
£100,000…Transport for London (TfL) has launched a competition which aims to find an innovative and technological concept that will reimagine the use of physical retail space and deliver a unique experience for those who travel via its network.
The winner will pilot and test out their concept, with TfL providing retail space on its estate for a year (valued up to £100,000).
20…Shop Direct has launched a ‘customer closeness’ centre at its Liverpool head office.
A team of 20 advisors work in four-week cycles, the first two of which are spent dealing directly with customer queries via the phone and web chat. The insight and data gathered are used to re-write processes and test new technology in the second two weeks. Monthly external open days, meanwhile, will bring in retailers and other consumer brands.
4…UK town centre vacancy rates rose to their highest level in four years in April, according to research by BRC and Springboard.
2…Ocado Solutions and Sobeys have inked a deal to build a second Customer Fulfilment Centre (CFC) in Pointe-Claire, Montreal.
