The retail technology week in numbers
1,284…Sainsbury’s has committed to cutting a further 1,284 tonnes of plastic this year. This includes removing 489 tonnes’ worth of plastic bags, which are currently used for loose fruit, vegetables and bakery items.
8.5 million…UK consumers are increasingly taking advantage of the wide range of payment choices available to them, with good old fashioned cash remaining popular, according to research from UK Finance.
Its latest UK Payment Markets report found that 48% of Brits used mobile banking in 2018, up from 41% the previous year. The number of bank payments made via online or mobile banking in 2018 hit two billion, up from 1.6 billion in 2017. By the end of 2018, an estimated 8.5 million people were registered to buy goods and services with mobile services such as Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
71% of UK retailers would like their businesses to further expand internationally. Yet 57% believe this is fraught with risk, according to research by Laybuy.
45% of UK consumers are interested in choosing Direct Debit to pay for online subscriptions, compared to 32% who would prefer debit cards, according to research by YouGov on behalf of recurring payments venture, GoCardless.
32%…The Entertainer says that it has improved online sales by 32% since the introduction of its new website, developed by LiveArea. Website speed has increased by 18%, while conversion rates are up by 13%.
£1.7 billion…New media research from dunnhumby media highlights an unrealised potential worth £1.7 billion for UK retailers. And between £95 million and £170 million for each of the three largest grocery retailers: Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda.
163%…Online food and grocery sales will grow by 163% by 2023 across major global markets, and digital technologies will feature prominently, according to IGD and The Consumer Goods Forum.
20…Carrefour reports an increase in sales following implementation of blockchain technology to track meat, milk and fruit from farms to stores.
The French retailer has launched this for 20 items including chicken, eggs, raw milk, oranges, pork and cheese, and will add 100 more this year with a focus on areas where consumers want reassurance, like baby and organic products.
3%…April may have provided UK retailers with some light reprieve, thanks to Easter, but May brought a stark reminder of the sector’s ongoing issues.
According to research by BRC and KPMG, UK retail sales decreased by 3% on a like-for-like basis from a year earlier, when they had increased 2.8% from the preceding year. This was the steepest like-for-like decline since December 2008, excluding Easter distortions.
31%…Just 31% of Brits feel positive about drones, compared to 56% of business leaders, according to new research from PwC.
$1.1 million…Aura Vision, a UK startup that provides in-store data analytics to retailers, has closed a $1.1 million seed round, involving a mix of angel investors, angel funds and corporate venture funds.
53% of UK shoppers are worried that the shift to biometrics to authenticate online payments will dramatically increase the amount of identity fraud, according to research by Paysafe.
90…The Germany-based Höflinger Müller bakery chain has worked with Wirecard to launch a mobile payments app.
90 branches in the greater Munich area have so far been connected to the solution. The app directs users to their nearest branch and enables pre-selection from its product range with or without registration. They can then pay via Google Pay or Apple Pay.
10…Amazon is to open 10 pop-up shops in UK town centres, enabling people to buy from over 100 small businesses, selling everything from food and drink to electronics, beauty products and homewares. These include Swifty Scooters, Torro Cases and Altr for Men.
$203 billion...Global retail technology spending will top $203 billion in 2019, according to research conducted by Tech., a collaboration between Retail Week and World Retail Congress.
57% of British retailers still have no plans in place for Brexit, according to a survey of 200 decision makers carried out by Censuswide and commissioned by Global-e.
£15 million…Delivery tech venture, Sorted, has secured £15 million in a funding round led by Praetura Ventures and NVM Private Equity.