The retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail technology? Then this is the article for you.

266…Hot on the heels of Tesco launching its Clubcard Plus subscription scheme (as well as Clubcard Prices cardholder-only discounts), Sainsbury’s has unveiled Nectar Prices, providing discounts on 266 items.

52 retailers, including Asda, Primark, Sainsbury’s, Debenhams and Poundland, have called on the government to take the first steps towards fundamental business rates reform in the upcoming budget.

400…Manthan has rolled out its analytics solution in 400 plus Pizza Hut outlets around the UK.

2,200…Sainsbury’s has taken the wraps off its new On the Go city convenience store format. The retailer’s 2,200 sq ft Mansion House store in London’s Square Mile is the first to go live.

$15 million…Buy now, pay later outfit Laybuy has closed its pre-IPO fundraising round, pulling in $15 million of fresh equity.

£214.5…Ocado clocked up a £214.5 million loss last year, almost five times larger than the £44.4 million loss recorded in 2018. The pureplay blamed this on a fire which burned down one of its warehouses in Andover last February.

37% of UK shoppers are planning to get involved in Valentine’s Day this year, with spending set to reach £855 million.

$6 trillion…Global contactless transaction values will reach nearly $6 trillion in 2024, up from $2 trillion in 2020, according to Juniper Research.

1 million…US buy now, pay later venture Sezzle has surpassed the one million active customer mark.

0.4%…UK retailers have made a stuttering start to 2020, both on the high street and online. Total sales increased by 0.4% in January, against a rise of 2.2% in January 2019, according to the BRC and KPMG.

50…M&S has expanded its Mobile Pay Go technology to 50 stores, following a trial across Edgware Road, Bankside, Waterside Paddington, West Hampstead, Canary Wharf and Stratford Westfield in London.