Tracking the retail sector’s response to the coronavirus

Retail Technology Innovation Hub rounds up the key COVID-19 developments from the past week.

Sainsbury's is to prioritise vulnerable and elderly people for online deliveries amid customer stockpiling during the coronavirus outbreak. It is also expanding its Click and Collect service.

Workers at Amazon's UK warehouses have been told to work overtime to tackle huge demand.

This despite government calls for people to restrict social contact. According to the GMB union, workers across at least four different sites now have to work compulsory overtime. National officer Mick Rix accused Amazon of putting "profit before safety".

Morrisons has set out a series of measures to support its workers and customers. These include expanding home delivery.

Dunelm’s Click and Collect service now has a deliver-to-car option.

New Look’s Head of IT Service has hit out at the antics of overly persistent sales people during the coronavirus outbreak.

US online grocer FreshDirect has emailed customers, informing them that a warehouse worker has tested positive for COVID-19.

Grocery retailers have failed during the coronavirus outbreak. They should have turned to Monte Carlo simulation to predict the panic buying and empty shelves that are currently making headlines. That’s the view of Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant who has also worked at Amazon, Deloitte and Capgemini.

McDonald’s said that from 5am on Wednesday all restaurants in the UK and Ireland would close seating areas and temporarily move to being takeaway, drive thru and delivery operations.

The John Lewis Partnership has announced new measures to support customers. Of particular note is a £1 million Community Support Fund to be distributed by Waitrose stores to local communities, and protected shopping time for the elderly and the vulnerable.

Ocado has suspended its online food delivery service, blaming higher demand than it can meet.

Online retailer Made.com remains open for business and active across its social media channels, although its showrooms and offices are temporarily closed.

IRX (InternetRetailing EXPO) will no longer take place on 1st and 2nd April at the NEC in Birmingham. Meanwhile, Retail Week Live has been postponed from late March to the second half of 2020, following changes to expert advice and government guidance.

RetailEXPO 2020 has been cancelled, with the event next taking place in April 2021.

Dodo Pizza has taken a swipe at some of its competitors’ coronavirus-related contactless delivery services.

Starbucks is green lighting a temporary “to go” model for all of its locations in the US and Canada.

Amazon has cancelled re:MARS 2020, which focuses on machine learning, automation, robotics and space.

The Jack Ma Foundation and Alibaba Foundation have ramped up efforts to provide support and supplies to European countries impacted by the coronavirus.