Tracking the retail technology sector during the coronavirus

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

The British Retail Consortium has worked with Usdaw on new guidance for retailers in preparation for an anticipated easing of coronavirus measures and the reopening of non-food stores.

Pricer has announced a modified roll-out schedule and reduced order value for its Best Buy electronic shelf labels (ESL) project.

Boots has released a list of its fastest rising online searches during the coronavirus outbreak.

Sainsbury’s is introducing new coronavirus safety screens between manned checkouts in 150 of its busiest stores.

Hospitality sector specialist Omnifi has launched Orderbee, a Click and Collect and order and pay platform built as a response to Covid-19, in partnership with PayPal.

Community spirit and support for local businesses is flourishing in the UK amid the coronavirus outbreak, according to research from Barclaycard.

Ocado recently took it upon itself to tweet: “It’s been a busy month at Ocado, to say the least. Since the 23rd March, we’ve delivered over 50 million items to households all over England and Wales. #FeedingTheNation”

Enter a large number of disgruntled customers who have been unable to secure delivery slots over the last few weeks.

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Google is advancing plans to make it free for merchants to sell on its Google Shopping platform.

McDonald’s has gone live with a family entertainment hub

Contactless services, convenience and increasingly ethical considerations are becoming the principal factors driving online purchasing decisions during the coronavirus outbreak. That’s according to research by Astound Commerce, involving 1,000 global consumers.

57% of consumers would be more comfortable with complete in-store automation that does not require touch-based practices in a post-coronavirus world, according to research by Capgemini.

RetailEXPO 2020 might have been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak, but fans of the event will be pleased to hear about a virtual conference, set to take place on 29th and 30th April.

Online electricals retailer AO.com has launched free delivery and free timeslots for those working on the frontline in the NHS.

Ted Baker will launch its first ever digital pop-up shop on 1st May. Ted’s Bazaar will offer limited edition designs with 100% of profits going to local communities.

UK footfall decreased by 44.7% in March, due to the coronavirus lockdown, a record decline for the retail sector, according to research by the BRC and ShopperTrak.

The closure of non-essential retail in the UK, now extended for three weeks, equates to 382 million square feet of physical space out of action. This space would have generated £14.5 billion of sales over that period based on 2019 data, according to GlobalData.