Tracking the retail sector’s response to the coronavirus

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

Morrisons has upped the contactless card payments limit from £30 to £45 as part of its move to reduce the use of cash.

And so has Iceland.

Asos has overhauled its delivery options in line with increased coronavirus related safety measures in its fulfilment centres.

Sainsbury’s has announced a trial involving its one-hour bicycle delivery service Chop Chop and a closed store in central London.

A new UK initiative, enabling pubs to trade as food shops and become Click and Collect facilities, has launched.

Iceland’s Director of Corporate Affairs has hit out at coronavirus point scoring MPs and councils.

McDonald’s UK has thrown shade at the people behind an April Fools’ tweet that stated the fast food giant would re-open its restaurants this week.

Tesco has urged shoppers to ‘think before they click’ and shop in-store whenever possible.

The GMB has called on Lidl to guarantee full pay for Covid-19 related absences.

And Lidl has slammed the “entirely inaccurate and misleading nature” of a coronavirus-related press release issued by the union.

US-based last mile delivery company Dolly has launched a no contact delivery option.

NHS workers can now get free deliveries from US-based Starship Technologies’ fleet of robots.

WHSmith has announced that 80 of its hospital stores across the UK will be increasing their grocery ranges, in collaboration with Sainsbury’s, to support NHS staff on the coronavirus frontline.

Ocado has bought 100,000 Covid-19 test kits for its grocery packers and delivery drivers.

Post-Covid-19, convenience, cost and increasingly environmental considerations will be the competitive differentiators around online delivery, according to research by RetailEXPO involving 2,000 Brits.