The retail technology week in numbers

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

$52 million...UK-headquartered e-commerce consultancy Practicology has rebranded to Pattern (the name of the company that bought it in 2018) and announced a Series A funding round raising $52 million.

360...Marks & Spencer is set to open a new national food distribution centre in Milton Keynes during September. The move will create 360 new jobs in the local area.

46%...Instagram is the most popular social media platform amongst UK consumers, with 46% selecting it as the app they have consumed the most content on during the Covid-19 crisis, according to research from Influenster.

345...Chinese venture Geek+ has announced a robotics project with Walmart Chile, the largest supermarket chain in the country, with 345 stores under the Liders Hiper, Lider Express, Superbodega Acuenta and Central Mayorista banners.

34% of Brits have already bought some Christmas-related items this year, including cards (17%), wrapping paper (16%), presents (13%) and decorations (8%), according to research from eBay Advertising.

4...Walmart is partnering with Instacart to offer same-day delivery in the US as it looks to take on Amazon and its network of Whole Foods stores and Prime offering. The tie up is currently in a pilot phase in four markets across California and in Oklahoma.

A third of UK consumers are shopping more online now than during the coronavirus lockdown, with 59% favouring British brands, according to research from Scurri.

3.2%...July saw the second month of growth for UK retailers as coronavirus lockdown measures eased and demand gradually began to return in some places, according to research from the BRC and KPMG.

On a total basis, sales increased by 3.2% in July, against a rise of 0.5% in July 2019. This was above the three month average growth of 0.4% and the 12 month average decline of 1.9%.

16...India’s Flipkart has launched Flipkart Leap, the Walmart-owned e-commerce giant’s first startup accelerator. This will identify B2C and B2B startups and help them scale through a 16-week virtual programme.

One in three UK consumers would like to see a further increase of the current £45 contactless spending limit, according to a YouGov survey of 2,081 people commissioned by ACI Worldwide.

42.1%…UK footfall decreased by 42.1% in July, an improvement from June’s -62.6%, according to research from the BRC and ShopperTrak.