Tracking the retail technology sector during the coronavirus

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

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.

Lifestyle retailer, SNIPES, is using Forter’s real-time, automated fraud prevention platform.

Aldi UK has worked with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to test out the addition of audio prompts (beeps) to its traffic light entry system.

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.

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.

The UK's cash infrastructure is facing a death spiral, according to the GMB union.

The collapse of this industry could have a terrible impact on the elderly and most vulnerable and wreak havoc on a whole host of businesses that rely on cash transactions, it argues.

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%.

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.