The retail technology space during the coronavirus pandemic

RTIH rounds up the key retail systems related Covid-19 developments from last week.

Amazon UK says it will create more than 10,000 new permanent jobs in 2021, taking its total UK workforce to 55,000+ people by the end of year.

This will include roles at its corporate offices, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and operations network, with the online retail giant set to open new fulfilment centres in Hinckley, Dartford, Gateshead and Swindon this year, and a parcel receive centre in Doncaster.

Funding for retail technology tripled to $28.9 billion in the first quarter of 2021 from the same period last year, according to research by CB Insights.

This is its fastest run rate in five years as retailers prepare for a post-pandemic world.

The majority of UK consumers still prefer bricks and mortar over online shopping following coronavirus restrictions that saw the closure of non-essential retailers, according to research by News UK.

The folks at Boots Technology encouraged all IT professionals to sport odd socks on Thursday, 13th May.

This was in honour of their colleague, Sally Goulding, who passed away earlier this year, having fought Covid related symptoms for some time.

On the 13.05.21 we will be taking part in #OddSocksForMemories https://t.co/WifTLV1aVa

Remembering our colleague & so many other IT professionals that we lost in the last 12 months.#TechAtBoots #ItsOkItsAlright
— Rich Corbridge (@R1chardatron) May 9, 2021

Despite the easing of coronavirus restrictions, the UK online retail space grew in April, with sales rising 10.2% YoY, according to research by IMRG and Capgemini.

Some impact of non-essential physical retailers reopening was, however, evident in the month on month numbers, which were down 12%.

The results are below the three, six and 12 rolling averages of 50.4%, 50.1% and 49.8%.

eBay UK is entering the SME lending space, with the launch of Capital for eBay Business Sellers (CEBS).

This is pitched as the e-commerce giant’s biggest move yet into financial services.

45% of consumers expect online orders to be delivered within two days, according to research by GreyOrange.

The company, which specialises in the automation of fulfilment operations, polled 1,500 consumers from the UK and Benelux.

It found that the coronavirus pandemic has accelerated consumers’ demand for immediacy when it comes to delivery options, and that poor and slow options are impacting their choice of retailer.

There were around 550,826,378 new Google Play Store downloads globally for food and drink apps between the beginning of March 2020 and April 2021, a 33% year-on-year increase.

That’s according to research by App Radar.

Following the reopening of non-essential stores on 12th April in England and Wales and continued online growth, UK retail sales enjoyed a welcome boost last month, according to research by the BRC and KPMG.

On a total basis, sales increased considerably over the period following reopening and by 7.3% across the month of April compared to April 2019. This is above the three month average growth of 6%.

Starship Technologies says that its autonomous delivery numbers have quadrupled globally since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and its service is now available to one million people.

Today, we’re proud to announce Starship autonomous deliveries have quadrupled in the last year and our delivery service is now available to 1 million people globally. 🤖https://t.co/LDogoaqPYd #StarshipRobots pic.twitter.com/MLwxAQF9FN
— Starship Technologies (@StarshipRobots) May 13, 2021

Millennials are more likely to shop at physical stores following the reopening of non-essential retail in England on 12th April, according to research by Adyen.

The PayTech big hitter surveyed 1,682 English consumers.

35% said they visited a non-essential retail outlet in the first week since stores re-opened. 18–34-year-olds were 11% more likely to do so than older shoppers.

American sports equipment company Under Armour has worked with Emakina and Fluent Commerce to launch an e-commerce platform in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

The Big Issue Group says that it has equipped over a third (594) of its vendor network with contactless technology via the Zettle card reader.

It has also announced that vendors can now offer PayPal QR Code payments to their customers, with the solution being integrated into the Zettle (previously known as iZettle) PoS app.