Starring Amazon, FreedomPay, and Shopify: check out last week’s most read RTIH retail technology articles
These are the RTIH articles that caught your fancy last week, including RELEX Solutions, Getir, Amazon Fresh, Iceland, and Transport for London.
FreedomPay research: UK digital wallet transactions set to blast past all other payment methods
The UK is on the brink of a digital payments transformation, with digital wallet purchases set to surpass card transactions within ten years, according to research by FreedomPay and Retail Economics.
Currently, around a fifth of retail, leisure and hospitality spending is made through digital wallets; compared to 55.7% by plastic, and a fifth for cash.
This is set to increase to £127.7 billion in 2027/28 (£72.5 billion currently). By 2033, the share of digital wallet payments will likely more than double to 39.7% to £210 billion.
In the next five years, the value of digital wallet use is set to surge by 76.3% – well ahead of other payment methods including transactions through loyalty points and buy now pay later (BNPL) services, while more traditional payment methods of cash and card are predicted to decline.
Shopify gets physical as it launches PoS hardware for bricks and mortar retailers in UK and Ireland
E-commerce big hitter Shopify is launching PoS Go in the UK and Ireland.
Pitched as an all in one PoS mobile selling device, this builds on the firm’s Shopify PoS offering.
Deann Evans, Managing Director, EMEA at Shopify, comments: “Commerce is happening all around us - online, offline, and everywhere in between - so it's vital to continue powering growth in all areas. The most innovative brands in the world, like Gymshark, Huel and Ooni, build their businesses on Shopify.”
“We’re choosing to launch PoS Go in the UK to help all our merchants, big or small, meet consumers wherever they are and however they want to shop - from counter to kerb.”
Calling all retailers and tech suppliers: the entry deadline for 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards is fast approaching
There are just over six weeks left to submit your entries for the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards, which takes place on Wednesday, 29th November at the Barbican Arts Centre in central London.
The event, sponsored by PMC, CADS, 3D Cloud by Marxent, and Goodays, celebrates global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Spread over 19 different categories, submissions are judged on the extent of innovation and transformation demonstrated, as well as the sustainability of the results.
Previous year’s winners have included B&Q, Pets at Home, Walmart, Sook, AiFi, Compass Group, Obsess, and Ribble Cycles.
The awards culminate in a fantastic ceremony, complete with a drinks reception and Christmas themed three-course meal at the Barbican Arts Centre on Wednesday 29th November.
A key event highlight is an exclusive pre-awards roundtable discussion, enabling retailers, tech suppliers and advisors to come together and talk about current retail challenges and opportunities.
Key dates
Friday, 27th October: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 31st October: 2023 shortlist revealed
6th-10th November: Judging days
Wednesday, 29th November: The 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony
Categories, along with entry forms, can be found here.
Getir backs launch of Transport for London Road Safety Charter for those delivering meals or groceries
Turkish rapid grocery delivery firm, Getir, has partnered with Transport for London (TfL) and signed its road safety charter, which has ten principles and looks to address the disproportionate risk faced by motorcycle couriers and pedestrians alike.
According to TfL, between 2017 and 2021, with only 2.6% of vehicle kilometres driven, motorcycles made up 27% of fatal accidents in the capital.
Getir has worked with TfL, Deliveroo, Stuart, Just Eat and Uber eats to develop the safety charter, which is key to Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Vision Zero goal of eliminating death and serious injury from the transport network.
Principles within it include ensuring that couriers meet the legal requirements for working and riding in the UK.
Getir will participate in TfL’s six monthly Meal and Grocery Delivery Company Road Safety Forum where companies will discuss implementation and progress of the charter, and build on ideas to improve road safety.
Pizzas, books, and CTOs: RTIH rounds up the retail technology news you might have missed last week
Failed to keep up with the breaking retail technology news last week? Then have no fear as RTIH has you covered. Here are the major stories that you need to know about. Includes Pinterest, Stuart Trevor, PLUS Retail, Books-A-Million, Walmart, Mercaux, Metacask, Glovo, and Penny Black.
Convenience retailer OXXO teams with RELEX Solutions to refine demand forecasts for stores in Mexico
OXXO, a convenience store chain in the Americas, has selected RELEX Solutions to increase the accuracy of its product demand forecasts. The chosen solution will serve OXXO’s 22,000 locations in Mexico.
This part of the retailer’s digitalisation process and preparation for expansion in the coming years.
Amazon UK expands grocery offering with Iceland as online partner
Amazon UK is partnering with Iceland to make its groceries available to Prime members, with same day delivery options available.
The service will initially be available in selected postcodes within Greater Manchester, before being rolled out in more locations in the coming months.
The supermarket follows Morrisons and Co-op in making their grocery offerings available through Amazon. All items will be sourced directly from a local Iceland store.
And then there were 19: Amazon Fresh convenience store opens its doors at Liverpool Street in London
Amazon has opened a Just Walk Out technology powered Amazon Fresh store at London’s Liverpool Street.
To enter the store, customers walk through a non-gated entrance and shop for what they need.
At the end of their trip, they can either scan their in-store code (via the Amazon app) at the exit gate, or pay by tapping their credit or debit card at a chip and PIN machine.
It’s also possible to pick up and return items purchased on Amazon.co.uk from in-store lockers, with a QR code.
There are now 19 of these locations in the UK - 18 of which are in London, and the other at Sevenoaks in Kent. Way off the original target of 200+ by the end of 2025.
The Liverpool Street store can be found at Unit 4B-5, 31-35 Blomfield Street, London, EC2M 7BD. It is open from 7:00 am – 11:00 pm, seven days a week.
In a LinkedIn post, Louise Bagshaw, Central Operations, Amazon Fresh Stores International, said: “Exciting times at Amazon Fresh! Today (12th September) we have launched another new store in a fantastic location at Liverpool Street station. Very proud of the whole AUKF team and partner teams - great new look and feel, store flow, range and CX.”
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