Marks and Spencer keeps the faith with Diebold Nixdorf: RTIH rustles up the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including IMRG, Packfleet, Who Gives A Crap, EY, Just Eat, Just for Pets, Amazon, Alibaba Group, Airbound, Harmony, and payabl.

8…Amazon is broadcasting a new online chat show featuring broadcaster and TV personality Rylan Clark and various celebrity guests to reveal some of the best deals during Black Friday week.  

The first of eight episodes goes live this week and features Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty, broadcaster Clara Amfo and documentary maker-come-Strictly star Stacey Dooley.

All of the guests on the show will be revealing their favourite Black Friday deals, diving into their purchase histories, sharing amusing tales around their shopping habits and talking about what they’re looking to bag for their loved ones this holiday season. Viewers will also be able to watch them go head-to-head in some challenges in a bid to outsmart their fellow guests. 

The show has been launched to celebrate this year’s Amazon Black Friday Week event, which runs from 21st November to 2nd December, and will feature hundreds of thousands of deals on brands including Ninja, Bose, Shark, Philips, Oral-B, LEGO, KitchenAid, and Le Creuset. 

4…Marks & Spencer (M&S) has renewed and increased the scope of its services contract with Diebold Nixdorf for an additional four years.

The agreement includes support services for the entire store estate, managed services for self-checkout technology and self-order terminals in the digital cafés, implementation services for M&S stores and distribution centres, and software services.

Diebold Nixdorf has provided hardware services to the UK retailer since 2019.

The scope of services expansion of the new contract, which applies to the more than 1,000 M&S stores in the UK and Ireland, aims to increase the productivity of both Diebold Nixdorf field service engineers and M&S colleagues – leading to higher availability of store IT and a reduction in calls placed to the helpdesk.

5.9%…‘Black November’ has gotten off to a poor start for the UK e-commerce space, with sales dipping markedly in the first two weeks.

IMRG’s Online Retail Index, which tracks the online sales performance of 200+ retailers, reported a -5.9% year-on-year (YoY) decline in the week commencing 28th October, the sharpest drop since June this year.

The week commencing 3rd November also saw a decline, at -3.9% YoY, causing many retailers some anxiety over peak trading prospects.

However, the late timing of Black Friday this year is one of the key factors impacting performance. Falling on 29th November due to Thanksgiving being on the fourth Thursday of November, Black Friday is five days later than in 2023.

This makes direct YoY comparisons tricky and signals that much of the anticipated shopping activity is still to come. As of the week commencing 17th November, just under half of 300 retailers IMRG are tracking are yet to launch their campaigns (a lower number than same time last year).

7 and £30 million…Marks and Spencer’s Brixton Road, London store reopened this week, following a seven-month makeover.

In a LinkedIn post, Paul Stewart, Stores Director at M&S, said: “Today our iconic Brixton store reopened after a major transformation. This is more than just a store reopening; it’s a celebration of the heritage, community, and the amazing team behind it.”

“121 years ago, the first ever M&S store opened in London, under a railway arch on Brixton Station Road. It relocated to its current home on Brixton Road in 1931 and has since been a cornerstone of the community.”

“The store’s new design is tailored to Brixton’s environment, featuring restored railway arches and unique wall art. The Art Deco building has been thoughtfully restored, with many original features preserved through research from the M&S archive.”

“This reopening is a reflection not only of our rich history and future but also of the dedication to training and developing our incredible team.”

The project is part of a £30 million investment by M&S in its London stores announced earlier this year.

1…Just Eat has launched the first pet brand on its platform with Just for Pets.

In a LInkedIn post, Ellie Starr, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Just Eat, says: “A huge step forward to give our customers even better choice and convenience. Whether you desperately need a new toy to distract your pup (been there!) or to stock up on daily essentials you can now get your pet products delivered in as little as 30 minutes.”

People will be able to order thousands of their favourite pet products straight to their door - including dry, wet and frozen raw food for dogs and cats, as well as treats, grooming products and toys.

64%…UK consumers are starting their holiday shopping earlier this year, driven by a desire to spread out their spending and find the best value gifts. However, the cost-of-living crisis continues to have an impact on spending over the festive season, with many shoppers worried about how they will finance their holiday purchases, according to EY research.

Its survey, which polled 1,000 UK consumers, revealed that while 64% of UK consumers enjoy sales events like Black Friday and Boxing Day, an equal percentage will only buy on sale to stay within budget. 73% are sceptical about the real value of festive season discounts with 55% of consumers  willing to pay full price for important gifts rather than wait for sales. 

Festive promotions started earlier this year, with many retailers stocking Christmas goods alongside Halloween products. This prompted early Christmas shopping trips, with 46% beginning their festive shopping before November. However, there is a growing focus on affordability, with 53% concerned about affording the holiday season.

To manage costs, 45% plan to use credit, and 40% intend to utilise buy now, pay later options. Price is the most critical factor for 48% of consumers when choosing which retailer to shop with, overshadowing other factors such as quality, availability, and promotions.

$33.7 billion…Alibaba Group’s second quarter results landed broadly in line, with the threat of Trump tariffs hanging heavy.

Revenue was up 5% to $33.7 billion. Operating profit rose 5% to $5 billion. Domestic e-commerce struggled against high competition, whilst the intelligent cloud grew 7%

Derren Nathan, Head of Equity Research, Hargreaves Lansdown, says: “The timing of Alibaba’s second quarter results mean they won’t have had the benefit of any boost to spending in China following recently proposed stimulus measures.”

“Revenue came in a little below forecasts, but there were wide gulfs in performance between the divisions. The domestic online retail arm grew revenues by just 1% reflecting intense competition in the space.”

“Cloud intelligence grew at a more respectable clip, up 7%, but it’s hardly the electrifying pace being set by the big cloud services players, Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet. International digital commerce is showing real momentum, growing 29%, but it’s a relatively small part of the overall pie.”

“Despite some rays of hope, today’s results have not been enough to inject some much needed enthusiasm into sentiment towards the shares. That may be in part due to mixed economic data coming out of China, but also with a looming Trump presidency and with that a trade war is weighing heavy.”

“While Alibaba doesn’t do much business within the US, it’s a significant channel for American exporters to China. What’s more, any direct impact on the Chinese economy will impact demand on the ground. So, until more clarity emerges on Washington’s future trade policies, expect the shares to remain under pressure.”

9 million…Packfleet and Who Gives A Crap are laying claim to the end of crappy deliveries for Londoners, with over nine million toilet rolls delivered across the capital. 

The latter is also saving approximately 54,500kg of carbon emissions thanks to Packfleet’s all electric fleet. 

This is set to continue to increase, with Packfleet on course to ship over 10 million rolls by the end of 2024. 

From working with the company alone, Who Gives A Crap is set to reduce the total carbon emitted by its UK-EU region by 0.6%. To mark the new partnership, the team recently became Packfleet delivery drivers for the day. Londoners were treated to free cupcakes alongside their toilet roll, with furry friends being offered branded dog biscuits.   

$1.7 million…Drone technology startup, Airbound, has announced a $1.7 million seed round led by Lightspeed.

With its proprietary blended wing body tailsitter design, called TRT, the company aims to transform logistics, reducing delivery costs by two orders of magnitude compared to traditional options.

Historically, the drone delivery industry has faced challenges due to regulatory complexity and high per mile costs, which have prevented drones from becoming the default solution for last mile logistics. Airbound’s TRT design is pitched as the lightest, safest, and most economically viable delivery drone, reducing the cost of deliveries to just a few cents.

81% and 69%…A recent survey of merchants conducted by payabl. flags digital wallets and Open Banking as pivotal forces set to transform the payments landscape in 2025.

payabl. conducted this research during MRC Amsterdam 2024 in October. The data was collected from 62 participants who operate within the e-commerce space in Europe, primarily merchants.

81% of merchants anticipate a surge in digital wallet usage, while 69% expect Open Banking and instant bank transfers to gain popularity as consumer demand for convenient, secure payment options continues to grow.  

Other methods that merchants anticipate will become more popular include QR code payments (33%), BNPL options (25%), cryptocurrencies (21%) and CBDCs (11%).  

1…UK-based adult retailer, Harmony, has partnered with Quiver to discreetly deliver sex toys and lingerie to London customers within two hours. 

More than 3,500 products are available to order on the Harmony website, to be delivered to London postcodes, spanning categories including sex toys, lingerie, bondage gear and fetishwear. 

The partnership is pitched as the first time a store in the adult industry has offered an on-demand, rapid delivery service for any city in the UK.