Online players must up their digital sustainability games: RTIH presents the retail technology week in numbers
Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including Zilch, Uber Eats, Deliveroo, InPost UK, Co-op, Hudson, Constructor, EE, Amazon, and JCPenney.
50 and 1.3 million…Digital product agency Inviqa has measured the carbon impact of the UK websites of 50 leading retailers to demonstrate the role their digital and tech teams can play in delivering sustainable e-commerce.
Combined, the 50 websites benchmarked would require an estimated 1.3 million trees to be planted to offset the carbon generated by hosting the sites and loading the total annual page views on consumers’ devices.
To date, much of the emphasis on making e-commerce operations sustainable has focused on packaging reduction, intelligent delivery routing and the sustainability of the products sold.
Digital sustainability – actively trying to reduce the power requirements and carbon emissions generated by the operation of e-commerce sites – is an additional element that retailers should consider, Inviqa argues.
1…Lagardère Travel Retail Italia has announced 𝐭he opening of its first ever Relay mobile store at Bari Karol Wojtyla International Airport.
In a LinkedIn post, it said: “Our mobile store is designed to meet your needs on the go, offering a seamless shopping experience while you travel. This innovative concept allows us to stay flexible and move along with you, providing convenience and accessibility wherever you are.”
It added: “Whether you're arriving, departing, or in transit, the new mobile store ensures that you have access to our products and services at your convenience. Stay tuned for more updates and locations as we continue to expand our mobile store concept.”
“Thank you for your support, and we look forward to serving you at Bari Airport and beyond.”
£100 million…PayTech firm Zilch has announced a £100 million securitised debt financing arranged by Deutsche Bank.
It says this will enable it to grow its business and accelerate the company’s ability to create and launch new products for a broader base of customers.
Zilch CEO and Co-Founder Philip Belamant says: "We’re thrilled to announce the financing as it marks a transformative step in Zilch’s journey. With this new securitisation, we’re poised to triple sales volumes and achieve significant capital efficiencies as we continue to drive billions in commerce to our retail network and, in turn, hundreds of millions in savings and subsidies to our customer base.”
“This partnership not only provides an excellent opportunity for debt investors to join in our success, but it also enables us to accelerate the roll-out of our feature roadmap which will broaden wallet and market share.”
“We’re adding over 100,000 new customers every month, doubling revenue year over year, and this deal will allow us to build upon that momentum.”
134%…A new study from Juniper Research has found that global transaction value from embedded payments (in-app and online platform-integrated payments) will increase 134% by 2028, up from $1.1 trillion in 2024.
A2A (Account-to-Account) payments have become highly prevalent in recent years; facilitated by the availability of one-click checkout options. The reduced cost of A2A payments versus cards for merchants, alongside instant payment processing, enables payments to be added to different e-commerce journeys; driving growth.
Embedded payments have become commonplace in usage and support due to improved cost and time efficiency completing transactions; facilitating 21 billion one-click checkout experiences in 2024. This number is expected to increase, as more merchants support A2A payments.
Juniper Research’s Matthew Purnell says: “Transparent instant payments embedded in checkouts reduces cart abandonment due to increased efficiency and consumer satisfaction; cementing a codependency between A2A and embedded payments.”
“Therefore, A2A is a payment method embedded finance vendors must offer in the rapidly evolving payment landscape.”
1 and 3,000…GMB union reports that the ballot period for union recognition at Amazon UK has begun.
More than 3,000 Amazon workers will now take part in a month long process, which includes a vote at the US online retail giant’s Coventry fulfilment centre.
The result will be announced after Monday, 15th July.
The legally binding ballot is being overseen by the Government’s Central Arbitration Committee.
Recognition would see Amazon having to negotiate with GMB on terms, pay and conditions for workers at the site. It would be the first time it has recognised a trade union in UK history.
The strike vote comes after a year long dispute between GMB union members and Amazon, which has seen over 30 days of strike action.
100…McDonald's is binning its AI drive-thru trial after customers reported errors in their orders - including bacon being added to ice cream.
The fast food giant’s AI ordering system, developed by IBM, uses voice recognition to process orders and has been rolled out at more than 100 McDonald's locations in the US since 2021.
However, the technology's reliability has been called into question in recent months, with members of the public sharing videos of order mix-ups on social media.
McDonald’s has now instructed franchisees to remove the technology by the end of July.
It said in a statement: "While there have been successes to date, we feel there is an opportunity to explore voice ordering solutions more broadly.”
"After a thoughtful review, we have decided to end our current partnership with IBM on AOT (automated order taking) and the technology will be shut off in all restaurants currently testing it no later than 26th July.”
36,000 and 500…Croatian retailer, Studenac, has announced plans to build a new distribution centre near the country’s capital Zagreb that will open next year, deploying solutions to enhance the efficiency and capacity of its logistics network, ensuring shorter delivery times to stores and improving collaboration with suppliers.
The facility in Velika Gorica will cover 36,000 square metres and eventually create approximately 500 new jobs.
Studenac, which is owned by a fund managed by Enterprise Investors, a private equity firm in Central and Eastern Europe, currently has a central distribution centre in Dugopolje, near the coastal city of Split, which supports cross-dock operations in Zadar, as well as semi cross-docks in Dubrovnik, Pazin, Zagreb and Kutina.
$200 million…Ingka Investments, the investment arm of Ingka Group, has announced its participation in a $200 million Series B funding round for Waabi, a specialist in utilising generative AI for self-driving technology.
The funds will support Waabi’s deployment of fully driverless autonomous trucks in 2025.
Waabi has developed an AI system that is capable of reasoning and making decisions in various driving conditions and routes.
This solution, paired with Waabi World, a simulator where the self-driving system is trained and tested, aims to enable a safer, more efficient autonomous trucking solution that is highly capital efficient and scalable.
$40 million…JCPenney has unveiled a new upgrade to its 1.67 million square foot Reno, Nevada distribution centre.
As part of the retailer’s self-funded $1 billion reinvestment strategy announced last year, it has invested $40 million in updating the equipment and infrastructure of the Reno facility to increase order efficiency and speed for online shoppers.
The centrepiece of the upgrade is the implementation of the Joey Pouch sorting system, a computerised induction, sorting and packing system.
It includes new induction process technologies, a fully automated sorter to assemble orders and a new packing system that includes invoice and shipping label printing for each order in the station.
The upgrade is expected to improve the customer experience by ensuring that online orders are complete with higher accuracy and shipped out more quickly.
Its survey of 2,103 UK consumers found that one in two people are unknowingly using Open Banking during checkout, with 51% of the UK population being unfamiliar with the term.
Once consumers were informed about what this is, 45% of respondents that had not heard of the term claimed they had in fact used Open Banking for purchases. Of those who had heard of it, usage increased significantly to 58%.
The outlook for Open Banking is also positive, with 19% of respondents saying that they will use it more frequently in five years’ time.
This compares to 14% saying the same for buy now pay later (BNPL) and 7% for crypto. 44% of Brits would use it for online retail, 36% for utility bills, 34% for hotels, 30% for airline tickets, and 25% for online subscriptions.
New data from Uber Eats shows last month growing numbers of ‘grocernauts’ - tech savvy, time poor shoppers for whom ordering essentials through a delivery app is a preferred option than going to the shops - picked these healthier options compared with choices containing greater sugar and salt content that came out on top four years ago.
The data shows that in the past two years, the number of people who have placed a grocery order on its platform in the UK has nearly doubled.
Monday evening between 6-7pm is peak time for ‘grocernauts’ reaching for their phones to order groceries items online.
According to Uber Eats, this highlights that people are increasingly moving away from one weekly shop, and are relying on delivery apps to shop for fresh groceries when they need them.
Indeed, in the last two years, 74% of grocery growth has been driven by the fresh produce category.
Euro 3.9 million…Droppe, a Finnish company focused on the B2B distribution space, has announced the closing of a Euro 3.9 million seed funding round.
This was led by European early stage venture capital firm OpenOcean.
Miki Kuusi, Wolt’s Co-Founder, Ilkka Paananen, Supercell’s Co-Founder, Robert Gentz, Zalando’s Co-Founder and Marianne Vikkula, Wolt’s COO, also took part via Illusian Ventures, along with Lifeline Ventures, Droppe’s previous investor.
Droppe’s Source-to-Order platform promises businesses an easy way to source, order and manage supplies, such as safety, paper, workwear and packaging supplies for their operations.
At the same time, enabling suppliers to serve and ship directly to customers at scale, it eliminates the need for intermediary storage, repackaging, and additional logistics when moving products from brands to businesses.
The aim is to create shorter, more sustainable European supply chains, helping businesses achieve their sustainability goals.
15…A new Hudson Nonstop store has opened at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) in the US.
Located in Terminal A, this is Hudson’s 15th Nonstop location in North America.
Powered by Amazon's Just Walk Out technology, it aim to provide travellers with a fast and convenient way to shop for must have essentials, food and beverage, and local souvenirs.
Passengers can enter the store by inserting their credit card or tapping their mobile wallet at the entry gate, select their items, and walk out - without any checkout lines.
In a LinkedIn post, Hudson said: “Thank you to our partners at Amazon and Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for enabling us to make the journey better for the millions of travellers passing through IAD!.”
£19.99…Deliveroo has launched Plus Diamond, an invitation only tier to its loyalty programme for top users.
The £19.99 a month subscription service offers exclusive access to restaurants such as IZAKAYA at Dreams in Notting Hill, London, and Ming Jiang in Kensington, as well as upmarket retailers such as Mayfair’s Hedonism Wines, and The Black Farmer.
Other benefits include priority delivery on every eligible order, the company’s most generous On-Time Promise, and ring-fenced customer service agents.
15…Co-op and InPost are expanding their roll-out of parcel collection and returns lockers, with the expectation that they will reach 150 locations this year.
Chris Conway, Co-op E-commerce Director, says: “Our focus is to make things easier and more convenient for our member-owners and customers.”
“And with our stores located conveniently in high streets, transport hubs, university campuses and residential developments, InPost lockers can help residents and time pressed shoppers in our communities pick up or return parcels at a time that is convenient to them, on their way to or from work or when they pop out to pick up their groceries, quickly, easily and conveniently.”
1…The O2 will be one of more than a dozen third-party locations in the UK to offer Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology by the end of this year.
It will be the first indoor arena in England to use the solution, with a new store allowing people to tap their card or mobile wallet, grab their chosen drinks and snacks, and quickly get back to their seats.
The O2 adds to a growing list of UK venues that have opened stores powered by Just Walk Out technology, including ExCel London and The SSE Arena.
Jon Jenkins, Vice President, Just Walk Out technology, says: “We have stores in corporate headquarters like Bentley Motors and Santander Bank, as well as our own Amazon headquarters in London.”
“We’re also in hospitals and universities, including stores at Telford Hospital and Sussex University, and we recently launched a store at Gridserve’s EV Station at Gatwick Airport, with more Gridserve stores coming later this year.”
“By the end of 2024, we expect to be in more than a dozen third-party stores in the UK, as well as in all 20 UK Amazon Fresh stores.”
$25 million…Constructor, an AI powered product discovery and search platform for enterprise e-commerce firms, has closed a $25 million Series B round, bringing the company’s valuation to $550 million.
This marks a nearly triple valuation since its 2021 Series A and brings total funds raised to date to more than $85 million.
Sapphire Ventures led the round with participation from existing investor Silversmith Capital Partners.
With this new capital, Constructor will accelerate product development and innovation and continue its international expansion.
23…Alan Dickson has announced that he will leave EE/BT later this year.
Dickson, who currently holds the position of Principal Technology Partner for Retail, said in a LInkedIn post: “With mixed emotions it is time to say that after 23 years, I will officially be leaving EE/BT at the end of September this year.”
“From the call centre floor as a team manager, to now being responsible for the technology delivery to 400+ retail stores and 4,000+ guides.”
“What a journey, the highs and lows too many to count. The experiences and opportunities I will be forever grateful for. Trips around the world to places I would likely never have visited including Slovakia, India and The Philippines.”
He added: “But it’s all about the people, the people who filled my inbox, various chat tools and calendar every day, the probably, thousands of people I’ve worked with over the years who made the journey that little bit brighter. And all the laughs we shared on the way!”
$650 million…Indian rapid grocery delivery platform, Zepto, is set to raise $650 million from a combination of existing and new investors, taking its valuation to approximately $3.5 billion.
Leading the funding round are Nexus Venture Partners and StepStone Group, both of whom are existing backers of Zepto.
They are joined by existing investor Glade Brook Capital and newbies including Avenir Growth, Lightspeed Venture Partners, DST Global, and Avra.
105…Cegid has expanded its partnership with Crew Clothing, with the brand now implementing the Newsfeed feature within Cegid Retail Store Excellence.
The British lifestyle label has been a user of the task management and retail operations platform since 2009 and has just rolled-out Newsfeed to its 105 stores.
This aims to bridge the gap between Crew’s management and store teams.
It’s helping the teams see not only company wide updates but also updates based on their store, role and interests.
The Newsfeed feature will also be rolled-out to Crew Clothing’s latest openings in Canterbury, Stow-on-the-Wold, and soon to launch stores in Monmouth and London Paddington.
Continue reading...