Featuring Jisp, Voyado, and BigCommerce: our biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn this week
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we head towards the 20,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Amazon, Booker Group, Snappy Shopper, Pour Moi, Soletrader, Chili’s Grill & Bar, Ziosk, Family Dollar, and First Insight.
Amazon opens micromobility hub and launches first electric cargo bike deliveries to shoppers in Norwich
Amazon has opened its first micromobility hub in Norfolk at its delivery station in Norwich.
This houses a fleet of new electric cargo bikes which will deliver thousands of packages per week to Amazon customers, taking traditional delivery vans off city centre roads.
Norwich joins more than 40 cities in the UK and across Europe which have Amazon micromobility hubs facilitating electric cargo bike and on-foot deliveries.
As part of a £300 million investment to electrify and decarbonise Amazon’s UK transportation network, electric cargo bikes and walkers are now expected to make millions of deliveries to customers across the UK every year.
The future of independent retail: Booker Group agrees rapid delivery partnership with Snappy Shopper
Booker Group, the wholesale distributor and subsidiary of Tesco, has teamed up with convenience Q-commerce firm Snappy Shopper to offer its retailers home delivery options.
Colm Johnson, Managing Director at Booker Group, says: “This partnership is a fantastic step forward, offering our retailers brilliant opportunities to grow. We’re committed to delivering the best choice, price, and service for our retailers.”
Greg Deacon, VP of Retail Media, Groups and Business Development at Snappy Shopper, says: “With nearly 70% of the UK now embracing rapid delivery, the Q-commerce market is booming.”
“The food category - especially snacking - is dominating, and we’re perfectly positioned to seize this momentum for massive growth.”
“Personally, I’m thrilled to see this partnership fuelling the future of independent retail with Booker. We’re uniting the holy trinity of wholesale, retail, and brand with Snappy, and it’s going to be a game-changer.”
British fashion brand Pour Moi taps Voyado retail technology as it preps entry in to new markets
Voyado, a Swedish retail technology platform, has partnered with Pour Moi, a British multinational fashion brand, to support its plans for global expansion and entry into new markets.
Pour Moi will be using Voyado’s Elevate product. This will enable its team to create efficiencies and automate manual tasks in merchandising categories and listings.
The partnership will be crucial in developing its online presence, enabling the brand to offer a sophisticated, personalised shopping experience across new markets, while maintaining efficiency in its operations.
Evolve Business Group bags BGF investment to support UK and international growth and improve infrastructure
Evolve Business Group, a specialist in end-to-end managed network and IT solutions, has secured an undisclosed (said to be in the multi-million pound range) investment from BGF.
Founded in 2005, the UK-based company works across a variety of sectors, including retail, hospitality, food-to-go (FTG) and petroleum franchises.
The funding will allow Evolve to implement UK and international expansion plans, with a particular focus on growth in the US, where it currently operates over 1,000 sites across multiple states, mainly in the fuel forecourt industry.
The aim is to expand into the quick service restaurant (QSR) sector.
In addition, Evolve aims to improve its infrastructure, with the creation of a new warehouse in Wigan, and target further acquisitions to accelerate growth, as well as increase its national and international headcount by 40% over the next three years.
Footwear retailer Soletrader unveils new headless e-commerce site using BigCommerce platform
Soletrader has launched its new headless and composable website on the BigCommerce platform.
Founded over 60 years ago, Soletrader has more than 28 bricks and mortar stores and concessions across the UK, trading as Soletrader and Sole.
“We had replatformed our previous websites only three years ago, and they were very much still fit for purpose,“ says Marcel Bordon, CEO at Soletrader.
“But we decided to flex our in-house tech capabilities and replatform again to position ourselves at the cutting-edge of technology now and in the future. This is our commitment to continue innovating and evolving our technology to deliver an incredible experience for our customers and our brands.”
The new site taps BigCommerce’s platform to underpin a composable commerce storefront, leveraging Storyblok for content, search and merchandising from Algolia, marketing operations from Klaviyo and hosted on Next.js infrastructure from Vercel.
BigCommerce partner Cygnet Digital oversaw development of the project in a partnership with Soletrader’s in-house team.
Jisp powered stores thrive amid turbulent UK retail landscape by prioritising customer engagement and loyalty
The year-over-year performance also saw a slight decline, with sales volumes falling by 0.2% compared to June 2023. Moreover, the figures were 1.3% below the pre-pandemic levels of February 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
Several factors have been cited by retailers for this downturn. Uncertainty surrounding the UK general election on 4th July, adverse weather conditions, and reduced foot traffic have all played a role in dampening retail sales.
Despite these challenges, there was a silver lining in the form of consumer confidence. A GfK survey, released on 19th July, revealed that consumer sentiment in Britain inched up to its highest level since September 2021.
Amid this turbulent retail landscape, Jisp powered stores experienced a rise in footfall during the June period, due to their ability to foster customer loyalty.
Chili’s Grill & Bar enlists Ziosk to enhance team member and guest experience at the table at US locations
Ziosk has partnered with Chili’s Grill & Bar, rolling out its tablets to more than 1,100 US locations.
Ziosk’s pay at the table solution eliminates the wait time associated with paying the bill.
“Today’s casual dining industry is as competitive as ever, and Chili’s continues to lead in team member and guest satisfaction,” says Rhonda Levene, Ziosk CEO.
“We are thrilled to return to Chili’s nationwide, giving guests the gift of time. We are committed to being a strategic partner in its success, driving operational excellence and delivering an unparalleled dining experience.”
Chili’s is also utilising Ziosk’s loyalty capabilities to increase guest engagement and enrolment in the My Chili’s Rewards programme.
Guests may also tap into Ziosk’s games and entertainment. Additionally, the company provides Chili’s access to AI powered analytics of post-dining surveys, and other interactive features.
Family Dollar taps First Insight technology as US discount retailer looks to boost its merchandise strategy
First Insight has announced a partnership with Family Dollar (Dollar Tree), a US discount retailer.
The initiative aims to refine Family Dollar’s merchandise assortment strategy by leveraging First Insight’s predictive analytics and actionable data, ensuring that the retailer’s products meet evolving consumer expectations and market shifts.
Greg Petro, CEO at First Insight, says: “Our partnership with Family Dollar is a prime example of how AI and customer insights can transform retail decision-making.”
“By integrating our cutting-edge predictive analytics, products on Family Dollar’s shelves are not just in demand but customer approved. Our analytics enable Family Dollar to anticipate demand more accurately, make smarter product choices, and ultimately, heighten customer satisfaction while driving sales.”
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