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Jun- 2021 -11 June
Bringing brick-and-mortar retail into the digital age
In April, we saw UK retail sales surge as non-essential stores across England opened for the first time after months of ongoing lockdown restrictions. In a week, high street footfall doubled. In fact, shoppers were spotted queuing from 7 am outside brands such as Primark, Zara and TKMaxx in preparation for the highly anticipated high…
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11 June
The embedded finance revolution in retail
The retail sector is in the midst of a huge digital transformation. From digital wallets and savings accounts, to frictionless payments and lending, an ever-increasing number of non-bank businesses are beginning to welcome embedded finance as part of their service. Having already disrupted banking, embedded finance serves to bridge the…
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7 June
How retailers can reduce returns through the use of Google Shopping and AR
The pandemic has significantly accelerated the adoption of e-commerce, with the total proportion of UK online sales remaining considerably higher than pre-lockdown levels. In fact, research has found that digital sales in 2020 accounted for a third of total retail sales in the UK for the first time ever. By…
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3 June
Why increasing the plastic bag charge won’t be enough to reduce consumption
In a bid to stop the environmental damage caused by plastic bags, the government has recently increased the charge for “single-use” bags from 5p to 10p. The increase, albeit minor, has been touted as a major step in changing consumer behaviours by the media. However, our behaviours are shaped by…
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3 June
The benefits of the Amazon model are overstated – it’s time for true disruption
It is undeniable that Covid jumped ecommerce into 2030. A 2021 report from Retail Economics and Natwest discovered that since the pandemic began, nearly half (46%) of UK consumers have purchased a product online that they had previously only ever purchased in store. Meanwhile 32% of consumers surveyed said they…
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2 June
Online retailers are in danger of being overwhelmed by increased orders – Automation is the answer
Online retailers are facing a major crisis. Since Covid-19 hit, reduced headcount and social distancing practices within the walls of warehouses and distribution centres mean retail businesses are struggling to manage the stresses and strains of increased e-commerce demand – which is set to continue to soar. Recent research from…
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May- 2021 -26 May
Mind the gap: plugging the physical disconnect in a digital-first retail era
It is no exaggeration to say that the past 12 months have turned the retail environment on its head. As consumers slowly start to rise above the parapet and lockdown restrictions ease, retailers are having to overcome the physical disconnect between themselves and their customers. With retail moving almost entirely…
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21 May
Customer experience differentiation is at the core of retail innovation
The rise of DTC, net-zero commerce, hyper-local shopping, dark stores, same-day (if not, same-15-minutes) delivery, and brand drops mark the point of no return for mainstream retailers. Over the past decade, retail has somewhat sleepwalked into paradigm shifts that are shaping the modern world. The fall of Arcadia Group is…
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19 May
The Great Covid Experiment – Is the Pure-play Retailer Dead?
A year of enforced change in buying habits where pretty much everything went online is set to revert to “the new normal”. Yes, the Covid pandemic accelerated the shift to online; but is the future of retail really digital only? While in the short to medium term, there will remain…
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18 May
Why retailers must invest beyond the buy button
Over the past 12 months, retailers have turbocharged their shift to digital. A recent survey by KPMG showed that 67% of decision-makers have accelerated their digital strategies because of Covid-19. These changes come in response to the ever-changing needs of consumers, which have proved harder to predict than ever before.…
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