Online news

As Walmart opens it 1,000th online grocery pickup location, we look at how it plans to continue developing its presence in the channel. Supporting an improved grocery performance The roll-out of grocery ecommerce has been rapid at Walmart, with the retailer going from almost zero locations to 1,000 in just under three years. It made its first entry into the channel with the launch of its ow...

The latest release from the British Retail Consortium Retail Sales Monitor (BRC- RSM) shows that UK retail sales grew by 2.4% in August, the strongest percentage uplift seen since Easter.  However, this performance was flattered somewhat by the very weak comparative from August 2016, when sales, especially in non-food were notably poor. Food & grocery continues to lead growth While food & g...

As Target launches its latest exclusive beauty collaboration, we look at how the retailer has set its sights on working with digital-first brands. Partnering enables it to respond quickly to the latest trends Target’s latest collaboration sees it partnering with Glow Recipe to launch Glow Studio for Target. This taps into K-Beauty (South Korean influenced skincare), one of the fastest growi...

Amazon is preparing to test its Amazon Prime Now delivery service in Canada later this year, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal . Service set to be tested in Vancouver and Toronto Amazon’s Prime Now service is built around the proposition of offering delivery within two hours. According to reports, the retailer is planning to launch the service in Vancouver in January, and in ...

At the beginning of 2016, we identified ‘the power of voice’ as a global trend. Yesterday, Amazon and Microsoft announced a partnership to integrate their Alexa and Cortana voice assistants… How will it work? At first, the Alexa user will have to say “Alexa, open Cortana” to use Microsoft’s assistant, and the Cortana user will have to say “Cortana, open Alexa”. Whilst Amazon Alexa is mostly...

Dutch retailer Jumbo has released its first half 2017 results with sales increasing 4.7% to €3.8bn.  The retailer has been growing across several areas, with store renewal programmes, the launch of city concept convenience stores and expansion of its online activities. Like for like drives performance With stores static at 580, Jumbo's like for like growth stood at 4.0% giving it a solid fo...

Ocado is the first UK supermarket to launch an app or ‘skill’ as Amazon calls it, for Amazon Alexa devices. Using the Ocado skill Using the Ocado skill, shoppers will be able to add items to an existing basket, find out which products are in season and get inspiration for how best to use them in recipes, check if a product is already in their basket, and track an order. The skill does not e...

Sainsbury's has announced plans to add click & collect facilities for Argos purchases at 100 of its Local convenience outlets, in the run-up to Christmas.  The decision follows a successful trial of the service in six Sainsbury's Locals. Expands reach of Argos and Tu ranges The collection facility will allow shoppers to make purchases online from both Argos non-food and Tu clothing ranges, ...

In June, South Korea discount retailer E-Mart, part of the Shinsegae Group announced that they will focus on driving profitability through online sales. The retailer has two potential routes; investment in its online shopping channel or acquisition of an existing e-commerce platform. Focus on online growth With E-Mart's revenue almost entirely generated from operations in South Korea, and o...

Central Group, a leading Thai conglomerate with businesses in merchandising, real estate, grocery retail, hospitality and restaurants, is discussing a joint venture partnership with JD.com. Adding resources to focus on digital capabilities Central Group has been placing majority of its investments in real estate in previous years. This year, it has decided to increase its budget on logistic...