Blog and Research Digest — Week 37, 2020
Every week, the Digishare team prepare a digest of the previous 7 days of online retail news. Along the way, we’ll pick the most interesting stories from the worlds of technology, social media, marketing and more, allowing you to see everything at a glance.
Retail News and Trends
Footfall climbs again in August, but physical retail still struggling
https://internetretailing.net/location/footfall-climbs-again-in-august-but-physical-retail-still-struggling-21931
“The latest footfall figures for non-food stores to be released by Ipsos Retail Performance show that in August, shopper numbers were down by -41.7% year-on-year, far better than the -53.0% fall in July”
Shop prices fall across August, driven by discounting, but Brexit cost rises loom
https://internetretailing.net/industry/shop-prices-fall-across-august-driven-by-discounting-but-brexit-cost-rises-loom-21925
“However, announcing the figures, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) also warned that much of these drops were being driven by retailer discounts to drive people to spend. It also said that looming Brexit would force up costs, which more than likely would be passed on to the consumer.”
Black Friday will be quite different in the UK this year
https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/black-friday-will-be-quite-different-in-the-uk-this-year/
“A hefty majority of U.K. consumers don’t plan to spend Black Friday in stores and will be online scouring websites for top deals.”
Logistics businesses join forces to issue post-Brexit transition supply chain warning
https://internetretailing.net/operations-and-logistics/logistics-businesses-join-forces-to-issue-post-brexit-transition-supply-chain-warning-21939
“This has implications for UK ecommerce and multichannel retailers that currently source materials and goods from the EU and sell products back to EU customers.”
Consumers opt for more online subs, bargains and new brands – and they are set to stay that way
https://internetretailing.net/retail-resilience/consumers-opt-for-more-online-subs-bargains-and-new-brands–and-they-are-set-to-stay-that-way-21929
“According to the study, as many as 88% will continue in this new vein in the months ahead.”
Amazon says it will grow its workforce by a third during 2020
https://internetretailing.net/strategy-and-innovation/amazon-says-it-will-grow-its-workforce-by-a-third-during-2020-21937
“So far, 3,000 new jobs in its fulfilment and delivery operations have been created, with a further 7,000 to follow by the end of this year in locations including its corporate offices and fulfilment centres.”
Amazon’s top reviewers making tens of thousands of pounds exchanging 5-star reviews for free goods
https://www.chargedretail.co.uk/2020/09/04/amazons-top-reviewers-making-tens-of-thousands-of-pounds-exchanging-5-star-reviews-for-free-goods/
“Amazon UK is reportedly investigating its top reviewers after an investigation by the Financial Times found evidence they were receiving free items from Chinese brands, giving them 5-star reviews, then reselling them on Ebay.”
Amazon accused of spying on employees by monitoring dozens of closed social media groups
https://www.chargedretail.co.uk/2020/09/02/amazon-accused-of-spying-on-employees-by-monitoring-dozens-of-closed-social-media-groups/
“Amazon’s corporate employees are reportedly using social media monitoring tools to track groups used by its Flex delivery drivers in the UK, US and Spain, according to Vice.”
America’s largest retailer is taking on Amazon Prime
https://qz.com/1899679/walmart-is-ready-to-compete-directly-with-amazon/
“After months of anticipation, Walmart this week announced the details of Walmart+, a subscription service that provides members free shipping on a range of items, discounts on fuel, and other perks for $98 a year. When it launches on Sept. 15, Walmart+ will stand as a direct competitor to Amazon Prime.”
A Corona Xmas: Why physical stores will power online shopping this holiday season
https://searchengineland.com/a-corona-xmas-why-physical-stores-will-power-online-shopping-this-holiday-season-340195
“Most shoppers are more likely to make an e-commerce purchase if they can return the item in a local store”
Voice, AR/VR, and New Tech
VR market to reach $20B by 2025
https://www.retailcustomerexperience.com/news/vr-market-to-reach-20b-by-2025/
“The virtual reality market will reach $20.9 billion by 2025, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets. It will also grow at a compound annual growth rate of 27.9% from 2020 to 2025.”