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Aldi trials first checkout-free store in London


By Alexandra Leonards

Budget supermarket Aldi is trialling its first cashierless store in the capital. Technology being tested by the retailer will enable customers to scan a smartphone app to enter the store, pick up their shopping, and walk out of the store without the need to pay at the till.


Online-only retailer sales hit record £16.4bn

Sales at the UK’s 20 largest online-only retailers reached a record £16.4 billion over the last year, with Boohoo and Asos leading the pack. The calculations by City law firm RPC, compiled from Companies House data, found combined sales at these companies rose 22 per cent, up from £13.2 billion the previous year.

JD.com to open brick-and-mortar shopping centre

Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has announced plans to open a five-floor physical shopping centre in Xi’an. The 42,000 square metre site, which opens on 30 September, will offer 200,000 items from more than 150 domestic and international bands.

Boris Johnson to address Amazon’s tax practices

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to meet with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos about the BigTech giant’s tax record, according to sources reported by the Financial Times. The news comes as Boris Johnson is set to travel to the US to meet with US president Joe Biden.

Yodel strike ‘threatens M&S, Aldi, and Argos’s supply chains’

Yodel couriers have voted to strike over pay and working conditions, in a move which could impact the supply chains of Marks & Spencer, Aldi, and Argos. A huge majority - 98 per cent – of the workers surveyed, with an 84 per cent turnout, were in favour of the strike according to Yodel.
Hard-to-recycle scheme kicks in at Boots

More Boots customers can get rewarded for recycling their empties in-store, with the Recycle at Boots scheme now available in 700 shops. The scheme encourages customers to bring back empty “hard-to-recycle” products, such as empty toothpaste tubes.

Next to manage Gap’s UK business

Next is set to manage Gap’s UK and Ireland business as a franchise partner. The news comes after the Gap announced in July it is set to close all its 81 brick-and-mortar stores in the UK and Republic of Ireland and move its operations fully online by the end of September.

Co-op partners with Amazon for grocery delivery

Co-op has partnered with Amazon to offer grocery deliveries to Prime members. The supermarket said the move is part of a wider initiative to double its online sales by the end of year, from £70 million to £200 million.

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