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CMA investigates algorithm dangers


By Alexandra Leonards

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is investigating how algorithms can reduce competition in digital markets and harm consumers if they are misused. The authority is gathering information from academics and industry experts on the potential harms to competition and consumers caused by the deliberate or unintended misuse of algorithms.


UK international online sales up 57% in 2020

UK cross-border e-commerce sales jumped 57 per cent year-on-year in 2020, according to research from UK online retail association IMRG and solutions provider Global-e.The data is based on sales from a sample of over 270 UK retailers and brands trading internationally to over 200 countries on the Global-e platform.

Top online retailers are failing on returns

Retailers are “failing” to build customer experience into online returns and risk losing future sales due to communication “black-holes” and a “lack of choice” in the returns process, according to ordering tests carried out on 150 leading UK retailers. Operations experience platform parcelLab benchmarked retailers’ performance around key metrics including checkout, shipping and returns, which showed the average number of options for returning products offered by UK retailers was just two.

CBI urges gov to act on COVID-19 business support

The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has urged the government to act on COVID-19 business support before the upcoming 3 March Budget. It has also outlined actions that should be taken at the Budget itself to “build a bridge” to a sustained economic recovery - with comprehensive reform of the business rates system top of the list.

Google Cloud launches e-commerce suite

Google Cloud has launched a suite of AI-powered technologies designed enhance retailers' digital platforms.The company’s new ‘Product Discovery Solutions for Retail’ offering enables retailers to access search and recommendation capabilities that help enhance consumer engagement, while also improving conversions across their e-commerce platforms.
Peacocks owes over £70m to unsecured creditors

The administrators at Peacocks - which went bust last November as part of Philip Day's Edinburgh Woollen Mill (EWM) Group - have revealed that the clothes retail chain owes unsecured creditors just over £70 million. FRP Advisory said Peacocks suppliers, landlords and others are owed a total of £70.16 million, as it continues to try and sell the chain as a going concern in the middle of the lockdown.

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Barclay family consider £3bn Very Group flotation

The billionaire owners of Very Group are considering a £3 billion flotation of the online retail and financial services business. According to Sky News the Barclay family, who also own The Daily Telegraph and a number of other media brands, are in the early stages of deciding whether to float the business to “capitalise on exploding investor interest in digitally led retailers.”

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Next in the race to buy Green’s Arcadia

Next could be a potential frontrunner in the buyout of TopShop owner Arcadia Group. According to a report by The Sunday Times, the British clothing, footwear, and homeware retailer is bidding for Sir Philip Green’s Arcadia Group in partnership with US hedge fund Davidson Kempner.

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Fast fashion falls out of favour

The ethics of retailer supply chains has been called into question recently, with brands now rushing to implement technology that gives better visibility into how products are made, sourced and shipped. The scandal that brought the issue into focus most recently was a report in July on Boohoo’s UK supply chain that had a significant impact on the company’s share price and reputation.

The top retail trends of 2020

As the year of disruption draws to a close, Alexandra Leonards identifies the top retail trends of the past 12 months and explores what they mean for the industry next year.

Delivery sector reacts to lockdown demand

One fairly predictable consequence of the Coronavirus lockdown has been a marked increase in the amount of online shopping – but how is the delivery and logistics sector dealing with the spike in demand this has caused?

Are shoppers ready for biometric payments?

The recent announcement that Amazon has started using palm scanning payment technology shone a light on the rise of biometric technology – and whether or not consumers are ready to let their bodies be part of transactions.

Should ailing retailers dump stores post-COVID?

With High Street clothing and footwear retailers among the hardest hit by the Coronavirus lockdown, some are suggesting that those going under would be better to re-emerge as online-only brands.

Coronavirus-hit grocers struggle with supply chain modelling

The Coronavirus crisis has hit many industries hard, but those grocers expected to keep the nation fed and watered have been criticised in recent weeks for not being able to handle the surge in demand. The self-isolation advice and eventual lockdown across the UK has led people to stockpile certain key items, putting a serious strain on ‘just in time’ replenishment models not prepared for such spikes in sales – especially while dealing with staff shortages that cut available manpower by as much as a quarter.

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Talking shop: retail technology solutions from Brother
Retail Systems editor Peter Walker sits down with Brother’s senior commercial client manager Jessica Stansfield to talk through the company’s solutions for retailers and hospitality businesses, what’s new in labelling technology, and the benefits of outsourcing printing.

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