Retail Critical Issues

By Abdi Essa, Regional VP UK & IE, Dynatrace.

The pandemic hit global retail hard, but not in an even way. The fortunes of supermarket chains soared, whilst fashion retailers were forced to shutter their high street stores and struggled for many months.

Symphony RetailAI, global provider of integrated AI-powered marketing, merchandising and supply chain solutions for FMCG retailers and manufacturers, has announced research showing that omnichannel grocery shoppers shop more frequently and spend up to 20% more compared to in-store-only shoppers.

Doing business with Europe has become so expensive and onerous since Brexit that a vast number of UK eCommerce businesses have simply turned off all EU activities. Managing the different VAT thresholds and rates across each EU country has certainly added to the admin burden and cost of doing business – so how much difference will the new Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) make?

A new research report has revealed the innovative new ways retailers are using RFID technology in-store to improve profitability.

Controversial plans to break up ‘big tech’ monopolies, which could force e-commerce giants to sell off services such as Amazon Logistics, Google Maps, YouTube and WhatsApp, have been given the green light.

New research from Hitachi Solutions  and K3 Technologies has found that many retailers didn’t have the technology foundation in place to capitalise on the eCommerce boom over the last year. In fact, over half (57%) of retailers reported that they weren’t agile enough.

Cybereason, the future-ready attack protection solutions provider, has released research findings from a global ransomware study of nearly 1,300 security professionals that reveals more than half of organisations have been the victim of a ransomware attack.

Although the year 2020, marked by COVID-19, posed immense challenges for retailers, the trade in fast-moving consumer goods was able to benefit from the fact that public life was shut down during the lockdowns. The 27 EU countries recorded an average sales growth of 5.5%.

By Dr Sam Short, Chief Data Scientist at Upside Saving.

Pandemic difficulties aside, today’s retail environment is challenging. Whilst the shift to buying online has been an easy one for consumers, it has presented new and existing challenges for retailers, especially those with an omni-channel presence.

Cybercrimes targeting online shoppers are most likely to come from outside the retailer’s business, according to a new report from Verizon Business.