Retail Technology Innovation Hub rounds up the key Covid-19 developments from last week. 

Carrolls Irish Gifts has launched a new e-commerce storefront, developed in partnership with Tryzens.

Russian food retailer, X5 Retail Group, has opened its first cashierless store as part of its Pyaterochka chain. 

Marks and Spencer has recorded rocketing searches for Christmas products on its website.

The retailer said that the top five searches last week were for slippers, Harry Potter, bras, Christmas pyjamas and gin.

As the coronavirus continues to rewrite the retail rulebook, people should stop talking about how awful it is today and when we will return to a new normal. Instead, they need to take a longer term outlook.

That’s the view of FinTech guru Chris Skinner.

Amazon Prime members can now place Whole Foods Market orders online and get free, one-hour pickup (for purchases of $35 or more) at all the retailer’s 487 US locations.

Royal Mail is now collecting parcels and mail from people's homes as it tries to capitalise on a rise in online shopping which has been accelerated by the coronavirus crisis.

This will cost 72p per parcel, in addition to postage costs. The service is also available for pre-paid return items at 60p per item.

TapSimple is supplying Lidl GB with its Clip product to help the retailer’s NSPCC fundraising efforts during the coronavirus pandemic. The contactless devices are being placed in 13 of the retailer’s distribution centres.

The British Retail Consortium has worked with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ, to develop the Cyber Resilience Toolkit for Retail.

 31% of Brits are less likely to now shop in physical stores due to positive online experiences during the coronavirus pandemic, according to research from Adyen. 

Iceland is working on a same day grocery delivery service and has registered the Swift trademark with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).

Retail could be on the verge of running out of inspiring ‘from the shop floor to the boardroom’ stories as technology and digital strategies transform the space.

That’s the view of Andy Clarke, who served as Asda CEO from 2010 to 2016, until being replaced by Sean Clarke (no relation), the head of parent company Walmart’s operations in China.

UK card use rose from 54% of transactions in 2016 to 61% in 2019, according to research from the British Retail Consortium. 

This trend has accelerated under the coronavirus pandemic, with more customers shopping online or paying by card in-store.

Ahead of the 2020 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, and with the coronavirus pandemic front of mind, AliExpress has invested in its customer service and delivery platforms across Europe.

A record number of shops shut their doors during the first half of 2020 as the coronavirus lockdown hit retailers hard, research from the Local Data Company and PwC shows.

A total of 11,120 chain operator outlets closed between January and August, research from the Local Data Company and accountancy firm PwC revealed.

Japanese lifestyle brand MUJI is rolling out MishiPay’s Scan, Pay & Go mobile self-checkout solution across its UK stores.

Geek Retreat is set to open 100 new stores on UK high streets over the next two years, creating around 600 jobs.

The British Retail Consortium has launched an advertising campaign calling on the public to start their Christmas shopping earlier than usual.

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