Online news and archive

Strong Customer Authentication comes into force across UK retail

New customer identification steps are being introduced in the UK on Monday in a bid to combat online fraud. New Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements mean shoppers face more identity verification checks when making online purchases using their debit or credit cards. To comply, consumers will have to confirm two of three “factors”:...

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Two in five shoppers vow to shop online

While UK shops look to reopen on 15 June, research has found many consumers who turned to online shopping out of necessity intend to shop even more frequently online after lockdown ends. Older shoppers especially said they wil continue purchasing online. The news comes as the Covid-19 crisis is driving a new wave of online consumers as two in...

Retail

Retail sales jump in July thanks to strongest online growth in three years

Retail sales in the UK saw an unexpected jump in July thanks to the strongest growth in online spending for three years. Retail sales increased 0.2 percent in July compared to the previous month thanks to a 6.9 percent jump in online sales, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Online sales for the month contributed 19.9 percent...

Retail

Retailers need physical stores to drive online sales

New research by Caci, the consumer and location intelligence specialist, has revealed the negative impact of closing stores on brands’ online businesses, adding that brands still need physical stores to drive online sales. According to Caci, retailers that do not maintain a bricks and mortar store in a catchment alongside a transactional website...

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Online to make up 50 percent of retail sales by 2028 - research

Online purchases will account for more than 50 percent of UK retail sales in the next 10 years, up from 19 percent currently, new research suggests. According to the Digital Tipping Point report, commissioned by law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD), the rapid growth will be driven by three main factors: the changing demographic of the UK adult...

Retail

Marks & Spencer introduces visual search for mobile

Marks & Spencer has introduced a new AI-powered ‘Style Finder’ tool to its website which allows shoppers to search for items in menswear and womenswear ranges using an image. Marks & Spencer teamed up with visual AI startup Syte to create the new feature which allows shoppers to upload an existing photo or take a new one of any outfit to explore...

Video

Video: Digital Landgrab | The State of Fashion 2019

The e-commerce war will continue, as digital players strive to become the platform of choice for both consumers and fashion companies. Source: Youtube, BoF, McKinsey

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Brits to spend record 1 billion pounds on Christmas day

It looks like slower online spending in the build-up to Christmas this year won’t deter people from spending big on the day itself. This year’s spending on Christmas day in the UK is set to reach one billion pounds for the first time, as more and more people look online to grab the best deals. The 1 billion pound milestone is largely thanks to a...

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Online returns to reach 5.6 billion pounds by 2023, fashion hit hardest

Online returns in the UK are predicted to increase by 27.3 percent in the next five years and hit a total of 5.6 billion pounds by 2023, a new study by data and analytics company GlobalData reveals. The rapid growth however still represents a lower return rate due to an even faster increase of online spending. The clothing and footwear sector is...

Retail

River Island set to launch third-party brand store online

High street retailer River Island is set to launch a new online shop dedicated to third-party menswear brand at the end of the month. The move comes as the fast-fashion retailer aims to cash-in on a larger slice of the growing menswear market. River Island hand selected all the brands it is set to offer in order to ensure they complement its own...

Retail

H&M launches dedicated store on Tmall

The H&M Group is turning its focus on increasing its online presence after failing to reach its expected sales target for the end of January. Analysts noted that H&M late response to the shift to online sales may have affected its overall sales, which is why H&M has teamed up with Tmall, China’s leading e-commerce platform to launch a dedicated...

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Burberry teams up with Farfetch for global partnership

London - Burberry has launched a new global partnership with luxury e-commerce platform Farfetch, to further expand the British fashion house's international distribution to 150 countries. The new partnership sees Burberry's technology integrated into the Farfetch API, the platform's operating system so that its entire global inventory will be...