Black Friday bangers and Roblox records: RTIH rolls out the biggest retail technology news stories of the week
It’s Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past five days, including Adobe, AS Watson, Walmart, Domino’s, Netflix, Coles 360, Primark, Kingfisher, e.l.f. Cosmetics, and Obsess.
1. Black Friday 2024 goes down a storm in the UK as discount hungry Brits splurge £1.12 billion online
Research from Adobe shows that this Black Friday was the biggest single online shopping day of 2024 in the UK.
Brits spent £1.12 billion online, up 7.2% and £75 million above the £1.04 splashed out on Black Friday 2023), as they sought to take advantage of the deep discounts on offer in the run up to Christmas and make their budgets stretch as far as possible.
The Adobe Digital Insights team used Adobe Analytics to analyse hundreds of millions of visits to retail sites from UK consumers on Black Friday, tracking the prices of 100 million SKUs across 18 product categories.
Vivek Pandya, Lead Analyst, Adobe Digital Insights, comments: “With UK online Black Friday spending topping £1 billion this year, it’s clear that this remains a hugely important date in the diary, both for retailers looking to boost their sales, and for increasingly price sensitive consumers who are looking to these deep discounting days as a great opportunity to secure a bargain and make their money go further.”
2. AS Watson hits Rotterdam, Holland for opening of health and beauty retailer's 16,800th store worldwide
AS Watson has announced the opening of its 16,800th store worldwide, with the health and beauty retailer laying claim to a portfolio of 12 brands operating across 29 markets.
The Kruidvat store was opened in Rotterdam as AS Watson doubles down on its O+O (Offline plus Online) customer experience.
Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO at AS Watson, says: “The opening of our 16,800th store represents more than our growth as a company - it symbolises our commitment to serving the communities worldwide. With every store we open, we create jobs, foster customer relationships, and build lasting trust.”
“16,800 is a number with special meaning in Chinese culture. The number six symbolises ‘everything goes smoothly’ while eight represents ‘good fortune’. We embrace the special meaning of this milestone and look forward to a future of lasting success and prosperity, not only for our business growth but also in extending these best wishes for a brighter future for the world during this festive Christmas season.”
"We’re honoured that AS Watson’s 16,800th store worldwide opens in vibrant Rotterdam, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to growth in the Benelux region and globally. As the number one health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands, Kruidvat serves its customers with nearly 1,000 O+O stores and over 24,000 passionate colleagues, and has become an integral part of many Dutch people’s lives.”
3. Festive fun as TalkShopLive teams with Walmart for Dolly Parton Cyber Monday shoppable livestream event
Video commerce and retail media enablement platform TalkShopLive and Walmart this week hosted a special Cyber Monday livestream featuring the legend that is Dolly Parton.
Parton’s shoppable livestream featured over 30 Dolly branded products including party supplies and kitchenware.
“We’re thrilled to provide our customers with this fun, festive way to shop the things they love from Dolly Parton at Walmart. Livestream shopping is the perfect format to be entertained and inspired while shopping this holiday season,” says Walmart’s Director of Brand Experiences & Partnerships Justin Breton.
4. Electricals and technology retailer Currys hits two million donations via Pennies for Digital Poverty Alliance
Currys reports that it has reached two million customer donations, through Pennies, for the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA).
The DPA is a non-profit charity member initiative convening individuals from across business, government, charity and education, with the aim of eradicating digital poverty in the UK, and ultimately globally.
Just one day of customer micro-donations in Currys’ UK stores raises enough funds through the Tech4Families scheme for the DPA to provide three disadvantaged families with a laptop.
Logistically, customers are invited to make a micro-donation via the card terminal screen when they pay for their purchase in-store, powered by partnering FinTech charity, Pennies. They are offered a ‘yes or no’ option to donate if they wish.
5. Walmart Discovered on Roblox racks up 30 million total visits and more than 2.1 million hours of play time
Walmart’s virtual experience on Roblox, Walmart Discovered, has officially surpassed 30 million total visits with a sustained approval rating of 96% and more than 2.1 million hours of play time (source: GEEIQ).
The milestone comes as Walmart Discovered Holiday Update on Roblox goes live, with the US retail giant launching its first ever emote as chosen by its community. The update also includes new real-world items with free virtual items in a gifting pop-up.
Other highlights include:
Virtual Holiday Market with curated UGC and experiences
Gifting feature and holiday rewards calendar with daily updates
Free limited UGC and festive in-game effects for avatars
New winter themed cart upgrades and effects for Glide & Seek
Weekly community events and discussions on Discord
Updated AR experience with new UGC and limited time quest
“From the beginning, Walmart Discovered has been an experience by and for the community. And in my opinion, our community first approach, which we consistently lean on to make decisions, is the driving force of our success,” says Justin Breton, Head of Brand Marketing Innovation at Walmart.
6. Domino’s taps into Squid Game: The Experience immersive experience for free emergency pizza offer
As the hit Netflix series approaches its season two debut on 26th December, Domino’s is connecting with Squid Game: The Experience to give away free emergency pizza to players with the lowest scores.
On 12th December, the player with the lowest score from each competing group in Squid Game: The Experience at Manhattan Mall in New York City will win free emergency pizza for a year.
“Those who watch Netflix’s Squid Game know that losing is the ultimate emergency, but we’re here to turn that around,” says Kate Trumbull, Domino’s Executive Vice President - Chief Marketing Officer.
“We’re making lemonade out of lemons for players by solving their heart pounding predicament with free pizza for a year, so they can have Domino’s whenever their next emergency happens.”
Squid Game: The Experience is an immersive experience where players can compete in five challenges inspired by the show. A member of the Pink Guard will present the losing player out of each group with free emergency pizza for a year, awarded in the form of $500 in gift cards within a custom Domino’s and Squid Game Dalgona tin.
This is the second time Domino’s has partnered with Netflix. In 2022, it teamed up with the streaming service in the world to launch a mind ordering app, prior to the season four premiere of Stranger Things.
7. Coles 360 taps Qsic retail technology for launch of AI driven audio across Coles Liquor stores
Coles 360 has announced a partnership with Qsic to bring AI driven in-store audio to Coles Liquor stores across Australia, offering supplier brands a new way to connect with customers.
Qsic’s platform will leverage Coles Liquor’s data, including transactional data, loyalty insights and stock inventory to optimise the in-store audio experience. By analysing product demand cycles, Qsic dynamically places advertisements during peak demand periods.
“Our pioneering audio platform extends Coles 360’s reach into the in-store environment, delivering highly relevant and localised ads at the point of purchase, while also enhancing the overall shopping experience,” says Ben Dixon, Head of Retail Media & Partnerships at Qsic.
“Retail partners using Qsic have seen an average sales quantity increase of 11%+ and a sales lift of 14%+; this is also not the ceiling by any means. By leveraging Coles Liquor’s data to fuel our in-store audio algorithm, we’re positioned to help brands drive sales, improve shopper engagement, and minimise wasted ad spend. These capabilities are truly game-changing for any brand investing in retail media.”
8. AI tops retail technology for unlocking growth in 2025 among UK firms, RTS research finds
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the top technology UK retail leaders feel will unlock and accelerate growth for their businesses in 2025, according to research from Retail Technology Show.
A survey of over 2,000 senior UK retail professionals flags Gen AI, personalisation, marketing automation, and in-store analytics as the other key technologies for next year.
Matt Bradley, Event Director at RTS, comments: “The advent of AI maturity and mass adoption has galvanised retailers’ imagination for what it can deliver for their businesses, and increasingly they’re seeing the technology as an accelerator for growth.”
“UK retail has long led the way in the innovation stakes globally, so while its fast-paced deployment is unsurprising, the ‘AI acid test’ will come as retailers look longer-term at the ROI it can deliver. That not only relies on data input and security, but also on creative implementations that drive meaningful efficiency and customer benefits, as well as considering how AI datacentres can be operated and run more sustainably in the mid- to long-term.”
Debuting in its new home, ExCeL London, RTS will welcome 15,000 retail professionals on 2nd and 3rd April 2025. Register for free to attend here.
9. e.l.f. Cosmetics enlists Obsess on first immersive e-commerce experience for brand’s loyalty members
e.l.f. Cosmetics, an e.l.f. Beauty brand, and experiential e-commerce company Obsess have announced the launch of the Virtual Luxe Lounge, an immersive digital shopping experience for e.l.f. Beauty Squad members in the US and the UK.
This is its loyalty programme, now offering members the opportunity to explore a speakeasy themed, 3D environment where they can shop new product drops for the holiday season and access exclusive coupons to redeem at checkout.
“Our community is at the heart of everything that we do and we’re thrilled to offer our most loyal community a unique and interactive way to shop our most coveted holy grail products,” says Ekta Chopra, Chief Digital Officer, e.l.f. Beauty. “e.l.f. Beauty Squad members are incredibly important to us, and we’re excited to bring them an exclusive shopping experience that will give them new ways to earn and redeem rewards.”
“This is the first time we’re incorporating a loyalty programme into a 3D, virtual experience to exclusively offer its most engaged audience a new way to shop,” says Neha Singh, Founder and CEO at Obsess.
“e.l.f. has cemented itself as an innovative brand leader, and we are thrilled to partner with the company once again, following the success of our previous collaborations to launch virtual shopping experiences.”
10. Primark Click and Collect service now available at more than half of budget retailer’s British stores
“It's been great to see such a positive reception to the new service from our colleagues and customers, and to be part of bringing the best of Primark to more people. Watch this space after the Christmas break for more launches,” says Grace Fisher, Click & Collect Lead.
Kari Rodgers, UK Retail Director at Primark, says: "We’re already seeing strong uptake for Click & Collect as we continue to roll-out the service nationwide, and we expect this demand to grow as we head into the busy festive shopping season. We hope our customers up and down the country find their shopping experiences just that little bit easier this year thanks to the added convenience our service brings.”
"Now that Click & Collect is available at more than half of our British stores, we’re pleased to be offering shoppers more opportunities than ever to enjoy our great value, affordable fashion."
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