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 Nibble, Asos, Pets at Home, Co-op, Marketplacer, Aldi Süd, and Caper.
1. Global IT outage proves cash is vital to society as CrowdStrike Microsoft incident hits card payments
The culprit was a cybersecurity firm called CrowdStrike. An update to one of its pieces of software, Falcon Sensor, backfired, hitting computers running Windows.
According to BRC research, we are seeing a return to many of the pre-pandemic trends in payments, including smaller but more frequent purchases, and a slight return of cash payments.
Cards, however, now account for the overwhelming proportion of money being spent.
Eamon O’Hearn, GMB National Officer, commented: “The IT outage reinforces what GMB has been saying for years – cash is a vital part of how our communities operate.”
“When you take cash out of the system, it means people have nothing to fall back on, impacting on how they do the everyday basics – even buying food. Today needs to be the start of a new conversation at a local and national level of how we keep cash in our society.”
2. 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards winner Pets at Home gets digital as retailer opens first of four concept stores
British omnichannel retailer Pets at Home has launched the first of four concept stores.
This is situated in Anlaby, Hull, with Pets at Home using sustainable materials in the construction build, PoS and signage.
It has also introduced digital experiences that aim to deliver easier routes to its expertise, advice and extended ranges.
In a LinkedIn post, Helen Fraser, Group Development Director at Pets at Home, said: “I was lucky enough to be there for the grand opening and there is a lot to be excited about.”
“We’ve elevated colleague and consumer experiences across Nutrition and Pet Health, trialled new impulse kit to drive incremental sales, placed in spotlight displays to showcase innovation and/or provide education, and created a localised welcome with Pets Foundation activation.”
She added: “We’ve been supported in delivery by some great designers, suppliers and contractors – particular shoutout to True Story, ITAB UK, Key Group, Image Technique, and Mitchell & Co.”
“This has been a massively collaborative project across the organisation, but special mention to my development teams who have worked tirelessly to ensure even the smallest of details were landed well.”
3. Pushing what’s possible at intersection of fashion and tech: SYKY makes Apple Vision Pro spatial reality move
Luxury fashion platform SYKY, the brainchild of Alice Delahunt, former Chief Digital and Content Officer at Ralph Lauren & Global Director of Digital & Social at Burberry, has announced the launch of a fashion experience on Apple Vision Pro.
Debuting with a showcase from avant-garde Japanese label Anrealage, the SYKY app offers a way for fashion enthusiasts to enter and explore the worlds of legendary designers and fashion houses.
Pitched as a bridge between digital and physical fashion, it creates a spatial environment that immerses visitors in an interactive world.
According to SYKY, hyper-real depth, textures and storytelling components create levels of immersion that have only been possible through physical fashion experiences, like runway shows, until now.
“We believe that the fashion industry is entering a period of remarkable change as realities merge and digital fashion experiences blend with the physical world,” says Delahunt.
“We’re excited to continue leading this new frontier with the launch of our Apple Vision Pro app, where we will transport consumers to the front row of the fashion industry, offering them access to impeccable design and inspiration with the ultimate luxury fashion experience.”