E-commerce technology

A gold medal performance for networking

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the IT team behind the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham delivered a winning performance. We also look at how the centuries-old London insurance market is going digital, thanks to Lloyd’s of London. And we find out how low-cost high street stores succumbed to the inevitable and are going online. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CW Europe: Why Russia could become the world’s biggest market for illegal IT

Faced with international sanctions and the departure of many global IT suppliers from Russia, companies there are seeking alternative, and sometimes illegal, routes to access IT products. Also read how new requirements are driving scientists and engineers in Europe back to the lab to start developing 6G technology. Continue Reading

How to create an e-commerce content strategy to improve sales

A content strategy that includes headless CMS, useful product information and visuals can draw the customer's focus to your product and improve your sales. Continue Reading

By

• Laurence Hart, CGI Federal

Top 10 e-commerce software companies

E-commerce platforms can help organizations design and operate engaging online shops. Companies like SAP have offerings for large enterprises, whereas GoDaddy and Wix target SMBs. Continue Reading

By

• Christine Campbell, The Alpha Content Company

organic search results

Organic search results are the unpaid listings that appear on a search engine results page (SERP). Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer

Key steps for an e-commerce planning process

E-commerce can help organizations grow their business online, but the venture brings the most success if planned properly. These steps can start organizations on the right path. Continue Reading

By

• Reda Chouffani, Biz Technology Solutions

Older customers prefer phone calls to chatbots

Businesses are increasingly adopting customer-facing digital technologies, but the older generation are not so keen to embrace tech Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK Amazon workers stage series of wildcat strikes over pay offers

Amazon warehouse workers across the UK have organised a series of spontaneous strike actions after the e-commerce giant’s management offered them pay rises between 35p and 50p Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Online retail sales see year-on-year drop of 2.3% in July 2022

Despite another year-on-year drop in online retail sales in July, the fall is smaller than those seen in previous months of 2022 as online sales decline slows Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How to make a successful e-commerce website

E-commerce sites can offer a high ROI because they require less investment than physical stores. However, they may fail to generate revenue without proper design and marketing. Continue Reading

By

• Reda Chouffani, Biz Technology Solutions

Inside Bukalapak’s cloud strategy

Indonesian e-commerce unicorn Bukalapak’s multicloud strategy, underpinned by the use of microservices and DevOps, has enabled it to meet the diverse needs of its users while addressing business requirements Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

m-commerce (mobile commerce)

M-commerce (mobile commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services through wireless handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets. Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer

Reimagining ethical digital technology

With ever-increasing digitisation leading to greater dependence on a range of digital technologies, enterprises need to urgently look at how they can incorporate ethical and social considerations into the tech they develop Continue Reading

By

• Simon Rogerson

Mapping out the rise in checkout-free shopping

There has been a boom in the number of checkout-free stores globally, but will that growth continue and which retailers are interested? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Ocado revenue drops despite distribution centre successes

Ocado has spent the past six months rolling out new customer fulfilment centres and signing partners for its smart platform, but the cost-of-living crisis still sees revenue taking a hit Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Ducktail infostealer targets Facebook Business users

Newly uncovered Ducktail operation targets individuals with access to Facebook Business service and tries to steal their accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Can ‘low code, no code’ close the commerce skills gap?

GUEST BLOG: In this guest blog post Conor Barr, CPO of retail integration platform Patchworks, discusses whether low or no code could help those low on tech skills to excel in the e-commerce ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK fintech outperforms global sector

Investment in UK fintech continues to increase, outpacing a flat global sector, according to Innovate Finance Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tracking the rise of homeworking across the UK

In this week’s Computer Weekly, new figures show that homeworking has more than doubled in the UK due to the pandemic – we look at the regional differences. The pressure is growing on cyber security teams – we analyse the expert advice on how to avoid staff burnout and lost talent. And we examine the important role that tech startups play in the rapid growth of Amazon Web Services. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Retailers choose from menu of mobile apps to help reduce food waste

Supermarkets, convenience stores and coffee shops are among the retailers connecting with mobile apps and tech firms to drive down the wastage of food Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Pandemic turns e-commerce doubters into believers

Notable UK retail e-commerce avoiders Primark, B&M and Poundland are now online players. But what are their respective digital approaches? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Ofcom publishes Online Safety Roadmap

The roadmap sets out how the online harms regulator will approach implementing the UK’s online safety regime, and tells tech firms to start preparing for the new rules Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Deliciously Ella – how the brand adopted D2C during the pandemic

Plant-based brand Deliciously Ella did not intend to sell directly to customers, but shifting unsold stock during the pandemic opened digital doors for the brand Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CIO interview: Carl Dawson, CIO, Asda

As the IT handover from Walmart looms, Asda CIO Carl Dawson explains how the business is renewing all of its technology, putting the retailer in the rare position of being able to start from scratch Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Digital sprint is winner for Ribble Cycles

125-year-old bicycle manufacturer Ribble Cycles is transforming its business with digital innovations such as live streaming and online personalisation, as CDO Matthew Lawson explains. Continue Reading

virtual asset

A virtual asset is a digital representation of an item that has value in a specific environment. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

Primark trials click & collect for children’s products

Predominantly offline brand Primark will be trialling click & collect orders for a select number of children’s products Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Interpol arrests thousands in global cyber fraud crackdown

A two-month operation saw law enforcement agencies in 76 countries crack down on organised cyber fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Retail’s IT talent search intensifies

Retailers from different sectors are on the hunt to fill similar IT job roles, but are all finding different ways to source the sought-after talent Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Former CEO explains how Dreams went from nightmare to fantasy

In 2013, Mike Logue joined Dreams after it had been saved from administration – he explains how data and communication rebuilt the business Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

What IT skills are required for e-commerce?

While e-commerce involves a lot of marketing and sales, it also requires IT expertise to keep platforms running. Explore seven technical skills needed for e-commerce platforms. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks

CDO interview: Matthew Lawson, chief digital officer, Ribble Cycles

The 125-year-old bicycle manufacturer is transforming its business with digital innovations such as live streaming and online personalisation Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

CIO interview: Lee Cowie, chief technology officer, Merlin Entertainments

The theme park giant faced an enormous challenge during Covid with its venues closed, but digital technology came to the rescue and is now opening up new opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Amazon shareholders vote down audit of warehouse work conditions

Shareholders reject proposal calling for an independent audit of Amazon’s working conditions during the company’s annual general meeting Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

JPMorgan’s UK digital retail bank reaches half-million customer mark

Chase Bank in the UK has already reached the half-million customer mark, but expects a profit to be some years away Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fintech unicorn Klarna to cut 10% of staff amid global shocks

Fintech unicorn to slash jobs in reaction to global economic shocks signalling challenges in the financial technology sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Relentless branch closures at Lloyds Bank continue as digital banking takes hold

UK bank branches are being shuttered in large numbers as consumers choose online banking, with Lloyds Banking Group announcing more closures Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon shareholders to vote on audit of working conditions

Amazon shareholders will vote on whether the company has to conduct an independent audit on the working conditions and treatment of its warehouse workers, following the e-commerce giant’s unsuccessful attempt to dismiss the proposal Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fashion tech investment grew 66% during pandemic

As the pandemic caused an increase in online shopping, fashion businesses began investing in technology to help them match customer demand Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

CyberUK 22: Data-sharing service to protect public from scams

A new data-sharing service set up by the NCSC and industry partners will give ISPs access to real-time threat data that they can use to block fraudulent websites Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nationwide stops thousands more attempted frauds with Strong Customer Authentication

Nationwide Building Society is blocking an additional 2000 attempted online shopping frauds a month through extra checks Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

European retailers see embedded finance as a revenue builder

Retailers and e-commerce businesses are working with tech suppliers to embed financial products and services in their customer offerings Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK digital markets regulator to be given statutory powers

Digital Markets Unit will be put on statutory footing by UK government to ensure technology giants do not abuse market power, but announcement comes with no clear indication of when legislation will be introduced Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

John Lewis to hire more than 150 tech workers

As the retail group continues its drive to digitise, the John Lewis Partnership is aiming to hire more than 150 tech workers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Naver outlines global AI ambitions

South Korean internet giant Naver has built a global research network to advance and apply its artificial intelligence capabilities across its services Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Sanders calls on Biden to cut off federal contracts with Amazon

In an open letter, senator Bernie Sanders urges the US president to fulfil a campaign promise to stop union-busting companies from winning federal government contracts Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How the e-commerce boom is transforming store tech

GUEST BLOG: In this contributed blog post, VP of strategy at Aptos, Nikki Baird, explains the ways in which e-commerce is transforming in-store tech and disrupting point of sale (POS).  Here are ... Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Asda adopts Workday as part of digital transformation

As Asda undergoes a digital transformation as part of its separation from Walmart, the supermarket has adopted Workday to manage its 140,000 employees Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Using technology to reinvent stores

Technology is becoming an important part of the shopping experience at home, in stores and in-between, so how are retailers using technology to advance the store experience? Continue Reading

By

• Glynn Davis

Disney combines digital, data and creativity to win advertising opportunities

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the executive vice-president for client and brand solutions at Disney Advertising Sales about how it is using data to subserve story-telling excellence. We delve into how rising energy costs negatively impacted the UK arm of Sungard Availability Services. And we look at the role of infrastructure as code in edge datacentres. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

contextual marketing

Contextual marketing is an online marketing strategy model in which people are served with targeted advertising based on their search terms or their recent browsing behavior. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna

Online Safety Bill: Collaborating to make the internet safer for all

The UK government's plan to regulate the internet and social media includes some positive and progressive measures – but by working with industry, a lot more could be achieved Continue Reading

By

• Martin Wilson

Amazon workers defeat company to form first US union

Amazon warehouse workers in Staten Island, New York, have successfully formed the first union at the company, with organisers pledging to help their colleagues across the US do the same Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Boots accelerates its digital accessibility journey

Boots is working with website accessibility software provider Recite Me to make its website more user-friendly and improve the customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

UK tech ecosystem reaches $1tn valuation

The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic prompted massive investment in the UK’s digital companies, which are collectively valued at $1tn Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Most big businesses are taking up banking as a service

API-based banking services allow corporate customers to offer financial services without the need for heavy tech development or regulatory approval Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital continues to deplete bank branch networks as Lloyds cuts 60 more

Lloyds Banking Group has stripped UK high streets of a further 60 branches as the take-up of digital banking continues Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Value of contactless transactions doubles in two years

Almost £166bn was spent in the UK last year using contactless technology, compared with £80.5bn in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

No end to UK bank branch closures as HSBC shuts 69 more

HSBC closes another 69 branches as customers continue to migrate to digital channels Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

‘Technical issues’ leave Post Office branches with ATM cash discrepancies

Discrepancies of up to £2,000 reported after an ‘IT change’ impacted more than 200 Post Office branches Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Open banking’s next big thing could replace direct debits

Variable recurring payments could fuel the next stage of open banking take-up in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Europe: Luxembourg sees big role in global fintech market

Read about Luxembourg’s aim to play a larger role in the rapidly growing global financial technology market. Also find out how a Siri-like digital assistant will automate the completion of government service requests in Estonia, and how drones can get life-saving equipment to heart attack victims in Sweden before emergency services can arrive on the scene. Continue Reading

Government to force tech firms to stop fraudsters using their platforms for scams

Changes to legislation will make social media and search engine firms responsible for preventing fraudsters using their platforms to commit crimes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon resists independent audit of warehouse working conditions

Two shareholder proposals pushing for an independent audit of working conditions at Amazon are being challenged by the ecommerce giant, which claims it is a matter for management rather than shareholders Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ship from store: A pandemic retail trend that’s here to stay?

Shipping online orders from bricks and mortar stores looks set to be a pandemic trend that will stick around to form part of retail’s new normal Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Retailers get business-critical IT and data management in order

Decathlon and Toolstation are among the retailers investing in new technology to support business-critical applications and better data management Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Nationwide suffers payday payments outage

Nationwide customers were left unable to pay bills on payday as the building society suffered a software outage Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office Horizon scandal enters public conscience – at last

In this week’s Computer Weekly, 13 years after Computer Weekly first reported on flaws in the Post Office IT system, a public inquiry finally allows victims to reveal the devastating impact on their lives. Enterprises are starting to evaluate the uses of 5G. And we look at how SMEs have turned to e-commerce after the pandemic. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

H&M scheme looks to tackle issues affecting D&I in STEM

Retailer H&M launches its first ever STEM programme in the UK in a move to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation – and to tap into future tech talent Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Sweden completes phase two of e-krona pilot

Sweden’s central bank is well into its second year of testing a new digital currency, but so far, no firm decision has been made by the government to adopt it Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Amazon and Visa resolve UK credit card ban threat

Companies reach ‘broad, global agreement that includes the acceptance of Visa at all Amazon stores and sites’ Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

January 2022 saw low growth in online sales

Slow start to the year with minimal growth for online sales as pandemic drop-off has more people heading back to the highstreet Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

NatWest group shutters 32 more branches as digital shift continues

Banking group announces more branch closures as part of its digital transformation, but promises that no customers will be left behind Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CMA secures final Privacy Sandbox guarantees from Google

The CMA has secured a final set of Privacy Sandbox commitments from Google relating to the proposed removal of third-party cookies from its Chrome browser Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Operator 5G engagements increase by more than 50% in 2021

Research from mobile test and assurance services provider shows that standalone core, network cloudification and operational agility drive accelerating 5G roll-outs, with service assurance rapidly gathering pace Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Retail’s staff engagement and happiness problem – can tech help?

Keeping staff engaged, motivated, connected and content is no easy task for retailers, but the industry is exploring new tools and techniques to improve the workplace Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Minister defends digital economy legislation before Lords

A digital minister has said that the UK’s forthcoming digital markets legislation is ‘superior’ to similar efforts in the EU, but could not commit to a specific time frame for when it will be introduced to Parliament Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK fintech investment sees sevenfold increase in a year

UK fintech investment rose from $5.2bn in 2020 to $37.3bn in 2021, with 603 private equity, venture capital and merger and acquisition deals Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon to create 1,500 UK apprenticeships in 2022

Retail giant Amazon will be on the lookout for more than 1,000 UK apprentices this year, adding to the thousands of new hires it made in 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UAE chooses Accenture to develop national payments platform

Consortium led by Accenture to build new payments infrastructure in the United Arab Emirates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mechanism underlying cookie popups found in breach of GDPR

A fundamental element of the mechanism by which the advertising industry requests tracking consent from web users has been found in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ikea hopes to fill 150 tech roles across Europe this year

Swedish furniture brand Ikea has plans to hire more than 150 tech and data workers across Europe in 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK has record year for tech IPOs in 2021

Tech companies represented 29% of all UK initial public offerings last year, raising a record $6.6bn Continue Reading

NRF review: What’s in store for retail tech in 2022?

What themes will we be seeing in the retail tech space over the next year according to the 2022 National Retail Federation’s Big Show? Continue Reading

By

• Glynn Davis

Barclaycard customers increase contactless spending following limit rise

Barclaycard customers have increased their contactless card spending by 40% with most of their card payments using the technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Bank account switching accelerates as consumers choose digital services

Surge in UK consumers changing current account providers is a sign that digital banking services are eating into the traditional sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Advantages of traditional banks are weakening amid digital challenge, says FCA

Weakening of the advantages enjoyed by traditional banks over the years is “driven by digital innovation and changing consumer behaviour”, says regulator Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Aldi launches grab-and-go test store in London

Discount supermarket brand Aldi has launched a checkout-free concept store in London to test contact-free shopping Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Amazon puts UK Visa ban on hold

Online retail giant Amazon continues to allow UK Visa credit card payments as negotiations over fees with the card provider continue Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Banks accused of neglecting customer security measures

Which? singles out Metro Bank, Virgin Money and TSB over insecure online banking processes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Pepsi is taking digital to the max

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to PepsiCo’s digital director about delivering innovation in customer experience. Our first buyer’s guide of 2022 examines hybrid cloud storage. And we find out how Arkwright and Granville from the BBC sitcom Open All Hours are inspiring retailers 40 years on. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CIO interview: Mia Sorgi, director of digital product and experience, PepsiCo Europe

A trial project using gesture-based technology to help customers order in restaurants is just one example of the pioneering digital innovations being explored by food and drinks giant PepsiCo Continue Reading

Record amount invested in UK fintech last year, but female founders still overlooked

Last year the UK financial technology sector attracted the most investment ever following a slowdown in 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Accessible retail: Personalising the UX for disabled consumers

An online marketplace built with an ‘accessibility-first’ mantra is set to go live in spring 2022 – and it comes amid several new inclusive retailing moves Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Which? raises concerns over buy now, pay later schemes

The ease of use and increased availability of buy now, pay later schemes masks the risks, says consumer protection champion Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fintech players get cosy in Luxembourg

Luxembourg aims to play a larger role in the rapidly growing global fintech market Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Top 10 retail technology stories of 2021

Computer Weekly looks at what 2021 had in store for the retail industry – did technology help retailers recover from the effects of the pandemic? Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

WebLogic

Oracle WebLogic Server is a leading e-commerce online transaction processing (OLTP) platform, developed to connect users in distributed computing production environments and to facilitate the integration of mainframe applications with distributed corporate data and applications. Continue Reading

By

• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor

Top 10 financial services and fintech stories of 2021

Computer Weekly selects 10 key stories from the financial services IT sector over the past year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Which? tells banks to stop rushing branch closures

Consumer rights protector says banks should pause branch closures until they can ensure people have access to cash and services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA