NET GAINS

NET GAINS During lockdown, shoppers shifted online even faster

In a post-Covid-19 world, the migration of shoppers to online is only set to continue, so resellers need to be ready to embrace digital and multichannel retail more than ever

The Covid-19 crisis has changed so many aspects of daily life – from how we work and learn, to how we shop and fi nd leisure activities. Welcome to the new normal.

When the UK government ordered all nonessential shops – which included everything from consumer electronics stores and clothing retailers to coffee shops – to close on March 23 of this year an already beleaguered high street found itself under even more pressure. Many retailers found themselves in the position of having to adapt the way their business operated overnight in order to survive the uncertainty.

The consumer is changing how they shop and retailers need to make sure not to be left behind in the shift online

When shops can’t open their doors, online retail comes into its own. Those companies that had a strong internet-based business model, or a multichannel strategy, won out over those that didn’t. Primark, which does not have an ecommerce platform, watched its sales plummet from £650m a month to nothing as the coronavirus forced its shops in Europe and the US to close.

With high street stores shut, more and more consumers turned to online to fulfi l their need for retail therapy, and it looks like these newly formed digital habits are here to stay, despite the easing of restrictions.

MOBILE According to research completed by global digital marketing agency We Are Social, in the month leading to early July of this year, 55% of all UK consumer online transactions were made via a mobile device, while 38% of consumers in the UK expect to increase the amount of shopping that they complete online, due to the effects of Covid-19. The report also showed that 67% of global shoppers have used a mobile retail app in the month in question.

Similarly, fi gures issued by the Offi ce for National Statistics (ONS) highlighted that almost a third (31.1%) of all UK retail sales in June 2020 were made online. This is close to double the same period last year – up from 18.3% in 2019.

Although we are living in uncertain times and the UK is offi cially in recession, this doesn’t seem to actually be suppressing the consumer’s appetite for online shopping. Recent research from Rakuten Advertising found that while 65% of UK shoppers said they had made more online purchases than usual during the Covid-19 outbreak, nearly three quarters planned to shop primarily online during the festive period, suggesting we could see a larger shift to ecommerce in Q4 than the market has seen in past years.

After a harrowing year, with a large part of it spent isolated from family and friends, people will be looking to make the most of this Christmas. Research shows that 27% of UK consumers are planning to spend more on gifts for their immediate family this year.

IN-STORE Sixty per cent of the 1,050 UK shoppers who were surveyed for a recent study by ChannelAdvisor and Dynata claimed that they had not yet visited a shop one week after they reopened on June 15. Of those that had, 40% said the in-store experience was “less enjoyable” than it had been prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It has been reported that of all UK online purchases made during lockdown, 35% were on Amazon. However, 21% of the 2,000 UK consumers surveyed were concerned about the growing power of the online retail giant. This could mean new opportunities for smaller retailers.

Make sure your website is optimised to deal with a potential increase in traffi c, as with opportunities like Black Friday coming in the months ahead, whether you are a small or large retailer, you can’t afford to miss out on sales because of a poor online presence.

The consumer is changing how they shop: retailers need to make sure you don’t get left behind as your customers shift online.

NEWS IN BRIEF A summary of the latest news in tech

1. X ROCKER LAUNCHES RANGE OF SUPER MARIO BRANDED CHAIRS Leading gaming chair brand X Rocker has launched a collection of offi cially licensed Nintendo gaming chairs. A must-have for Super Mario fans, the range includes X Rocker Video Rockers (the brand’s top selling chair for young gamers), each with an iconic character including Mario, Luigi, Princess Peach, Yoshi and Bowser. In addition to the range of brightly-coloured Video Rockers – which are great for gaming or movie watching alike – X Rocker has announced a group of three unique Super Mario-inspired designs for the 2.1 Stereo Audio Gaming Chairs, ideal for gamers looking to upgrade their audio experience.

“This year, more so than any, we all need reasons to smile and no-one does this better than Mario and his friends” says X Rocker MD Gary Shaw, perfectly summing up the fun-fi lled collection.

2. HARNESS THE POWER OF THE SONOS ARC WITH FLEXSON Flexson, the leading brand for Sonos accessories, has released a pair of new precision-engineered mounting options to accompany the Sonos Arc. The SARWM Wall Mount for Sonos Arc and SAR-TVMA TV Mount Attachment for Sonos Arc harness the power of Sonos, and Dolby Atmos, in the home. Cleverly designed with a 30mm step, Flexson’s innovative mounting solutions position the Arc in front of the television, which enables listeners to fully experience the upward-fi ring Dolby Atmos drivers and immerse themselves in movies, music or TV dramas.

Flexson’s Wall Mount and TV Mount Attachment for Sonos Arc are optimised for Sonos Trueplay, which ensures the Arc is tuned and always sounds great.

3. EXERTIS LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE STORE PLATFORM FOR RETAILERS Exertis has launched its new online store, designed to make it easier and quicker for retailers and resellers to fi nd exactly what they are looking for. Bringing together 500 brands (that’s 80,000 products!) into one WebStore, Exertis now offers greater fl exibility in browsing and shopping and it’s never been simpler for retailers to access the full range of products in one go.

Open 24/7, the new Exertis Store also lets you access orders, products and documents at any time of day. This is perfect for night owls, early-risers or for when you need to check product details or availability in a hurry.

For information on using the new Exertis Store, please visit store.exertis.co.uk or speak to your account manager today. 4. MICROSOFT ADDS MOBILE TO XBOX GAME PASS ULTIMATE Microsoft has announced the addition of mobile streaming to the popular Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription at no additional cost to gamers. This move by Microsoft is in conjunction with the launching of Project xCloud the (cloud gaming platform) in a beta version, now available for download to Game Pass Ultimate members in 22 markets across North America, Europe and in Asia, though currently only on Android smartphones and tablets.

Offering players access to over 100 high quality streamable games (including Gears 5, Destiny 2, Minecraft Dungeons and many more), to which new titles are added every month, cloud gaming with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate ensures you get all the experiences you expect on console, but on the go. This includes game progress, meaning a player can experience a new campaign in Gears 5 on their commute, pick up a controller when they arrive home and continue their game on console exactly where they left off.

Microsoft also promises a greater coop experience through cloud gaming, as the shared library of games means that no matter if the preferred platform is console, PC or mobile, players can get together and enjoy their favourite games, whether their team mates are around the globe coming together online or they’re all in the same room, joining via a combination of devices.

5. GAMESCOM GOES DIGITAL Gamescom, a highlight in the calendar of many industry professionals and keen gamers like, has this year taken place online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Mostly in keeping with the Gamescom formula, the event kicked off with the ‘Opening Night Live’ digital live-stream event on 27th August, and was then followed by three days packed with experiences and announcements.

Available to viewers across the world who otherwise may not have attended the show in Cologne, Gamescom 2020 was still able to offer all the fun of the physical event. Areas were dedicated to everything from world premieres and hot-off-the-press announcements, to esport tournaments, showcases for indie developers and a digital platform for the popular cosplay village.

With this year’s event turning out to be such as success, Gamescom 2021 has already been confi rmed as a hybird online and physical event.

6. KAMI ADDS OUTDOOR SECURITY CAMERA TO UK OFFERING Smart home security brand Kami has announced the UK launch of its Outdoor Security Camera. Featuring advanced night vision technology, reliable human detection and a weather resistant IP-65 design, the Kami Cam provides homeowners with complete assurance and protection.

Kami’s Advanced Starlight Night Vision technology enables clear playback of colour footage, even in low-light, while the wide-angled lens fi lms in 1080p video. Offering AI-driven smart security to the UK smart technology market at an affordable price, the Kami Outdoor Security Camera sends reliable alerts, helping to avoid “false positives” (from pets or even light changes).

Great for greeting guests, speaking to the postman or scaring off unwanted intruders, the clear built-in microphone and high-powered speaker lets you speak and hear through a smartphone via the Kami Home App.

Also using the app, users can unlock additional features, including setting up Smart Activity Zones to highlight the areas the camera needs to keep a particularly close eye on. Footage can be saved locally or on the extra-secure Kami Cloud for easy playback.

7. TURTLE BEACH ANNOUNCES NEXT GENERATION HEADSETS Leading gaming peripheral brand Turtle Beach has announced the Stealth 700 Gen 2 and Stealth 600 Gen 2 wireless gaming headsets designed for Xbox Series X and Xbox One, and for PlayStation 5 and PS4.

Built on the legacy of the best-selling products in their respective price tiers, both the Stealth 700 Gen 2 and Stealth 600 Gen 2 upgrade the performance, comfort and product styling.

They offer advanced wireless connectivity, precision audio and highsensitivity mics as well as the unrivalled comfort customers have come to expect from the company’s headsets. Discussing the launch of these next generation headsets, Turtle Beach CEO Juergen Stark says, “2020 continues to be a historic year for the gaming industry and the excitement continues as we head into the fall with a variety of AAA game launches and next generation consoles right around the corner, which we believe will also lead to further success for our Stealth 700 and 600 series headsets.”

8. NEW CODE OF PRACTICE FOR CHILDREN’S DATA PROTECTION A new code of practice outlining how tech companies must protect children’s data online has been announced. Firms offering apps, online games and social media platforms directly marketed to kids have 12 months to implement new privacy settings in line with the tenets of the code, or risk fi nes from the Information Commissioner’s Offi ce.

Speaking on the new code of practice, Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said, “We want children to be online, learning and playing and experiencing the world, but with the right protections in place”. Meanwhile Andy Burrows, head of child safety online at the NSPCC has expressed a hope that the code will cause tech companies to rethink the content they are providing children with.

These new rules will also apply to websites offering educational materials and any streaming services collecting and analysing children’s data, as well as makers of internet-connected toys.

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