Tag: shopping

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Shopping

Oh Crumbs!

Recently, you might have noticed, a few of our nations favourite retailers have had ‘tech’ problems and had to shut!

McDonalds, Tesco and Sainsburys all had card payment outages…and then this week gone, on Tuesday, Greggs had to shut!

We have moved to a cashless society… and to be honest, that’s ok. However, we need the systems that support this to ensure they’re reliable, secure and most importantly… available for us to purchase our steak bakes from Greggs!

In 2022, card payments made up 90% of retail spending and racked up £1.3 billion in vendor processing fees, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Adam Pilton, a cyber security consultant at CyberSmart, said the IT outages “should act as a reminder to us in our personal lives and within our business lives of the dependence we place upon technology”.

There is no evidence the technical problems in recent days were caused by cyber attacks – McDonald’s said its global outage was caused by a “third-party provider”.

“One of the key takeaways will be to review the robust back-up systems these retailers have got in place,” said Jenni Matthews, head of marketing and insights at MRI Software.

She added that many people no longer use cash and rely on contactless payments for day-to-day shopping.

“We’re in a day and age where we rely on technology so heavily,” she said.

Whilst all this was going on – I was on my way to the dentist the morning that Greggs was shut… and I thought this needs a tweet…

…and off course, the BBC picked up in my tweet –

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68614636

But it wasn’t long before Greggs tweeted…

It’s reminder, how much we use technology… that we should always ensure that a) we’re using it correctly and securely, b) checking that sites and payment methods are secure and finally c) that you do some due diligence on what you’re using and where – for example, do you have old credit cards stored with some retailers, or have you checked your passwords recently and updated them? (Google passwords offer a service where they advice you that a particular password of yours might have been involved in a leak, or used too many times across different platforms, etc…).

So whilst we can all get our sausage rolls again… yes, for the vegans out there, they too are again available…. stay secure.

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Week in Review

Week 42… 2021!

Another busy week on the ol’ tech front! – but let’s not hang around and dive straight into my Top Two Tech Stories of the week!

  1. First up – starting and selling companies!

British entrepreneur Nick D’Aloisio, who sold the mobile app Summly to Yahoo for $30m (£21.73m) at the age of 17, has sold his latest company to Twitter.

The Sphere group chat app was founded by Mr D’Aloisio and Tomas Halgas.

Sphere, which connects strangers interested in common topics, has been sold for an undisclosed amount and will close in November.

Its 20 or so staff will join Twitter to integrate their community features into the social network.

The company started as a question and answer app that allowed users to instantly chat to paid experts. At the end of 2018, almost 500,000 people were using that version of the platform.

However, Mr D’Aloisio said he found himself drawn to the community aspect of the app which brought strangers interested in the same topics together.

“What was interesting was that people were talking so often throughout the day, and it wasn’t just talking to their friend on Facebook, but someone they had not met before about something they were interested in,” he told the BBC.

As a result, the app slowly pivoted toward a focus on group chats.

Sphere’s features include the ability to:

  • create multiple chats for a single group
  • send highlighted announcements so no-one in a group misses anything
  • send notifications to individuals or just those yet to read a message

“A lot of the messenger apps that exist are catered toward groups that already know each other, but with Sphere, the aim was to unlock new dynamics and bring together people around the world with shared interests.”

Mr D’Aloisio said he was struck by the toxicity on platforms like Reddit, Facebook, Twitch and Twitter, which has been widely criticised about its handling of harassment and trolling.

2. Most shops going till-less!

The Tesco Express on High Holborn looks identical to thousands of others across the country. But inside there are no tills and no self-checkout machines. Instead you scan a QR code on your phone to gain entry, and a complex system of cameras and weighted shelves figures out what you have picked up. Once you’re done you just walk out and your phone (eventually) buzzes to tell you how much you’ve spent.

Yes – we’ve been here before – with the Amazon shop that was opened, but looks like Tesco are using the new technology and many more will be doing so too!

“It creates like an exoskeleton image of you and follows you around and knows what products you have bought,” Bilal explains – the store assistant. “But don’t worry, it’s not recording you and we don’t know who you are.”

Big retailers around the world reckon the technology in use at this Tesco GetGo store on High Holborn will revolutionise shopping and could account for $400bn (£290bn) of transactions within five years, according to analysts at Juniper Research.

The Holborn shop is new but Tesco has been trialling the technology at an Express outlet at its headquarters in Welwyn Garden City since 2019. That was two years before Amazon launched the first of its similar “till-less” stores in the UK.

Aldi is preparing to open its first checkout-free store in Greenwich. Morrisons is testing its own vision of the technology, codenamed Project Sarah, at its Bradford headquarters and has plans to quickly roll out dozens of small stores at busy locations.

So get ready to see no tills, just walk in – get what you want and walk out. This is the future.

So there you go… from an alternative to the usual social media platforms to till-less shopping!

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Shopping

How would you like to pay?

So, I have a gentleman… who comes around to the house from the local farm. He sells… eggs, potatoes, etc… you know, all the goodies that you’re likely to purchase from a farm.

Now, he’s a little elderly, and has been coming over for a few years. We always end up buying something as it’s fresh, it’s local and he’s such a friendly guy. He often gives us recipes or just some hints and tips on what we can cook… and asks us what did we cook, did we enjoy it, etc… basically it’s a human form instead of receiving one of those online survey emails.

He came last Thursday, and whilst I purchased some goods from him… I said, hold fire… I’m not sure I’ve got enough cash (he always takes cash). To me surprise… he says, “Bal, it’s ok… I got me one of those card readers” and then pulls out an iZettle card reader!

Whilst this wouldn’t surprise many – he just totally wowed me. Because,

  1. He’s an elderly fella. You’d think, would he be okay using such tech? Does he know how online payments work? Hope he’s calculated the % that the company will take? ….. But, when I asked him about all that, his reply…. “Bal, you got to move with the times. I just want to make it easy for customers to pay”
  2. Is he really going to make a lot of money? Is it worth the hassle? Will people still buy from him? Does he trust the tech? – “Bal, you have to trust the tech – I did some reading – and it all seemed ok. Tested it out… the money did come into my bank. And it’s not really any more hassle…. in fact, makes the process easier”

That last line got me. Makes the process easier.

We often forget…. the goal of any business or organisation is the customer. The more we can make it easier for them, the better it is.

Again…. it’s about the timeline, from the moment we start (making, developing, or in this case… picking the goods at the farm)… to the point we receive the cash.

Look at all those process steps and make the process as lean as possible.

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Shopping

£100k to £360m in 12 years!

I read a lot of success stories – and stories where people and organisations didn’t make it.

It’s always good to learn from those who didn’t make it. And I’ve began to list a number of common denominators to why they didn’t make it to the big time. Yes – there’s a few generic ones… like the people in charge, the direction of the organisation, etc…

But I’m not going to focus on that. I wanted to focus on something else.

So I tweeted the other day – how Tesla is the most valuable car maker in the world… and how Nikola is valued more than Ford – despite not even selling a car yet!

Crazy times!

But not really.

Investors are looking to the future.

What does the future hold. What does the future need. What do people in the future need. What will people in the future want!

We’ll save the conversation about electric vehicles for another day.

But one thing I would like to say is – I see ALL industries being disrupted (if not already being disrupted).

What does that mean Bal? How can you disrupt ALL industries? – there’ll be some that you’ll always need… like food and drink.

I even see those industries being disrupted! It’s taking time.. but it’s happening.

Case 1.

(Briefly……) Yesterday, I had a gentleman knock on my door. He was from the Modern Milkman.

Basically, they are like the old milkman, who drive around – deliver milk, eggs, juice, etc… to your doorstep – early in the morning, so it’s all ready for your breakfast. It’s all fresh from the local farm…

Why do I think they’ll do well…. maybe not take over current ways of supermarket shopping (well, you never know!), is because of 3 things. 1) They deliver to your doorstep. 2) They’ve got an app! And 3) They are using the thinking of ‘recycle, reuse, reduce’ – their not using single-use plastic….! And more importantly… milk (like Coca-Cola) tastes better out of a glass bottle…

Case 2.

Another one for the ‘drinks’ sector. We all like a beer. Most of us enjoy going to the pub on the weekend and enjoy a pint or two. What choice did you have? – we all know there were the regular choices… and maybe one or two additional ones. Nothing too exciting to write home about.

But again – it’s all changing. There’s now microbreweries. There’s craft beer! There’s more people making different types of beer than ever before. And these are very quickly appearing in pubs and bars up and down the country.

We want variety. We want choice.

Take Brewdog for example. A Craft brewery who saw an opportunity. And has made it work for them. And how are they doing financially… well, have a look at their post recently on LinkedIn…

And finally… Case 3.

Cakes and cookies… bakery goods, being disrupted by smaller independent bakers, local bakers… who sell goods online or through Facebook (where they can connect with friends and family).

Take for example, Bal’s Bakery….. (on Instagram, @balsbakery)…. they make vegan cookies, eggless cakes, etc… but more on the success of this in a future blog post 🙂

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Video

I made a video…

… of my trip to Ikea!

That’s right – following on from my recent blog post about Ikea, I made a little video.

My trip to Ikea….

As previously mentioned, there’s a lot more to why we spend so long in Ikea…. be great to hear your thoughts.

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Uncategorized

Experience Centres…

A few weeks ago, I was in London with my colleague Bruno, who’d travelled over from Brussels – for a meeting.

I noticed his shoes – very nice they were, and let him know that.

For the next 10 minutes, Bruno explained to me how the High Street was changing – and where he went to buy his shoes, they had a Ferrari and other ‘items’ which you wouldn’t normally find in a traditional shoe shop. It was more like an experience centre – where you walk in, sofa’s, tea and coffee, let the kids look at the Ferrari, whilst you take your time and find the right shoes.

I fully agree. The High Street is changing. There’s more on-line shopping. We know this! – just look at the statistics.

Bal, how can we help the High Street?

Well – firstly, have more ‘experience centres’ – where customers can ‘experience’ what they want, take their time and indulge what you have to offer.

A place where they can ask questions freely, talk to people with some serious knowledge – sounding very familiar to the Apple Store!?!

But what if you had a kids play corner? What if there was some ‘attractions’ to divert your attention? What if there was a coffee machine that enticed you to stay longer… become more loyal to the brand/shop.

Thinking differently will help the High Street. Similar to how in the 80’s and 90’s the shopping centres appeared out of town, with ample free parking and huge variety of shops. They’re still popular – but why would I waste my time, to drive out of town, park up, walk into a shop, purchase an item, walk back, drive home….. when I could do it in a few clicks on my phone?

In addition to the experience, it begins to be more personal. More individual. And we’re seeing that in a number of sectors.

Pop-up shops for example. We don’t want the same thing as everyone else…. and that’s the same as our drinking! – look at the number of beers you can get now, different beers, different tastes – and more individualisation!

It’s funny to keep reading about ‘the High Street is Dead’… maybe it is, but how can it be revitalised?! – let’s look at other cities around the world. Let’s learn what other people are doing… and bring some life back to the High Street!

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Uncategorized

Christmas Tech Stocking Fillers…

On Sunday, I was on the Radio. Yep – BBC Radio Nottingham, sharing my usual Technology update… but also, I was set a challenge.

Choose some Tech-related Christmas stocking fillers! – Basically, cheap/low cost Christmas presents… One for a male in his 50’s, a lady in her 40’s…. and a teenager. 

Easy. 

Well…. I thought it’d be easy! – But in all seriousness… there’s so many tech-type presents  you could buy for that stocking.

First up… A 6 in 1 Pen!

That’s right – it’s a Tech Tool pen… Pen, Stylus, Level, Flat head and Philips screw driver and a ruler! 

How awesome is that!!! And how much? – £10.99 from Amazon. 

Up next… as it’s cold, you need to keep warm… so how’s about some Bluetooth Gloves?

That’s right! – These gloves connect to your phone via Bluetooth and you can make and receive calls! How. Awesome. Is. That. ?

It’s got a built in mic… and speaker phone! – Connects to iPhone, Android, all types!!!! And how much? £12! Only…. £12!!!

Ok… and finally…  for the teenager… as they’re always on their phones, listening to music and watching YouTube videos, why not enhance the sound?… yep… why not a Bluetooth Speaker?

And the best thing is… they can connect to any tablet, phone, etc… and only £10!!! – now, you could get them cheaper by shopping around, and you can pay a little more… and you’d get a little better speaker… key thing is, they’ll connect to the device and play your music to a better level than your headphones. 

So challenge complete!

Hope I’ve been able to provide you with some more ideas… and don’t leave it too late… order soon, as many items take a little while to be delivered. 

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Uncategorized

Bal’s 2018 Christmas Tech Gift Ideas

Well, it’s nearly Christmas, we’re all getting into the festive spirit – Christmas parties, drinks, food…. and then realising…. we need to order some presents for family and friends! 

Don’t panic! I’m back again this year – with some suggestions of what you could buy… my Top 3 Christmas Tech Type of Gifts! 

Okay, let’s not waste time…. straight in at my Number 1, is my idea that will be great for anyone, anywhere and to do… anytime! Also – it’s not physical, so it doesn’t take up space, you’ll have something you can do it on… AND, they’ll spend hours on it!!!

  1. Netflix

That’s right! – If your family/friend/whomever you’re buying for… take them to the clouds! – well, let’s be honest, we don’t need physical dvd’s, or any storage device. Netflix offers so much content – you can watch it on your phone, tablet, TV, etc… 

And the prices aren’t too bad either! Now the best thing is – you can have multiple users!! 

Now, there is also Amazon Prime – that offer their streaming service, which is also good – but for me, Netflix just edges it to Number 1. 

2. Smart Watch

 Now, I’ve recommended this a few times – and will recommend again. 

Doesn’t matter if you have an iPhone or an Android (Samsung, Google, etc..) type of phone. There’s plenty of watches out there, that can sync to your phone. 

Also, you don’t need to get the ‘norm’. Armani and various other designer makes are also making ‘Smart Watches’ – for which, look much nicer. 

So be it the latest Apple Watch – with a whole host of features and health tracking…

Or the Samsung Smart Watch…

Smart Watch and tracking is a must. There’s also Fit Bit that offer a great health & fitness monitoring – so have a look at what type of person you’re buying for, what device they have already – and then purchase the type of smart wearable accordingly. 

3. Tile (Tracking Device)

Now – are you the type of person that leaves keys laying around, or misplaces the phone…. or just in generally, leave things here or there?

Well…. here’s the answer. A device called Tile.

It’s a small tracking device that you can attach to anything… keys, phone, camera, etc… and track it.

It’ll let you know location. It’ll make a beeping noise. It’ll alert you.


Now, in addition to the beeping and alerting – there’s so many other features such as being part of the ‘Tile’ network…. and then there’s changeable batteries (there’s a version with built in batter for 1 year) and for five extra bucks you can get the one with the changeable batteries – which is the one I would recommend. 

So a nice little present – you can also buy packs and there’s offers on if you search on Amazon. 

… And Finally,

I thought, why not include one last… final…. funny… idea for a present. 

Now… we spend a lot of time on our phones. Let’s be honest. 

And most of us, the screen isn’t the biggest. And for most older folk…. their eyesight isn’t the greatest. 

Therefore, I present to you… the Phone Magnifier! 

That’s right – simple yet so effective! – turns that little screen into a big screen! – well… a decent size! 

The back stand allows any phone to sit there. And then by magic… it appears on the large screen! 

You can find it on the usual shopping sites, Groupon, Amazon, etc… all different varieties are available… some made from wood! – which I would recommend, less plastic the better!

So folks… there you go. Hope you like my Top 3. I will be sharing more, as I’m radio over the next few days an will be sharing more gifts ideas… from the big and expensive to the cheap stocking fillers. All with one thing in common… using technology!

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Uncategorized

10yrs since Woolworths…

It’s been 10 years since Woolworths left the High Street.

It was a bit of an institution. But the time had come to close it’s doors based on poor sales and customers, just not buying anymore. There were a couple of reasons – mainly, their music and DVD part of the business which  was so profitable wasn’t doing so good – because habits had changed, with on-line music available.

The whole business couldn’t have been held on just it’s famous pic’n’mix.

They had a lot of stores up and down the country.

What happened then, Bal?

Well – a new ‘shopping model’ appeared. Pound World/Land/Everything.

The stores that sold everything for a pound was a simple and effective model. Very successful  – and they bought many of the stores where Woolworths used to be, and set up shop.

But even today – they’re not doing so well. In July, PoundWorld announced they’ll close 150 stores of it’s total 335 stores with administrators looking for a buyer. Poundland isn’t performing too well either.

The High Street is changing. Shopping habits are changing. We’re shopping more and more online. But moreso, via our mobile devices.

As per a previous blog post – we’re in that phase of ‘Bricks and Clicks’ – where retailers need to have a strong on-line presence aswell as maintaining their high street presence, because we’re going through that ‘transition phase’.

In the future – we’ll have less physical stores for us to visit. They’ll be more ‘experience outlets’. Where we can go, and experience whatever it is we want to buy. Then have the ability to order on-line and for it to be delivered at home.

In addition – smaller outlets, for those essentials on the way home from work. Using technology to make it a quick and easy experience – similar to the Amazon physical store.

And as today is ‘Cyber Monday’ – how long that term will last, i’m not sure – because alot of the sales on Friday were on-line… means we’ll be more ‘cyber shoppers’ than before.

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Uncategorized

Black Friday Deals… This Friday!

So… most of us (in Europe) will have got used to ‘Black Friday’ sales. It’s the Day after Thanksgiving and… it’s when everyone (nearly everyone), goes out shopping.

Now… the ‘Black Friday’ Sales have spread to across the world.

And here in Europe… we have them too.

In fact… they started earlier… Amazon and many other retailers started sharing some great offers earlier in the week…

For example, Curry’s had this fantastic offer on earlier in the week…

Now… like or loath them  – the sales, do offer some great value.

Whilst we have some high-street retailers offering discounted products… you’re best bet to find a bargain would most probably be on-line.

Amazon (and there’s others) start to prepare and entice folks in…

Now, there’s some guidelines I’d suggest you follow…

1. Do your Research! – Is it a good product? Have you read the reviews? Don’t just buy it because it looks good and it’s reduced in price (even if it’s got 70% off!). Look around the internet, read what people are saying about it – and if it’s worth purchasing.

2. Sign Up! – That’s right… sign up to newsletters and emails from your favourite retailers. That way, you’ll receive notifications before others of deals and offers that are available.

3. Don’t Worry! – missed out on an item? Didn’t get what you wanted? Don’t worry… we’ve got Boxing Day sales coming up… then you’ll have New Year Sales… and if you’ve followed Points 1 and 2 above, I’m sure you’ll find your item at a good price at some point in the year.

Well, I hope you have a great time shopping…!