E-commerce technology

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, 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

Joint committee publishes report on improving Online Safety Bill

MPs and peers release report on Online Safety Bill following five-month inquiry into the draft legislation and make a number of recommendations on how it can be improved to deal with harmful content and abuse on the internet Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The rules for a safer internet

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the government publishes the Online Safety Bill, we look at what the laws mean for internet services. A ransomware victim shares the insider story of the trauma of losing their corporate IT systems. And we ask, what happens when quantum computers get too powerful to verify their output? Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Retailers as tech firms: Next, The Very Group and others see power in the platform

Gap and Reiss are set to utilise Next’s end-to-end e-commerce service, Total Platform, in 2022, as more retailers carve out a future as part tech company Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Number of .uk domain suspensions at record low

Statistics from Nominet show how effective law enforcement action against cyber crime in the UK is paying off Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zopa to focus on banking after closing peer-to-peer lending

Peer-to-peer lending pioneer Zopa to focus on its banking operation after the closure of its original business Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

European finance firms increase open banking spend

Financial services firms are increasing investment in open banking capabilities, with improvements to payment initiation and onboarding capabilities expected Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Consumers say supermarkets among best at social engagement

Many types of business have improved their online interactions with consumers as a result of the pandemic, with consumers claiming supermarkets are among the most engaging Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK consumers warned of increase in credit card application fraud

There has been a sharp rise in fraudsters using stolen personal details to open credit card accounts Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

One in three Norwegian unicorns created in 2021 alone

Norway’s tech sector has undergone rapid growth in the past year, consolidating the Nordic country’s position as an emerging European tech hub Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• Mark Samuels

Government to legislate to make APP fraud reimbursement mandatory

UK payments regulator wants to reduce the huge sums of money lost to authorised push payment fraud and is calling on the banking and tech industries to play their part Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Amazon to stop accepting Visa credit cards in UK due to high fees

Online retail giant Amazon will stop accepting UK Visa credit card payments from January next year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Arkwright’s till, Tesco GetGo and retail tech’s non-linear innovation journey

The checkout-free Tesco GetGo store shows that retail technology has come a long way since the faulty till draws in Open All Hours, but some of today’s innovation goes back to the future Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

IT Priorities 2022: APAC enterprises invest in digital future

Nearly two-thirds of enterprises in Asia-Pacific plan to increase their IT budgets next year in areas such as cloud computing and cyber security to secure their digital future Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Online sales now account for 34.4% of M&S clothing and home goods

Ongoing digital transformation sees online sales grow for M&S as pandemic consumer habits continue Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Traditional banks could get revenue boost if they copy digital challengers

Traditional banks could see huge sales increases if they adopted the business models of their digital challengers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Vienna’s tech startup ecosystem gathers momentum

After a sustained period of inactivity, Vienna’s startup environment is finally on the rise again Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

How cosmetics retailer Lush made over its approach to authentication

Evolving approaches to IT at cosmetics retailer Lush meant the organisation’s previous approach to authentication was no longer up to scratch. Find out how it overcame this hurdle Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Women grossly underrepresented in global fintech

Women are CEOs at less than 6% of global financial technology firms and even fewer hold top tech jobs Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How in-store technology is supporting retail’s sustainability agenda

Boots, Costa Coffee and the major grocers’ in-store technology focus is switching towards systems supporting sustainability goals Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

HSBC standardises on DevOps platform

HSBC to standardise and automate software development through CloudBees platform Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

TechUK slams government gift to big banks that will disadvantage fintechs

The government will put challenger banks at a disadvantage through its reduction in the bank profit surcharge, says TechUK Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Retail tech community reacts to BNPL regulatory proposals

Regulation is coming to the buy now, pay later market, but what does it mean for a retail tech community increasingly embracing these solutions? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Depop launches programme to help charities sell online

Online marketplace Depop has launched a programme to make it easier for charities to set up shops and sell goods online through its platform Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

German regulator imposes limit on number of new customers digital bank can sign each month

BaFin limits the number of new customers that digital bank N26 can enrol until it is reassured on issues it has raised about the company Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Lloyds Bank closes more branches as customers migrate to digital channels

Banking group has announced more closures as part of the ongoing reduction of its branch network Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Zopa becomes unicorn with latest funds to go to bank operation

Zopa will invest in its growing digital bank operation after becoming a unicorn in its latest fund-raising round Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Argos topped online sales for sports and outdoor gear in 2020

Research by betting firm Wette.de has found Argos was the top retailer for online sales of sports-based and outdoor goods during the height of the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Tech Nation adds 30 fintech scaleups to growth programme as funding continues to rise

UK government-backed startup network adds 30 fintechs to its growth programme amid record investments in finance tech sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Keeping the UK in the global race to adopt digital identity

The UK government’s proposed digital ID trust framework is a step in the right direction, but more is needed to ensure the successful adoption of digital identity across the economy Continue Reading

By

• Nick Mothershaw, OIX