$1.2 million…rediem, a loyalty software specialist, has announced a $1.2 million pre-seed round.
Led by Ivy Ventures, with participation from Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator; Netcore CEO; Jebbit founders, and e-commerce investors, the capital supports onboarding a 500 company waitlist to rediem’s AI powered Software-as-a-Service customer engagement platform.
“I believe in the vision for transforming legacy, outdated rewards programmes,” says Scott Kraege, Partner at Ivy Ventures. “The early momentum is incredibly promising, and the strong adoption by enterprises further validates rediem’s thesis on the future of brand-customer relationships.”
$11.5 billion…Shopify reports a record setting Black Friday weekend, with sales of $11.5 billion from independent businesses worldwide.
Deann Evans, Managing Director, EMEA at Shopify, comments: “After a challenging year, this BFCM highlighted consumers’ continued commitment to supporting independent brands.”
“We witnessed unprecedented levels of shopping activity across all platforms, showcasing retailers’ ability to adapt to evolving consumer demands. By offering innovative and engaging experiences both online and in-store, businesses successfully connected with their customers, fostering loyalty and strengthening relationships for the future.”
2 million…Currys reports that it has reached two million customer donations, through Pennies, for the Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA).
The DPA is a non-profit charity member initiative convening individuals from across business, government, charity and education, with the aim of eradicating digital poverty in the UK, and ultimately globally.
Just one day of customer micro-donations in Currys’ UK stores raises enough funds through the Tech4Families scheme for the DPA to provide three disadvantaged families with a laptop.
Logistically, customers are invited to make a micro-donation via the card terminal screen when they pay for their purchase in-store, powered by partnering FinTech charity, Pennies. They are offered a ‘yes or no’ option to donate if they wish.
16,800…AS Watson has announced the opening of its 16,800th store worldwide, with the health and beauty retailer laying claim to a portfolio of 12 brands operating across 29 markets.
The Kruidvat store was opened in Rotterdam as AS Watson doubles down on its O+O (Offline plus Online) customer experience.
Dr. Malina Ngai, Group CEO at AS Watson, says: “The opening of our 16,800th store represents more than our growth as a company – it symbolises our commitment to serving the communities worldwide. With every store we open, we create jobs, foster customer relationships, and build lasting trust.”
“16,800 is a number with special meaning in Chinese culture. The number six symbolises ‘everything goes smoothly’ while eight represents ‘good fortune’. We embrace the special meaning of this milestone and look forward to a future of lasting success and prosperity, not only for our business growth but also in extending these best wishes for a brighter future for the world during this festive Christmas season.”
“We’re honoured that AS Watson’s 16,800th store worldwide opens in vibrant Rotterdam, demonstrating our steadfast commitment to growth in the Benelux region and globally. As the number one health and beauty retailer in the Netherlands, Kruidvat serves its customers with nearly 1,000 O+O stores and over 24,000 passionate colleagues, and has become an integral part of many Dutch people’s lives.”
£3 million…Charity Super.Mkt, pitched as the UK’s first ever multi-charity shop, reports that it has, with its charity retail partners (including Shelter, Havens Hospices, Cancer Research and Oxfam), sold £3 million worth of second hand fashion since opening its doors in January 2023.
Over the past couple of years, the venture has popped up in over 12 cities across the UK including Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol and London, and partnered with 55 different local and national charities in the UK.
So far, the pop-up stores have prevented 105,109kg of textile waste from reaching landfill, saving an estimated 168,174 cubic metres of water.
Charity Super.Mkt relies on the support of its partnering charities, the public’s purposeful consumption choice, and retail landlords like Hammerson, INKGA, Landsec, and British Land, who provide rent free retail spaces to facilitate the charity retail concept.
Growth plans are underway, with a number of new permanent store openings planned throughout the UK in 2025, including Canary Wharf London, Edinburgh and Leeds. Its most recent pop-up location in Spitalfields Market, London, opened on 28th November, and is in partnership with Traid and Havens Hospice. It will be open until the end of January 2025.
