General

Hema is experimenting with self-checkouts and online ordering from the shop floor: the chain of department stores has developed a 'shelf scanner', so that customers can scan their own products and pay for them using contactless payments.

During the first half of the year, e-commerce in Belgium grew by 7% compared to the same period last year. This is illustrated by figures from BeCommerce Market Monitor.

Alibaba blows out twenty candles: in 1999, Jack Ma started building his way to the top from his apartment. How did the journey from thirsty teacher to universal stardom go? And as Ma steps down, what is still in store for Alibaba?

Danish toy manufacturer Lego keeps on growing, as a deal with Marvel and its superheroes proves very profitable. Chinese expansion is in full swing too and the first Dutch store opens next month, but Indian customers will have to wait a bit longer.

AliExpress, an Alibaba subsidiary, has opened its first physical store in the Spanish capital Madrid. The Chinese say Spain is their major target in Europe.

RetailDetail started as a small one-person blog in 2009. Ten years later, it is the leading community for retail and FMCG professionals in the Benelux, offering a wide range of products and experiences - from an online and a printed magazine over inspirational tours all over the world to a 'living retail lab' and a number of popular events.

Amazon has launched a new programme to donate unsold goods to charity. The company has been attacked for systematically destroying such goods up till now.