The Retail Times is a weekly newsletter covering retail tech news from Canada and around the globe.
Subscribe to R|T using the form at the bottom of this page to ensure you don’t miss out on the most important retail tech news every week!
PayBright, Coveo, Attabotics, Bold Commerce in CB Insights’ Retail Tech 100 (BETAKIT)
All four startups are playing a role in the COVID-fuelled transformation of retail.
Why San Francisco-based VC Hustle Fund Is Betting Big on Canada
“At Hustle Fund, we’re convinced that Canada is positioned well to produce some of the largest, category-defining companies on the planet. We’re eager to fund these companies, and excited to partner with Hockeystick to identify these opportunities!” – Eric Bahn (General Partner)
Since launch, Hockeystick has made over 6000 funder recommendations to Canadian startups. Learn how startups are using technology to meet funders around the world.
Amazon inks deals for Toronto office space after rival Shopify’s expansion (THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
The e-commerce company has taken an additional 100,000 square feet in two buildings in the south part of Toronto’s financial district.
DoorDash shares soar 80% after IPO (FORTUNE)
Initially priced at $102 in the IPO, the company’s shares began trading at $182 before quickly jumping to $188.50. That gives the delivery business a market value of nearly $60 billion.
Pilots over pitches: how to accelerate growth through corporate-startup collaboration (BETAKIT)
Highline Beta CEO Marcus Daniels argues that the “always be pitching” mantra is the wrong one for startups looking to scale.
This app wants to cure ‘Is my order going to arrive for Christmas?’ anxiety (FAST COMPANY)
Shipageddon is here. Can Route, which helps manage delivery expectations and even insure packages, soothe nerves? Investors have $35 million riding on it.
Amazon warehouse workers in Canada saw injury rates double. Then COVID hit. Inside a hidden safety crisis (TORONTO STAR)
Amazon’s internal safety records show mounting injury rates across Canadian warehouses.
AppDirect megadeal casts long shadow over Montréal startup funding in Q3 2020 (BETAKIT)
Montréal’s tech funding dipped in the third quarter of 2020, propped up by one megadeal into a locally-born but now US-headquartered e-commerce startup.
The car as your cellphone: How BlackBerry’s deal with Amazon could transform your ‘in-vehicle experiences’ (FINANCIAL POST)
Analysts say it’s a new frontier in the auto industry and could be a game changer for the Waterloo-based maker.
Sobeys parent Empire ramps up e-commerce expansion as pandemic drives online demand (THE GLOBE AND MAIL)
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect Canadians’ food-buying habits, Sobeys owner Empire Co. Ltd. EMP-A-T is planning to accelerate the expansion of its e-commerce business.
