lyn Hopkinson of Hopkinson’s Timaru gift shop and cafe, told Stuff.com.nz that her business had already starting using paywave to reduce contact at point of sale and planned to put up signage asking people not to touch items unless they wanted to buy them. Hopkinson said she thought people were used to being aware of social distancing and hygiene protocols so did not expect that to be an issue. Miss Timaru and Preen Clothing co-owner Sophie Preen said local customers had been very supportive but there was no comparison with being physically open, and she was looking forward to seeing customers again in person, the website reports. Shopify cautious despite profit lift As more people have been shopping from home during the coronavirus lockdown, Canadian e-commerce company Shopify has posted a surprise adjusted profit for the first quarter. However, Shopify played down the result, saying that it was uncertain how much the shift online would help offset the overall economic weakness caused by the pandemic. The retailer, which suspended its 2020 financial forecast last month, did not provide any outlook on the coming quarters and told Reuters that it was closely watching the impact of rising unemployment on consumer spending. The latest trading surge has made Shopify Canada’s largest public company, with a market value of C$121.6 billion ($133.58 billion), amid growing conviction the future of retailing lies online. This takes its value past that of the Royal Bank of Canada, the nation’s largest bank, Yahoo Finance reports. Ocado tips long-term online growth UK online supermarket Ocado has seen retail revenue soar 40.4 per cent year on year in its second quarter to date as it ramped up capacity to meet unprecedented demand during the country’s coronavirus lockdown. In March, business accelerated so fast that Ocado was forced to stop registrations from new customers and impose a queuing system online. Ocado told Reuters that it expects the long-term shift towards online grocery to accelerate post the crisis. But it also expressed uncertainty about customer reaction immediately afterwards and the pandemic’s  long-term impact on customers’ disposable incomes. Before the crisis, just 7 per cent of groceries were bought online in the UK. Watchdog rules against JD Sports JD Sports has been ordered to sell Footasylum, with the UK competition regulator ruling that the sportswear retailer’s £86 million ($163.2 million) takeover of its smaller rival left shoppers worse off, Reuters reports. JD said it fundamentally disagreed with the ruling, and was considering an appeal, adding that the decision put at risk the future of Footasylum and its 2500 employees. The giant sportswear retailer said that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) had not properly taken account of the market and that retailers not only compete with each other, but with big online businesses and sportswear manufacturers who sell directly to consumers, BBC News reports. The CMA, which has the power to investigate and reverse already completed mergers, had warned in February it might order the April 2019 deal to be unwound. Debenhams shutters five UK stores UK department store Debenhams will shut down five of its stores in Hammerson shopping centres, leading to potentially 1400 job cuts, as it failed to agree rent terms with the mall operator. Debenhams said it had had “constructive talks” with other landlords and “had agreed terms on the vast majority of our stores, which we look forward to reopening when government restrictions allow”, Reuters reports.  With Britain in lockdown during the pandemic, Debenhams’ 142 UK stores are closed, while the majority of its 22,000 workers are being paid under the government’s furlough scheme. The company continues to trade online.  The likely 6 per cent cut in its workforce comes as the retailer went into administration last month for the second time in a year, seeking to protect itself from legal action by creditors that could push it into liquidation.