Establishing a stable presence in the brick-and-mortar retail sector seems to be a crucial part of Allwyn’s plan to improve the offering of the UK National Lottery.
The Czech Republic’s lottery giant and new National Lottery licence holder, Allwyn UK, revealed that it has inked a new agreement with Vodafone that will see the two operators join forces to upgrade the UK National Lottery’s technological aspect as of 2024.
As the official announcement of the agreement states, under the provisions of the deal, Vodafone will provide IoT (Internet of Things) broadband and connectivity that will be delivered as a private secure network for all retail locations offering NL services. Apart from that, the lottery will be hosted in Vodafone’s UK data centres and Allwyn’s offices will be provided with WAN connectivity by the British multinational telecommunications company.
Allwyn has revealed that, as part of the agreement, Vodafone will help it upgrade the technological aspect of the UK National Lottery to a mobile-first approach, which is set to make the lottery more manageable and easier to deploy. The planned changes are expected to help brick-and-mortar shops boost their sales.
According to information revealed by Allwyn and Vodafone, one in three British customers would like to be provided with more digital technology in their local convenience store. Recent research showed there is a chance for local retailers to take advantage of technology to improve their customers’ shopping experience.
The aforementioned survey has revealed that websites (19%) were the most commonly used form of digital technology in so-called corner shops across the UK, followed by social media (16%), and self-service checkouts (15%). In comparison, only 12% of British customers shared that their local store features a loyalty program or a mobile application, while only 9% of the users were aware that their local stores offered a collection of online ordering services.
Allwyn’s Partnership with Vodafone Will Target NL Offering at Local Brick-and-Mortar Retail Shops
Nick Gliddon, the UK business director of Vodafone, noted that digital technology can play a major part in the transformation of business and the provision of a better customer experience. He shared that the recent development in technology has hardly affected the lottery sector that much, or at least as of yet. However, Mr Gliddon believes that the recently-announced partnership will change that.
According to him, the partnership between Vodafone and the new owner of the UK National Lottery licence was a major digital step forward that would help high-street retail shops keep up with the constantly changing consumer patterns, and at the same time engage new audiences and support Allwyn’s efforts to bring a new life to the lottery so that it raises more funds for various good causes across the country.
The interim chief executive officer of Allwyn UK, Robert Chvatal, confirmed the partnership with Vodafone, saying that the duo has a clearly defined plan for the improvement of the National Lottery’s already existing technology offer. He shared that the improvements are set to benefit both retailers and consumers and that will happen in line with the NL operator’s commitment to supporting high-street retailers.
Mr Chvatal revealed that the brick-and-mortar retail sector was a crucial part of the company’s plan to expand the UK National Lottery during the fourth licence as part of an effort aimed at supporting Allwyn’s retail partners with the investment and equipment necessary to grow their own business.
- Author
Olivia Cole
