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March 15, 2019
On the web
Carrefour Romania Offers Biometric Payments on Top of “single Digital Portal”
InternetRetailing
“Carrefour is testing biometric payments in Romania as part of an ongoing digital transformation project. The chain will allow customers to pay through facial recognition at conventional and self-service check-outs at its Skanska supermarket in Bucharest. The company did not specify how customers create the digital profile that they can use at the checkout. Carrefour also said it would “strengthen” its collaboration with Google to find new areas of cooperation on online commerce, although it did not give details. The collaboration has previously led to the introduction of training hours for employees to share digital knowledge.”
March 5, 2019
On the web
Sam’s Club Now lets you scan whole items, not just barcodes
Engadget
“This spring, the company will update its Scan & Go app at Sam’s Club Now, its Dallas-based testing ground for shopping tech. The update will allow shoppers to register items in their cart by simply hovering the camera over each item. In other words, you’ll be able to use your phone to scan the whole item, not just the barcode.”
March 1, 2019
Top Post
Kroger Steps up the Pressure on Visa With Another Ban on the Network’s Credit Cards
Digital Transactions
“The Kroger Co. on Friday opened a new front in its battle with Visa Inc. over acceptance costs with an announcement that it will stop accepting Visa credit cards at its Smith’s Food & Drug Stores chain, which operates 134 stores in seven Western states. The ban is set to take effect April 3, Kroger said. The move is the latest salvo by Cincinnati-based Kroger in its long-running feud with the card networks and with Visa specifically. It also steps up the pressure on Visa after the grocery giant last August banned the network’s credit cards from a much smaller chain, Foods Co., which has 21 supermarkets and five gas stations in California. Kroger owns a number of retail brands that altogether embrace some 2,800 stores nationwide.”
On the web
Amazon to open All-new Grocery Stores Separate from Whole Foods
Ars Technica
“Amazon reportedly feels confident enough in its grocery-store quests to branch out into new ventures. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Amazon plans to open dozens of new grocery stores that will be distinctly different from the company’s Whole Foods Market stores. The retail giant has reportedly already signed leases for some locations and plans to open the new grocery stores in cities across the country, including San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.”
February 26, 2019
On the wires
HSBC UNVEILS PAYME FOR BUSINESS APP IN INITIAL BETA TEST
“HSBC’s PayMe announced today the launch of a beta test programme for PayMe for Business, a new person-to-merchant (P2M) payments app in Hong Kong. The beta test will involve 15 businesses from a diverse range of sectors from food and beverage, fashion and beauty, arts and crafts, to living and design.”
February 13, 2019
On the wires
Kroger Introduces Kroger Pay and Kroger REWARDS Debit Card
“Kroger Pay is a quick, safe and easy-to-use feature within the Kroger Family of Stores apps—available for iOS and Android devices. After a customer enters their custom PIN or biometrics, the app provides customers with a single-use QR code to scan at the terminal to quickly communicate payment and loyalty card information, which includes digital coupons and personalized offers. The single-step solution reduces checkout time and creates a more frictionless experience for both store associates and customers. Kroger Pay is available to use at both traditional checkout lanes and self-checkout stations.”
February 8, 2019
On the web
If Fyre Festival taught us anything it’s the wisdom of booking with a credit card
Quartzy
“Fyre Festival taught us many things. Among them: always bring your own snacks, be wary of events marketed with a combination of Bahamian pigs and influencer supermodels, and—perhaps most usefully—always book with a credit card.”
February 7, 2019
On the wires
Bank of America Introduces New Digital Tools for Small Business
“Bank of America today introduced Business Advantage 360, a new digital dashboard designed to make it easier for entrepreneurs to manage the various financial aspects of their business. Available for the first time to any Bank of America client with a business deposit account, Business Advantage 360 provides a complete view of business cash flow and access to real-time expertise and guidance – all in one simple tool with new functionality.”
January 28, 2019
On the web
Holiday Wrap-Up: Mobile Dominates E-Commerce, Driving 66% Of Traffic
Retail Touch Points
“Mobile shopping eclipsed desktop for the first time during the 2018 holiday season: 48% of orders came from mobile devices while just 44% came from desktop or laptop computers, according to Salesforce. Mobile accounted for 66% of all e-Commerce traffic during the season, and 74% of shoppers browsed from a mobile phone on Christmas Day.”
January 25, 2019
On the web
Retail industry staff numbers down by an estimated 70,000 at the end of 2018
Internet Retailing (UK)
“Commenting, George Charles from money-saving website MoneySavingHeroes.co.uk said: “This is another damning piece of evidence that reiterates the slow death of the high street. Consumers are busy, just don’t have time or are just unwilling to leave their home, so the convenience of being able to browse thousands of options, look for the best deal and have the product then delivered straight to them, appeals to all. We’re all guilty of scrolling through retailers’ websites at 10pm and loading our baskets full of goodies – an experience you just can’t get on the high-street.”
January 22, 2019
On the web
Kroger CEO Offers Closer Look at Grocery Giant’s Tech Innovation at NRF 2019
Street Fight
“At the NRF, McMullen emphasized the need for an omnichannel approach at a time when customers are becoming ever more accustomed to convenience and don’t necessarily display a steadfast preference for either online or offline commerce.”
January 8, 2019
On the web
Kroger joins forces with Microsoft to test digital shelves in stores
Internet Retailer
“The alliance is the latest example of how big U.S. retailers are deploying data-rich technology to improve the often-tedious ritual of food shopping and keep pace with Amazon.com Inc. (No. 1), which is bent on grabbing a bigger share of the $860 billion U.S. food retail market. For Microsoft the deal helps grow its cloud business, which lags behind Amazon’s but has found willing customers like Kroger and Walmart Inc. (No. 3), which are loath to line the pockets of Jeff Bezos. Kroger also hopes to sell the technology to other retailers, potentially opening up a new revenue stream with fatter profit margins than selling groceries.”
January 7, 2019
On the web
UK Retail Sales Suffer Worst Year in More Than a Decade
The Business of Fashion
“Sales at UK brick-and-mortar retail stores fell 1.9 percent in December on a like-for-like basis, according to a report Saturday from business advisers at BDO LLP. That capped off the worst year for monthly sales shrinkage since at least 2006, when the firm began tracking data coming from about 85 British retailers with some 10,000 stores. As more shoppers head online — and away from physical sites often locked in expensive leases — there’s little escape from the traditional British industry’s decline. Even with strong signs emerging from American retailers’ holiday season and some UK brands, the report provides scant cheer for storied British companies such as Marks & Spencer Group Plc, Debenhams Plc, and Mothercare Plc that are set to publish sales numbers this week.”
Pandora Radio cofounder’s Grabango raises $12 million for cashierless store tech
Venture Beat
“Cashierless stores are fast becoming a reality, thanks to Amazon’s aggressive expansion of its Amazon Go chain and an emergent class of startups looking to nab a slice of the nascent sector. It’s a win-win for retailers: With a checkout-free arrangement, customers don’t have to contend with lines or self-checkout machines, and stores save substantial overhead in payroll — theoretically, at least.”
January 4, 2019
On the web
Technavio: Online grocery delivery grows with Web |Chain Store Age
Chain Store Age
“A rising tide is said to lift all boats, and a new study says rising Internet popularity is lifting online grocery delivery. According to a new market research report from Technavio, the global online grocery delivery market will undergo a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of close to 22% for the period 2018-2022. Technavio analysis indicates two main factors, both related to how consumers use the Internet, will drive this strong growth.”
December 24, 2018
Top Post
Department Store of the Future: Selling Art Off the Walls and Car Insurance at Checkout
Wall Street Journal (paywall)
“If the department store has a future, it might look like this. The space is a quarter of its original size. New goods hit the racks daily and are displayed on a single floor with an e-commerce warehouse upstairs. The store is closed two days a week and is staffed by full-time employees who know their customers by name and sell auto insurance among other services at the checkout.”
On the web
Contactless Payments And Transaction Data Will Be on More Restaurateurs’ Menus in 2019
Digital Transactions News
“Restaurants are a coveted merchant segment for many acquirers and independent sales organizations. So, knowing how payments are changing and the impact that might have on this merchant segment is critical. First off, in 2019, the prospect for more consumers carrying, and wanting to use, contactless credit and debit cards is high. The other big trend is that these merchants, now that many of them are using cloud-based point-of-sale systems, want to make the best use of the transaction data they’re paying for.”
December 21, 2018
On the web
COMMENTARY: For Merchants, Much Has Been Accomplished, Much Is Yet To Be Done
Mark Horwedel, MAG - Digital Transactions News
“The Great Recession strengthened merchant resolve to do something about the cost of payments. For the first time, merchants collaborated to bring their arguments to Washington, and they prevailed as a result of the public’s displeasure with banks and the general feeling that something needed to be done to control banks’ excessive market power and greed.”
December 7, 2018
On the web
How the Cashless Economy Shuts Out the Poor
New York Times (paywall)
“According to government data, close to 7 percent of American households have no one in them with a checking or savings account, while an additional 19 percent are considered “underbanked,” meaning that they rely on products or services outside the conventional financial system. These include money orders and payday and pawnshop loans. The majority of people who fall into these categories are nonwhite.”
December 6, 2018
On the wires
Walgreens Launches Next-Day, Nationwide Prescription Delivery with FedEx
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20181206005204/en/Walgreens-Launches-Next-Day-Nationwide-Prescription-Delivery-FedEx
“Walgreens and FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) today announced the nationwide launch of next-day prescription delivery service, bringing together Walgreens extensive network of neighborhood pharmacy locations with the FedEx air-and-ground delivery network to enhance convenience for patients to fill prescriptions. Walgreens is now the fastest choice for next-day prescription delivery across the nation.”
December 5, 2018
On the web
People aren’t paying their credit cards and more accounts are being shut down, and it could be a sign that ‘economic clouds are darkening’
Business Insider
“The economy is robust, unemployment is sitting at 3.7%, its lowest mark in nearly half a century, and interest rates, though moving upward, are still relatively low. So why are credit-card delinquencies, application rejections, and involuntary account closures all on the upswing?”
December 4, 2018
On the web
First Data Holiday Insights 2018
LIve transaction dashboard
“First Data Insights provides a look into U.S. consumer spending as it happens. Welcome to data at the speed of commerce.”
December 3, 2018
On the web
Retailers Are Testing Facebook-Style Shopper Profiles to Battle Amazon
Bloomberg
“Jessica Ferro recently ordered $200 worth of makeup from Sephora’s online app—and then waited a month for it to arrive. Despite conversations with multiple customer-service agents, the shipment had gone to her old address in Joliet, Illinois. She didn’t yell or document her experience on Yelp or Twitter. Ferro, 34, did what came naturally: She took her business elsewhere—to Wander Beauty, an online makeup seller that has put a premium on customer service by enlisting chatbots she can talk with whenever and wherever she wants.”
November 26, 2018
On the web
Ohio becomes the first state to accept bitcoin for tax payments
TechCrunch
“Starting Monday, businesses in Ohio will be able to pay their taxes in bitcoin — making the state that’s high in the middle and round on both ends the first in the nation to accept cryptocurrency officially. Companies that want to take part in the program simply need to go to OhioCrypto.com and register to pay in crypto whatever taxes their corporate hearts desire. It could be anything from cigarette sales taxes to employee withholding taxes, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal, which first noted the initiative.”
November 20, 2018
On the web
The Five Most Challenging Parts Of E-Commerce Checkout
Forbes
“Stated plainly, even when a shopper has a full cart and plans to complete the purchase, there’s still a significant chance that a merchant could lose that transaction. Here’s the simple truth: checkout is incredibly difficult to do right. One snag results in the same stark outcome: a lost sale. Merchants need not despair: Simply being aware of the trickiest parts of checkout is a start, and there are tools and strategies that can help ensure the customer clicks that final buy button.”
As Boomers Warm to Mobile, Brands Look to Capitalize
Street Fight Magazine
“Millennials have been shopping on their smartphones for years, but a shift toward mobile-direct shopping among consumers in the boomer generation is creating excitement for retailers and brand marketers this holiday season.”
On the wires
7-Eleven Becomes First Convenience Retailer Chain in Canada to Accept Alipay and WeChat Pay
“Today, 7-Eleven Inc. announced that participating stores in Canada will now accept Chinese mobile payment systems Alipay and WeChat Pay. The world’s largest convenience retailer is collaborating with cross-border mobile payment company and market leader CITCON. Alipay and WeChat Pay will now be available at 35 select locations in Vancouver and Toronto, with plans for expansion in next few months.”
November 19, 2018
On the web
Nike Debuts App-Enabled Experiential Store In NYC
Retail Touch Points
“Nike has opened the Nike House of Innovation on Fifth Avenue in New York City, combining experiential retail with the power of the Nike App. The 68,000-square-foot space spans six levels, each devoted to a separate product line or experience. The store extensively incorporates mobile devices to minimize friction across the shopper journey.”
November 16, 2018
On the web
Why Are Retailers Hesitant to Explore Omnichannel Opportunities?
Street Fight Magazine
“More than 90% of shoppers combine digital and physical channels on the path to purchase, and four in 10 online shoppers are using buy-online, pick-up-in-store (BOPIS) checkout options. But the big news coming out of the 2018 holiday season isn’t how many shoppers are taking advantage of online-to-offline fulfillment. It’s how few retailers are offering it.”
November 13, 2018
On the web
NCR Acquires StopLift To Address Self-Checkout Theft And In-Store Shrink
Retail Touch Points
“NCR Corporation has acquired StopLift Checkout Vision Systems, an intelligent computer vision systems provider for retail POS platforms. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. With the growth of Amazon Go and other competing technologies in the cashierless self-checkout space, NCR is reinforcing its focus on self-checkout solutions.”
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