Новости за 30.12.2021

Omnichannel retail remains more of a vision for the future than a reality for today. Plus, why retail’s consumer experience is and always will be a two-way street and Crocs’ acquisition of Hey Dude brings innovation to the shoe market.   Data $2.5B: Amount Crocs paid for Italian casual shoemaker Hey Dude $625: Cost of […]

Free trials are and always have been key to converting new subscribers to retail subscriptions. In fact, 80% of retail subscribers who subscribed after the pandemic — 35 million people — say they first used at least one of the subscriptions they have acquired since March 2020 via free trial, according to the “Subscription Commerce Conversion Index,” a PYMNTS and sticky.io collaboration based on […]

Credit unions (CUs) have been known historically for their member-first mentality and intimate face-to-face banking model. This business structure has worked in their favor, but it also has left some CUs less prepared for the pandemic-driven shift to digital-first banking and its associated risks — particularly the risk of online fraud. Recent data revealed credit […]

Seventy-one percent of U.S. consumers planned to spend at least as much on holiday gifts this year as they did in 2020, if not more, and buy now, pay later (BNPL) could prove to be a popular payment method among those looking to manage their budgets as holiday spending rises. BNPL programs enable shoppers to break […]

During the supply-chain troubles that started with the pandemic, retailers have learned the importance of visibility. Accurate information about production and delivery times can help retailers improve and maintain their relationships with vendors and customers. “I think they’re just looking for answers,” Sue Welch, CEO at Bamboo Rose, told PYMNTS. She’s seen the value of […]

While everyone in the business-to-business (B2B) space would like to see transactions become as simple as those they experience in their lives as consumers, companies have their own hurdles to overcome when creating fully digitized, seamless experiences for buyers and sellers. During PYMNTS’ B2B Fireside Chats, a month-long series that focused on efforts to reimagine […]

Were we living in a connected economy before the pandemic rearranged everything? Yes and no. Smartphones and apps were solid, and online banking via desktop and laptops was common. We had smart speakers and smart homes, and there was no shortage of ways to connect. With many requisite pieces in place, we weren’t yet living […]

Decentralized finance is at the core of the crypto revolution. Or so the hype says. In the year in which the world woke up to the reality of cryptocurrency as something other than a combination of techie plaything and tool of criminals, DeFi stood out. With $100 billion invested, it’s far too large for mainstream […]

If 2020 was a year of breakdowns, then 2021 is a year of breakthroughs. Digital is coming to every vertical and every company, bringing not just change, but in a word, transformation. As Q4 2021 began, digital transformation was already impacting everything we do in the hybrid digital-physical world that was hammered out this year […]

Welcome to the 10th installment of PYMNTS’ series on decentralized finance (DeFi). We’ve been looking at every part of DeFi — the biggest, hottest, most rewarding and risky part of the blockchain revolution. By now you should have a solid grasp of the basics of DeFi — what it is, how it works, and what all […]

After a nearly 90-day whirlwind of pre-season promos, holiday sales, product shortages, delivery constraints, and a stubborn spike in COVID counts, the peak retail rush is officially in the books, or as the Ink Spots sang in their 1947 classic; “It’s all over but the cryin’.” The funny thing is, while there is always plenty […]

While there were many initial public offerings (IPOs) in 2021, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) says two-thirds of the companies that went public in the U.S. are trading under their IPO prices. On Wednesday (Dec. 29), the WSJ noted that there was more money than ever from IPOs in 2021, with both startup founders and […]

Cryptocurrency broker Voyager Digital has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit over its alleged misleading of customers about hidden fees, Bloomberg wrote Wednesday (Dec. 29). The lawsuit says Voyager advertised its trades as 100% commission free. However, there are allegations that there are secret commissions in the pricing of trades that could sometimes […]

The top eight U.S. media groups will spend at least $115 billion on new content — even as video streaming loses them money, Financial Times (FT) reported Tuesday (Dec. 28). While there are concerns that it might become more difficult to get new customers in 2022 after the massive growth of the last few years […]

T-Mobile has confirmed that it was aware of SIM swap attacks affecting what it said was a “very small” number of customers, Bleeping Computer reported Wednesday (Dec. 29). The carrier said the impacted customers had been informed already. A SIM swap attack is when social engineering is used to get customers to switch phone numbers, […]

Men’s fashion brand Barcelona, located in over 80 cities across India, released a business-to-business (B2B) app that offers a suite of tools that also includes actionable data, the Business Standard reported on Wednesday (Dec. 29). Barcelona’s B2B mobile app gives merchants the ability to handle inventory management, customer billing and customer data management — all […]

FinTech lender CRIF Realtime is partnering with business funding and savings platform Swoop Funding, to help drive credit and loan products to the U.K.’s 5.9 million small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). CRIF’s Credit Passport offers real-time business credit scores for SMBs without leaving any indications on a user’s credit profile. With Swoop, the two companies […]

Marathon Digital is set to purchase 78,000 Antminer S19 XP bitcoin miners from Bitmain at a $879.1 million price tag, according to an SEC filing Tuesday (Dec. 28). In a press release, the company said that 13,000 machines will be delivered every month from July through December 2022, based on current delivery schedules. Marathon reportedly […]

Americans’ returns of unwanted holiday gifts will prove costlier for retailers, CNN wrote Wednesday (Dec. 29), particularly as retailers grapple with higher costs due to the tag-team attack of the supply chain and labor market issues. Returns processor Optoro said this year, a $50 item will take $33 to process — a 59% uptick from […]

The new omicron COVID-19 variant has not stopped Americans from vacationing, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday (Dec. 29), although they’re looking for more flexibility and have been being more careful. This, the report says, has fueled startups that have been helping navigate the realities of pandemic travel. Startups have been offering services like flexible […]

With 2021 coming to a close and 2022 kicking off soon, now is a good time for retailers to hit pause. Here, we reflect on how retail is becoming more consumer-driven in new and unexpected ways, and highlight three key trends that stood tall and reshaped the industry for good. 1. Omnipresent Omnichannel  Retail sectors […]

Credit unions have served as a financial backbone to millions of households in Africa for decades, with some 39,000 organizations across the continent providing small installment loans and credit lines. Now, the industry is embracing technology to accelerate growth and bring about expanded financial inclusion. The savings and credit cooperative organization (SACCO) sector in Africa […]

Skipping lines always feels like a luxury. Whether skipping the line at Disney World or the local supermarket, the feeling of empowerment is the same. When it comes to supermarkets, consider how the self-checkout options allow consumers to breeze through what might otherwise involve 10 to 15 minutes of standing around, as well as a […]

FinTech challenger bank Chime can continue using terms like “no overdraft fees” and “no hidden fees” after the National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs determined that the advertising for its “SpotMe” program disclosed the necessary information. NAD found that Chime’s homepage contains adequate wording. However, it took issue with the size of the […]

Congress is calling on President Joe Biden to join the effort for stronger regulations on social media and other internet platforms. A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Capitol Hill is crafting measures that deal with the companies’ data-collection policies, accountability for content posted on social media, online privacy, children’s safety, and the market dominance of just a few players. Big Tech companies oppose what they fear will be excessive regulation while Republicans and […]