Five At Five: Apple Comes Out Big On Alibaba Singles Day

Five at Five: Payments News

Welcome to Five at Five, your late look at the day’s payments and commerce news. Today’s coverage includes the latest results from China’s massive eCommerce spectacular, and eBay’s new bid to get inside consumers’ homes. SoftBank sets its mobile unit IPO, U.K. retailers could get ATM-related refunds and there are new figures about consumer and business spending.

Apple iPhone Outsells Samsung, Huawei On Alibaba’s Singles Day

The annual event brought in gross merchandise value of $30.8 billion as shoppers clamored to get steep discounts on all sorts of products.

eBay Partners With Porch, Handy On Home Services

Online shoppers will be able to book installations and assembly services when purchasing items such as TVs, bikes, furniture and other products through its marketplace.

SoftBank’s $21 Billion Mobile Unit IPO Slated For December

The IPO is seen as a big shift for SoftBank and its founder, who built the company’s mobile unit via a 2006 acquisition of Vodafone’s Japan unit.

UK Retailers Could Receive Refunds In ATM Business Rate Case

In 2013, the government came to the understanding that “holes in the wall” ATMs that are externally facing should, for business rate purposes, be seen as separate premises.

Consumers Spend, Businesses Don’t Seem To Be

What’s more, the WSJ noted that weakness in monthly order figures for capital goods recently implies that the slowdown in business spending will continue in the quarter.