Merchant Innovation

Merchant Innovation
Retail Bedfellows Roundup: eBay Gets Busy, Alibaba Gets Angry (Birds)
May 13, 2016

It might have made sense, according to the rules of retail a decade ago, to keep your friends close and your enemies closer, but the pace of play and rising consumer expectations of 2016 make it obscenely hard for any company to go it alone....

Merchant Innovation
Walmart Fine-Tunes Free Shipping To Take On Amazon
May 13, 2016

Taking on Amazon isn’t usually a safe bet in retail. Jet.com has struggled ever since (and possibly before) being crowned the next new “Amazon killer,” and the online giant has already put plenty of brick-and-mortar brands out of sorts. While not a strictly B&M chain,...

Merchant Innovation
Jet.com Takes On Amazon’s Fresh
May 12, 2016

As retailers look for any way they can boost revenue, selling food products and fresh groceries, no matter the original vertical, is increasingly a safe bet. However, shipping them after online purchases can be an expensive proposition that only makes sense for a few —...

Merchant Innovation
Amazon Is Driving The Final Nail Into B&M Home Improvement’s Coffin
May 10, 2016

It was one thing when Amazon was selling physical things, but the game changed the moment it started offering services, too. Ripples were promptly sent flying into all corners of the retail universe with the launch of Amazon Home Services in March 2015, and now...

Merchant Innovation
PayPal Adds Return Shipping Cost Coverage To Reduce Online Friction
May 10, 2016

Even online retailers that have dabbled in free returns know the financial toll that can take on a small business’ bottom line. However, charging customers for the privilege of returning unwanted goods is arguably the greater of two evils, and PayPal is biting the bullet in...

Merchant Innovation
The New York Times Is Delivering Food With The News (No, Really)
May 06, 2016

For those of use who’ve ever perused a recipe in The New York Times and fantasized about preparing it before rapidly realizing we own absolutely none of the appropriate ingredients to prepare said dish, a new service is arising just for us. Get the Full Story Complete...

Merchant Innovation
Sizzle Or Fizzle: Prosper, Alibaba, Snapchat – And Amazon Dash
May 06, 2016

So many things to talk about this week, but let’s stick to payments and commerce, shall we? Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required. yesSubscribe to our...

Merchant Innovation
‘Uber Of Planes’ BlackJet Clips Its Wings — For Good
May 06, 2016

It’s said that the true sign of wealth is when it’s not necessary to run to catch planes anymore because private jets suddenly wait for you to arrive. In the case of BlackJet, however, it doesn’t look like another of its privately chartered planes will...

Merchant Innovation
Samsung Moves On Smart Grocery Sales
May 05, 2016

Samsung is making its move on grocery, though not in quite the same way other competitors in the field are. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required....