News

Partnerships / Acquisitions
The Why Behind Microsoft’s $19 Billion Nuance Buy
April 12, 2021

The week has  kicked off with a much anticipated acquisition: Microsoft announced Monday (April 12) it will purchase speech recognition firm Nuance Communications for about $16 billion, or $56 share, 23 percent above its Friday closing price. Given that Microsoft will also be assuming Nuance’s...

Retail
England’s Retail Shops Have ‘Roaring 20s’ Moment As Third Lockdown Is Lifted
April 12, 2021

Shoppers and drinkers in the U.K. took the streets overnight and lined up to get into the country’s retailers, pubs and hair salons, which were allowed to open for the first time in three months on Monday (April 12). Although capacity and other restrictions are...

Retail
Walmart’s Post-McDonald’s Future To Include Tacos, Pizza, Salads And Non-Food Tenants
April 12, 2021

For the past few years — but especially the last one — McDonald’s has been increasing its reliance on drive-thrus and decreasing its investment in places like its in-store Walmart locations that didn’t allow for that. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock...

Retail
Drug Stores, Hardware And Clothing Retailers See ‘Least Sticky’ Online Sales Gains
April 12, 2021

There’s no question that the pandemic accelerated the digital shift, pushing online retail sales to new heights in a matter of months — faster than most industry watchers ever thought possible. But now, one year into the crisis — and with hopes rising that a...

Retail
Bed Bath & Beyond Introduces ‘Home, Happier’ Brand Campaign Amid Private-Label Push
April 12, 2021

The country’s largest chain of home furnishing stores said Monday (April 12) that it was doubling down on its recent investment to boost its lucrative private label brands via a major new promotional campaign. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock this article...

Partnerships / Acquisitions
Microsoft Acquires AI Firm Nuance In $19.7 Billion Deal
April 12, 2021

Microsoft is acquiring artificial intelligence (AI) speech recognition tech company Nuance Communications in a $19.7 billion deal to advance its cloud products for healthcare. The deal is anticipated to close before the end of this year. Get the Full Story Complete the form to unlock...

Retail
Sonic Automotive Opens EchoPark Dealership In Alabama
April 12, 2021

Sonic Automotive, Inc. has grown its network of EchoPark pre-owned vehicle stores with the opening of a new location in Birmingham, Alabama, according to a Monday (April 12) announcement. EchoPark Birmingham, which is located at 2001 Tom Williams Way in Birmingham, is anticipated to employ...

B2B Payments
PPP Remains A Favorite Target Of Fraudsters
April 12, 2021

Fraudsters have discovered yet another way to infiltrate the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the business email compromise (BEC) continues to reign as the biggest payments fraud threat to businesses. But this week’s B2B Data Digest includes some good news, too: Corporate card fraud is...

IPO
Coinbase IPO Could Test Crypto’s Staying Power 
April 12, 2021

The surging popularity of bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies) has led to what might be thought of as the “enablers” for the crypto realm itself. Exchanges make it possible to trade the digital offerings themselves — and regardless of one’s view on whether bitcoin is worth...