Merchant Innovation

Why Barnes & Noble Joined Forces With Google
August 08, 2014

Barnes & Noble has partnered with Google to trial same-delivery services in three markets: New York City; West Los Angeles; and San Francisco. The question is how many customers of the struggling bookseller will want a book so badly—and so often—that they would be willing...

Merchant Innovation
A Banking App Using Augmented Reality?
August 07, 2014

The terms “augmented reality” and “banking app” are not typically found in the same sentence, but a New Zealand bank app made an exception. Starting in September, customers will be able to manage their accounts “by sliding their credit or debit card under their phone,...

Cool
Could Apple Reinvent Restaurant Reservations and Payment?
August 07, 2014

OpenTable reinvented the restaurant reservation dining scene 16 years ago and more recently introduced mobile payments into the mix. But is Apple next up to reinvent the dining experience for hungry people and restaurateurs? MPD CEO Karen Webster shares two separate but related data points...

Merchant Innovation
Twitter Shopping Service Leaks Out Through App Feature
August 07, 2014

If Twitter is trying to keep its imminent commerce plans confidential, it should probably clue in its mobile app developers, who have made visible a preference option for “payment and shipping” in its Android app. (It’s apparently not been yet made visible in the iOS...

Merchant Innovation
Groupon Loses Millions On eCommerce
August 06, 2014

Groupon’s share price tumbled more than 15 percent late Tuesday (Aug. 5), as investors balked at the Chicago firm’s expensive eCommerce investments. Groupon reported a net loss of $22.9 million, which seemed far worse to analysts because, according to an analyst poll by Thomson Reuters,...

Loyalty & Rewards
Migration Of Shoppers Away From Physical Stores Continues
August 06, 2014

Call it the efficiency effect, but shoppers are making an increasingly large number of their purchases outside of physical stores—or at the very least, not making those purchases directly through those stores, such as going into a store to see an item and then purchasing...

Merchant Innovation
Target Breach Losses Hit $148 Million
August 06, 2014

Target’s databreach is the gift that keeps on taking. Almost eight months after the chain disclosed its huge databreach, it’s still paying for the cleanup. Target announced Tuesday (Aug. 5) that for its current quarter, which ended Aug. 2, another $148 million in cleanup costs...

Merchant Innovation
What Do Electric Cars and Electronic Payments Have In Common?
August 06, 2014

The fact that electric cars can travel much less far on a charge than most traditional cars can travel on a tank of gas is not merely a convenience issue. Those frequent and predictable charge station visits can reveal quite a bit about the consumers...

Merchant Innovation
Apple Caps Record Breaking Summer With Plans to Announce New iPhone September 9th
August 06, 2014

Keeping with its track record of announcing its newest phones in early September, such that they are ready to fall into the hands of holiday shoppers starting in October, Apple will likely be announcing its new iPhone at an event already scheduled for October 9,...