News

Investments
Perplexity Valued at $1 Billion as It Challenges Google Search
April 23, 2024

Perplexity has reportedly raised $63 million as it aims to compete with Google’s search engine. The new funding round values the artificial intelligence (AI) startup at $1 billion, marking a two-fold jump in valuation so far this year, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday (April 23). As the report notes, the not...

eCommerce
Shoppers Seek More Accessible Grocery Options From eCommerce Marketplaces
April 23, 2024

Consumers find stores’ own online grocery platforms more accessible than third-party marketplace offerings, bucking broader retail trends. Now, major players such as Amazon and DoorDash are trying to win those shoppers over by making their offerings more accessible — the former in terms of price,...

Retail
Saks Launches Retail Media Network Targeting Luxury Shoppers
April 23, 2024

Saks is now offering digital advertising to connect brands with luxury shoppers on its platform. The new Saks Media Network delivers sponsored product ads and display banners on the luxury eCommerce platform, Saks.com, the retailer said in a Tuesday (April 23) press release. “Our view of the...

eCommerce
58% of Gen Z Shoppers Prefer Debit Cards for Online Shopping 
April 23, 2024

Few things must be as frustrating to an eCommerce merchant as cart abandonment. But, as PYMNTS Intelligence found in compiling its “How Preferred Payment Availability Can Reduce Cart Abandonment” report in a collaboration with Adobe, merchants shouldn’t take cart abandonment personally. Our data reveals that millennials...

Retail
Consumers Demand AI-Powered Expertise When Exploring New eCommerce Categories
April 23, 2024

When trying unfamiliar products online, consumers demand a high degree of expert, personalized guidance — the kind that they are used to getting in stores — and artificial intelligence (AI) can go a long way toward helping shoppers get over their initial hesitance. In an...

Social Commerce
Real-Time Market Value Unlocks New Avenues for Creator Financing
April 23, 2024

Access to financial resources is undeniably critical for business success. Without it, the road ahead can be fraught with challenges, potentially leading to the demise of even the most promising ventures.  Yet, for independent creators — whether they are influencers, musicians or content creators —...

B2B Payments
Virtual Cards Set to Transform Buyer-Supplier Relationships
April 23, 2024

Management guru Peter Drucker once said that “wherever you see a successful business, somebody made a courageous decision.” That’s the spirit behind the Certainty Project, a study from PYMNTS Intelligence highlighting the implications of decision-making in financial operations.  And according to a recent panel discussion of industry heavyweights...

Security & Fraud
Spike in Identity Fraud Forces Banks to Embrace Innovation
April 23, 2024

To the hammer of a bad actor, everything vulnerable looks like a nail. And with the rise of sophisticated fraud techniques, organizations like financial institutions that are operating within security-critical sectors are increasingly faced with the daunting task of safeguarding against a shifting mix of...

Loyalty & Rewards
New Data: 93% of Card-Linked Offer Users Come Back for More
April 23, 2024

Card-linked offers, which provide special savings or rewards attached to a merchant or product, are popular: Roughly 2 in 5 cardholders consistently use them. PYMNTS Intelligence’s research shows how attractive current offers are to users: 93% plan on maintaining or increasing their use in the...