Five At Five: Rite Aid Merger With Albertsons Falls Apart

Welcome to the Five at Five, your late look at the payments and commerce news of the day. Coverage includes the collapse of the Albertsons merger with Rite Aid, Walmart and JD.com make a huge investment in Dada-JD Daojia, IBM and Maersk get new participants in a blockchain effort, retailers lose billions due to navigation issues and the ways screen size affect digital sales.

Rite Aid Merger With Albertsons Falls Apart At Last Minute

The highly anticipated merger between Rite Aid and Albertsons is off, as Rite Aid shareholders apparently balked at the deal, according to reports. The announcement came just before a special meeting of Rite Aid shareholders was set to consider the deal.

Chinese Grocery/Delivery Firm Gets Major Investment From Walmart And JD.com

Walmart and JD.com have agreed to invest about $500 million in a Chinese grocery and delivery firm called Dada-JD Daojia, in its latest round of financing. The company is comprised of two distinct businesses: the Dada delivery service, which has a network 5 million delivery people, and JD Daojia, which partners with retail stores to offer delivery services.

Almost 100 Participants Join IBM, Maersk Blockchain Effort On Logistics

IBM and A.P. Moller-Maersk have seen about 94 companies agree to participate in their global blockchain effort, TradeLens, which allows companies to enhance their shipping and logistics operations. So far, Pacific International Lines, customs officials in Australia and the Netherlands and port operators in Singapore and Hong Kong have agreed to participate.

Retailers Must Meet Customers Halfway On Checkout And Navigation

According to a new report, retailers lose out on about $236 billion worth of sales every year, because consumers are frustrated by the shopping or checkout experience. The report indicates that more than a quarter of consumers have anywhere from three to six different devices, which makes it important for merchants to meet customers on their own terms.

Size Of Screen Could Make Difference In Shopping Experience

The type of mobile device that is used for digital commerce can potentially lead to the transaction falling through. A regular online site viewed on a mobile device can be tough for a shopper to navigate, while a site optimized for mobile may make it tough to convert for other reasons.