Today In Data: Innovating Food Retail With Innovative Payments

One’s first thought at the word “Walmart” might not be “blockchain enthusiasts,” even though these days it would not be an inaccurate description. But Walmart isn’t taking bitcoin payments; they are using the blockchain to make their food networks safer and more transparent. And payment and payments tech is actually spicing up a lot of dining experiences, in the U.S. and around the world. Beyond mere digital ordering and delivery, apps are increasingly looking to enhance the experience with customization in ordering. And as global consumers are embracing new appetites that involve advance payment use cases, global investors are following along and keeping the competition fast-paced.

$2.3 billion: The amount Brazil-based digital payment provider PagSeguro raised in its 2018 IPO.

41: The number of payments-related APIs Developer Hub offers in Latin American for the banking, service, insurance, urban delivery, transportation and travel businesses.

28 percent: Share of global customers who have paid for food or drink with an app.

5 percent: Share of restaurants’ total sales currently coming through mobile orders.

2.2 seconds: How long it takes Walmart to trace food items on the IBM blockchain (it used to take 7 days).