PYMNTS AM Radar: Grocery Shopping; Money-Out Mobility; Client-to-Client Loans; ICYMI

It’s Thursday, May 26 and it’s National Blueberry Cheesecake Day, so grab a slice and cozy up to this memo Bill Gates wrote 27 years ago today, outlining a strategy for Microsoft to dominate the internet.

“The Internet Tidal Wave” signaled Microsoft’s pivot to focus on the web. Gates wrote that the internet is “crucial to every part of our business” and “the most important single development to come along since the IBM PC was introduced in 1981.” Here’s what else should be on your radar this morning.

Grocery Shopping: Gone are the days when people drove to the supermarket and paid for groceries in person by cash, check or credit. Payment preferences are now a driving force in customer choice, and stores that don’t adapt can fall behind. Madeline Aufseeser, global omnichannel grocery leader at ACI Worldwide, told PYMNTS that as technology changes, merchants have to consider how various tenders will be used in the same checkout process. READ MORE

Money-Out Mobility: Both consumers and businesses seek the same experience when it comes to money-out mobility — reliability, security and ease. In the latest Money Mobility Tracker®, PYMNTS examines how financial service providers need to ensure that their solutions provide the best security and superior customer experiences. READ MORE

Client-to-Client Loans: Whole loan auctions — where institutional clients buy and sell LendingClub’s bundled personal loans — are due for a tech-enabled, digital overhaul, Clarke Roberts, senior vice president of Electronic Trading Services at LendingClub, told Karen Webster. READ MORE

ICYMI: The Ritz Crackers and Oreo Cookies smash-up — a combo of salt and chocolate — is being offered by Mondelēz International as a way to kick-up consumers’ interest in brand name products as inflation causes people to pivot to private labels. Consumers can get a box by mail at no charge for the price of shipping and handling. READ MORE