Sat.Jul 23, 2016 - Fri.Jul 29, 2016

article thumbnail

Is New Extreme Value Grocery Store Latest Biz Disruptor?

PYMNTS

Will discount grocery stores like ALDI, Costco and Sam’s Club soon be facing some serious competition? Well, that’s what LogicLane , a new startup that offers discount wholesale groceries on its eCommerce marketplace, is certainly hoping. LogicLane recently opened its online marketplace to consumers and businesses after first beta testing it with an invitation-only period and can now connect customers to everything from a box of cereal to an entire pallet of cases of cereal boxes (the company is

article thumbnail

How to Secure Funding When It Is Hard to Find

Katz,Sapper&Miller

After months of astounding valuations and a wealth of funding, venture capital (VC) investments in New York have declined – by some reports more than 40 percent. While the amount of money being invested and the number of deals have declined, it does not mean that investments are not occurring.

Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Trending Sources

article thumbnail

Say Hello To ‘The Internet of Loyalty’

PYMNTS

Who isn’t familiar with rewards programs that incentivize consumers to become more eager c ustomers? But one company has devised a rewards program that aims to go even further. Gregory Simon, CEO of “The Internet of Loyalty” platform provider, Loyyal Corporation, recently checked in with Karen Webster to discuss the company’s work with the Dubai government on the Dubai points program — a tourism incentive program that is expected to roll out in August 2016.

article thumbnail

Venezuela Turns To Bitcoin As Inflation Skyrockets

PYMNTS

The search for inflation hedges and stability of purchasing power in a world of hyperinflation has led some in Venezuela to turn to the digital currency known as bitcoin. The state of “economic emergency,” as it has been termed by some observers and officially by President Nicolás Maduro, is so acute that the International Monetary Fund has estimated that the inflation rate could be as high as 480 percent this year and grow to as much as 1,640 percent next year.

Legal 46
article thumbnail

Your Accounting Expertise Will Only Get You So Far: The New Way To Lead

Speaker: Victor C. Barnes, CPA, MBA

In the climb from contributor to leader, the rules quietly change. But if you’re aiming for the summit, the air gets thinner, and what got you here won’t be enough to get you to the top. 🗻 What made you successful early in your finance career—technical accuracy, sharp analysis, flawless execution—won’t be what carries you to the next level. The higher you go, the more your effectiveness depends on how you connect, adapt, and communicate.

article thumbnail

EU Pushes For Bitcoin Database And Transparency

PYMNTS

Anonymous is the name of bitcoin’s game. But Europe might like to make it less so. T he European Commission would like to create a central database of digital currency users to prevent terrorist financing and money laundering – for the obvious reasons. The regulators there would like to establish a central database by June 2019 whereby, “obliged entities need to collect, process and record personal data, and sometimes to share such data with public authorities (such as FIUs) or with private

article thumbnail

Australian Banks Launch Apple Pay Antitrust Attack

PYMNTS

The three largest banks in Australia – National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Westpac Banking Corp – have partnered up to lodge an anti-trust application with regulators in an attempt to collectively negotiate with Apple over whether or not their own in-house electronic payments apps can be set up to run properly on an iPhone.

More Trending

article thumbnail

Misinvoicing Costing Nations Billions, Warns UNCTAD

PYMNTS

Invoice mistakes are costly. For many organizations, errors across the accounts payable and accounts receivable processes can range from mismatched data between invoice and purchase order to misstated prices, often attributed to manual data entry. And for most businesses, these errors lead to time and money spent on the resolution process. Other times, misinvoicing is the work of cybercriminals against individual firms.

article thumbnail

Making Donations An Impulse Purchase

PYMNTS

Because many nonprofit organizations fundraise at fairs, races, roadside stands and other on-the-go locations, cash has long been their only acceptable method of payment. As a growing number of consumers abandon paper currency for cards and digital solutions, however, many charities are looking to cash in on more advanced payment methods. This means expanding beyond their cash-only roots.

article thumbnail

Gift Cards Gone Wild?

PYMNTS

As the old saying goes, “virtue is its own reward.” These days, though, it seems like shopping itself may be its own reward. Businesses of all kinds are racing to reward customers for their loyalty with gift cards, sales and other offers. But businesses aren’t the only ones looking to reward customers. Often, it’s also friends and family members wanting to present tokens of appreciation.

Retail 43
article thumbnail

Live From PayPal, It’s Pay With Venmo (For Everyone)

PYMNTS

Venmo, the PayPal-owned company that started out enabling payments person to person, moved several new features out of beta on Tuesday (July 26), opening them up to all Venmo users. Venmo said in a blog post that the new feature, which it had been testing for about six months, will enable its customers to conduct transactions and share the bill on the apps of participating stores.

article thumbnail

The Hidden Science Behind Why Finance Teams Resist Change—And How to Fix It

Speaker: Kim Beynon, CPA, CGMA, PMP

The most overlooked, yet most critical, element of transformation is preparing people for change. Automation and AI aren't just technical upgrades, they’re cultural shifts which can challenge identities. That’s why change management isn’t a side project—it’s the foundation. In finance, where precision and process rule, navigating change can feel especially disruptive.

article thumbnail

Why US Credit Card Fraud Complaints Are On The Rise

PYMNTS

Credit card fraud complaints in the U.S. saw the biggest increase in 10 years in 2015, with the number rising by 41 percent. ValuePenguin analyzed data collected by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and found that there were approximately 70,000 credit card fraud complaints submitted in 2015. The significant jump in complaints, also a record number for complaints submitted to the Federal Trade Commission, are predicted to worsen in the future.

article thumbnail

Is Omni Entering A New Era?

PYMNTS

It’s official. Mobile is a shopping force. UPS’ Pulse of the Online Shopper Survey found that 44 percent of online purchases are made on smartphones. It’s also problematic. Mobile is setting the bar for all of the omnicommerce retail experiences to follow. Yet mobile phones are but one of many omni-endpoints that a merchant must be prepared to support in an increasingly tech-driven consumer-centric shopping experience.

Retail 43
article thumbnail

Credit Card Shoppers Care About One Thing: Reward Points

PYMNTS

Credit cards come in all sorts of flavors, from low interest ones to cards that reward you for shopping or traveling. But while variety is the spice of life, a new survey by Citi finds new credit card shoppers largely care about one thing: the rewards. In a report looking at the 2016 Citi Cards Consumer Perspectives Study, Citi found 67 percent of survey respondents said having a rewards program is the biggest reason to choose a specific credit card.

article thumbnail

Busting The MoneyGram Myths

PYMNTS

It may seem like ages ago, but back in 2009 the iPhone, along with other fast-moving technologies, was taking the world by storm and changing various industries in its wake. That same year, MoneyGram CEO Alex Holmes was just settling into his new role as senior vice president of Corporate Strategy and Investor Relations. MoneyGram, a long-standing fixture in the money transfer and remittance landscape, was, at that time, a largely physical network.

article thumbnail

Doing More With Less: The Modern Finance Miracle

Speaker: Mark Gilham, FCCA, CPP

Finance used to be the function that counted, now it's the one that’s counted on. 📊 For accounting firms, controllers, and finance leaders, expectations are rising faster than headcount. Businesses want agile forecasts, granular analysis, seamless reporting, and smart automation—often without added resources while demanding uncompromised accuracy and compliance.

article thumbnail

Donna Karan Brand Sold For $650M

PYMNTS

LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy ) and G-III apparel have come to a final agreement on Donna Karan International, parent firm of both Donna Karan and DKNY. The transaction’s total values will clock in at $650 million with customary adjustments at closing. The deal is expected to be done by the end of 2016 or by early 2017. This marks the second big sale in LVMH’s nearly 30-year history, the first being the sale of Christian Lacroix in 2005.

article thumbnail

Brazil’s Elo Card Makes First Transaction Outside Of Country

PYMNTS

Elo , the Brazilian card brand, announced on Tuesday (July 26) it has conducted its first transaction outside of the country. The transaction with the Elo card was in the U.S. on the Discover Global Network , and the company said it shows the card is being accepted in the U.S. “Brazilians continue to increase their international travel, and we are excited to help them make purchases while traveling in the U.S. and elsewhere throughout the world,” said Diane Offereins, president of payment servic

43
article thumbnail

Connected Cars: Buick’s IoT Road Trip

PYMNTS

When asked to name a cutting-edge automotive innovator, most consumers won’t immediately point to Buick. But now, the brand – more often associated with nostalgia than innovation – is looking to change that through the power of IoT. For July’s Internet of Things Tracker, PYMNTS caught up with Dave Spencer, Buick’s Advertising Manager, and Rick Martinek, Senior Marketing Manager for Global OnStar, to discuss the venerable automaker’s connected car endeavors.

article thumbnail

Ahold-Delhaize Merger A Done Deal

PYMNTS

The final gate has been cleared for the Ahold-Delhaize Merger, as the FTC has officially signed off on the deal that will create the fourth largest grocery company in the United States. Delhaize, the current owner of Food Lion (among other grocery chains); and Ahold, current owner of Stop&Shop, completed the $29 billion merger shortly after receiving regulatory clearance by the FTC.

Retail 43
article thumbnail

8 Pillars of Leadership Development

Great leadership development is the key to sustainable business growth. Are you ready to design an effective program? HR can use Paycor’s framework to: Set achievable goals. Align employee and company needs. Support different learning styles. Empower the next generation of leaders. Invest in your company’s future with a strong leadership development program.

article thumbnail

It’s 3 A.M. — Do You Know Where Your Fraudsters Are?

PYMNTS

Fraudsters have come a LONG way. If you have an image in your head of the solitary hacker sitting in a dark, dingy basement typing away at a computer, then think again. The cybercriminals of today are organized, collaborative, motivated and tend to look and operate more like any business professional out there working today. Don Bush , VP of Marketing at Kount , recently joined Karen Webster for a live digital discussion on what fraudsters are up to these days and how they perfect their trade.

article thumbnail

Luxury Brands In The Age Of Digital

PYMNTS

If you’re a retailer or a brand, it seems as though eCommerce and the rise of smartphones and mobile shopping have made your customers more cost-savvy and price-aware than ever before. Very few consumers want to pay full price for an item any longer, and there are plenty of off-price and off-brand sellers and third-party retailers lining up to get them those deals, both online and at brick-and-mortar stores.

Retail 42
article thumbnail

Are Dublin’s ‘Silicon Docks’ A Haven For FinTech?

PYMNTS

Ireland’s tech community is on the rise, with Dublin standing at the epicenter. As established tech giants continue to set up shop in the city and homegrown startups flourish, it’s no wonder Dublin has been named a contender in the race to be Europe’s post-Brexit tech hub. In this week’s edition of PYMNTS’ Weekly Tech Center Roundup , we find ourselves back in Europe to take a look at what Dublin, Ireland, has to offer and if the city has what it takes outshine the competition for being Europe’s

article thumbnail

UK SMEs Oblivious To Mountain Of Alt-Lending Choices

PYMNTS

The U.K. alternative lending space is broad, with new entrants frequently stepping in. According to data from the Liberum AltFi Volume Index U.K. , marketplace lending in the country hit £286.7 million (about $377.3 million) worth of loan originations in the month of June alone. It represents a 32.4 percent growth from June 2015, the third-largest monthly growth spurt recorded on the index.

Finance 42
article thumbnail

Protect What Matters: Rethinking Finance Ops In A Digital World

Speaker: Cheryl J. Muldrew-McMurtry

Distributed finance teams are rewriting how the back-office runs, and attackers are taking notes. Disconnected workflows, process blind spots, and rising cyber threats are more than just growing pains—they’re liabilities. The challenge isn’t just going remote. It’s building resilient systems that protect accuracy, control, and speed across every transaction and touchpoint.

article thumbnail

Daily Data Dive: Mobile Shopping’s Share Of eCommerce

PYMNTS

Any retailer who has not already invested heavily in a mobile-friendly interface and in-house app might be wishing they had. Demandware, an eCommerce software provider, claims that “ mobile-first” is long gone, and we are now “on the fast track to mobile-only.”. Demandware’s latest data shows the power of mobile , and the numbers don’t seem to imply a passing fad. 300%| The increase in revenues from mobile shopping in the last three years. 85% | The increase in the use of an in-house app

Retail 42
article thumbnail

Florida Man Robbed Trying To Buy Bitcoin

PYMNTS

While computer breaches and malicious emails are commonplace online, when it comes to bitcoin, it can also be dangerous offline in the real world. According to a report , a man in Florida was allegedly robbed at knifepoint while trying to sell $28,000 in bitcoin. The 32-year-old resident of Lake Worth, Florida, Steve Manos, set up a meeting with two people in West Palm Beach to sell the bitcoin for cash.

Florida 42
article thumbnail

Smartphones Edge Computers As Top Web-Shopping Traffic Source

PYMNTS

A recent study reveals that smartphones narrowly beat computers as the top eCommerce traffic source in the first quarter of this year, as reported by Bloomberg. According to the study by eCommerce software provider Demandware, smartphones accounted for 45.1 percent of Web-shopping traffic, besting computers at 45 percent in the first quarter of 2016.

Retail 42
article thumbnail

Meet Retail’s Fastest-Growing Industry: Dining Out

PYMNTS

Do you know the fastest-growing industry in retail right now? What about the largest retail industry at the moment? That’s a trick question, because, according to information released by the U.S. Census Bureau in 2015, the answer to those questions were one and the same. The restaurant industry became the largest retail sector in 2015, surpassing grocery store sales for the first time ever and claiming 15 percent of all retail purchases in 2015 (grocery stores came in at 14 percent last year).

Retail 42
article thumbnail

Automation, Evolved: Your New Playbook for Smarter Knowledge Work

Speaker: Frank Taliano

Documents are the backbone of enterprise operations, but they are also a common source of inefficiency. From buried insights to manual handoffs, document-based workflows can quietly stall decision-making and drain resources. For large, complex organizations, legacy systems and siloed processes create friction that AI is uniquely positioned to resolve.

article thumbnail

Cyber Firm Execs Hacked Rival’s Servers

PYMNTS

The competition in the cybersecurity landscape may be getting ugly. ZDNet reported late last week that five employees from U.K.-based cybersecurity firm Quadsys admitted to hacking into the servers of a rival company. After a string of hearings, the staff members pleaded guilty to the accusation that their unauthorized access was aimed at stealing customer data and pricing information.

Sales 42
article thumbnail

Payments Believe It Or Not

PYMNTS

In 1918 a journalist named Robert Ripley animated a panel of “amazing facts,” most of which were about sports. Hence the name, Champs and Chumps. By 1932, Ripley’s little comic had grown into something of an American institution with 80 million syndicated readers nationwide and a staff of two men who spent 12 hours a day in the New York Public Library looking for interesting facts for Ripley to bring to the people.

Sales 42
article thumbnail

Amazon Announces Kickstarter Collection, Makes 300 Crowdsourced Products Available For Purchase

PYMNTS

Amazon Launchpad announced on Wednesday (July 27) that it was launching a “Kickstarter Collection” feature , where customers could shop for more than 300 products crowdfunded on the Kickstarter platform in “one convenient place,” including everything from virtual reality headsets to “smart” herb gardens. Startups featured on Amazon’s Kickstarter Collection include Piper, Zivix, Prynt, MudWatt and many more.

Gaming 41
article thumbnail

What’s The Difference Between A US And A UK Shopper?

PYMNTS

So, what’s the difference between the average United States and United Kingdom shopper ? Not too much, apparently. At least, that was the findings of a new study by L2 , an intelligence firm that studies the performance of digital brands, which found that brands on both sides of the pond are turning to digital channels like never before to “differentiate” themselves amongst a growing market of consumers and competitors.

Retail 41
article thumbnail

Data Talks, CFOs Listen: Why Analytics Are Key To Better Spend Management

Speaker: Claire Grosjean, Global Finance & Operations Executive

Finance teams are drowning in data—but is it actually helping them spend smarter? Without the right approach, excess spending, inefficiencies, and missed opportunities continue to drain profitability. While analytics offers powerful insights, financial intelligence requires more than just numbers—it takes the right blend of automation, strategy, and human expertise.