Libra may be a shadow of what some proponents promised it would be back in 2019 — namely, a seismic shift for the monetary system itself. What once was billed as a “new” currency, via global stablecoin to be composed of a “basket” of multiple fiat currencies, will instead be backed one to one by […]
Continue ReadingThe demand for digital services and payments that COVID-19 has carried in its wake is turning digitization from an aspiration to a necessity for health systems. So creating a digital front door for patients to access their healthcare plans is getting more attention as a way to streamline the entire consumer experience, from scheduling all […]
Continue ReadingThe problem with a lot of “big” New Year’s predictions is that they’re really pretty small. Most are so general that there’s no way they can be wrong. Take the one about the restaurant industry getting better in 2021, or the prediction that it will be the year of takeovers in tech. Neither one goes […]
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The holiday shopping season is bringing some relief to the retail industry after a difficult year of pandemic-driven store closures and social distancing as well as consumers’ reluctance to spend much during a time when unemployment levels surged earlier this year. Consumer spending appears to be on the rebound, however, as news of vaccine distribution […]
Continue ReadingThe digital migration of sales operations presents massive opportunities in efficiency and cost savings for B2B sellers like manufacturers and wholesalers, but the motivations for making the online shift haven’t always been about driving the overall optimization of the enterprise. According to Boris Lokschin, co-founder and CEO of Spryker, the initial push of B2B organizations […]
Continue ReadingWith online commerce driven to new heights last year, the supply chain and logistics sector was stretched to its maximum. For independent truckers, the onset of the global pandemic was filled with uncertainty. With an initial slowdown in the freight market, some trucking companies were forced to shutter. Yet as online shopping ramped up, a […]
Continue Reading“It was a year of trepidation and angst,” said Rubana Huq, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), according to recent Dhaka Tribune reports. While the quote could apply to any business in any market, when it comes to the world’s clothing supply chain, disruptions and uncertainty were particularly painful last year. […]
Continue ReadingReal-time payments (RTP) are ready for their closeup, and decisions are happening behind the scenes now as banks and financial institutions (FIs) consider their RTP strategy for 2021. PYMNTS December 2020 Real-Time Payments Report done in collaboration with The Clearing House (TCH), looks at the RTP access question from all sides, none more so than […]
Continue ReadingAfterpay said on Monday (Jan. 4) that the average basket size for its customers in the U.S. rose by 30 percent in a comparison of the 2020 and 2019 holiday shopping seasons, according to an announcement. The buy now, pay later (BNPL) payments company also said it experienced a 145 percent year-over-year spike in referrals […]
Continue ReadingWith the holidays all over except for the returns, it’s time for the troubled mall sector to face the existential crisis that it avoided thanks to what looks like a decent season in terms of foot traffic, despite the pandemic. Local reports from Houston, Washington, DC and even the COVID hotspot of Los Angeles noted […]
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