![\"\"](\"https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CE100-0618.png\")
Cantaloupe introduced a self-service commerce solution designed for hospitality suites at stadiums and venues.
\nThe new Suites solution allows suite owners to make changes to their food and beverage pre-orders up until a pre-selected time via a desktop or mobile app, giving them control over their event-day experience and eliminating the need for last-minute calls, the company said in a Tuesday (Aug. 27) press release.
\nThe solution updates automatically for the concession provider, so suite attendants, kitchens and other venue staff can prepare in advance, according to the release. The solution eliminates the need for manual data entry by suite attendants and allows venue staff to focus on customer service.
\nIt is available as a standalone product or integrated with Cantaloupe\u2019s venue or event management platform, Cheq, per the release.
\n\u201cThis feature, combined with the Cheq platform\u2019s user-friendly interface, makes it easier than ever for venues to deliver a premium experience that provides opportunity for revenue growth,\u201d Jake Stone, vice president of partnerships at Cantaloupe, said in the release.
\nCantaloupe, a global technology firm powering self-service commerce for businesses of all sizes, expanded into the sports, entertainment and restaurant sectors in February with its acquisition of Cheq Lifestyle Technology.
\nWhen announcing the acquisition, Cantaloupe said Cheq\u2019s technology helps customers streamline venue operations, increase efficiency and boost revenue by using mobile ordering, socially connected payments, real-time reporting and remote support. It also increases food and beverage sales, speeds up transaction times, and drives new customer traffic and engagement.
\n\u201cThere is tremendous synergy between both of our product lines and solutions that will grow our footprint across our combined customer base,\u201d Cantaloupe CEO Ravi Venkatesan said in a Feb. 1 press release.
\nVenkatesan became CEO of Cantaloupe in October 2022, moving from his previous role as chief operating officer of the company after launching new product offerings and aiming to lead the company as it expanded internationally and into adjacent markets.
\n\u201cThe self-service economy is still at an early stage, and I am very excited about Cantaloupe\u2019s capabilities and our leadership position to allow us to capitalize on secular long-term growth trends,\u201d Venkatesan said at the time.
\nThe post Cantaloupe Introduces Self-Service Commerce Solution for Hospitality Suites appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Cantaloupe introduced a self-service commerce solution designed for hospitality suites at stadiums and venues.\nThe new Suites solution allows suite owners to make changes to their food and beverage pre-orders up until a pre-selected time via a desktop or mobile app, giving them control over their event-day experience and eliminating the need for last-minute calls, the company said in a Tuesday (Aug. 27) press release.\nThe solution updates automatically for the concession provider, so suite attendants, kitchens and other venue staff can prepare in advance, according to the release. The solution eliminates the need for manual data entry by suite attendants and allows venue staff to focus on customer service.\nIt is available as a standalone product or integrated with Cantaloupe\u2019s venue or event management platform, Cheq, per the release.\n\u201cThis feature, combined with the Cheq platform\u2019s user-friendly interface, makes it easier than ever for venues to deliver a premium experience that provides opportunity for revenue growth,\u201d Jake Stone, vice president of partnerships at Cantaloupe, said in the release.\nCantaloupe, a global technology firm powering self-service commerce for businesses of all sizes, expanded into the sports, entertainment and restaurant sectors in February with its acquisition of Cheq Lifestyle Technology.\nWhen announcing the acquisition, Cantaloupe said Cheq\u2019s technology helps customers streamline venue operations, increase efficiency and boost revenue by using mobile ordering, socially connected payments, real-time reporting and remote support. It also increases food and beverage sales, speeds up transaction times, and drives new customer traffic and engagement.\n\u201cThere is tremendous synergy between both of our product lines and solutions that will grow our footprint across our combined customer base,\u201d Cantaloupe CEO Ravi Venkatesan said in a Feb. 1 press release.\nVenkatesan became CEO of Cantaloupe in October 2022, moving from his previous role as chief operating officer of the company after launching new product offerings and aiming to lead the company as it expanded internationally and into adjacent markets.\n\u201cThe self-service economy is still at an early stage, and I am very excited about Cantaloupe\u2019s capabilities and our leadership position to allow us to capitalize on secular long-term growth trends,\u201d Venkatesan said at the time.\nThe post Cantaloupe Introduces Self-Service Commerce Solution for Hospitality Suites appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-08-27T11:56:43-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-08-27T11:56:43-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Cantaloupe-self-service-commerce.jpg", "tags": [ "cantaloupe", "connected commerce", "Connected Economy", "digital transformation", "food and beverage", "hospitality", "News", "PYMNTS News", "Technology", "What's Hot", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1952683", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2024/tastemade-streaming-viewers-multitasking-presents-contextual-commerce-opportunity/", "title": "Tastemade Says Multitasking Presents a Big Contextual Commerce Opportunity", "content_html": "Consumers are increasingly engaging across multiple devices even for formerly passive activities, such as viewing films, creating a commerce opportunity for brands that can provide a frictionless shopping journey.
\nIn an interview with PYMNTS, Evan Bregman, general manager of streaming at food and lifestyle media company Tastemade, described the way the company is seizing on this trend to drive purchasing via its new shoppable TV partnership with Shopsense AI.
\n\u201cIn general, I\u2019m of the belief that there\u2019s really no such thing as a lean-back experience anymore. Even when you are sitting and watching the largest screen, you\u2019re interacting with your second screen,\u201d Bregman said. \u201cYou\u2019re interacting with the thing in front of you, even if you\u2019re just talking to the people next to you about it. And so, the opportunity to be able to increase that interactivity seamlessly is something that\u2019s always been interesting to us.\u201d
\nCertainly, connected devices are creating new ways to multitask, as highlighted by PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s report, \u201cHow We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers.\u201d This study, which surveyed over 4,600 U.S. consumers, revealed that 76% of them had used connected devices while partaking in leisure activities over the past month.
\nAdditionally, many consumers are receptive to shoppable media. The same report showed that among the 95% of consumers who own connected devices, one-third are interested in an internet-connected shopping experience wherein, while watching a live-streamed series on an iPad or mobile device, they could touch the screen to purchase clothing or jewelry worn by an actor, directly navigating to the product page to complete the purchase.
\nTastemade, for its part, has the advantage of specializing in media that is especially well suited to drive commerce, having always focused on informative content that is within reach for at-home viewers rather than on shows that have the glossiest look.
\n\u201cA big way that we [increase interactivity] day to day is by including recipes,\u201d Bregman said. \u201cBasically, for every single cooking show that airs on Tastemade, their viewers can use a QR code to link to the recipe that you\u2019re watching right now.\u201d
\nIndeed, recipes have historically been a point of inspiration for shoppers, proving to be fertile ground for innovation in contextual commerce.
\nTastemade\u2019s partnership with Shopsense AI focuses on homeware, however, rather than food, centering on the launch of the new series, \u201cKitchen Glow Up.\u201d Each episode of features shoppable content related to products for kitchens and pantries, and new items are added weekly. The move comes as businesses race to integrate commerce into more parts of consumers\u2019 day-to-day routines, adding shoppability to everything from their social media apps to their appliances.
\n\u201cThis is largely an extension of a content strategy that already existed. We aim for inspiration. A lot of our competitors don\u2019t. They do very well aiming for competition and pageantry, for aspiration \u2014 things that are a little less tangible to an average consumer,\u201d Bregman said. \u201cWe\u2019ve always been about having our having our consumers try to make stuff with their hands, and so this [shoppable streaming launch] is really a natural thing.\u201d
\nMore like this: Paramount Integrates Commerce as Media Giants Compete With TikTok Shop
\nThe post Tastemade Says Multitasking Presents a Big Contextual Commerce Opportunity appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Consumers are increasingly engaging across multiple devices even for formerly passive activities, such as viewing films, creating a commerce opportunity for brands that can provide a frictionless shopping journey.\nIn an interview with PYMNTS, Evan Bregman, general manager of streaming at food and lifestyle media company Tastemade, described the way the company is seizing on this trend to drive purchasing via its new shoppable TV partnership with Shopsense AI.\n\u201cIn general, I\u2019m of the belief that there\u2019s really no such thing as a lean-back experience anymore. Even when you are sitting and watching the largest screen, you\u2019re interacting with your second screen,\u201d Bregman said. \u201cYou\u2019re interacting with the thing in front of you, even if you\u2019re just talking to the people next to you about it. And so, the opportunity to be able to increase that interactivity seamlessly is something that\u2019s always been interesting to us.\u201d\nCertainly, connected devices are creating new ways to multitask, as highlighted by PYMNTS Intelligence\u2019s report, \u201cHow We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers.\u201d This study, which surveyed over 4,600 U.S. consumers, revealed that 76% of them had used connected devices while partaking in leisure activities over the past month.\nAdditionally, many consumers are receptive to shoppable media. The same report showed that among the 95% of consumers who own connected devices, one-third are interested in an internet-connected shopping experience wherein, while watching a live-streamed series on an iPad or mobile device, they could touch the screen to purchase clothing or jewelry worn by an actor, directly navigating to the product page to complete the purchase.\nTastemade, for its part, has the advantage of specializing in media that is especially well suited to drive commerce, having always focused on informative content that is within reach for at-home viewers rather than on shows that have the glossiest look.\n\u201cA big way that we [increase interactivity] day to day is by including recipes,\u201d Bregman said. \u201cBasically, for every single cooking show that airs on Tastemade, their viewers can use a QR code to link to the recipe that you\u2019re watching right now.\u201d\nIndeed, recipes have historically been a point of inspiration for shoppers, proving to be fertile ground for innovation in contextual commerce.\nTastemade\u2019s partnership with Shopsense AI focuses on homeware, however, rather than food, centering on the launch of the new series, \u201cKitchen Glow Up.\u201d Each episode of features shoppable content related to products for kitchens and pantries, and new items are added weekly. The move comes as businesses race to integrate commerce into more parts of consumers\u2019 day-to-day routines, adding shoppability to everything from their social media apps to their appliances.\n\u201cThis is largely an extension of a content strategy that already existed. We aim for inspiration. A lot of our competitors don\u2019t. They do very well aiming for competition and pageantry, for aspiration \u2014 things that are a little less tangible to an average consumer,\u201d Bregman said. \u201cWe\u2019ve always been about having our having our consumers try to make stuff with their hands, and so this [shoppable streaming launch] is really a natural thing.\u201d\nMore like this: Paramount Integrates Commerce as Media Giants Compete With TikTok Shop\nThe post Tastemade Says Multitasking Presents a Big Contextual Commerce Opportunity appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2024-06-03T11:26:20-04:00", "date_modified": "2024-06-03T21:23:06-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Tastemade-cooking-streaming-contextual-commerce.jpg", "tags": [ "connected commerce", "contextual commerce", "cooking", "ecommerce", "entertainment", "Featured News", "grocery", "housewares", "How We Will Pay Report: How Connected Devices Enable Multitasking Among Digital-First Consumers", "News", "omnichannel commerce", "partnerships", "PYMNTS Intelligence", "PYMNTS News", "recipes", "Retail", "Shopsense AI", "Streaming", "Tastemade", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1607311", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/pringles-announces-140-caviar-kit-as-brands-seize-on-social-media-trends/", "title": "Pringles Announces $140 Caviar Kit as Brands Seize on Social Media Trends", "content_html": "Pringles is getting fancy as food and beverage brands turn to social media for inspiration on how best to reach their consumers.
\nKellogg Company, which owns the chip brand,\u00a0announced\u00a0Tuesday (Sept. 19) that Pringles is partnering with The Caviar Company to launch the \u201cCrisps and Caviar Collection.\u201d The collaboration was inspired by a\u00a0TikTok trend\u00a0of pairing the snack with caviar, which has garnered over 10 billion views.\u00a0 \u00a0
\nThis collaboration includes a $49 kit featuring Sour Cream & Onion chips and Smoked Trout Roe, a $110 option that includes original-flavor Pringles and Classic White Sturgeon Caviar, or a $140 set that includes both of the former. All kits also come with cr\u00e8me fraiche and a themed serving tray.
\n\u201cOur partnership with The Caviar Co. not only embraces the trending snacking behavior in an approachable manner, but expertly curates our beloved crisp flavors with this seafood delicacy for a Pringles tasting experience unlike one you\u2019ve ever had before,\u201d Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead for Pringles, said in a statement.
\nThe news comes as food brands take note of how consumers are interacting with their products on social media. The PYMNTS Intelligence study \u201cTracking the Digital Payments Takeover: Monetizing Social Media Edition,\u201d created in collaboration with\u00a0Amazon Web Services, which draws from a census-balanced panel of nearly 3,000 U.S. consumers, reveals that, among those who made purchases via TikTok, 1 in 3 had bought food and beverage products. Plus, a similar share of those who had made purchases on any social media platform bought food and beverage items.
\nMany consumers use these platforms for inspiration, even among those not making purchases directly through social media. The same study found that 43% of consumers browse social media to find goods and services.
\nIndeed, the question of how to leverage social media to boost performance is a key one for many food and beverage brands. At a\u00a0Digital Food & Beverage Conference\u00a0keynote panel in June, executives from PepsiCo and General Mills, among others, discussed the subject of \u201cPreparing for the Next Wave of Social Commerce.\u201d
\nSmaller brands, too, are looking to social media trends to garner their followings. In an\u00a0interview\u00a0with PYMNTS,\u00a0David Kovalevski, founder and CEO of premium instant coffee brand\u00a0Waka Coffee, noted how the company gained popularity with Gen Z amid the viral TikTok craze of people making dalgona coffee, also known as whipped coffee, during quarantine.
\n\u201cWe recognized the trend really early on,\u201d said Kovalevski. \u201cWe created content \u2014 videos, blog posts, tutorials \u2014 and we were actually first on Google for \u2018dalgona coffee\u2019 and \u2018whipped coffee\u2019 when the trend first started.\u201d
\nIn a\u00a0conversation\u00a0with PYMNTS, Jason Young, then president of digital advertising platform\u00a0Chicory, laid out the advantage that food and beverage brands and retailers have in contextual commerce.
\n\u201cRecipe content has always been incredibly shoppable. What\u2019s happening is, we now have the pipes all connected so that you can go very directly from content like recipes into transactional moments,\u201d Young explained. \u201cBut if you look at recipes historically, they\u2019ve always been a point of inspiration, a point of kicking off the food shopping process.\u201d
\nThe post Pringles Announces $140 Caviar Kit as Brands Seize on Social Media Trends appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Pringles is getting fancy as food and beverage brands turn to social media for inspiration on how best to reach their consumers.\nKellogg Company, which owns the chip brand,\u00a0announced\u00a0Tuesday (Sept. 19) that Pringles is partnering with The Caviar Company to launch the \u201cCrisps and Caviar Collection.\u201d The collaboration was inspired by a\u00a0TikTok trend\u00a0of pairing the snack with caviar, which has garnered over 10 billion views.\u00a0 \u00a0\nThis collaboration includes a $49 kit featuring Sour Cream & Onion chips and Smoked Trout Roe, a $110 option that includes original-flavor Pringles and Classic White Sturgeon Caviar, or a $140 set that includes both of the former. All kits also come with cr\u00e8me fraiche and a themed serving tray.\n\u201cOur partnership with The Caviar Co. not only embraces the trending snacking behavior in an approachable manner, but expertly curates our beloved crisp flavors with this seafood delicacy for a Pringles tasting experience unlike one you\u2019ve ever had before,\u201d Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead for Pringles, said in a statement.\nThe news comes as food brands take note of how consumers are interacting with their products on social media. The PYMNTS Intelligence study \u201cTracking the Digital Payments Takeover: Monetizing Social Media Edition,\u201d created in collaboration with\u00a0Amazon Web Services, which draws from a census-balanced panel of nearly 3,000 U.S. consumers, reveals that, among those who made purchases via TikTok, 1 in 3 had bought food and beverage products. Plus, a similar share of those who had made purchases on any social media platform bought food and beverage items.\nMany consumers use these platforms for inspiration, even among those not making purchases directly through social media. The same study found that 43% of consumers browse social media to find goods and services.\nIndeed, the question of how to leverage social media to boost performance is a key one for many food and beverage brands. At a\u00a0Digital Food & Beverage Conference\u00a0keynote panel in June, executives from PepsiCo and General Mills, among others, discussed the subject of \u201cPreparing for the Next Wave of Social Commerce.\u201d\nSmaller brands, too, are looking to social media trends to garner their followings. In an\u00a0interview\u00a0with PYMNTS,\u00a0David Kovalevski, founder and CEO of premium instant coffee brand\u00a0Waka Coffee, noted how the company gained popularity with Gen Z amid the viral TikTok craze of people making dalgona coffee, also known as whipped coffee, during quarantine.\n\u201cWe recognized the trend really early on,\u201d said Kovalevski. \u201cWe created content \u2014 videos, blog posts, tutorials \u2014 and we were actually first on Google for \u2018dalgona coffee\u2019 and \u2018whipped coffee\u2019 when the trend first started.\u201d\nIn a\u00a0conversation\u00a0with PYMNTS, Jason Young, then president of digital advertising platform\u00a0Chicory, laid out the advantage that food and beverage brands and retailers have in contextual commerce.\n\u201cRecipe content has always been incredibly shoppable. What\u2019s happening is, we now have the pipes all connected so that you can go very directly from content like recipes into transactional moments,\u201d Young explained. \u201cBut if you look at recipes historically, they\u2019ve always been a point of inspiration, a point of kicking off the food shopping process.\u201d\nThe post Pringles Announces $140 Caviar Kit as Brands Seize on Social Media Trends appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-09-19T16:14:44-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-09-19T16:16:09-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Pringles-caviar-Tiktok.jpg", "tags": [ "Branding", "Caviar", "Connected Economy", "ecommerce", "Editor's Picks", "kellogg", "News", "Pringles", "PYMNTS News", "Retail", "Retail sales", "Social Media", "Social Media Trends", "TikTok", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1591388", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/square-launches-consumer-booking-app-for-beauty-and-personal-care-services/", "title": "Square Launches Consumer Booking App for Beauty and Personal Care Services", "content_html": "Square\u00a0has launched a consumer booking app that provides access to a large beauty and personal care businesses network.
\nThe new\u00a0Square Go\u00a0looks to offer convenience to consumers, allowing them to easily search, discover and schedule their beauty and personal care service appointments, the company said in a Tuesday (Aug. 8)\u00a0press release.
\nSquare Go offers highly-rated independent service providers for consumers to choose from, giving them personalized recommendations based on their own booking patterns, according to the press release. Consumers can receive appointment notifications and manage bookings through the app, as well as confirm, reschedule or cancel appointments.
\nApp Store\u00a0user CaraCaraNYC said in a\u00a0review, per the release, \u201cAs someone who is constantly managing different appointments, I love having all my appointment info in one place! It was really easy to reschedule an appointment I had for a facial at the last minute when I was out and about. Plus, the design is really cute and super simple to use.\u201d
\nSquare Go is designed to be not just attractive to consumers, but to businesses as well, according to the press release. Square is offering them a professional look with a business profile that can be personalized with relevant information for customers to attract more customers.
\nJustin Lavalle, owner of\u00a0J Lava Salon, said in the release that the app has helped increase the visibility of his business, which, in turn, has helped it financially. \u201cSquare Go has helped me reach another level of clientele I didn\u2019t know I could,\u201d said Lavalle.
\nSquare Go also solicits verified reviews and feedback following any appointment, the release said. The app has also seen that 30% of consumers are rebooking after seeing a suggestion to do so within the app, and that there has been a 55% decrease in no-shows among Square Go users.
\n\u201cThis launch marks a significant milestone for Square sellers and their customers as we continue investing in software that equips businesses with powerful omnichannel tools,\u201d Square CEO\u00a0Alyssa Henry\u00a0said in the release.
\nSoon, Square Go will expand into additional industries to enable even more sellers and their customers, Henry added.
\nPYMNTS research has found that the\u00a0beauty industry\u00a0is seeing new shifts in how consumers purchase and interact with both service and product offerings.
\nOnline booking, in particular, is now a must, according to \u201cThe Digital Transformation of Beauty and Wellness Services,\u201d a PYMNTS and\u00a0American Express\u00a0collaboration.
\nThe post Square Launches Consumer Booking App for Beauty and Personal Care Services appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Square\u00a0has launched a consumer booking app that provides access to a large beauty and personal care businesses network.\nThe new\u00a0Square Go\u00a0looks to offer convenience to consumers, allowing them to easily search, discover and schedule their beauty and personal care service appointments, the company said in a Tuesday (Aug. 8)\u00a0press release.\nSquare Go offers highly-rated independent service providers for consumers to choose from, giving them personalized recommendations based on their own booking patterns, according to the press release. Consumers can receive appointment notifications and manage bookings through the app, as well as confirm, reschedule or cancel appointments.\nApp Store\u00a0user CaraCaraNYC said in a\u00a0review, per the release, \u201cAs someone who is constantly managing different appointments, I love having all my appointment info in one place! It was really easy to reschedule an appointment I had for a facial at the last minute when I was out and about. Plus, the design is really cute and super simple to use.\u201d\nSquare Go is designed to be not just attractive to consumers, but to businesses as well, according to the press release. Square is offering them a professional look with a business profile that can be personalized with relevant information for customers to attract more customers.\nJustin Lavalle, owner of\u00a0J Lava Salon, said in the release that the app has helped increase the visibility of his business, which, in turn, has helped it financially. \u201cSquare Go has helped me reach another level of clientele I didn\u2019t know I could,\u201d said Lavalle.\nSquare Go also solicits verified reviews and feedback following any appointment, the release said. The app has also seen that 30% of consumers are rebooking after seeing a suggestion to do so within the app, and that there has been a 55% decrease in no-shows among Square Go users.\n\u201cThis launch marks a significant milestone for Square sellers and their customers as we continue investing in software that equips businesses with powerful omnichannel tools,\u201d Square CEO\u00a0Alyssa Henry\u00a0said in the release.\nSoon, Square Go will expand into additional industries to enable even more sellers and their customers, Henry added.\nPYMNTS research has found that the\u00a0beauty industry\u00a0is seeing new shifts in how consumers purchase and interact with both service and product offerings.\nOnline booking, in particular, is now a must, according to \u201cThe Digital Transformation of Beauty and Wellness Services,\u201d a PYMNTS and\u00a0American Express\u00a0collaboration.\nThe post Square Launches Consumer Booking App for Beauty and Personal Care Services appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-08-08T17:19:20-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-08-08T17:19:20-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/beauty-salon-app.jpg", "tags": [ "24/7 booking service", "App Store", "beauty", "beauty salon", "Beauty Treatments", "booking app", "Digital Payments", "iOS users", "mobile devices", "Mobile Payments", "News", "personal care businesses", "PYMNTS News", "Square Go", "us", "What's Hot", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1585056", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/entrepreneurs-aim-to-create-airbnb-of-rental-cars/", "title": "Entrepreneurs Aim to Create Airbnb of Rental Cars", "content_html": "Can small-scale rental car entrepreneurs take on giants like Hertz and Avis Budget?
\nThat\u2019s what a group of these do-it-yourselfers aim to do, according to a\u00a0report\u00a0Saturday (July 22) by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).
\nAccording to the report, these businesses are putting together vehicle fleets to rent out via car-sharing companies like\u00a0Turo\u00a0and\u00a0Getaround.
\nHowever, their efforts aren\u2019t without challenges. One owner told the WSJ he had to travel to Canada to recover a stolen and abandoned car. Another rented a car involved in a shooting, and another had a Maserati totaled when a customer collided with a wall.\u00a0
\n\u201cIt can be tough if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing,\u201d said Jerome Mends-Cole, who rents out more than a dozen Teslas via Turo and his own website. \u201cPeople look at it as a get rich quick thing, or a set it and forget it.\u201d
\nIt can easily become a money-losing venture, per the report, as the cost of parking, repairing, maintaining, financing and insuring vehicles can quickly swallow up revenues.
\nAccording to the report, around 70% of Getaround\u2019s active cars are rented out by \u201cpower hosts\u201d \u2014 people who own three cars or more. Many of those rent out hundreds, and at least one has more than a thousand.
\nPYMNTS spoke with Getaround founder and CEO Sam Zaid last month, soon after his\u00a0company acquired\u00a0fellow car-sharing company\u00a0Hyrecar.
\nHe said the rise of the sharing economy and increased trust and familiarity with marketplace models could help monetize cars when they aren\u2019t in use.
\nMarketplaces\u00a0\u201cdo really well\u201d\u00a0in areas where assets are indeed underutilized, Zaid said, using Airbnb as an example. And with the price of cars reaching levels of relative unaffordability not seen in decades, there\u2019s a growing trend not to buy autos \u2014 but to share them.
\nRoughly a quarter of people who share their car end up becoming entrepreneurs on the marketplace, he added, building up small fleets of cars \u2014 beginning with a couple and eventually owning and sharing as many as 10 or more vehicles across the platform.
\n\u201cIt becomes what they do full-time,\u201d said Zaid, as some owners can make several thousands of dollars each year per vehicle.
\nZaid added that Getaround\u2019s ultimate mission is to let users earn additional income and free themselves from car ownership\u2019s burdens while positively impacting the environment.
\nBeyond letting consumers book cars for their personal use, he said, Getaround also has an integrated partnership in place with\u00a0Uber, where a driver can rent an Uber-eligible car on the Getaround platform that\u2019s synchronized with the Uber app and start driving for Uber within minutes rather than having to use their own cars.
\nThe post Entrepreneurs Aim to Create Airbnb of Rental Cars appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Can small-scale rental car entrepreneurs take on giants like Hertz and Avis Budget?\nThat\u2019s what a group of these do-it-yourselfers aim to do, according to a\u00a0report\u00a0Saturday (July 22) by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).\nAccording to the report, these businesses are putting together vehicle fleets to rent out via car-sharing companies like\u00a0Turo\u00a0and\u00a0Getaround.\nHowever, their efforts aren\u2019t without challenges. One owner told the WSJ he had to travel to Canada to recover a stolen and abandoned car. Another rented a car involved in a shooting, and another had a Maserati totaled when a customer collided with a wall.\u00a0\n\u201cIt can be tough if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re doing,\u201d said Jerome Mends-Cole, who rents out more than a dozen Teslas via Turo and his own website. \u201cPeople look at it as a get rich quick thing, or a set it and forget it.\u201d\nIt can easily become a money-losing venture, per the report, as the cost of parking, repairing, maintaining, financing and insuring vehicles can quickly swallow up revenues.\nAccording to the report, around 70% of Getaround\u2019s active cars are rented out by \u201cpower hosts\u201d \u2014 people who own three cars or more. Many of those rent out hundreds, and at least one has more than a thousand.\nPYMNTS spoke with Getaround founder and CEO Sam Zaid last month, soon after his\u00a0company acquired\u00a0fellow car-sharing company\u00a0Hyrecar.\nHe said the rise of the sharing economy and increased trust and familiarity with marketplace models could help monetize cars when they aren\u2019t in use.\nMarketplaces\u00a0\u201cdo really well\u201d\u00a0in areas where assets are indeed underutilized, Zaid said, using Airbnb as an example. And with the price of cars reaching levels of relative unaffordability not seen in decades, there\u2019s a growing trend not to buy autos \u2014 but to share them.\nRoughly a quarter of people who share their car end up becoming entrepreneurs on the marketplace, he added, building up small fleets of cars \u2014 beginning with a couple and eventually owning and sharing as many as 10 or more vehicles across the platform.\n\u201cIt becomes what they do full-time,\u201d said Zaid, as some owners can make several thousands of dollars each year per vehicle.\nZaid added that Getaround\u2019s ultimate mission is to let users earn additional income and free themselves from car ownership\u2019s burdens while positively impacting the environment.\nBeyond letting consumers book cars for their personal use, he said, Getaround also has an integrated partnership in place with\u00a0Uber, where a driver can rent an Uber-eligible car on the Getaround platform that\u2019s synchronized with the Uber app and start driving for Uber within minutes rather than having to use their own cars.\nThe post Entrepreneurs Aim to Create Airbnb of Rental Cars appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-07-23T15:52:36-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-07-23T15:52:36-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Car-sharing-rentals.jpg", "tags": [ "Car Rental", "car sharing", "Connected Economy", "Getaround", "News", "Rental", "Ride-Sharing", "Toro", "vehicle rentals", "What's Hot", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1517723", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/ce-100-index-soars-4percent-as-vroom-irobot-and-wework-rally/", "title": "CE 100 Index Soars 4.1% as Vroom, iRobot and WeWork Rally\u00a0", "content_html": "The Federal Reserve has signaled it will pause rate hikes.\u00a0
\nIn the meantime, the U.S. consumer keeps spending.\u00a0
\nEconomic data released over the past few days underpinned gains in the CE 100 Stock Index, which rallied 4.1% last week, bringing its year-to-date positive return to 24.4%.
\n
This might be expected amid the reports that showed an unanticipated May 0.3% boost in retail sales, with increases nearly across the board.\u00a0\u00a0
\nAnd for our CE 100 pantheon, shopping-related names led the pack, up 7.6%, as all pillars gained ground.\u00a0
\nAs in past weeks, Vroom made a notable showing up 22.3%, followed by Ocado, which leapt 21.8%. Though there were no company-specific headlines this past week, in the case of Vroom, we note that auto dealers saw sales up 1.5% month over month. A more benign interest rate environment may be enough to cause consumers to rethink what they are buying \u2014 and possibly spur them to buy more automobiles. The online platforms (Vroom among them), in the meantime, have been making strides\u00a0to right-size inventory\u00a0through the past several quarters.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0
\nWeWork shares staged a significant rally, surging 32.4%. As reported Friday via\u00a0 Securities and Exchange Commission filings,\u00a0shareholders have approved a reverse split of the company\u2019s stock. The range for the reverse split lies 1-for-10 and 1-for-40. The board will decide the final ratio.
\niRobot Surges on Amazon Deal Approval\u00a0
\niRobot stock powered ahead 27.1%. The U.K.\u2019s Competition and Markets Authority gave a thumbs-up for Amazon\u2019s $1.7 billion purchase of the company, stating that there would not be a \u201csubstantial\u201d impact on competition in the U.K.\u00a0Per an Amazon statement\u00a0provided to CNBC, the eCommerce giant said that: \u201cWe\u2019re pleased with the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority\u2019s decision and are committed to supporting regulatory bodies in their work. We look forward to similar decisions from other regulators soon.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0
\nPYMNTS reported earlier in the month\u00a0that our research into the evolution of the connected economy showed that 21 million more consumers participated in activities involving some type of smart home device than in 2022 \u2014 a 31% jump. We found that the share of consumers using smart home devices in their everyday routines increased sharply in 2023. 15% used technology to control home conditions, up from 10%, respectively, in 2022.
\nIn the relatively weakest segment, the Be Well group, which was up 1.7%, saw gains blunted by Aetna/CVS, which lost 5.6% and UnitedHealth, which lost 7.1%.\u00a0\u00a0
\nUnitedHealth executives warned this past week at a Goldman Sachs conference that demand is on the rise for surgeries, especially among older patients in Medicare programs. The rise in surgeries \u2014 where activity had pulled back during the pandemic \u2014 means that the insurers themselves are spending more on care, which in turn may impact margins.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\n
The post CE 100 Index Soars 4.1% as Vroom, iRobot and WeWork Rally\u00a0 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "The Federal Reserve has signaled it will pause rate hikes.\u00a0\nIn the meantime, the U.S. consumer keeps spending.\u00a0\nEconomic data released over the past few days underpinned gains in the CE 100 Stock Index, which rallied 4.1% last week, bringing its year-to-date positive return to 24.4%.\n\nThis might be expected amid the reports that showed an unanticipated May 0.3% boost in retail sales, with increases nearly across the board.\u00a0\u00a0\nAnd for our CE 100 pantheon, shopping-related names led the pack, up 7.6%, as all pillars gained ground.\u00a0\nAs in past weeks, Vroom made a notable showing up 22.3%, followed by Ocado, which leapt 21.8%. Though there were no company-specific headlines this past week, in the case of Vroom, we note that auto dealers saw sales up 1.5% month over month. A more benign interest rate environment may be enough to cause consumers to rethink what they are buying \u2014 and possibly spur them to buy more automobiles. The online platforms (Vroom among them), in the meantime, have been making strides\u00a0to right-size inventory\u00a0through the past several quarters.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\nWeWork shares staged a significant rally, surging 32.4%. As reported Friday via\u00a0 Securities and Exchange Commission filings,\u00a0shareholders have approved a reverse split of the company\u2019s stock. The range for the reverse split lies 1-for-10 and 1-for-40. The board will decide the final ratio.\niRobot Surges on Amazon Deal Approval\u00a0\niRobot stock powered ahead 27.1%. The U.K.\u2019s Competition and Markets Authority gave a thumbs-up for Amazon\u2019s $1.7 billion purchase of the company, stating that there would not be a \u201csubstantial\u201d impact on competition in the U.K.\u00a0Per an Amazon statement\u00a0provided to CNBC, the eCommerce giant said that: \u201cWe\u2019re pleased with the U.K. Competition and Markets Authority\u2019s decision and are committed to supporting regulatory bodies in their work. We look forward to similar decisions from other regulators soon.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\nPYMNTS reported earlier in the month\u00a0that our research into the evolution of the connected economy showed that 21 million more consumers participated in activities involving some type of smart home device than in 2022 \u2014 a 31% jump. We found that the share of consumers using smart home devices in their everyday routines increased sharply in 2023. 15% used technology to control home conditions, up from 10%, respectively, in 2022.\nIn the relatively weakest segment, the Be Well group, which was up 1.7%, saw gains blunted by Aetna/CVS, which lost 5.6% and UnitedHealth, which lost 7.1%.\u00a0\u00a0\nUnitedHealth executives warned this past week at a Goldman Sachs conference that demand is on the rise for surgeries, especially among older patients in Medicare programs. The rise in surgeries \u2014 where activity had pulled back during the pandemic \u2014 means that the insurers themselves are spending more on care, which in turn may impact margins.\u00a0\u00a0\n \nThe post CE 100 Index Soars 4.1% as Vroom, iRobot and WeWork Rally\u00a0 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-06-18T22:00:00-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-18T22:02:45-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CE100-0618-image-1.png", "tags": [ "automotive", "CE 100 Stock Index", "Connected Economy", "Featured News", "Investments", "iRobot", "News", "sales", "stock market", "UnitedHealth", "Vroom", "WeWork", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1516696", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/netflix-steps-into-connected-experience-space-with-pop-up-restaurant/", "title": "Netflix Steps Into Connected Experience Space With Pop-Up Restaurant", "content_html": "Netflix\u2019s new pop-up eatery comes as brands leverage restaurants to create physical touchpoints to connect with consumers, either building on existing affinity or looking to reestablish what was lost.
\nThe streaming service announced Wednesday (June 14) the launch of Netflix Bites, set to open in Los Angeles on June 30, offering meals from celebrity chefs featured in series on the streaming platform.
\n\u201cNetflix is already a destination for beloved food programming, from documentaries to competition shows,\u201d Josh Simon, VP, Consumer Products at Netflix, said in a statement. \u201cFrom episode to entr\u00e9e, with NETFLIX BITES we are creating an in-person experience where fans can immerse themselves in their favorite food shows.\u201d
\nThe move to create immersive, in-person experiences could be part of an effort to reestablish customer affinity for the brand, after the streaming service\u2019s move to crack down on password sharing may have succeeded in driving subscriptions, but (as even a cursory search of social media platforms reveals) left many consumers frustrated with the brand.
\nLaunching a full-service restaurant could be especially effective in creating positive sentiment now, as consumers yearn for the hospitality that used to be the norm across the restaurant industry. Research from a\u00a0PYMNTS survey\u00a0of nearly 2,500 U.S. consumers reveals that 63% of diners believe restaurants are becoming increasingly understaffed, and 39% said that they are becoming less and less personal. The same survey revealed that 77% of diners say staff friendliness is the most important feature a restaurant needs to provide.
\nNetflix is not the only brand leveraging pop-up restaurants to drive positive connections with consumers. Mattel, for instance, is feeding into (as it were) enthusiasm for the Barbie brand timed with the upcoming film by launching a pop-up Malibu Barbie Caf\u00e9 in partnership with events platform Bucket Listers. The pop-up opened its doors in Chicago this month and in New York last month, and both are running through mid-September.
\nBack in 2021, dating app Bumble opened its Bumble Brew caf\u00e9 and wine bar, which was not meant to be a pop-up, but which ultimately shut down in 2022 after a burst pipe.
\nPepsiCo, for its part, ran pop-up virtual restaurant Pep\u2019s Place, also in 2021, in an effort both to encourage consumers to add more beverages to their typical restaurant delivery orders and to learn about the virtual brand space.
\n\u201cPep\u2019s place for us was really our first experience with the world of virtual brands [and was] an opportunity for us to learn firsthand,\u201d\u00a0Andr\u00e9 Moraes, senior director of marketing at\u00a0PepsiCo Foodservice\u00a0and head of PepsiCo Foodservice\u2019s Digital Lab, told PYMNTS in an interview. \u201cWe learned [that] communicating what\u2019s special about the menu \u2014 but in a familiar format \u2014 is really important in guiding the consumer experience to be a pleasant experience to be one that\u2019s not one of questions or uncertainty but one of excitement.\u201d
\nSome brands have even made restaurant offerings an ongoing part of how they connect with consumers in the physical world. For instance, Japanese entertainment company Sanrio launched a Hello Kitty food truck back in 2014, and the brand continues to hold truck events across the United States in addition to its static Hello Kitty Grand Caf\u00e9 in Irvine, California.
\nMeanwhile, Ralph Lauren\u2019s Ralph\u2019s Coffee caf\u00e9 chain has become an icon in its own right, with 16 locations across five states in addition to a line of dozens of branded products that consumers can order online.
\n\n
The post Netflix Steps Into Connected Experience Space With Pop-Up Restaurant appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Netflix\u2019s new pop-up eatery comes as brands leverage restaurants to create physical touchpoints to connect with consumers, either building on existing affinity or looking to reestablish what was lost.\nThe streaming service announced Wednesday (June 14) the launch of Netflix Bites, set to open in Los Angeles on June 30, offering meals from celebrity chefs featured in series on the streaming platform.\n\u201cNetflix is already a destination for beloved food programming, from documentaries to competition shows,\u201d Josh Simon, VP, Consumer Products at Netflix, said in a statement. \u201cFrom episode to entr\u00e9e, with NETFLIX BITES we are creating an in-person experience where fans can immerse themselves in their favorite food shows.\u201d\nThe move to create immersive, in-person experiences could be part of an effort to reestablish customer affinity for the brand, after the streaming service\u2019s move to crack down on password sharing may have succeeded in driving subscriptions, but (as even a cursory search of social media platforms reveals) left many consumers frustrated with the brand.\nLaunching a full-service restaurant could be especially effective in creating positive sentiment now, as consumers yearn for the hospitality that used to be the norm across the restaurant industry. Research from a\u00a0PYMNTS survey\u00a0of nearly 2,500 U.S. consumers reveals that 63% of diners believe restaurants are becoming increasingly understaffed, and 39% said that they are becoming less and less personal. The same survey revealed that 77% of diners say staff friendliness is the most important feature a restaurant needs to provide.\nNetflix is not the only brand leveraging pop-up restaurants to drive positive connections with consumers. Mattel, for instance, is feeding into (as it were) enthusiasm for the Barbie brand timed with the upcoming film by launching a pop-up Malibu Barbie Caf\u00e9 in partnership with events platform Bucket Listers. The pop-up opened its doors in Chicago this month and in New York last month, and both are running through mid-September.\nBack in 2021, dating app Bumble opened its Bumble Brew caf\u00e9 and wine bar, which was not meant to be a pop-up, but which ultimately shut down in 2022 after a burst pipe.\nPepsiCo, for its part, ran pop-up virtual restaurant Pep\u2019s Place, also in 2021, in an effort both to encourage consumers to add more beverages to their typical restaurant delivery orders and to learn about the virtual brand space.\n\u201cPep\u2019s place for us was really our first experience with the world of virtual brands [and was] an opportunity for us to learn firsthand,\u201d\u00a0Andr\u00e9 Moraes, senior director of marketing at\u00a0PepsiCo Foodservice\u00a0and head of PepsiCo Foodservice\u2019s Digital Lab, told PYMNTS in an interview. \u201cWe learned [that] communicating what\u2019s special about the menu \u2014 but in a familiar format \u2014 is really important in guiding the consumer experience to be a pleasant experience to be one that\u2019s not one of questions or uncertainty but one of excitement.\u201d\nSome brands have even made restaurant offerings an ongoing part of how they connect with consumers in the physical world. For instance, Japanese entertainment company Sanrio launched a Hello Kitty food truck back in 2014, and the brand continues to hold truck events across the United States in addition to its static Hello Kitty Grand Caf\u00e9 in Irvine, California.\nMeanwhile, Ralph Lauren\u2019s Ralph\u2019s Coffee caf\u00e9 chain has become an icon in its own right, with 16 locations across five states in addition to a line of dozens of branded products that consumers can order online.\n\nThe post Netflix Steps Into Connected Experience Space With Pop-Up Restaurant appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-06-14T14:49:41-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-06-14T14:49:41-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Netflix-connected-experience.jpg", "tags": [ "brick and mortar", "connected experiences", "hospitality", "Netflix", "News", "pop-up restaurants", "Restaurants", "Streaming", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1507073", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/ai-focused-names-lead-ce-100-index-2-3-higher/", "title": "AI-Focused Names Lead CE 100 Index 2.3% Higher\u00a0", "content_html": "The CE 100 Index gained 2.3% as artificial intelligence (AI) sparked investor enthusiasm and the earnings season continued to wind down for the March quarter.
\nThis past week\u2019s performance brought the Index to a positive 14.2% return as measured year to date.
\nC3.ai shares soared 30%, leading the Enablers segment up 4.4%.
\nThe company released preliminary\u00a0results that showed\u00a0expectations that the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended in April, would see revenues of a bit more than $72 million, exceeding company guidance.\u00a0\u00a0
\nThe company noted in the release that the \u201coverall business environment for enterprise AI is more active than we have seen since the company\u2019s inception and seems to be accelerating.\u201d During the quarter, the company said, it closed 43 deals, including 19 pilots that were initiated during the quarter that just ended.
\nThe Communications pillar soared 7.8%, led by Snap, which gained 13%. Snap, of course, also has been riding a wave of positive sentiment over AI. Last month, the\u00a0company\u00a0said that it opened up Snapchat\u2019s AI chatbot to users for free. My AI had initially been launched in February as a premium offering.
\nAlso within that segment, Zoom shares were up 8.9%. Zoom is on tap to report earnings on Monday, and per financial media sites such as Yahoo Finance,\u00a0consensus estimates expect revenue growth in constant currency to be around 3%. According to reports, top-line growth is expected to be buoyed by demand for Zoom Video Webinars, Zoom Rooms and Zoom Phones.
\nAffirm gained 14%, leading the Pay and Be Paid segment up 3.4%.\u00a0
\nAffirm\u2019s shares rebounded\u00a0in the wake of earnings\u00a0earlier this month that showed a pullback in discretionary spending. The company\u2019s results showed overall double-digit gains in gross merchandise value (GMV) but a decline in some areas like home/lifestyle, where the GMV in that vertical declined 10% year over year. In contrast, it had grown 2% year over year in the fiscal second quarter.
\nActive merchant count grew 19% year over year to 246,000 merchants overall, and merchants with greater than $1,000 in trailing 12-month GMV grew 29% year over year to 92,000.
\nIn the Banking segment, which gathered a 4.4% positive return, shares of Ally Bank were 5.4% higher, followed by J.P. Morgan, which gained 3.8%.\u00a0
\nJ.P. Morgan shares were up on the heels of reports that that it\u00a0is\u00a0\u201cunlikely\u201d \u2014 in the words of CEO Jamie Dimon \u2014 the financial services giant would acquire another struggling bank. That commentary, of course, comes after the company began May with its acquisition of First Republic Bank, which had, in turn, been taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
\nShares of WeWork plunged 44.7%, taking the Work pillar down 0.4% for the week. The company\u00a0said last week\u00a0that Sandeep Mathrani is stepping down as CEO effective May 26 \u2014 and is taking a role as director with Sycamore Partners to head its real estate activity. Board member David Tolley has been named to serve as interim CEO. The company\u2019s earnings results announced earlier in May noted revenue growth of 13% in constant currency to $976 million in the first quarter. The company\u2019s real estate portfolio had 73% physical occupancy and an increase in physical memberships of 6% year over year.
\n\u00a0Vodafone shares dipped 7%; alongside earnings results, the telecommunications firm said that it would cut 11,000 jobs \u2014 roughly 10% of its global headcount \u2014 through the next three years in a bid to, as CEO Margherita Della Valle said, \u201csimplify\u201d operations. The company, as noted in presentation materials in its latest earnings report, \u201cmust change\u201d amid an environment where service revenue growth was 1.9% in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023, where that metric had been up 2.5% at the beginning of the year.\u00a0\u00a0
\n\n
The post AI-Focused Names Lead CE 100 Index 2.3% Higher\u00a0 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "The CE 100 Index gained 2.3% as artificial intelligence (AI) sparked investor enthusiasm and the earnings season continued to wind down for the March quarter.\nThis past week\u2019s performance brought the Index to a positive 14.2% return as measured year to date.\nC3.ai shares soared 30%, leading the Enablers segment up 4.4%.\nThe company released preliminary\u00a0results that showed\u00a0expectations that the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended in April, would see revenues of a bit more than $72 million, exceeding company guidance.\u00a0\u00a0\nThe company noted in the release that the \u201coverall business environment for enterprise AI is more active than we have seen since the company\u2019s inception and seems to be accelerating.\u201d During the quarter, the company said, it closed 43 deals, including 19 pilots that were initiated during the quarter that just ended.\nCommunications Names Lead the Pack\u00a0\nThe Communications pillar soared 7.8%, led by Snap, which gained 13%. Snap, of course, also has been riding a wave of positive sentiment over AI. Last month, the\u00a0company\u00a0said that it opened up Snapchat\u2019s AI chatbot to users for free. My AI had initially been launched in February as a premium offering.\nAlso within that segment, Zoom shares were up 8.9%. Zoom is on tap to report earnings on Monday, and per financial media sites such as Yahoo Finance,\u00a0consensus estimates expect revenue growth in constant currency to be around 3%. According to reports, top-line growth is expected to be buoyed by demand for Zoom Video Webinars, Zoom Rooms and Zoom Phones.\nAffirm gained 14%, leading the Pay and Be Paid segment up 3.4%.\u00a0\nAffirm\u2019s shares rebounded\u00a0in the wake of earnings\u00a0earlier this month that showed a pullback in discretionary spending. The company\u2019s results showed overall double-digit gains in gross merchandise value (GMV) but a decline in some areas like home/lifestyle, where the GMV in that vertical declined 10% year over year. In contrast, it had grown 2% year over year in the fiscal second quarter.\nActive merchant count grew 19% year over year to 246,000 merchants overall, and merchants with greater than $1,000 in trailing 12-month GMV grew 29% year over year to 92,000.\nIn the Banking segment, which gathered a 4.4% positive return, shares of Ally Bank were 5.4% higher, followed by J.P. Morgan, which gained 3.8%.\u00a0\nJ.P. Morgan shares were up on the heels of reports that that it\u00a0is\u00a0\u201cunlikely\u201d \u2014 in the words of CEO Jamie Dimon \u2014 the financial services giant would acquire another struggling bank. That commentary, of course, comes after the company began May with its acquisition of First Republic Bank, which had, in turn, been taken over by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).\nShares of WeWork plunged 44.7%, taking the Work pillar down 0.4% for the week. The company\u00a0said last week\u00a0that Sandeep Mathrani is stepping down as CEO effective May 26 \u2014 and is taking a role as director with Sycamore Partners to head its real estate activity. Board member David Tolley has been named to serve as interim CEO. The company\u2019s earnings results announced earlier in May noted revenue growth of 13% in constant currency to $976 million in the first quarter. The company\u2019s real estate portfolio had 73% physical occupancy and an increase in physical memberships of 6% year over year.\n\u00a0Vodafone shares dipped 7%; alongside earnings results, the telecommunications firm said that it would cut 11,000 jobs \u2014 roughly 10% of its global headcount \u2014 through the next three years in a bid to, as CEO Margherita Della Valle said, \u201csimplify\u201d operations. The company, as noted in presentation materials in its latest earnings report, \u201cmust change\u201d amid an environment where service revenue growth was 1.9% in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2023, where that metric had been up 2.5% at the beginning of the year.\u00a0\u00a0\n \nThe post AI-Focused Names Lead CE 100 Index 2.3% Higher\u00a0 appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-05-22T04:00:06-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-05-21T21:18:05-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/CE100-0521.jpg", "tags": [ "Affirm", "AI", "Ally Bank", "artificial intelligence", "C3.ai", "CE 100 Index", "Connected Economy", "digital transformation", "Featured News", "J.P. Morgan", "News", "Snap", "Vodafone", "WeWork", "Zoom", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1489794", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/twitter-launches-subscriptions-feature-so-users-can-monetize-content/", "title": "Twitter Launches Subscriptions Feature So Users Can Monetize Content", "content_html": "Twitter\u00a0users can now apply to monetize their content on the platform.
\nAnnouncing the new Subscriptions offering in a Thursday (April 13)\u00a0tweet, Elon Musk said users could tap on \u201cMonetization\u201d in the settings on the platform and apply to offer their followers subscriptions of material like long-form text and video.
\n\u201cFor the next 12 months, Twitter will keep none of the money,\u201d Musk said in another\u00a0tweet. \u201cYou will receive whatever money we receive, so that\u2019s 70% for subscriptions on iOS & Android (they charge 30%) and ~92% on web (could be better, depending on payment processor.\u201d
\n\u201cAfter first year, iOS & Android fees drop to 15% and we will add a small amount on top of that, depending on volume,\u201d Musk added in the tweet.
\nWith the new Subscriptions feature, Twitter users can earn money by offering their followers access to bonus content and badges that make it easier to chat and connect, according to the Subscriptions page found under Monetization on the platform.
\nMore features will be added to help create and share content with subscribers, the page said.
\nThe Subscriptions offering is being launched for a small group of people, and Twitter users are invited to check their eligibility on the Subscriptions page. The current eligibility requirements include being at least 18 years old, having 25 tweets in the past 30 days and having 500 followers, according to the Subscriptions page.
\n\u201cOur goal is to maximize creator prosperity,\u201d Musk said in a tweet. \u201cAt any point, you can leave our platform and take your work with you. Easy in, easy out.\u201d
\nThis news comes on the same day as an announcement that Twitter has teamed with social investment platform\u00a0eToro\u00a0to let users\u00a0trade financial assets.
\nThe feature, which debuted Thursday on the Twitter app, lets users check on the markets and buy and sell stocks, cryptocurrencies and other assets.
\nThe new offerings also come about two weeks after the Wall Street Journal\u00a0reported\u00a0that Musk aims to make Twitter a major part of users\u2019\u00a0financial lives\u00a0and thereby boost the company\u2019s value from its current $20 billion to $250 billion.
\nThe post Twitter Launches Subscriptions Feature So Users Can Monetize Content appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "Twitter\u00a0users can now apply to monetize their content on the platform.\nAnnouncing the new Subscriptions offering in a Thursday (April 13)\u00a0tweet, Elon Musk said users could tap on \u201cMonetization\u201d in the settings on the platform and apply to offer their followers subscriptions of material like long-form text and video.\n\u201cFor the next 12 months, Twitter will keep none of the money,\u201d Musk said in another\u00a0tweet. \u201cYou will receive whatever money we receive, so that\u2019s 70% for subscriptions on iOS & Android (they charge 30%) and ~92% on web (could be better, depending on payment processor.\u201d\n\u201cAfter first year, iOS & Android fees drop to 15% and we will add a small amount on top of that, depending on volume,\u201d Musk added in the tweet.\nWith the new Subscriptions feature, Twitter users can earn money by offering their followers access to bonus content and badges that make it easier to chat and connect, according to the Subscriptions page found under Monetization on the platform.\nMore features will be added to help create and share content with subscribers, the page said.\nThe Subscriptions offering is being launched for a small group of people, and Twitter users are invited to check their eligibility on the Subscriptions page. The current eligibility requirements include being at least 18 years old, having 25 tweets in the past 30 days and having 500 followers, according to the Subscriptions page.\n\u201cOur goal is to maximize creator prosperity,\u201d Musk said in a tweet. \u201cAt any point, you can leave our platform and take your work with you. Easy in, easy out.\u201d\nThis news comes on the same day as an announcement that Twitter has teamed with social investment platform\u00a0eToro\u00a0to let users\u00a0trade financial assets.\nThe feature, which debuted Thursday on the Twitter app, lets users check on the markets and buy and sell stocks, cryptocurrencies and other assets.\nThe new offerings also come about two weeks after the Wall Street Journal\u00a0reported\u00a0that Musk aims to make Twitter a major part of users\u2019\u00a0financial lives\u00a0and thereby boost the company\u2019s value from its current $20 billion to $250 billion.\nThe post Twitter Launches Subscriptions Feature So Users Can Monetize Content appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-04-13T21:59:20-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-04-13T21:59:20-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/twitter.jpg", "tags": [ "Connected Economy", "monetizing", "News", "paid content", "Social Media", "twitter", "What's Hot", "Commerce Connected" ] }, { "id": "https://www.pymnts.com/?p=1484122", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/commerce-connected/2023/shoppable-recipes-are-just-the-start-of-egrocery-connected-commerce/", "title": "Shoppable Recipes Are Just the Start of eGrocery Connected Commerce", "content_html": "When it comes to monetizing cooking content, shoppable recipes are just the building blocks.
\nIn an interview with PYMNTS, Kevin Yu, CEO of connected recipes company SideChef, which earlier this month announced a $6 million Series B fundraise, said there is so much more to be done in terms of embedding commerce into consumers\u2019 food-focused online routines.
\n\u201cWe have, as well as other companies, done a great job of making recipes online shoppable, but for us, that was never the goal,\u201d Yu said. \u201cThat\u2019s great that you a recipe and there\u2019s a button that lets you add all that to your cart. But the reality is, I don\u2019t just make one recipe when I cook or when I buy my ingredients. That\u2019s not even efficient.\u201d
\nHe argued that shoppability features are just the engine, but the car is still being built. For instance, the company\u2019s meal plans, which adjust serving sizes according to the amounts of ingredients consumers are buying, have tripled conversion rates relative to single-recipe shoppable content. Now the company is building out its \u201cZero Waste\u201d option that gets even more granular, offering recipes to use up all the ingredients and calculating price per serving.
\nThe company also offers an app that teaches people how to cook step by step and now is looking into ways to integrate its features into kitchen appliances such as smart ovens, with a goal to have a hand in every part of the cooking process.
\n\u201cImagine an oven that you can place a pizza into,\u201d Yu said. \u201cThe oven will automatically know what it is and then be able to just turn on and do what it needs to do to get you to your personalized preferences.\u201d
\nCertainly, if the company has a role in everything from inspiration to purchasing to the appliances themselves, there are opportunities to drive loyalty as well as to open up new streams of advertising revenue.
\nNow, as Yu sees it, the greatest challenge facing the company is adoption. He said that just as music streaming took more than a decade to become an integral part of consumers\u2019 daily lives, it will take time for consumers to become comfortable with the options that online grocery poses that could change the way they get their meal needs met.
\n\u201cHow do we allow people to have something totally different?\u201d Yu said. \u201cI think we are still at the earliest stages of this, and shoppable recipes are just one piece of that puzzle.\u201d
\nIn fact, nearly half of all U.S. consumers get at least some of the items they once got at the supermarket via eCommerce channels, but few rely exclusively on digital shopping. Research from PYMNTS\u2019 new study \u201cChanges in Grocery Shopping Habits and Perception,\u201d which draws from a December survey of more than 2,400 U.S. consumers, finds that 45% now shop for groceries online at least some of the time, but only 7% do so all the time.
\nLooking ahead to next year, Yu predicts that artificial intelligence (AI) will be having a transformative effect on how consumers plan and prepare meals.
\n\u201cTake image recognition,\u201d he said. \u201cGosh, I don\u2019t know what to do with these ingredients in my fridge. I just want to take a picture. Tell me what I can make. You know, what am I missing? OK, and send it to me. How long is it going to take? 30 minutes? OK. It\u2019s going to cost this much? Great. Decision done.\u201d
\nThe post Shoppable Recipes Are Just the Start of eGrocery Connected Commerce appeared first on PYMNTS.com.
\n", "content_text": "When it comes to monetizing cooking content, shoppable recipes are just the building blocks.\nIn an interview with PYMNTS, Kevin Yu, CEO of connected recipes company SideChef, which earlier this month announced a $6 million Series B fundraise, said there is so much more to be done in terms of embedding commerce into consumers\u2019 food-focused online routines.\n\u201cWe have, as well as other companies, done a great job of making recipes online shoppable, but for us, that was never the goal,\u201d Yu said. \u201cThat\u2019s great that you a recipe and there\u2019s a button that lets you add all that to your cart. But the reality is, I don\u2019t just make one recipe when I cook or when I buy my ingredients. That\u2019s not even efficient.\u201d\nHe argued that shoppability features are just the engine, but the car is still being built. For instance, the company\u2019s meal plans, which adjust serving sizes according to the amounts of ingredients consumers are buying, have tripled conversion rates relative to single-recipe shoppable content. Now the company is building out its \u201cZero Waste\u201d option that gets even more granular, offering recipes to use up all the ingredients and calculating price per serving.\nThe company also offers an app that teaches people how to cook step by step and now is looking into ways to integrate its features into kitchen appliances such as smart ovens, with a goal to have a hand in every part of the cooking process.\n\u201cImagine an oven that you can place a pizza into,\u201d Yu said. \u201cThe oven will automatically know what it is and then be able to just turn on and do what it needs to do to get you to your personalized preferences.\u201d\nCertainly, if the company has a role in everything from inspiration to purchasing to the appliances themselves, there are opportunities to drive loyalty as well as to open up new streams of advertising revenue.\nNow, as Yu sees it, the greatest challenge facing the company is adoption. He said that just as music streaming took more than a decade to become an integral part of consumers\u2019 daily lives, it will take time for consumers to become comfortable with the options that online grocery poses that could change the way they get their meal needs met.\n\u201cHow do we allow people to have something totally different?\u201d Yu said. \u201cI think we are still at the earliest stages of this, and shoppable recipes are just one piece of that puzzle.\u201d\nIn fact, nearly half of all U.S. consumers get at least some of the items they once got at the supermarket via eCommerce channels, but few rely exclusively on digital shopping. Research from PYMNTS\u2019 new study \u201cChanges in Grocery Shopping Habits and Perception,\u201d which draws from a December survey of more than 2,400 U.S. consumers, finds that 45% now shop for groceries online at least some of the time, but only 7% do so all the time.\nLooking ahead to next year, Yu predicts that artificial intelligence (AI) will be having a transformative effect on how consumers plan and prepare meals.\n\u201cTake image recognition,\u201d he said. \u201cGosh, I don\u2019t know what to do with these ingredients in my fridge. I just want to take a picture. Tell me what I can make. You know, what am I missing? OK, and send it to me. How long is it going to take? 30 minutes? OK. It\u2019s going to cost this much? Great. Decision done.\u201d\nThe post Shoppable Recipes Are Just the Start of eGrocery Connected Commerce appeared first on PYMNTS.com.", "date_published": "2023-03-29T11:58:12-04:00", "date_modified": "2023-03-29T11:58:12-04:00", "authors": [ { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" } ], "author": { "name": "PYMNTS", "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/author/pymnts/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/f05cc0fdcc9e387e4f3570c17158c503?s=512&d=blank&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.pymnts.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SideChef.jpg", "tags": [ "AI", "artificial intelligence", "digital transformation", "ecommerce", "grocery", "News", "Retail", "SideChef", "Technology", "Commerce Connected" ] } ] }