Connected Economy

Connected Economy
Consumers Want Deals More Than Experiences This Christmas
December 09, 2022

Personalized experiences have slipped below bargains on holiday shoppers’ lists this season. This shift represents a sharp reversal in customer preference amid record-high inflation that has impacted the rising cost of living. As recently as May, over 65% of shoppers were willing to pay premium...

Connected Economy
Car IQ and Verra Mobility Partner on Toll Payment Suite 
December 06, 2022

Car IQ has partnered with Verra Mobility to provide its fleet customers with a complete toll payment suite.  By partnering with Verra Mobility, which provides toll management and smart mobility technology solutions, Car IQ will expand beyond fuel and parking payments, Car IQ said in a Tuesday (Dec....

Connected Economy
More Brands Following Tech and Automakers into Connected Cars
December 06, 2022

As consumers seek frictionless payments, businesses are looking to connect with captive in-car customers. Most recently, energy giant Chevron was reported to have created an app for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto whereby those with mobile accounts can pay for their fuel purchases inside their vehicles and earn rewards....

Connected Economy
Being a Super App and Declaring Intentions Are Very Different
December 06, 2022

Microsoft is reportedly looking to enter the race to become America’s new super app provider. While the software giant’s intentions — as well as those of other tech companies such as Twitter that have made similar gestures — are understandable given the size of the...

Connected Economy
CE 100 Gains 3.1% as Tencent Leads Payment Names Higher
December 05, 2022

Connected economy names surged as investors cheered signs of resilient consumer spending. To that end, the CE 100 Index outpaced the broader markets, gaining 3.1% on the week. The Fed played some part here, too, as comments from Chairman Jerome Powell signaled that future rate...

Connected Economy
Grocery Habits Reveal Wider Online Gender Divide
November 30, 2022

Everyone needs groceries, but a massive divide exists in how women and men buy theirs. Men use the internet to place grocery and restaurant orders more often than women, showing a particular taste for same-day delivery apps like Instacart. Many women, on the other hand,...

Connected Economy
Elon Musk Super Far From Goal of Twitter Super App
November 29, 2022

The idea of creating a super app is hardly new, and won’t be easy for Twitter. “Buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X, the everything app” Musk tweeted on Oct. 4, just a few weeks before his deal to purchase the social media platform...

Connected Economy
Porch and Disney Rallies Lead CE 100 Index 0.8% Higher
November 28, 2022

Short week. Slight gains. But gains nonetheless. The CE 100 Index was 0.8% higher through a trading week cut short by the Thanksgiving holiday. The Live pillar was the best-performing pillar, up 4.6% on the week. Porch was the standout here, gathering 25% on the...

Connected Economy
What the Taylor Swift Ticket Crash Says About Life in a Digital World
November 23, 2022

The pandemic-fueled rise of online shopping and its hyper adoption across all commerce categories has made “adapt or die” the calling card for emergent card payment solutions everywhere. At the same time, it has become imperative for merchants to evolve their transaction-focused fundamentals from the...