News

Loyalty & Rewards
Shoppers Want Grocery Store Loyalty Programs the Most
December 04, 2023

Merchants and brands can foster the use of their store and co-branded credit cards by offering consumers rewards programs, special benefits and card-linked offers. Consumers are most interested in receiving personalized card-linked offers from grocery stores, at 44%, followed by clothing and apparel retailers, at...

Retail
Should Brands and Retailers Go All-In With High Spenders? 
December 04, 2023

As the global economy navigates the twists and turns of inflation, brands and retailers are at a checkout counter of decisions: which aisle to stroll down with their marketing efforts.   While the tempting option may be to tailor their strategy toward affluent consumers, who seem...

Financial Inclusion
How AWS and PayShap Increased Financial Inclusion in South Africa
December 04, 2023

Nilesh Dusane, global head of institutional payments at AWS, and Ben Janse van Rensburg, interim CIO at BankservAfrica, told PYMNTS that instant payments will do much to transform South Africa’s financial services landscape.  Janse van Rensburg noted that BankservAfrica, operating as an automated clearing house,...

Retail
Shein’s IPO: Unpacking Everything You Need to Know 
December 04, 2023

Shein has applied to go public in the United States. If it succeeds, this could make Shein one of the biggest initial public offerings (IPOs) in recent years. But that’s all we know for now. Or is it?  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allows...

Retail
Consumers on Weight Loss Drugs Expected to Spend Double on New Clothes After Losses
December 03, 2023

The rising popularity of certain weight loss drugs might end up helping apparel makers. That’s according to a recent survey by investment banking firm Stifel, the subject of a Saturday (Dec. 2) report from Seeking Alpha.  That survey found that 15% of respondents are on GLP-1 medications...

Retail
Christmas Tree Costs Soar, Yet Consumers Still Pine for Authenticity 
December 02, 2023

As the festive season sleighs in and inflation plays Scrooge, one can’t help but wonder: Are folks still decorating their homes with real Christmas trees?  As per the Real Christmas Tree Board, findings from a survey covering 55 Christmas tree wholesalers indicate that nearly all of...

Artificial Intelligence
Report: OpenAI Says It Will Delay GPT App Store Launch to Early 2024
December 01, 2023

OpenAI has reportedly delayed the opening of its custom GPT store.  The store was announced in November and was to launch later that month, but it has now been delayed until early 2024, Reuters reported Friday (Dec. 1), citing an internal memo it had seen.  OpenAI did not...

Retail
Retailers Raise Annual Forecasts After Strong Black Friday Sales
December 01, 2023

Retailers are reportedly expressing optimism for the holiday season sales following stronger-than-expected figures during Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  The heavy discounts offered during these peak shopping days attracted budget-strained customers, leading to record-breaking online sales and surpassing estimates, Reuters reported Friday (Dec. 1).  This positive start...

Artificial Intelligence
Gen Z Interested in AI-Enabled Banking Experiences Despite Privacy Concerns
December 01, 2023

Despite differences across gender, generations and income levels, artificial intelligence-powered experiences are becoming popular with consumers, and an increasing number of individuals now use AI technologies in their everyday routines. “AI-Enabled Payments Enhance Customer Options,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and ACI Worldwide collaboration, drew on insights...