PYMNTS

JANUARY 29, 2018

It’s time to talk more about what we’re really trying to accomplish for consumers — and for our businesses — and less about the tactics some are trying, with mixed success, to accomplish that. It’s seemingly all about tactics these days. The 2018 predictions seem more like a laundry list of trends and tactics that’ve emerged over the last several years than a discussion of the profound impact these trends have had on the consumer and business payments experience.

Start-ups 67

Start-ups Sales accountant Account 67

Katz,Sapper&Miller

FEBRUARY 2, 2018

In the most sweeping overhaul of the U.S. tax code in more than three decades, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 will have a profound impact on businesses and their owners.

Tax 40

Tax 40

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 2, 2018

Brick-and-mortar retailers have an opportunity to surprise and delight shoppers with digital, connected and omnichannel experiences in the physical store, but many are struggling to make that opportunity pay off. To be fair, reimagining an entire industry is no easy task. Trevor Sumner, CEO of PERCH , said that people aren’t seeing TV ads anymore, and active engagement between brands and their customers on Facebook is dwarfed by the number of shoppers who pass by a store display on any given da

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Education Retail Sales Start-ups 62

PYMNTS

JANUARY 31, 2018

In life, 40 percent of anything is a lot. In online banking, 40 percent abandonment is … intolerable. As many as four in 10 consumers have at some point in their journey into online banking found the process frustrating enough to give up, as estimated by Signicat. The survey from that identity assurance provider, conducted across 2,000 individuals, found that when it comes to applying for financial products at a financial institution (FI) — from checking accounts to credit cards — 40 percent of

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Start-ups Technology Government accountant 61

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

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PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 2, 2018

Whether their money is on the Pats or the Eagles, one thing is for sure: Football fans will be spending a lot of it this Sunday (Feb. 4), especially if they’re attending the Super Bowl in person. ATMs in and around U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis will see a spike in activity with the influx of consumers for the big game. That’s to be expected for financial services company Diebold Nixdorf , which partners with U.S.

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Gaming Start-ups Retail Maine 60

PYMNTS

JANUARY 31, 2018

In what was described by eBay as an effort to improve customer experience and offer sellers a more competitive cost structure, eBay announced news on Wednesday (Jan. 31) that it will intermediate payments through a multi-year implementation that may last through mid-2020. This move marks a significant change in how buyers and sellers will interact and transact across the company’s online marketplace — namely, by letting shoppers complete their purchases within eBay’s website.

E-commerce 59

E-commerce accountant Account accounted 59

PYMNTS

JANUARY 31, 2018

The import-export game is not an easy one to play, and sometimes logistics can be anything but logical — especially for smaller firms that go the traditional route. These groups use middlemen known as freight forwarders, acting as agents who work with service providers like trucking companies and customs agents. One company, Fleet , which originally launched as Shipstr in 2014, seeks to change the way logistics is done through an online marketplace.

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California Gaming Transportation Sales 56

PYMNTS

JANUARY 30, 2018

Modern consumers want it all: free shipping, live site support, product reviews, many types of payment acceptance and, especially, quick checkout times. If they don’t get what they want, they’re likely to walk — or, well, click — away. Last year, all those clicking consumers, frustrated by slow and complicated checkout procedures, took $200 billion in potential revenue with them.

Retail 56

Retail Sales 56

PYMNTS

JANUARY 31, 2018

Following a malware attack that allowed “unauthorized parties” to access customer credit card information, off-price retailer National Stores is seeking to prevent fraudulent activity and improve the security of its point-of-sale (POS) systems, the company said in an announcement. “We have been working closely with the FBI, cybersecurity experts and payment card brands to contain the incident and protect our customers’ payment cards,” National Stores Chief Executive Officer Michael Fallas said a

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Sales Retail accountant Account 55

PYMNTS

JANUARY 30, 2018

Volusion , the eCommerce platform catering to small businesses (SMBs), announced news on Tuesday (Jan. 30) that it’s partnering with Apple Pay to create a “Buy Now” button for its merchants. In a press release, Volusion said merchants can now accept Apple Pay , eliminating the need for customers to enter their payment, shipping or contact information every time they make a purchase online.

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E-commerce 54

Speaker: Abdi Ali, Sr. Lease Accounting Consultant

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Account

PYMNTS

JANUARY 29, 2018

Money that crosses borders usually has an arduous trek. Consider the fact that payment that originates in one country does so in the “home” currency but gets settled in another currency once received. Along the way, there are foreign exchange fees, documents to manage and sundry regulations to navigate. In short, there are a lot of speed bumps in place.

payroll 53

payroll Maine Technology 53

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

Money can’t buy happiness, but blockchain can buy fame, and that’s kind of the same thing, right? Okay, maybe not exactly, but the two are pretty close, depending on who you ask — say, for instance, content producers on platforms like YouTube. If blockchain could buy these creators a shot at wider recognition for their crafts, chances are that opportunity would make them pretty happy.

Gaming 52

Gaming Entertainment Start-ups accountant 52

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

The Plenti coalition loyalty rewards program has hit a bit of a rough patch, with several partners leaving the service and retailers opting out of accepting members’ earned points, Retail Dive reported Wednesday (Jan. 31). AT&T dropped out last fall, and Alamo, Direct Energy, Enterprise, Expedia, Hulu and Nationwide exited the partnership at the beginning of 2018.

Retail 51

Retail 51

PYMNTS

JANUARY 27, 2018

Lines to get into the store are a rare sight at any brick-and-mortar retailer these days, let alone a supermarket. That’s exactly what French supermarket chain Intermarche brought upon itself this week, however. The chain slashed prices on popular chocolate hazelnut spread Nutella and suffered Black Friday-like crowds and chaos as customers fought to stock up.

Retail 51

Retail Education Start-ups Sales 51

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financial statements

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 1, 2018

To reach more consumers and foster more eco-friendly operations, IKEA is testing out renting its furniture offerings in Japan, Curbed reported Wednesday (Jan. 31). The furniture rentals will be geared toward customers who might not be ready to purchase furniture, many items of which could cost hundreds of dollars. In addition, IKEA plans to make the initiative environmentally friendly by recycling furniture consumers might otherwise throw out.

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New York Retail 51

PYMNTS

JANUARY 31, 2018

Facing the shifting preferences of consumers, H&M has announced that 2018 will feature fewer brick-and-mortar store openings as it moves to adapt to increasingly digital shopping patterns. The move comes after years of rapid growth from the fast-fashion giant, which now finds itself struggling somewhat to integrate into the eCommerce landscape. Shares were down more than 33 percent over the last year, and H&M faced considerable criticism in the last few weeks following a reportedly racis

Retail 51

Retail Sales Technology E-commerce 51

PYMNTS

JANUARY 30, 2018

As Spanish fast-fashion retailer Zara renovates its flagship store in a London mall, it has come up with an innovative solution to sell to customers: opening a digitally enhanced pop-up store in the same building, industry news source Chain Store Age reported. The 2,150-square-foot location will feature both women’s and men’s clothing, but with a unique twist: All merchandise will only be available for online purchase.

Retail 51

Retail Technology 51

PYMNTS

JANUARY 29, 2018

Grocery shopping is clearly no longer confined to the aisles of the local Kroger or even a superstore like Target or Walmart. With services like AmazonFresh and Peapod, consumers can load up on kale, chicken — or whatever they need for their next meal — from their computers or smartphones. Online grocery sales are a booming business, with the eCommerce segment expected to make up 20 percent of all grocery sales by 2025.

Retail 50

Retail Manufacturing Sales E-commerce 50

Speaker: David Warren and Kevin O’Neill Stoll

Transitioning to a usage-based business model offers powerful growth opportunities but comes with unique challenges. How do you validate strategies, reduce risks, and ensure alignment with customer value? Join us for a deep dive into designing effective pilots that test the waters and drive success in usage-based revenue. Discover how to develop a pilot that captures real customer feedback, aligns internal teams with usage metrics, and rethinks sales incentives to prioritize lasting customer eng

Sales

PYMNTS

JANUARY 31, 2018

For years, throughout the volatility of cryptocurrency values, some industry experts have assured investors and innovators that blockchain is the disruptor in which the market should place its faith. Alas, there is no such thing as a sure bet, especially in the world of FinTech. And this week, experts have begun to voice their skepticism over distributed ledger technology’s (DLT) promise for a massive shakeup.

Gambling 49

Gambling New York accounting and finance Technology 49

PYMNTS

JANUARY 29, 2018

Following the theft of $530 million in NEM tokens from Coincheck last week, governments will likely call for more cryptocurrency regulation and investors may turn to peer-to-peer (P2P) methods of trading instead of centralized exchanges, Bloomberg reported. “The latest theft will have two immediate effects: more regulation by authorities over exchanges and more recognition of the advantages offered by decentralized ways of trading,” David Moskowitz, co-founder of Indorse Pte in Singapore.

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Government 49

PYMNTS

JANUARY 30, 2018

Amazon’s entry into a new market is rarely considered good news in the world of retail. Blue Apron was already having difficulty keeping investors calm. But when the eCommerce giant announced a rendezvous into the meal kit space in August of 2017, the recently public meal kit delivery startup began a (now many months-long battle) to get its stock price back above $3.

Texas 49

Texas Retail Tax 49

PYMNTS

JANUARY 29, 2018

With a faster pace of adoption than previously expected, the majority of U.S. grocery shoppers may purchase at least some of their groceries online within five to seven years, according to a Food Marketing Institute and Nielsen report, CNBC reported. “There is a fundamental shift in retail, and we are seeing an acceleration,” said Thom Blischok, global retail strategic advisor to Nielsen.

Retail 49

Retail Sales 49

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PYMNTS

JANUARY 30, 2018

Eyeing weak demand, tech giant Apple has cut production for its iPhone X planned for the current quarter. The Wall Street Journal reported news on Tuesday (Jan. 30) that production cuts mean that the firm will make 20 million iPhone X devices in the period, half of what had been planned. The financial publication quoted unnamed people “familiar with the matter” and added that component orders had been slashed by 60 percent.

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Manufacturing Sports Technology Sales 49

PYMNTS

JANUARY 29, 2018

Earlier this month, Saks Fifth Avenue President Marc Metrick told CNBC that the luxury retailer didn’t need fancy artificial intelligence (AI) to help it succeed in the industry, despite the tectonic shift thrusting every other retailer into reliance on such technologies. “When you think about the online versus the offline experience, we don’t need AI in our stores.

Retail 49

Retail Technology Sales Start-ups 49

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 2, 2018

Though this earnings run so far has been marked by many firms incurring the wrath of Wall Street — even in the face of putting impressive numbers on the board — Amazon didn’t face that same fate for the ending quarter of 2017. “Our 2017 projections for Alexa were very optimistic, and we far exceeded them. We don’t see positive surprises of this magnitude very often — expect us to double down,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO.

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Manufacturing Sales Tax Government 49

PYMNTS

JANUARY 31, 2018

In one of the bigger back-and-forth stories in digital currency, South Korea has announced that it is definitely for real this time sure that it does not plan to ban crypto-currency exchanges. That news comes care of the government’s finance minister and came as welcome news for crypto investors nationwide. Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon’s comments may put to rest worries sparked worldwide over South Korea’s stance on digital currency — after government officials in various departments beg

accounting and finance 48

accounting and finance Maine Government Finance 48

Speaker: Mark Stovel

When it comes to automating, many firms focus on finding the latest tech, believing that efficiency is something achieved through new tools. Yet true efficiency is achieved by delivering real value to clients, not merely by upgraded systems. Without a clear approach, no level of automation can overcome the complexities of serving every client’s needs.

PYMNTS

JANUARY 30, 2018

Fashion rental subscription service Le Tote announced today (Jan. 30) its entry into the highly competitive Chinese market, making it the first U.S. subscription service to enter that market. Le Tote China is reportedly in beta, according to a press release , and will open to the public in the spring. Rakesh Tondon, Le Tote CEO and co-founder, explained that regulatory restrictions are strict in the region, making such expansions difficult.

Retail 48

Retail 48

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 2, 2018

Of all of the scams targeting corporates, another one is landing on their radar. In an article penned for JD Supra by law firm Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C., experts warned of a type of payroll scam that sees fraudsters diverting direct deposits from employee accounts to criminal accounts. According to the firm, fraudsters use a phishing scam by sending an email from an address similar to a legitimate company account.

payroll 48

payroll accountant Account accounted 48

PYMNTS

JANUARY 29, 2018

Headlines swirl around the price of bitcoin and its cryptocurrency cousins, around psychological barriers tied to $10,000 thresholds, around raids on suspect operators, around tax rates in South Korea and hacks of crypto exchanges. Beyond the excitement and excitability of the trading lie, perhaps, are real-world business use cases, based largely on the distributed ledger technology across which transactions are recorded.

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Technology fund accounting Tax accountant 48

PYMNTS

FEBRUARY 2, 2018

It’s time to retire the perception that consumers at the older end of the spectrum (65 and up) can’t or don’t shop online. They may not be digital natives, yet that hasn’t stopped them from figuring out some of the ins and outs (even if they are more likely to fall for tricks and scams ). Alibaba is leading the movement for elder-friendly eCommerce.

E-commerce 47

E-commerce accountant Account accounted 47

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