Payments
Visa Launches Visa Installments Pilots in the U.S.
Visa has announced it is launching an installment pilot in the United States. Commerce Bank is the first U.S. issuer to launch an installment pilot to select Visa cardholders.
“With Visa’s installment solutions, our focus is on enabling the enablers and accelerating the direction of our product,” Cetin Duransoy, Visa’s global head of installment solutions, said in an interview with Karen Webster in the above PYMNTS.com. “Given how much the demand for installments is increasing, we are also using the already existing parts of the credit system today to scale installment payments with every [Visa] card across the board.”
Your Next White Castle Slider Could Be Cooked by a Robot
According to an Engadget article, White Castle has announced an Indiana-based pilot program that might see robots flipping burgers and dunking fries.
“The industry is facing some real, fundamental challenges,” Buck Jordan, Miso Robotics CEO and Co-founder, told Engadget in the above article. “There's labor challenges due to self-sufficiency in kitchens, there's been a massive increase of delivery and now, of course, shifting consumer preferences towards low-touch establishments. These are all challenges that can be solved through automation.”
Amazon Is Rolling Out Grocery Carts that Let Shoppers Skip Checkout Lines, Bag Their Groceries and Walk Out
Amazon has announced it is launching shopping carts that track items as customers add them, and then automatically charges the customer as soon as they remove the grocery bags, which will let them skip the grocery line. Titled Dash Carts, they will launch in the brand’s new LA-area grocery store, slated to open this year.
“You need to be able to add that and keep track of all of that and it just increases the complexity,” Dilip Kumar, Amazon’s vice president of physical retail and technology, said in an interview in the above CNBC article. “Plus, the weighing component of it also has to be very robust to be able to allow for a very accurate receipt experience for a customer.”
Canada Goose CEO Says Experiential Store Offers A ‘Break from The Insanity of The World Today’
Canada Goose has announced that the retailer’s recently opened experiential store in Canada is “almost built for this environment.” The store has no inventory for shoppers to take home, and the brand wants customers to feel why the outerwear is worth the price tag and calls it “The Journey.”
“Naturally, it is socially distanced,” Chief Executive Dani Reiss told CNBC in a phone interview Friday afternoon, about the store, in the above CNBC article. “There are not a lot of people shopping at once. It is an experience in a controlled way.”
Coca-Cola Freestyle Now Allows Guests to Pour from a Smartphone
Coca-Cola has announced that it is launching a new option for its Coca-Cola Freestyle technology, and that is contactless, mobile pouring from a smartphone. Customers can choose and pour drinks without having to create an account or download an app.
“All Coca-Cola beverage dispensers are safe with recommended care and cleaning,” says Chris Hellmann, Coca-Cola Freestyle Vice President and General Manager, in the above QSR Magazine article. “But in these uncertain times, Coca-Cola is providing consumers a new option – a touchless fountain experience. It has been exciting to see our team continue to innovate – mostly from home – to meet the evolving needs of customers and consumers. Our partners are doing everything they can to maintain a safe and hygienic dining environment, and we’re doing all we can to provide options for their guests to continue to pour the beverages they want on a platform they love.”