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Report: 53 percent of customers abandon purchases when there’s payment friction (BETAKIT)
43 percent of Canadians said they are interested in invisible or non-checkout payments in store.
DMS Recommends: Microsoft Presents: Digitizing Retail, a Technology Checklist(DIGITALMAINSTREET)
If you run a retail business—like a storefront or shop—this guest post from Microsoft is for you! It identifies some of the activities and technologies that can digitally transform your business to help improve sales, margins, marketing, and more.
Amazon launches grocery pickup at select Whole Foods (TECHCRUNCH)
Customers will be able to place their orders using Amazon’s Prime Now app or on the web via PrimeNow.com, then pick up in as little as 30 minutes.
SoftBank to invest in Alibaba’s new delivery and services unit (THE STAR)
SoftBank Group Corp. is in talks to participate in fundraising of at least $3 billion for a new Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. unit that would provide food delivery and local services, according to people familiar with the situation.
Car rental startup Zoomcar raises $3.6M debt funding from Trifecta (DEALSTREETASIA)
Zoomcar said it will use the proceeds for accelerating its marketplace supply growth, improving its lead within applied IoT technologies, and expanding into additional mobility categories.
Event ticketing platform Picatic acquired by Eventbrite (BETAKIT)
Picatic’s co-founder and CEO Jayesh Parmar will join Eventbrite and continue to lead the Picatic team in Vancouver.
Unmade raises $4 million to help fashion brands make customizable clothes and cut waste (VENTUREBEAT)
The funding was led by Felix Capital, with participation from Connect Ventures, LocalGlobe, Carmen Busquets, Backed VC, and C4 Ventures.
Casper, a web pioneer, to open 200 stores (WSJ)
The mattress seller sees retail shops as a way to stand out from mounting competition for online shoppers.
Walmart co-leads $500M investment in Chinese online grocery service Dada-JD Daojia (TECHCRUNCH)
JD.com said the deal is part of its ‘Borderless Retail’ strategy, which includes staff-less stores and retail outlets that mix e-commerce with physical sales.
Wayfair unleashes mixed-reality shopping (RETAILDIVE)
Wayfair said the new way of viewing products outside of the store environment “breaks the boundaries of traditional eCommerce” as it allows shoppers to pull their chosen items via holographic technology into a physical space.
LetGo, the 2nd-hand shopping app, raises another $500M at over a $1.5B valuation (TECHCRUNCH)
LetGo plans to use the funding, which comes from Naspers, to double down on growth, both in its core second-hand goods sales as well as in newer areas such as the housing listings.
