Amazon usually has a lot going on, but this week has been particularly interesting – not for the volume of things rolled out, but for the variety. Amazon's dipping a toe into pre-fab housing — and working to build a totally new kind of 4-Star retail experience. Time will tell if either take off, but the thinking is surely out of the box.  Read More...

Amazon has opened its Amazon 4-Star Store in New York City, which offers a selection of items informed by customer ratings on its eCommerce website. At the same time, Arby’s owner Inspire Brands said it would acquire Sonic for $2.3 billion, and Home Depot is stepping up its same-day delivery efforts. How could Amazon’s new store encourage customers to sign up for Prime, and what benefits does Inspire see in its acquisition of Sonic? Read this week’s Retail Pulse to find out. Read More...

They say hunger is the best ingredient — and while that is undoubtedly the case, we can’t help but note that these days, payments and payments technology deserve credit for injecting deliciousness at unexpected points. That food might be prepared or come fresh from a grocer’s shelf, but by tapping into emerging power in global payments, it is coming to consumers faster, more customized and maybe even safer than it ever has. Read More...