Black Friday is the traditional start of the holiday retail season, and this year, 151 million consumers got in their shopping groove, mostly online. All income groups spent at least 25 percent more than last year and millennials were the biggest spenders, according to a PYMNTS study of more than 2,000 U.S. consumers. Here’s what we learned about what they bought, where they shopped and how they paid.  Read More...

Dogs need TLC and meals, but, as Chippin Co-founder Haley Russell sees it, the pet food industry traditionally has a massive ecological footprint. Her brand aims to make food for man’s best friend more sustainable and nutritious. Russell tells PYMNTS the inspiration behind the brand — and how it is reimagining pet food with crickets.  Read More...

The Future Of Retail With Voice-Activated Tech

Voice-assisted and voice-activated devices are increasingly populating the homes of consumers and becoming much better at reading emotions. What will Amazon’s new Alexa capabilities mean for users, and how does this advancement reflect similar endeavors from other parts of the digital landscape?  Read More...