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Holiday Retail Sales To Hit Highest Since 2005

PYMNTS

Procrastinators and internet shoppers saved the day this holiday season, transforming what was a slow start into the best holiday season for retailers in years. That would represent the largest growth since 2005 when sales increased 6.1 Customer Growth Partners now expects holiday sales growth to come in at 4.9 percent, up from 4.1

Retail 116
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Reliance Industries Weighs Purchases Of Retailer, Delivery Companies

PYMNTS

India’s Reliance Industries is in talks to buy online furniture retailer Urban Ladder in a transaction valued at as much as $30 million, the Times of India reported on Monday (Aug. And in May, Reliance launched an online grocery service called Jiomart in India. Reliance is among the largest companies in India.

Industry 199
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Klarna Debuts Social Shopping In The UK

PYMNTS

Despite the shifting retail landscape, consumers are still looking for inspiration, convenience and value — and it’s become obvious that shopping online now goes far beyond just a transaction,” said CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski in a statement. Founded in 2005, Klarna said it now has a valuation of $5.5

Samsung 189
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Walmart Speeds Deliveries By Fulfilling Orders At Local Stores

PYMNTS

In an effort to reduce delivery times, Walmart announced that it will start fulfilling some of its online orders directly from individual stores. The new program gives customers fast service by enabling the retail giant to leverage all of its existing resources, while also using less packaging and fewer boxes.

Retail 141
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NEW REPORT: Merchants Up Their Digital Checkout Game In The Age Of Amazon

PYMNTS

Consumer spending hit a record $880 billion in Q4 2019, thanks to online sales making up 15 percent of total expenditure — higher than ever recorded — and smooth eCommerce checkouts. PYMNTS has been studying the online checkout feature offerings of leading retailers in its Checkout Conversion Index series since 2015.

Report 155
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Retail Pulse: Brookstone Files For Bankruptcy; Kroger Launches New Delivery Service

PYMNTS

Brookstone , a specialty retailer known for massage chairs and gadgets, used to be a must-see mall retailer. malls, Brookstone is now the latest major brick-and-mortar retailer to announce that it has filed for bankruptcy protection. Both have operations online under new owners, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Retail 100
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Klarna’s Value Hits $10B With Latest Investment Round

PYMNTS

Swedish FinTech Klarna is aiming to raise $500 million as it looks to fuel the expansion of its growing digital payments and online shopping business in the U.S. Founded in 2005, Klarna has previously stated that the U.S. market, a new report states. The Stockholm-based company is currently in talks with investors.

Fintech 141