Amazon

The rise of online and mobile commerce is forcing merchants to rapidly re-engineer their checkout options, while keeping an eye on emerging models that leverage artificial intelligence to streamline shopping — or bypass the store checkout process altogether, like Amazon Go.

AiFi uses artificial intelligence, sensors and cameras to outfit stores with a checkout-free system that can deploy without regard to the differences in store sizes.

There are practical lessons from Amazon's service model that can be applied elsewhere, writes Derek Corcoran, chief experience officer at Avoka.

Hot on the heels of the January debut of the first Amazon Go store in Seattle, the e-tailer is reportedly planning to open six more stores over the course of 2018. It's a surprising show of confidence from Amazon.

Amazon Go has swung far to the side of self-service as the company has maximized on technology and eliminated the value of face-to-face interactions. This is not be a recipe for success for every retailer, writes Jon Croy, co-founder and CMO of Point Inside.

The internet giant, SunTrust, Ally and other backers have invested $16 million in a new funding round for Greenlight Financial Technology, further blurring the lines between banks and tech companies.

Amazon will need to synchronize information collected across weight sensors, GPS, payments systems and surveillance to ensure critical data efficiently flows between the necessary systems with minimal latency, writes Keith McAuliffe, general manager for the financial services sector at Solace.

Grocery has been in Amazon’s sites for years. It’s very appealing because shopping volume and frequency is high, but the margins are low, and the logistics are difficult because of spoilage, writes Tom Caporaso, CEO of Clarus Commerce.

Companies like Amazon are increasing customer expectation, and traditional issuers could lose out if they don't respond, according to FIS' Sona Jepsen.

As owner of Whole Foods Market, Amazon is bringing one of its key strengths — swift product delivery — to its retail grocery store business.

Employers have to find a way to keep associates productive and satisfied while this transition in payments experience is underway, writes Mike Zorn, vice president of Workplace Strategy at WorkJam.

Retailers used to be able to hold onto their physical presence as a differentiator against Amazon. In the past year, Amazon has taken even that advantage away.

That’s because transaction-based loyalty programs that focus on discounting simply train customers to wait for coupons and incentives, writes Tom Caporaso, CEO of Clarus Commerce.

JPM, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway are creating their own company; Sarah Dahlgren was formerly head of supervision at the New York Fed.

JPMorgan Chase and Amazon have demonstrated substantial power to digitize their industries, even influencing the strategy of others. But automating and streamlining health care will be a particularly tough task.

The companies said they plan to set up an independent firm “that is free from profit-making incentives and constraints” to offer health care to their employees.

After a year of teething trouble at the Amazon Go cashierless concept store in Seattle, the e-tailer has finally opened its doors to the public. But no amount of Jetsons-esque technology can prepare the company for a stampede of consumers accustomed to Flintstones-era retail.

The idea that all of the money in cryptocurrencies has already been made misses the point. Innovative and sustainable ideas will emerge from the market frenzy, writes Dentacoin's Mariam Nishanian.

Providing the default card in digital subscription services is one way banks can win back bill-pay business, save customers time and help them manage their data.

Bankers could see higher costs as cloud computing vendors struggle to protect their systems from the latest hacking vulnerabilities.