Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0145 Google Shopping, Payments, Starbucks and Apple

This all ties together.  Really it does.

The best reading today is probably this story about the efforts by Google to close the loop on shopping:

http://recode.net/2014/07/06/inside-googles-big-plan-to-race-amazon-to-your-door/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

Google is the undisputed king of search in all but one lucrative and vital category: Product searches.

Over the past decade, Amazon has transformed itself from a seller of books online to the place Americans turn to when they want to search and buy just about anything — from diapers to flat-screen TVs. In some cities, Amazon has started delivering fresh groceries. With each product search that starts on Amazon instead of Google, the search giant’s main business of selling ads alongside search results weakens.


That is only the start, however, as mobile payments is a critical piece to the shopping puzzle and several stories contribute to that discussion.  Will Apple actually add NFC to the iPhone 6 and enter in to an agreement with Visa (no and yes)?

http://www.pymnts.com/news/2014/more-rumors-about-apple-and-nfc-this-time-with-visa/#.U-DYReNdX9Y

Another story in the same vein though it digs at Google Wallet's failures:

http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2014/08/04/apple-visa-to-accelerate-e-payments-where-google-failed-says-pac-crest/

Starbuck's app is in the news again with its successful mobile wallet:

http://www.paymentssource.com/news/interchange/starbucks-mobile-success-provides-lessons-for-food-services-3018727-1.html

Finally a piece that states Google will not create a bank, 'Google Bank', rather it will create the services for shopping that comprise everything except the need for a bank:

http://www.finextra.com/news/fullstory.aspx?newsitemid=26310&topic=innovation

Google.  Shopping.  In-store experience.  Mobile Payments.  It all ties together.  Exciting times in retail.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

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