Sephora U.S. has announced its first-ever “Delivered to Beauty” activation, in partnership with Lyft Media. From July 7-10, the beauty retailer is offering Lyft ride credits (up to $20 off) to shoppers in New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Seattle, enabling the shoppers to be “delivered” to a participating Sephora location. Once they arrival in the store, shoppers can receive guidance from Sephora’s beauty advisors, along with a personalized “skin scan,” exclusive product sampling and $10 off any order (over $50) at checkout. The activation is part of Sephora’s new “Get Beauty from People Who Get Beauty” campaign, which aims to showcase the value of “trusted and personalized expertise provided by Sephora.” As part of the activation, which was developed in partnership with Lyft Media, select vehicles will be custom wrapped with Sephora branding, transforming the journey into an extension of the beauty experience itself, the company said. “At Lyft, we want to connect people with the places they love, and our partnership with Sephora really leans into that,” said Suzie Reider, executive VP of Lyft Media and Business. “It’s a natural collaboration: a rider steps out of their Lyft, transported by a driver who knows their way around their communities, and enters Sephora’s best-in-class shopping experience that offers expert guidance, too.”
Wegmans is testing Instacart smart carts that automatically recognize items as they are placed in the cart and track spending, provide product recommendations and access to deals based on customer’s location in the store to offer seamless in-store CX
Wegmans Food Markets is testing Instacart Caper Cart smart carts at a store in Syracuse, N.Y. This marks the first deployment of Caper Carts at Wegmans, as part of an initial in-store program offering customers a smarter, more seamless way to shop in-store. Part of the Instacart Connected Stores platform, Caper Carts are equipped with cameras, a built-in scale, and location sensors connected to Nvidia Jetson hardware which work together with an edge AI system to automatically recognize items as they are placed in the cart. Once products are added, customers can watch their running cost total, similar to an online shopping cart. Caper Carts also feature an interactive screen that tracks spending, provides access to deals, and offers product recommendations based on the customer’s location in the store and the carts’ contents. Wegmans customers can log in to their Shoppers Club loyalty account on the cart’s screen to shop with a Caper Cart. When finished, customers can check out directly from the cart. “Caper Carts are transforming everyday grocery shopping into a faster, more personalized experience,” said David McIntosh, chief connected stores officer at Instacart.
CharmKey’s AI keyboard app lets users select from built-in tone presets to instantly rewrite any message for the right context and offers expertly crafted chat templates for high-pressure moments, rooted in psychology and social dynamics
Startup CharmKey, a smart AI keyboard app, is redefining how people communicate—by helping them say exactly the right thing at exactly the right time. CharmKey isn’t just another keyboard—it’s a social communication assistant. In the age of digital relationships and remote work, messaging is your first impression. Misreading tone or replying too late can cost opportunities or lead to misunderstandings. CharmKey bridges that gap, making sure users feel confident, understood, and in control—without overthinking every word. Key Features: Instant Tone Switching: Users can select from built-in tone presets—like Polite, Professional, Chill, or Flirty,—to instantly rewrite any message for the right context. One text can now fit multiple situations with one tap. AI Reply Generator: Stuck on how to respond? CharmKey drafts natural, thoughtful replies instantly. Whether it’s romantic, friendly, or business, users can skip the stress of writing and sound confident every time. Emotion Analysis from Screenshots: CharmKey lets users upload screenshots of conversations to decode hidden emotions, red flags, or signals of romantic interest—helping them decide what to say next and avoid awkward missteps. Plug-and-Play Chat Templates: From breaking the ice to confessing feelings, CharmKey offers expertly crafted chat templates for high-pressure moments—rooted in psychology and social dynamics. Create Your Own Tone: Advanced users can customize or build their own tone presets, giving full control over how they sound in different conversations—whether it’s charming, assertive, or playfully mysterious.
Whatsapp rolls out voice calling feature for large businesses; to explore AI-powered product recommendations on merchant sites
Whatsapp is introducing the ability for large businesses to reach customers through voice calls, which will allow the app to explore the use of AI-powered voice agents. The company is also looking into using AI to recommend products to users. While the company doesn’t charge for its AI features at the moment, there is a possibility that it could put a price tag on that after it achieves scale. Today, small business accounts can already chat with customers over voice on WhatsApp, but larger business accounts haven’t yet had the ability. In the next few weeks, larger businesses will be able to access this feature via the API. This will allow customers to place voice calls to businesses and allow businesses to call back customers. WhatsApp said it will soon add a way for customers to send and receive voice messages from businesses, too. By enabling voice pipelines, companies could set up an AI-enabled voice agent through a startup like Vapi, ElevenLabs, Coval, or Phonic to run their customer service over WhatsApp. In addition, an AI-powered chat-based customer support and outreach feature that began testing last year is now being expanded to more merchants in Mexico. In addition, WhatsApp is looking to AI to power product recommendations on a merchant’s site.
Chuck E. Cheese’s spin-off arcade concept for adults combines a rotating mix of retro classics with the hottest new titles, features retro-themed merchandise and is overseen by an animatronic character to create a “a nostalgic nod” to the company’s history
Chuck E. Cheese has launched Chuck’s Arcade, which combines a rotating mix of retro classics with the hottest new titles, including state-of-the-art racing simulators and immersive virtual reality hits. Included in the curated collection of retro legends are such offerings as Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong and Centipede. Select arcade locations also feature retro-themed merchandise. The assortment includes classic logo apparel, collectible toys, novelty candy and prize redemption items. Each Chuck’s Arcade is overseen by an animatronic character such as Chuck E. Cheese or one of the other familiar figures from the brand’s past. The characters, however, do not perform as they do at Chuck R. Cheese locations. Instead, they stand watch in what is described as “a nostalgic nod” to the company’s history. No two Chuck’s Arcade locations are exactly alike, the company said. Instead, each offers a unique environment. The arcade was created for adults and lifelong fans who grew up “surrounded by the electric glow of arcade screens, the symphony of digital soundtracks and the thrill of chasing high scores with friends long into the night.”
Falkon SMS’s integration with Hubspot allows sales and marketing teams to send and receive text messages directly from within their CRM accounts and manage conversations in real time through seamless and instant synching of contacts
Falkon SMS, has officially launched its HubSpot SMS integration, allowing sales, marketing, and support teams to send and receive text messages directly from within their HubSpot CRM accounts. The new integration offers seamless contact sync, message automation, and more—designed to accelerate customer engagement and streamline operations. This integration empowers teams to communicate faster, stay organized, and manage conversations in real time without switching tabs or juggling external SMS tools. Key Features of Falkon SMS for HubSpot: Instant Contact Sync HubSpot contacts automatically sync to Falkon SMS—no manual imports, ever; Send & Receive Texts in HubSpot; Chat with leads and customers directly within your CRM timeline; Scheduled Texting Plan texts ahead of time—ideal for appointment reminders, campaign launches, or follow-ups; Group Messaging & Broadcasts: Start group chats for collaboration or send mass updates with ease; Automated Replies & Keyword Triggers; Set up smart auto-responses to handle common queries efficiently; Analytics & Performance Insights: Track message delivery, engagement, and campaign success in one place.
84% of consumers now trust in the quality of private labels more or the same as national brands and 47% saying they’ve tried a private label product specifically because it was a dupe of a name-brand item
First Insight study reveals that 71% of consumers surveyed believed they could recognize a private label when making a purchase, yet 72% were unable to do so when shown side-by-side images of store brand and national brand products. 84% of consumers now trust in the quality of store-brand products more or the same as national brands, while 52% say they’ve been influenced to try a store-brand product by in-store promotions, packaging, displays or marketing materials. Among the findings: The stigma once associated with private labels have largely disappeared. Seventy-seven (77%) of consumers aren’t concerned with how they’re perceived for purchasing private label products. Today’s shoppers love finding “the dupe.” Smart imitation has become a badge of savvy shopping, with 47% of consumers saying they’ve tried a private label product specifically because it was a dupe of a name-brand item. 44% of consumers—and 70% of those earning more than $150k per year—saying they’re more likely to try a private label if it’s marketed as a dupe of a high-end product. Consumers are willing to break from their normal brands to try new products. While 48% of consumers still identify as brand loyal, more than half say they’re either brand curious (32%) or motivated by price and savings (20%). Brand loyalty is no longer a guarantee. Consumers today no longer worship national brands; they chase value, quality and availability. 71% consumers say they would be willing to try a private label if their preferred national brand was out of stock. And once a consumer makes the switch and feels satisfied, they rarely go back, with 45% saying they’ve permanently switched from a national brand to a private label when the product met or exceeded expectations. The perception of store brands varies by income level. While the stigma around private label is fading overall, more affluent shoppers still feel image-conscious. 44% of consumers making $150k+ per year say they’re concerned about how they’re perceived when buying private label products. This is a significant increase compared to 27% of those earning $51K–$149K and 17% of those earning $50K or less. Essentials are the entry points for private label trial. Grocery (56%), household cleaning supplies (38%), clothing and apparel (34%), and personal care and beauty (33%) are the most commonly purchased private label categories. Private label is driving brand advocacy—and store traffic: 66% of consumers say they recommend private label products to friends and family, and 34% say they’re more likely to shop at a retailer specifically because of its private label offerings.
Splitit expanding its orchestration service to let processors participate in the transaction while giving them issuer channels through which to make direct offers to the consumer and also adding digital wallets to the mix
Splitit’s approach in the service economy is to construct an orchestration layer that lets customers pay for purchases over time using cards. “We’re expanding our service offering with more capabilities via the processor and the issuer based on the demand by these various players,” John Beisner, head of client success at Splitit, said. Among the near-term initiatives lies the ability to let processors participate in the transaction and give the issuer channels through which to make direct offers to the consumer amid a merchant interaction. As to the changing dynamics in the competitive arena of installment payments, Beisner said, “you’ve got the typical buy now, pay laters. You also have bank financing offers and other FinTechs involved in making financing offers to consumers.” “We think that by orchestrating that, bringing it into a single experience… we’re doing that at a level where it’s not just eCommerce, but it’s also for in-store transaction,” he said. “So, we’re trying to bring all of that together and provide a very focused capability to enhance the consumer experience. We’re also making sure that we maintain the relationship between the merchant and the consumers.” Consumers, in turn, discover that they can manage their funding more adroitly and find the spending power to “upgrade” their purchases to bigger-ticket choices as they don’t have to take out new loans to do so, he said. “We’re spending time getting out front of the transactions so that the consumer understands that they have options and that these are not loan-based options,” Beisner said. The checkout experience remains the same, as consumers enter their card details (or if they are already registered with a merchant, one-click checkout is an option). Splitit is also adding digital wallets to the mix, including Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, he said, “where the merchant does not even need to be signed up, where the customer can walk in with their wallet into any storefront and make a purchase — and then decide how they want to split those payments up,” he said. Splitit will also be rolling out a service where the merchant and the consumer share in the cost — “and we’ll still be using the ‘open to pay’ on a card to make that decision,” rather than a new loan, he said.
LendingClub is buying AI-powered spending intelligence platform Cushion that ingests users’ bank transactions and purchase data to help them track their bills, make on-time payments, manage subscriptions, build credit, and monitor BNPL loans
LendingClub announced the acquisition of intellectual property and select talent behind Cushion, an AI-powered spending intelligence platform, providing a natural complement to LendingClub’s suite of mobile financial products and experiences. Cushion’s AI-powered technology ingests users’ bank transactions and purchase information to help them track their bills, make on-time payments, manage subscriptions, build credit, and monitor BNPL loans. Scott Sanborn, CEO of LendingClub said, “Cushion’s technology complements our DebtIQ experience to provide our members with the tools and information they need to take control of their debt and spending. With credit card balances and interest rates at historic highs and consumers seeking ways to keep more of what they earn, the need for our solution has never been greater.” Adopting Cushion’s technology will eventually allow LendingClub to provide much-needed visibility into a consumer’s financial obligations beyond traditional credit monitoring. It builds on LendingClub’s acquisition of Tally in Q4 2024, which will simplify credit card management, help users optimize payments, reduce interest, and improve credit health.
NielsenIQ report shows 59% of U.S. consumers open to buying more private label products if a larger variety were available while 72% think private labels are good alternatives to name-brand products
New data from NielsenIQ reveals that consumers are open to increasing their spending on store brand products if more items were available. In NIQ’s report, 59% of U.S. consumers say they would buy more private label products if a larger variety were available. The report also found that 72% of consumers said private labels are good alternatives to name-brand products, with 75% saying store brands are a good value for the money. At retail, consumers said they are most likely to purchase private label products at supermarket/grocery stores, dollar stores, discount retailers, and pharmacy/drug stores. Additionally, 59% of consumers said they trust store brands since they are endorsed by the retailer. That level of trust is consistent across four key demographic groups, with 58% of Baby Boomers, 55% of Gen X, 63% of Millennials, and 62% of Gen Z saying they trust private label brands. With annual sales of private label products up 4.1%, according to NIQ, nearly half of consumers (49%) said they’re likely buying more private label products than ever. The rate of sales growth for private label is outpacing the Top 100+ national brands (+2.4% annual sales growth), the Top 11-100 national brands (+2.3%), and the Top 10 national brands (+1.7%). The Nielsen report also highlighted the price differences between private label and national brands across several key categories. As a whole, branded products on average are sold at prices that are 19% higher than store brands.