1. Klarna boss Sebastian Siemiatkowski slams media coverage of FinTech giant
Sebastian Siemiatkowski, Co-founder and CEO at buy now pay later big hitter, Klarna, has taken to Twitter to lambast the media for its coverage of his company.
In a post, he said: “Fascinating learning in my life is the full disconnect between media’s”truth” about Klarna vs actual state of Klarna.”
“Perception vs reality, sometimes benefit or not. Established incorrect “truths” impossible to correct. And tweeting some reason into it=screaming into a storm.”
Siemiatkowski didn’t reveal who exactly upset him and what they said, but, dare we suggest, it’s possibly to do with Klarna posting and operating loss of 6.17billion Swedish crowns (£497 million) for the first half of 2022, compared to 1.76billion crowns in the same period last year.
The FinTech blamed this on rapid international expansion, higher credit losses in new markets, and rising staff costs.
Fascinating learning in my life is the full disconnect between
media's"truth" about Klarna
vs
actual state of Klarna
Perception vs reality, sometimes benefit or not
Established incorrect"truths" impossible to correct
And tweeting some reason into it=screaming into a storm😂
2. Boots preps Mirakl powered online marketplace
UK health and beauty retailer, Boots, is set to launch a new online marketplace, with the aim of welcoming third-party brands into its digital offering.
Due to launch in spring 2023, Boots Marketplace is part of the retailer’s digital strategy to rapidly extend the range of its website and explore new and diverse categories for its customers.
Marketplace products will be integrated with the existing product range on boots.com, offering customers access to hundreds of new brands across established names and new sellers.
Powered by Mirakl, customers will still enjoy a single checkout for mixed baskets and access to the likes of Boots Advantage Card points.
3. GoPuff hires Amazon veteran Patrick Bigatel as Vice President of Grocery
Patrick Bigatel has joined quick commerce firm Gopuff as Vice President of Grocery.
He was previously Vice President Of New Business Development at Booster.
Prior to that, he spent almost 15 years at Amazon, holding such positions as General Manager, Amazon Heavy-Bulky, Home Services and Local Selling.
SO BASICALLY YOU DOWNLOAD THIS APP AND ORDER SNACKS, ICE CREAM, ALCOHOL AND WHATEVER OTHER STUFF YOU WANT AND THEN SOMEONE BRINGS IT TO YOUR HOUSE IN LIKE 20 MINUTES AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO GO OUTSIDE pic.twitter.com/t3ogjuycjU
4. Lowe’s rolls out same-day delivery across USA with Instacart
Lowe’s and Instacart have announced that same-day delivery is now available from more than 1,700 of the former’s stores Stateside.
Nearly 30,000 items can be ordered for delivery in as fast as an hour.
Lowe’s is one of the first retailers on the Instacart app to roll-out same-day and scheduled delivery for large items, up to 3x3x5 feet and 60 pounds.
5. Israeli grocery retailer Shufersal taps Trigo tech for autonomous store launch
Trigo reports that it is opening a hybrid autonomous store with Israel’s largest grocery retailer, Shufersal.
In an online post, Michael Gabay, CEO at Trigo, says: “It goes without saying that we are excited to launch a store in Tel Aviv, which is not only the home of the world renowned ‘startup nation,’ but Trigo’s HQ as well.”
He adds: “This Shufersal branch is representative of Tel Aviv, between its proximity to the beach as well as its central location; it is in the hub of the innovation capital of Israel.”
“This was no accident – Shufersal deliberately chose the heart of a city full of open minded and tech savvy people as the home for the country’s first frictionless checkout store.”
Trigo is excited to partner with @Shufersal, Israel’s largest grocery retailer, and open the first autonomous store of its kind in the country.
Read the CEO announcement by @mgabay here: https://t.co/28VMiP3f1h#seamlesscheckout #computervision #shufersal #cx #partnership pic.twitter.com/NOLVaraFvb
6. LG Electronics unveils LG Art Lab NFT platform
LG Electronics has launched its own non-fungible token (NFT) platform, LG Art Lab.
Now available in the US on the company’s TVs running webOS 5.0 or later, and accessible directly from the home screen, this enables users to buy and sell digital artwork.
It includes an LG Art Lab Drops feature, which profiles artists and previews new works coming soon to the platform. Meanwhile, the real-time Live Drops countdown ensures users never miss an opportunity to acquire a ‘just dropped’ NFT.
The platform is based on the Hedera network and incorporates onscreen QR codes that let users complete transactions via Wallypto, the company’s cryptocurrency wallet for smartphones.
Once purchased, an NFT can be traded on LG Art Lab Marketplace, where users can view transaction history, while in My Collection they can look at their owned artworks.
The first artist to be launched on LG ART LAB will be American sculptor, Barry X Ball.
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