Smart homes can make a lot of consumers feel dumb. Lowe’s and b8ta are out to change that with store-within-a-store displays through which customers can try out smart home devices before they buy them — and learn how they work from b8ta experts. Ruth Crowley, Lowe’s vice president of customer experience design, and Phillip Raub, co-founder and CMO at b8ta, share their thoughts on the partnership.  Read More...

Grab, the Uber of Southeast Asia, is using its ubiquity in the region to serve a greater good: financial services for the invisible middle economy. Jason Thompson, managing director of GrabPay Southeast Asia, recently spoke with Karen Webster about the region’s unique challenges, how it’s charging forward toward a mobile economy and how GrabPay plans to help it get there — starting with a shift away from cash.  Read More...

Avocado toast could go a long way toward getting customers through the door at brick-and-mortar retail locations — at least, that’s what Tiffany & Co. hopes, and other luxury brands are following the same philosophy. Shopping online via eCommerce is so easy that physical stores must offer a strong value-added proposition if they hope to continue driving foot traffic. Could food be the answer?  Read More...