Home improvement inspiration can come from unlikely places. And, as it turns out, the same can be said for a home improvement titan’s omnichannel muse. In the hot-off-the-presses July PYMNTS.com Omnicommerce Tracker™, powered by Vantiv, Lowe’s SVP of Information and Technology explains how the retailer learns from industries ranging from banking to fast food to improve its omnichannel offering. Find that, along with the latest Omni headlines and rankings of 88 major players in the space, inside the Tracker.  Read More...

Earlier this month, law enforcement took down AlphaBay, the dark web's largest market for illicit drugs, firearms, stolen credit card data, and other illegal goods. In the ensuing black market chaos, AlphaBay "refugees" have fled to competitors like Hansa Market — but some of them won't find what they're looking for there. Hansa announced that it's banning sales of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid behind the national drug crisis. Turns out even drug dealers have standards.  Read More...

China's Amazing Cashless Conversion

Less than half-a-decade ago, China was almost an entirely cash-based economy, where payments card sightings were few and far between. These days, cash is looking a bit like an endangered species — but it wasn’t cards that swooped in to replace it, it was mobile payments based on QR code. How did it happen so fast — and what does it mean for the world's fastest growing economy?  Read More...