What does buying spinning shoes at 37,000 feet, season three of Netflix blockbuster “Stranger Things,” and town hall meetings organized by small merchants in 1893 have to do with the grilling given Big Tech on Capitol Hill last week? Plenty, says Karen Webster, who says they’re all proof points for the importance of consumer choice, and the power of the consumers, not lawmakers, to drive change when the status quo no longer meets their needs.   Read More...

Despite having just 13 locations, Amazon Go has had an outsize influence on retail, especially in the grocery and convenience store sectors — though the question remains as to whether removing cashiers from the shopping equation can lead to customer satisfaction. Is it really the wave of the future?  Read More...

Getting paid early: For gig workers, advance payments are finding favor. Partial payment allows for better day-to-day financial visibility and cash flow management, as found in a recent Pay Advances report.  Read More...