With 93 percent of marketers regularly using Facebook advertising, shopping rewards provider Shping hopes to change the paradigm by reaching consumers directly — and paying them in digital coins for filling out a survey or watching a video. As a result, the service can provide valuable insights to brands while also helping them build an audience, Shping’s chief marketing officer, Tony Lee, told PYMNTS in an interview.  Read More...

Retail sales fell while household debt rose. Cashless and crypto both sizzled in Venezuela while Ripple made more friends in faraway places. PepsiCo took Doritos by the horns and put some of its $1 billion tax windfall to work building out the company's eCommerce capabilities. It’s Friday, and that means it’s time to Sizzle/Fizzle.  Read More...

Attention turned toward meal kits as the U.S. government invoked Blue Apron as a kind of model for a new food stamp initiative. It turns out the real Blue Apron has its hands full, too, particularly as it looks to stand out in a hypercompetitive market that's seeing subscribers leaving in droves.  Read More...