Kroger’s Toys R Us Holiday Plans | Amazon Goes To Free, No-Minimum Shipping | What Apple’s iPhone Rope-A-Dope Means For Apps

Apple is taking some major heat after it announced last week that it would no longer report unit sales of iPhones and other devices. Karen Webster conjectures it’s part of a carefully planned strategy to shift the focus away from how it intends to boost the Services revenue it wants to fill the gap. Just like Ali’s famous Rumble in the Jungle Rope-A-Dope, she says, be prepared for Apple to come out swinging with the most powerful punch it has: eventually taxing any and all of the apps in its powerful apps ecosystem. Read More...

Brick-and-mortar retailers are turning to augmented reality (AR) technology to help consumers virtually “try on” products. Target, for instance, teamed up with Perfect Corp. to let shoppers see how they would look with different shades of makeup, as the PYMNTS Digital Consumer Report notes that recent advancements make it possible for merchants to transmit physical reality into the digital world. Read More...

It’s been a big week for peeks at what’s to come in payments and commerce. Some of those quick glances have thrill — others, not so much. But they all tell the same story from different angles. The times, they are a-changin’, and the merchants that survive will have to learn to change along with them. Read More...