An option to “pay with your face” could be coming soon to a retailer near you. JP Morgan Payments is expanding its partnership with PopID to offer its in-store biometric payment option to pilot merchants across the US.

The technology allows customers to process transactions by scanning their face rather than swiping a credit card or holding up their phone. Customers gain access to the platform by signing up and providing a selfie, which is securely stored in PopID’s database, creating a unique digital key connected to their bank account.

“This is a giant step forward in helping our clients reimagine the entire retail experience for their customers and bringing best-in-class biometrics payments solutions to the market,” Jean-Marc Thienpont, managing director of omnichannel and biometric solutions at JP Morgan Payments, said in a statement.

PopID’s in-house research says its platform cuts down on checkout times by 90 seconds per transaction, and can boost ticket size by 4%.

Keep reading here.—AV

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A new index measuring how thoroughly retailers have embedded AI into their operations placed Amazon, Walmart, and Stitch Fix at the top of the list.

The 2024 Retail AI Index is a project of Lily AI, a platform that specializes in providing AI solutions to retailers, and is based on an analysis of public first-party, and third-party data sources covering a range of benchmarks, from the number of AI-related job postings to press coverage of AI-focused initiatives.

“AI is becoming table stakes for retailers who want to stay competitive,” Lily AI CEO Purva Gupta said in a statement. “Not surprisingly, the biggest of the bigs—Amazon and Walmart—have the resources to invest in AI extensively.”

Here’s the full top 10 list from the index:

1. Amazon
2. Walmart
3. Stitch Fix
4. eBay
5. Wayfair
6. Sam’s Club
7. Target
8. The Home Depot
9. Macy’s
10. Nike

Keep reading here.—AV

If you think you’ve seen everything, think again. Dolce & Gabbana is launching a perfume for dogs. And yes, we’re being serious.

Named after Dolce & Gabbana co-founder Domenico Dolce’s dog, Fefé, the alcohol-free scented mist for dogs is at the center of the Italian luxury retailer’s new promotional campaign film featuring different breeds of dogs. “I am delicate, authentic, charismatic, sensitive, enigmatic, rebel, fresh, irresistible, clean. ’Cause I’m not just a dog, I’m Fefé,” it says.

Keep reading here.—JS

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