When Matty Benedetto bought a bag of Swedish Fish from a CVS in Burlington, Vermont, recently, he received a receipt that was longer than his arm. While he was not, to be sure, the first to notice that CVS receipts can be lengthy, what Benedetto did next likely was a first.

He returned to his nearby design studio, re-created a high-resolution digital version of his receipt, and then found a rug manufacturer in China that could reproduce it. About three weeks later, the rug arrived, and he unfurled it in his sprawling 6,400-square-foot studio.

“CVS receipts are always way too long,” Benedetto said in a video he posted to his social media accounts. “So I decided to re-create one of my receipts into a rug that stretches 50 feet long.”

Keep reading here.—AAN

That kind of sleep could cost ya. The latest Mobile Consumer Insights report from Vibes revealed that SMS and mobile wallet have a biiiig influence on consumer purchasing decisions. Just look at the numbers:

• 75% of consumers said text messages routinely drive them to purchase.
• 54% said offers made available via mobile wallet drive them to purchase.
• Nearly 60% used a mobile wallet loyalty card when making purchases.

Clearly, mobile channels can give your bottom line a nice boost. But is there too much brand communication with consumers? In short, no.

Vibes found that consumers actually want consistent communication from brands through SMS and mobile wallet. In fact, 60% of consumers surveyed said they prefer to hear from brands via text message at least once a week.

Make the most of your mobile channels. Learn how in Vibes’ Mobile Consumer Insights report.

Founded in 2020 with the promise of simplifying gift-giving, Goody enabled gifting without a mailing address. Instead, a link is sent in a text or email and the recipient can choose among gifts of a set value—typically $25, $50, or $100—without seeing any prices listed.

Not long after it started as consumer-facing, however, Goody noticed something, according to Katy Carrigan, who wasn’t at the company then but now serves as CEO.

“They found the…highest value users—defined as gifting very frequently and in high dollar amounts—were individuals with work email addresses,” Carrigan told Retail Brew. It appeared that the platform was being used for gifts for employees, clients, and sales prospects, and that, Carrigan explained, indicated “that there was this need for a business solution.”

Keep reading here.—AAN

On Wednesdays, we wear pink spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

Lori Schafer is CEO of Digital Wave Technology, an AI-powered platform which helps brands and retailers boost their omnichannel growth.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? I help retailers and brands make sure you have an amazing shopping experience and easily find what you’re looking for.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? I love outdoor sports. In fact, I used to be a marathon runner!

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Building Digital Wave Technology! Being able to shape a business simply from an idea and a concept and then watering it, fertilizing it, and seeing it grow is incredibly rewarding. Overall, I love growing technology companies. I launched my first retail/CPG tech company 20 years ago, dabbled in corporate roles, and now, I’m fully immersed in entrepreneurship with Digital Wave Technology, a special chapter in my career.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? I’m genuinely excited about the impact of generative AI on the retail industry.

Keep reading here.—EC