An increasing number of merchants are using 0% APR loans as a substitute for other marketing levers such as discounting and performance marketing, according to buy now, pay later provider Affirm.

Erika White, VP of marketing and communications at the payment network, told Retail Brew that as awareness of BNPL has grown among consumers in recent years, more brands are using the offering as a promotional or marketing tool to directly drive sales.

“Now that people are comfortable using this and recognize the benefit over more traditional tools like credit cards, they’re looking for the next opportunity to use it,” she said, adding that “0% is a really attractive lever for creating that urgency.”

She cited the availability of 0% APR loans for Peloton workout bikes pre-pandemic as one event that helped get consumers and brands on board with the concept. But since then, retailers and brands have ramped up the use of discounts to keep shoppers interested and drive sales. Now some companies are turning to 0% APR loans as a substitute marketing lever.

Keep reading here.—AV

These days, customers aren’t just looking for high-quality products. They’re looking for seamless shopping experiences, personalized brand engagement, and more.

To drive customer loyalty, retailers need to consistently deliver on these tactics—which means they need a reliable network to support it all. That’s where T-Mobile for Business can help.

T-Mobile’s most-awarded 5G network supports your retail biz with:

• next-level Business Internet that ensures reliable connectivity across all devices and digital tools, empowering employees to deliver premium retail experiences
• precise asset and inventory tracking, from warehouse to store shelves to a customer’s front door
• safety and security tools that protect and encrypt sensitive data moving through a network
• fleet management that optimizes routes to lower fuel costs and speed up delivery times

Modern shopping is a multifaceted experience with physical and digital touchpoints. Make sure to tap a nationwide provider with the consistent connectivity that can power your best shopper journey.

Get started with T-Mobile.

Two Missouri grocery stores deployed Instacart’s AI-powered smart carts this week, hitting aisles at Price Chopper in Parkville and McKeever’s Market & Eatery in Lee’s Summit, with plans to add more locations in the coming months. In Q1, Instacart deployed carts at Kroger, Schnucks, and Wakefern stores, and signed a contract with Save Mart Companies.

Instacart’s “Caper Carts” have become a central pillar of its strategy to help grocery partners deliver an omnichannel experience in-store, allowing customers to scan items as they shop, track their spending in real time, and access deals and coupons. The company also touts the technology’s ability to offer personalized recommendations and “gamification elements” that reward customers for hitting spending thresholds. It plans to roll out thousands of the carts to retail partners by the end of 2024.

Keep reading here.—AV

While other retailers are just learning to crawl, Target’s ad business could soon apply for a learner’s permit.

The Minneapolis-based retailer has sold digital ads since the Obama administration. At Cannes, Target hosted happy hours and panels about the “evolution” of retail media, joining the crowded field of retailers on the Croisette, pitching their sweet, sweet shopper data to the ad industry.

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—RB

Return rates are soaring. We’re not talking about your portfolio returns. We’re talking about product returns. E-commerce purchases have an average return rate significantly higher than that of brick-and-mortar, which creates a serious dent in profitability. Check out Bloomreach’s e-commerce profitability use cases to learn how you can minimize returns and retain valued customers.