New Endeavors: Walmart is entering the ebooks and audiobooks arena. The retail giant is teaming up with ecommerce firm Rakuten to start selling digital books sometime later this year. And, as part of the partnership, the companies are also launching an online grocery delivery service in Japan. 

Steady Growth: Starbucks reported that comparable sales increased 2% in Q1 2018, and active membership in its rewards program increased as well—11% vs. the year prior. In all, the coffee giant now has 14.2 million active rewards members, accounting for over a third (37%) of its US sales. The company also reported that mobile orders make up 11% of US transactions. 

Push Notifications and Conversions: How effective are push notifications when done well? Localytics found that almost half of US retailer mobile app users surveyed made an in-store purchase after receiving a personalized push notification. And more than one-third said a location-based push message had led them to buy something while at a physical store. Localytics also found more than six in 10 respondents liked getting a notification from a retailer after making a purchase.