Apple, Inc.

Minneapolis – First Best Buy became the first national retailer, other than Apple Stores, where customers can buy the Apple Watch. Now Best Buy will reportedly become the first national retailer outside of Apple Stores to offer the Apple Care warranty program.

Quincy, Ill. – In the latest sign that beacons are becoming a mainstream in-store technology, at least one independent grocery chain is rolling them out. County Market, a division of Quincy, Illinois-based Niemann Foods, has implemented the Birdzi platform in all of its stores to provide personalized digital savings and increased customer engagement for its shoppers.

Move over Apple and Google — and make way for Samsung.

New York -- Move over Apple and Google — and make way for Samsung.

Samsung Electronics Co. on Thursday announced Samsung Pay, a mobile payment service that will let customers pay with their phones at nearly any credit-card terminal. The new system will launch in Korea on Aug. 20 and in the United States on Sept. 28.

Credit card fraud is in the United States is at epidemic levels. Last year, the U.S. accounted for more fraud than the rest of the world combined. And the fraud rates are accelerating. EMV technology, which has shown to greatly reduce in-store fraud in the Europe, is finally being rolled out in the United States with an impending deadline in October 2015 when retailers will be liable for in-store fraud for cards that have chips on them.

New York — Ron Johnson’s newest venture has secured a big round of additional funding.

Enjoy Technology, the online e-commerce start-up founded by the former J.C. Penney chief and Apple store executive, announced it has secured $50 million in a round of Series B funding led by Highland Capital.

Seattle – Consumers are partial to online marketplaces when it comes to choosing a starting point for digital shopping journeys. According to a new research study from Amazon.com and Pymnts.com titled “Innovation and the Digital Shopper,” 64% of respondents begin their shopping journey on online marketplaces.

New York -- Walmart has joined an elite group of corporate titans in taking a pledge to fight climate change. Among other things, the retail giant will double its solar commitment.

Walmart on Monday signed a pledge to take measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase low-carbon investments and invest in clean energy as part of a new White House climate change initiative, the “American Business Act on Climate Pledge.”