BMW is slashing its subscription car prices to compete with Mercedes

This week's highlights: Walmart is revamping returns for third-party orders, Facebook might be partnering with major US banks, Chat apps are extinguishing phone calls, and much more

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WEEKEND ROUNDUP BMW is slashing subscription car prices to compete with Mercedes BMW has introduced a cheaper tier of its "Access by BMW" subscription car service, which it calls Icon, reports Car Connection. The new plan costs $1,099 and is about $1,000 less expensive than BMW's next cheapest plan. The Icon tier of Access by BMW is only available in Nashville and Philadelphia and allows subscribers to rent the company's 330i and 330e iPerformance sedans, X3 and X2 crossovers, M240i Convertible, and i3 fully electric hatchback. Subscribers can swap out cars at the end of every month, as well as get insurance and roadside assistance covered by BMW. Business Insider Intelligence's Nicholas Shields has the full story. Business Insider Intelligence Daily is just a preview of Business Insider Intelligence. Get started, risk-free today to unlock research reports, briefings, industry forecasts, exclusive data, and more. BRIEFING HIGHLIGHTS Walmart is revamping returns for third-party orders Walmart is planning to launch a new returns initiative for third-party sellers this fall, according to a memo sent to merchants. Read More → Facebook might be partnering with major US banks Facebook reportedly asked major US banks including Citi, JPMorgan Chase, US Bank, and Wells Fargo to share their customers' financial information, including card transactions and checking account balances. Read More → Chat apps are extinguishing phone calls Annual time spent on mobile calls in the UK fell year-over-year (YoY) for the first time, according to a newly published study by UK telecommunications regulatory authority Ofcom. Read More → Zopa raises $57 million for digital bank venture The UK marketplace lender plans to use the money to capitalize its digital bank, which it plans to launch in the future. Read More → How Gen Z and millennials watch Stories Video creation platform VidMob has published findings from its State of Social Video report on the preference of Gen-Z and millennials when it comes to Stories. Read More → Amazon is debuting drive-up grocery for Prime members Users can order from the Prime Now app, drive to the designated Whole Foods store, park in a reserved spot, and an employee will bring the groceries out to the car. Read More → Disney has some 'Netflix killer' streaming plans Some details have emerged about Disney's forthcoming Disney-branded SVOD service, which will likely launch in fall 2019. Read More → The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will use AI-powered facial recognition NEC Global will set up its NeoFace kiosks at the entrances to restricted locations around the city to allow athletes, media, staff, and other pre-vetted personnel to enter facilities more easily. Read More → ICE, Microsoft, and Starbucks are launching a crypto venture The new company, dubbed Bakkt, will look to develop an open, regulated, and global ecosystem for digital assets. Read More → Walmart is demoing a grocery picking robot "Alphabot," which automatically collects items for customers' orders, is in development in a supercenter in Salem, New Hampshire, and is being installed in a 20,000 square foot extension that doubles as a dedicated grocery pickup point. Read More → Did a friend forward you this newsletter? Get it daily by clicking here. RESEARCH IN FOCUS The Data Breaches Report Over the past five years, the world has seen a seemingly unending series of high-profile data breaches, defined as incidents in which unauthorized parties access and retrieve sensitive, secure, or private data. Business Insider Intelligence has put together a detailed report on the data breach threat, outlining who and what companies need to protect themselves from, and how they can most effectively do so from a technological and organizational perspective. Learn More → The Autonomous Trucking Report In a new report from BI Intelligence, we provide an early glimpse into the emerging autonomous trucking market. First, we look at the trucking market as it stands today, offering a basic profile of the industry and highlighting a number of the challenges and issues it faces. Then, we go through the three waves of autonomous technology that are set to upend the industry — platooning, semi-autonomous systems, and fully autonomous trucks — looking at who is making strides in each of these areas, when the technology can be expected to start making an impact, and what companies can do to get ahead of the curve. Learn More → The Mobile Visual Search Explainer The smartphone is getting smarter as tech companies inject increasingly sophisticated computer vision and object recognition functions into their hardware and software. The ability to "understand" what the user is pointing their mobile camera at and "read" the image has opened the door for visual search. This report analyzes the developing technologies behind mobile visual search and its value to businesses and brands. The report also assesses risks and opportunities inherent in developing a visual search strategy, provides a list of companies that are working in the space — and their achievements. Learn More → Do you already have Business Insider Intelligence access through your company? Check here. CHARTS OF THE WEEK Snap's redesign was a poor excuse for slow daily active user growth How Waymo's core businesses give it a $175 billion valuation Where consumers keep smart speakers and how this should inform voice shopping strategies Business Insider Intelligence Daily is a free newsletter highlighting topics the Business Insider Intelligence research team finds interesting. Published around 5pm ET Monday through Friday. BECOME A MEMBER You can gain access to everything Business Insider Intelligence produces - ALL of our extensive research reports, newsletters, and data - when you claim your Business Insider Intelligence PREMIUM pass. With this level of membership, you will gain immediate access to… ALL Existing Reports Our research reports have taken thousands of hours to research, analyze and compile. With over 100 reports in our archive there is something for everyone with immediate profit-driving idea potential. 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