Visa will acquire Verifi, a chargeback reduction solution provider. The deal will combine the dispute resolution tools offered by Verifi with the risk and fraud management solutions available through Visa, to provide retailers with tools designed to cut chargeback costs and improve the customer experience. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Verifi connects all parties in the dispute process in a near real-time management process that helps resolve the issue before it becomes a chargeback. This functionality will be integrated with Visa risk management services, including CardinalCommerce and CyberSource, to offer greater automation, near real-time communication and additional data-driven insights for retail partners.

Trax, a Singapore-based computer vision and analytics solution for retail, has acquired Shopkick, a shopping rewards app, with the goal of uniting the mobile and physical retail worlds for global and regional retailers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. With the acquisition, Trax aims to gain a better understanding of consumers’ online and offline shopping habits, through the integration of Trax technologies and Shopkick’s path-to-purchase offerings.

Vera Bradley has signed an agreement to acquire a 75% interest in Creative Genius, Inc., the owner of Pura Vida, a California-based digitally native lifestyle brand that sells handmade bracelets and other jewelry. With the acquisition, Pura Vida will receive a cash consideration of $75 million, which will be subject to certain price adjustments, and up to $22.5 million as a bonus if the company reaches certain performance-based targets by the end of 2019. The transaction is expected to close in Q2 of Vera Bradley’s fiscal 2020, and the Indiana-based handbag and luggage company has the right to acquire the remaining 25% stake in Pura Vida five years post-closing. “The acquisition of Pura Vida is a terrific fit for Vera Bradley as we move into Year Two of our Vision 20/20 strategic plan and focus on growth,” said Robert Wallstrom, CEO of Pura Vida in a statement. “As we pursue ways to increase revenues, grow shareholder value, expand our customer community, and diversify the business, Pura Vida will be a great addition to our portfolio.” Vera Bradley and Pura Vida both have customer bases of loyal, multi-generational females and are positioned as “gifting,” socially connected brands that focus on community,…

Crate and Barrel has bought Hudson Grace, a San Francisco-based boutique home décor and gift brand that operates five California stores and one Atlanta location, for an undisclosed sum. As part of the acquisition, Crate and Barrel plans to grow the Hudson Grace brand by expanding it into niche markets. With more than 47% of its sales coming through online channels, Crate and Barrel also wants to leverage its digital capabilities to grow Hudson Grace’s developing e-Commerce business.

Salesforce has agreed to acquire data visualization platform provider Tableau in an all-stock transaction valued at $15.7 billion, making it the largest acquisition in the company’s history and combining one of the biggest CRM players with a major big data analytics platform. The purchase is a clear indicator that Salesforce is seeking to offer more data insights to its clients, with a company statement placing a heavy emphasis on “driving digital transformation” across businesses in. With today’s retailers continually having to adapt to changing consumer preferences and developing a sharper focus on understanding data from all points of the shopper journey, Salesforce is looking to marry the concepts of CRM and big data even further.