Everyone loves a bargain; UK discount stores are worth £7.5 billion, while in the US, flash sales site Zulily has amassed more than $1 billion in revenue. Now, credit card provider Capital One is making it even easier for customers to get a good deal – provided they're comfortable with data mining.

We're all familiar with cookies – files that track us online, showering us with personalised ads. Brands love them and now shopping centres want to adopt them in an attempt to stay relevant in the age of e-commerce. But can the Physical Cookie really sweeten our offline shopping experience?

Digital finance has fundamentally changed the way we manage our money. But if the vast majority of customers are rejecting physical bank visits in favour of online services, why has Nationwide decided to invest £300 million to improve its network of 700 branches?

“Google policy is to get right up to the 'creepy' line and not cross it,” says the company's CEO. But when does insightful personalisation become intrusive? And how do brands build lasting relationships with consumers concerned about being spied on?