December in NYC pulses with high-profile openings, including the long-awaited return of an iconic toy store; permanent flagships for cult lifestyle brands; and supersized, exploratory formats from established retailers. Meanwhile, hospitality hots up as a luxury car brand swerves into dining, while art exhibits focus on America's pop-cultural giants.

The finance industry – including key players like wealth management and insurance providers – is keeping pace with disruptive challengers. Services and tools rooted in convenience, personalisation and accessibility are emerging, giving complex financial products a much-needed makeover. Stylus distils the best innovations.

Black Friday, increasingly an orgy of self-gifting, remains an epic deep-discounting frenzy. But while the figures are still rising, there’s a progressively equal split between those opting in and bailing out – spurring plenty of tactical considerations. Here are the most important factors, with case studies illustrating the keenest shifts.

Black Friday, increasingly an orgy of self-gifting, remains an epic deep-discounting frenzy. But while the figures are still rising, there’s a progressively equal split between those opting in and bailing out – spurring plenty of tactical considerations. Here are the most important factors, with case studies illustrating the keenest shifts.

December in NYC pulses with high-profile openings, including the long-awaited return of an iconic toy store; permanent flagships for cult lifestyle brands; and supersized, exploratory formats from established retailers. Meanwhile, hospitality hots up as a luxury car brand swerves into dining, while art exhibits focus on America's pop-cultural giants.

The progress of technology accelerates at incredible speed. The inaugural Wired Smarter conference invited retail and finance industry insiders, visionaries and legacy businesses to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by state-of-the-art technologies. Topics ranged from finding a balance between man and machine, to rising consumer expectations and data-informed innovation.