PayPal is looking to extend its remit to the offline bricks and mortar world, with the appointment of Don Kingsborough as vice president for retail and pre-paid products
Kingsborough was the founder and CEO of Blackhawk Network, a provider of pre-paid third party card products and a subsidiary of Safeway Foods, where he launched and operated gift card kiosks at retail stores worldwide.
Announcing the appointment on the corporate blog, PayPal president Scott Thompson writes: "Don's experience in consumer product development, technology, retail, POS and merchant relationships will prove invaluable as we work to bring PayPal to connected devices and the offline world."
He says the company's recent experience in partnering with companies like Yorder and Bling Nation have convinced PayPal of the offline opportunity.
Adds Thompson: "These new ideas, coupled with the incredible rise in connected devices and smart phones, have pushed traditional lines between online payments and offline purchases together - opening up an entirely new market for PayPal as the megatrends of mobile, social and local collide."