Bealls makes move to accept all crypto wallets, leading retail industry

Bealls Inc., the Bradenton-based retailer with more than 660 stores across the country, is adopting a new payment platform. The company says it has become the first national retailer to accept digital currencies from any crypto wallet app across more than a dozen blockchains simultaneously through the use of Flexa, a digital payment provider.

“Our partnership with Flexa is about more than payments; it’s about preparing for the future of commerce and continuing to innovate," Bealls Chairman and CEO Matt Beall says in a statement.

Bealls was founded in 1915 and currently operates stores under the bealls, Bealls Florida and Home Centric banners. All three brands will accept digital currencies, which the company notes is one way it has made technological progress, in addition to providing in-store kiosks and online shopping. In September, the company also announced it was deploying AI systemwide to help inform decision-making from inventory optimization to merchandise management.