Industry brief  for the week of July 6th – July 12th 2014. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

• The future of Apple retail: China, mobile payments and a revamped experience. Link
• SuitSupply will open its largest US store in Dallas this Fall. Link
• Lingerie startups targeting the space dominated by Victoria’s Secret. Link
• J.Crew introduces size 000 in a business move made for Asia. Link
• Gap and Target register their own top-level domains. Link
• Burberry revenue exceeds estimates as digital push drives sales. Link
• Wayfair.com boosts web traffic via an alliance with home improvement TV channel HGTV. Link
• Amazon asks FAA for permission to test its delivery drones. Link
• Online clothing resale store Twice rolls out same-day pickup with Twice Local. Link
• How Zappos uses one-week work sprints to launch big projects fast, like the 12-week build and launch of Ask Zappos. Link
• See inside BirchBox’s first physical retail space. Link
• Weary retailers battle weak demand, traffic. Link  Article
• With travel retail growth, the sector is increasingly targeting travelers beyond traditional ways. Link
• More beauty brands and retailers are investing in toxin-free cosmetics. Link
• Gap shares fall after same-store sales drop unexpectedly in June. Link
• Rethinking retail: why brands are embracing the rise of the concept store. Link
• Macy’s list of priorities a win-win for customers and profits. Link
• Michael Kors to increase focus on Men’s clothing. Link
• BirchBox to bring artificial intelligence to offline retail in new store. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

• Alexander Wang x H&M collection debuts first item on Twitter. Link
• Pinterest makes it easier to follow ecommerce brands. Link
• Target turns to cause marketing for back-to-school season. Link
• Loverly launches new content hub. Link
• Nordstrom adds diversity to its summer sale catalog. Link
• Facebook mobile log-in to drive ads in Q2. Link
• Facebook and Twitter set usage records for World Cup final. Link
• How blogger Food Babe makes money. Link
• Online video advertising is growing many times faster than TV, search, and most other digital ad markets. Link
• Heineken helps you find where’s hot in your city with social tools. Link

Start-ups:

• Looklist is an inspiration engine for street style. Link
• This start-up is reinventing the wedding registry. Link
• Marriott CEO concedes that AirBnB does local better. Link
• HotelQuickly raises $4.5M to double-down on last minute hotel booking in APAC. Link
• Curated food delivery start-up Caviar in talks to be acquired by Square for $100M. Link
• Men’s style startup Dash Hudson raises $400K led by former Groupon CTO. Link
• Borrowing Magnolia is a new ecommerce business for pre-worn wedding gowns. Link

International:

[APAC]

• Japan’s Urban Research experiments with virtual changing booths. Link
• ASOS gets an education on selling online in China. Link
• Local brands gain ground on foreign rivals in China. Link
• Instagram mysteriously disappears from China’s Android app stores. Link
• Juicy Couture is seeking a comeback in Asia. Link
• Indian government is setting aside $1.6B to help startups. Link
• Southeast Asia ecommerce set to boom. Link
• China incorporates rail networks into ecommerce fulfilment. Link

[AU/NZ]

• UK-based Sports Direct to launch outlets in Australia and New Zealand. Link
• David Jones shareholder back Woolworths bid. Link

[CA]

• DSW to open first two Canadian stores next month. Link

[EU]

• Click and Collect connects with UK commuters. Link
• Amazon fights France’s law against free shipping on books with 1 cent shipping. Link

[A/ME]

• Africa emerging as next frontier for apparel sourcing. Link

[LATAM]

• Sephora to end 2014 with 24 Latin America stores. Link
• Linio, Rocket Internet’s Amazon play in Latin America rakes in another $79M. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

• Startup aims to build a shopping mall on your phone. Link
• Adidas joins wearable stampede with fitness tracker. Link
• Marriott to locate guests via mobile and offer deals using iBeacon technology. Link
• Driving commerce with mobile: increasing savings and shortening in-store visits. Link
• With Vayable’s new travel app, everyone’s a local. Link
• Uber-style restaurant payments app raised $5.5M. Link
• Apple is building a new iBeacon-powered device. Link
• Amazon hires the man behind Google Glass. Link

Other:

• The ‘on-demand economy’ is revolutionizing consumer behavior. Link
• Millennials think globally and other lessons from the World Cup. Link