WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 7.28.2014

Industry brief for the week of July 20th – July 26th 2014. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

Target launches In a Snap app, an image recognition/visual search app just in time for back to school. Link
Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom and The Gap among retail’s digital winners. Link
Lord & Taylor set to launch two concept shops to support emerging designers. Link
J.Crew’s first Williamsburg location teases with graffiti artist’s mural. Link
New stores feature food options to fuel shoppers. Link
JCPenny showcases real people-inspired mannequins in New York City. Link
Aeropostale teases AeroNow re-branding with social, text campaigns. Link
TargetExpress tests takes aim at Generation Y. Link
Will selling nostalgia work for Calvin Klein? Link
Under Armour to target women during football season. Link
BirchBox is using its retail space to track customers offline. Link
Spotlight on niche retail experience Wildfang, founded by three former Nike employees. Link
Essie vending machines are coming to an airport near you. Link
Wal-Mart’s Asia CEO takes charge of U.S. business. Link
Macy’s reveals 2015 sustainability initiatives. Link
Amazon’s Fire phone hits stores. Link
Amazon opens web store for customizable 3D printed products. Link
Dollar Tree to buy Family Dollar for $8.5B. Link
Cara Delevingne is new face of TopShop for Autumn/Winter 2014. Link
H&M opens its largest store on Fifth Avenue. Link
Uniqlo’s Boston pop-up is open for business. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Forever21, Urban Outfitters among most popular retailers on Pinterest. Link
Facebook launches save, read-it-later for links, places and media pages. Link
Adidas, Champs Sports want you to watch their new web shows on Instagram. Link
Nike’s secret New York vending machine trades free swag for FuelBand points. Link
Line adds ‘hidden chat’ feature. Link
SnapChat may be working on secret peer-to-peer payment feature. Link
Facebook and Twitter aim to tap $300B eCommerce market. Link
Instagram’s “Bolt” leak could be a new Facebook app or an app install ad test. Link
Instagram seeks user feedback on its advertisers. Link
Facebook earnings: Instagram, mobile shift and other areas to watch. Link
Retailers outspend luxury brands on luxury keywords in paid search. Link
Veuve Clicquot travels to consumers with branded mail truck. Link

Start-ups:

Keep, a universal shopping cart for the web. Link
Apple confirms purchase of book recommendation maker BookLamp. Link
Paris Picnic is a service that delivers a French picnic anywhere within an hour. Link
Weave is a Tinder for LinkedIn. Link
Google buys game-livestreaming firm Twitch for $1B. Link
Application enables Etsy shop integration on Wix sites. Link

International:

[APAC]

[AU/NZ]

Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and West Elm to open in Sydney on August 28^th. Link
Missoni to collaborate with Target Australia. Link

[EU]

[A/ME]

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Amazon quietly launches consumer-facing mobile wallet app. Link
Retailers look to beacon to improve in-store experience and gather consumer data. Link
Big brands acquire mobile talent; smaller brands seek alternatives. Link
Foursquare re-brands, unveils new app and logo. Link
Apple granted patent for smartwatch device. Link
Yahoo buys mobile analytics firm Flurry. Link
For its first Google Glass effort, eBay adapts its RedLaser product finder app. Link
Michelob Ultra turns up volume on mobile music with dedicated player. Link
Unilever searches for Internet of Things partners. Link
iPads feeling pressure but ‘others’ are doing fine. Link
New Explore button on Google Maps instantly localizes user experience. Link

Other:

Fashion. Retail. Tech. News.