WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 9.29.2014

September 29, 2014September 29, 2014Leave a comment

Top industry news from last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer + Brand News:

Uniqlo plans major expansion of kids’ line. Link
Opening Ceremony: a store in every big city? Link
You can now add items to your Amazon wish list with a tweet. Link
Urban Outfitters to supersize Anthropologie stores. Link
Farfetch launches a shoppable tour guide of the world’s most fashionable cities. Link
Little Market online seeks to have a big effect for women worldwide. Link
Urban Outfitters: the world’s number one seller of vinyl. Link
Macy’s aims to become retail tech powerhouse. Link
Urban Outfitters outlines plans to double sales by 2020. Link
Louis Vuitton launching biannual magazine. Link
Jimmy Choo plans London IPO. Link
PayPal to allow more merchants to accept bitcoin. Link
Tory Burch hires former Ralph Lauren exec to serve as Co-CEO. Link
Retail goes high end in downtown Manhattan. Link
H&M Q3 profitability declines on garment costs. Link
Amazon grocery delivery coming to NYC. Link
Hermes launches online store devoted to iconic scarves. Link
Nordstrom pop-up promotes sustainable, responsible goods. Link
Microsoft opening a flagship New York store on Fifth Avenue. Link
Tod’s may spin off Hogan luxury sneaker brand. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Facebook taps Stripe to power buy button. Link
Brand publishers are ditching Facebook in favor of microsites. Link
Five things to know about Ello, the social network with a manifesto. Link
Invite-only social network Ello: Exclusivity draws demand. Link
Facebook prioritizes user IDs over cookies to boost mobile budgets. Link
How to make social commerce more appealing. Link
Facebook plans drones to provide free wifi to the two-thirds of the world that lack internet access. Link
Four creative swap lives for Timberland’s #inmyelement campaign. Link
Starbucks launches first brand campaign. Link
Facebook reboots ad platform with cross-devices targeting and offline sales tracking. Link
Instagram reportedly blocked in China amid Hong Kong protests. Link
Is Snapchat a business tool? Yes. Link

Start-ups:

App replaces ads on New York subways with art. Link
Quibit gets $26M funding round to grow its ecommerce personalization platform. Link
Visual recognition app acts like Shazam for furniture. Link

International:

[APAC]

Singaporeans shift from stores to online shopping. Link
India’s online retailers fuel growth at coupon sites. Link

[AU/NZ]

Stylerunner offers 3-hour delivery. Link

[CA]

Target Canada prices drop lower than Walmart’s. Link
Nordstrom opens first store in Canada. Link

[EU]

DHL to be the first to do drone delivery in Germany. Link
Ireland to introduce postal codes. Link
Net-a-Porter, Facebook, Vice among launch brands for the new “LinkedIn for Creatives” platform, The Dots. Link

[LATAM]

Sears to mimic Zara in Mexico. Link
Online retail picks up speed in parts of Latin America. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

One push notification too many will make consumers delete your iBeacon app. Link
Amazon’s secret lab is developing wearables and household devices. Link
Apple responds to complaints of bent iPhones. Link
Apple pulls iOS8 software update after iPhone problems. Link
Guggenheim museum balances beauty with beacons. Link
Secret launches Ping, an app that’s all about a black dot, simplicity, and content. Link
For Staples, mobile is the center of it all. Link
BlackBerry’s square-screened Passport launched. Link
American Eagle takes new approach to mCommerce. Link
Citibank launches mobile-only bank accounts. Link

Other:

UPS now offers 3D printing nationwide. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 9.22.2014

September 22, 2014Leave a comment

Top industry news from last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer + Brand News:

Zara builds its business around RFID, learns from others’ mistakes. Link
Nordstrom employs New York Instagrammers to personalize fall accessories. Link
Amazon touts reduced shopping cart abandonment with newly expanded “login and pay” service. Link
Amazon purchases buy.com domain for $4.6M. Link
Lululemon inks two corner deals in Soho, will open first Men’s store. Link
Uniqlo expects profits at U.S. stores in couple of years. Link
Yahoo’s core business value cut in half after Alibaba IPO. Link
Prada profit down 21% due to weak demand in Asia and Europe. Link
Packaged goods marketers wade warily in ecommerce. Link
Apple and Amazon take baby steps toward digital sharing. Link
Asos facing backlash from leading fashion brands over discounting. Link
Rue La La debuts its first exclusive collection on its ecommerce site. Link
Versace embeds instant ecommerce in runway show livestream. Link
Zulily keeps it simple and masters ecommerce fundamentals over gimmicky marketing tactics. Link
Macy’s, Bloomingdales adding same-day delivery. Link
Stronger U.S. demand and ecommerce sales boost H&M. Link
Target selects 16 brand partners for sustainability push. Link
Rebecca Minkoff launches maternity capsule. Link
Home Depot’s data breach bigger than Target’s at 56 Million cards compromised. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Ralph Lauren launches creative initiative and campaign ‘Project Warehouse.’ Link
How Ikea brings design ideas to life in social. Link
Twitter redesigns profiles for iPhone app. Link
Facebook is convincing advertisers to spend. Link
Puma returns to roots in new campaign. Link
A look at Lilly Pulitzer’s social media marketing. Link
Pinterest plans to help advertisers track performance; serve ads based on pinned brands. Link
YouTube adds real-time analytics with minute-by-minute view counts for videos. Link
Facebook now shows real-time events higher in your feed. Link

Start-ups:

com founder raises new funds for Amazon rival. Link
Shippo gets $2M funding for its shipping API for small businesses. Link

International:

[APAC]

H&M begins selling online in China. Link
Alibaba’s IPO world record. Link
WeChat launches mobile payment service. Link

[AU/NZ]

Brooks Brothers continues Australian rollout. Link

[CA]

Hudson’s Bay to open first Saks in Canada in Spring 2016. Link
Nordstrom joins rush to Canada. Link

[EU]

Click and Collect shoppers predicted to pick up £6.5B of goods by 2019. Link
Sweden’s Klarna: With U.S. launch, it’s all about online payment friction. Link

[LATAM]

Zara sells online in Mexico. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Macy’s to roll out beacon technology to all stores this fall. Link
Subway to use Softcard NFC for mobile payments. Link
Photos shot with Goolge Glass will now sync with your iPhone immediately. Link
Sqaure’s Cash App lets you text or email money for free. Link
Apple’s iBeacons are going to transform much more than advertising. Link
Three reasons Apple Pay is going to work. Link
The big picture on digital receipts. Link
Fartfetch launches discover app. Link
iPhone’s NFC tech will only work with Apple Pay. Link
Oculus announces mobile SDK and platform for developers. Link
The best iOS8 features you may not know about. Link
Apple sells 10M iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units in launch weekend. Link
Why the U.S. lags the world in mobile payments. Link
Amazon, Lowe’s and E*Trade embrace iOS8’s Touch ID to reduce mobile commerce friction. Link
Beacons land on retailers’ holiday wish lists. Link

Other:

Whole Foods to test rewards program as competition grows. Link
Digital innovation is in the spotlight at London Fashion Week. Link
Apple TV is now armed and ready to be the centerpiece for Apple’s smart home takeover plans. Link
The slow death of the no-logo movement. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 9.15.2014

September 15, 2014Leave a comment

Top industry news from last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

Home Depot confirms data breach and says investigation goes back to April. Link
Opening Ceremony takes wraps off Intel-powered smart bracelet. Link
PayPal gambles on Bitcoin and One-touch payments. Link
DVF focuses on retail growth. Link
Ikea to resume online rollout after yearlong pause. Link
Rent the Runway to open DC store in Georgetown. Link
Anthropologie launches home catalogue and registry. Link
Rebecca Minkoff’s smart bracelets place emphasis on style and luxury. Link
Apple hires Gap’s number two marketer. Link
Target links with Toms. Link
Burberry’s scrolling website for its new fragrance is a thing of beauty. Link
Retailers give themselves makeover as millennials follow own beat. Link
Urban Outfitters to open first Asian store in Hong Kong. Link
London Fashion Week: Why technology is in fashion. Link
Behind the Vans boom. Link
Rocket Internet kicks off $970M IPO. Link
LVMH’s TAG Heuer has plans for smartwatch. Link
LuLuLemon stock spikes on Q2 gain. Link
Foot Locker partners with Deliv for same-day sneaker delivery. Link
H&M third quarter sales exceed estimates after strong August. Link
Uniqlo to reissue its greatest hits from Jil Sander collaboration. Link
Target hopes for a hit with Altuzarra collection. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

There is now an agency dedicated to your favorite Instagram models. Link
You can now buy things directly on Twitter. Link
How one fashion blogger is on track to earn almost $8M this year. Link
Twitter announces Flight, an annual mobile developer conference. Link
eBay prepping new mobile ad network. Link
Converse aims to turn ‘boring parts of the internet fun’ with Sneakers Would campaign. Link
Turning celebrities into branded cultural currency. Link
Yahoo sees mobile ads following search business. Link
Canon partners with Stella McCartney for camera bag collection. Link
Facebook is cracking down on ads users hate. Link
Five brands using data to generate blog content. Link
Facebook autoplay ads cause surge in mobile data use. Link

Start-ups:

Uber pilots on-demand product delivery in Sweden. Link
Everlane to deliver clothes to your door in less than 60 minutes. Link
Festival travel site Festicket raises $2.7M. Link
Kanzee makes sharing clothes with friends a breeze. Link
Google buys popular polling service Polar for Google+. Link

International:

[APAC]

Uniqlo launches Malaysian online store. Link
Alibaba brings luxury to China’s middle class. Link
This is the $100 Android phone that Google is hoping will dominate India. Link
China is Ikea’s fastest growing market. Link

[AU/NZ]

Forever 21 heads to Sydney. Link

[CA]

How Nordstrom plans to conquer Canada. Link

[EU]

Neiman Marcus acquires MyTheresa.com. Link
Crew opens fourth London unit. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Tech and fashion designers put the wear in wearables. Link
Apple coverage:
- A smartwatch, iPhone 6 and more: Highlights and analysis from Apple’s keynote. Link
- Apple launches mobile payment platform Apple Pay. Link
- Apple smartwatch launch boost to wearables. Link
- Apple Pay poses dilemma for Telco’s mobile wallets. Link
- Will stores warm up to Apple Pay? Link
- Six core beliefs behind the new Apple Watch. Link
- Larger iPhone 6 Plus sells out. Link
- Three cool things the iPhone 6 camera can do. Link
- How Apple pushes entire industries forward. Link
BBC goes local – and mobile – with experimental ‘popup’ bureaus. Link

Other:

New York Fashion Week explores technology’s role in fashion. Link

Ready for wearables to be fashionable?

September 11, 2014September 12, 2014Leave a comment

Technology and fashion. What better topic to cover on this blog? This week there is no shortage of coverage to review, from Fashion Week to Apple’s big iWatch reveal on Tuesday.

via Rebecca Minkoff

Starting with Fashion Week, we saw two designers present smart jewelry as part of their Spring/Summer 2015 collections. First, Rebecca Minkoff (with help from Case-Mate) unveiled a smart bracelet as an introduction to a collection of accessories that sync with phones to provide call and message alerts as well as double as a USB device. The bracelets communicate with your phone via a Bluetooth signal. There is also a mini charger in the collection, designed to fit in a small clutch. These accessories will be available at Rebecca Minkoff and Nordstrom stores just in time for holiday and range in price from $40 – $120.

Opening Ceremony x Intel via Fast Company

Another newsworthy designer wearable came from Opening Ceremony, who collaborated with Intel to make fashionable bracelets dubbed MICA (or, My Intelligent Communication Accessory). At start, the features of the bracelet include SMS messages, meeting alerts and so-called “general notifications.” Unlike Minkoff’s BlueTooth enabled bracelet, the MICA is 3G enabled and does not rely on a phone for connectivity. The bracelets charge wirelessly and feature “premium finishes” like pearls and water snakeskin. These accessories will be sold at Barneys and Opening Ceremony stores this holiday season. No reports on price just yet.

Apple iWatch via Engadget

Lastly is, of course, the Apple iWatch. Early next year, you can spend $350 to purchase a watch that syncs with your iPhone 5 or above. Features include Apple Pay, a slew of sensors, and six different bands to choose from.

Now we’ll watch as the public warms up to wearables that serve purposes beyond fitness tracking.

Lots of good coverage to check out around the web, including:

Quantifying the Runways at New York Fashion Week (Inc Magazine)

Tech Companies and Fashion Designers Try to Put the Wear in Wearables (Wall Street Journal)

Designers are Jumping Into the Wearable Tech Space This New York Fashion Week – Should We Care? (Forbes)

Apple Smartwatch Boost to Wearables (Women’s Wear Daily)

Opening Ceremony and Intel Reveal MICA – My Intelligent Communication Accessory (BusinessWire)

WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 9.8.2014

September 8, 2014September 8, 2014Leave a comment

Top industry news from last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

eBay makes New York Fashion Week instantly shopable. Link
Nordstrom said to be first retailer to accept Apple mobile payments. Link
Neiman Marcus to open first NYC store. Link
Saks introduces user-generated content hub to propel purchases. Link
Opening Ceremony reveals Intel-powered smart bracelet. Link
Digital driving growth at Belk department stores. Link
eBay attracts top fashion brands to sell direct. Link
NastyGal lays off up to 10% of its workforce. Link
Saks Fifth Avenue takes steps ot build on its legacy. Link
Staples adds buy online, pick up in store. Link
Yahoo Style, a new digital magazine, arrives just in time for fashion week. Link
UPS plans to offer pickup points for online orders in New York City and Chicago. Link
Google pledges to fight the sale of fake Luis Vuitton bags online. Link
Starbucks to launch express stores. Link
Amazon taps USPS to deliver groceries in San Francisco. Link
Saks CMO explains sweeping changes. Link
DVF’s tech-savvy style. Link
Visa rolls out online payments campaign for NFL opening day. Link
Joe Zee is Old Navy’s fall style ambassador. Link
Crew’s sales picked up last quarter. Link
PayPal expands further into offline retail and mobile payments with new PayPal Here SDK. Link
It’s Uniqlo vs. Uniqlo at the US Open. Link
Path of stolen credit cards leads back to Home Depot stores. Link
ASOS seeks CIO. Link
Six ways competitors are trying to kill Amazon. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Social activism becomes a thing for brands, thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge. Link
Ikea pitches its 2015 catalog as the coolest gadget ever. Link
American Apparel ad banned in UK for sexualizing schoolgirls. Link
In social advertising, YouTube converts more customers than anyone else. Link
Photo app Twitpic shuts down over trademark spat with Twitter. Link
Facebook rolls out privacy checkups to all 1.3B users. Link
Hyperlapse is doing well so far. Link
How Venmo is turning into a hilarious social network. Link

Start-ups:

This startup aims to give everyone the shipping power of Amazon. Link
Yahoo buys photo ad network Luminate, shuts it down. Link
Food start up adds tech talent as Silicon Valley shakes up the food business. Link
Diageo looks to pour new tech into liquor with venture unit. Link
Uber strikes deal to build new headquarters in large expansion. Link
ASOS founder funds London expansion of New York-style blow dry bars. Link

International:

[APAC]

Fans form lines in Tokyo for expected iPhone launch. Link
Rakuten to buy eBates. Link
Baidu Eye prototype unveiled to rival Google Glass. Link
Emerging Asian designers hit New York Fashion Week. Link
House of Fraser completes sale to Chinese department store. Link

[AU/NZ]

The Iconic joins other fashion pureplays in international fashion merger. Link
H&M confirms two Sydney stores. Link

[EU]

Online shopping on mobile devices overtakes desktop in UK. Link
How Yoox turned the lucury-goods industry onto digital. Link

[A/ME]

Africa now has 100M Facebook users, 9% of the total population. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Apple courts fashionistas as smartwatch expectations mount. Link
Motorola’s Moto 360 smartwatch arrives just days before Apple’s expected smartwatch announcement. Link
Apple’s big event on September 9^th. Here’s what to expect. Link
Millennials are the largest group of smartphone owners and adoption is still growing. Link
Inside look at the Starbucks app, the most successful mobile payments system in the US. Link
Apple adds another high-profile hire with industrial designer Marc Newson. Link
The Galaxy Note Edge is Samsung’s new phablet with a new kind of curved display. Link
How beacons are changing the shopping experience. Link
Apple teaming up with Visa, MasterCard on iPhone wallet. Link
Rue La La anticipates bigger-than-ever mobile surge during upcoming holiday season. Link
Microsoft woos cost-conscious with new smartphones. Link
Why Apple’s iBeacon hasn’t taken off – yet. Link
Designers debut wearables at New York Fashion Week. Link

Other:

Following purge of tobacco products, CVS renames itself to CVS Health. Link
Starbucks announces two new store designs. Link
Millennials are saying no to credit cards. Link
Two Googlers take top White House tech jobs. Link

Making Instagram Shoppable

September 3, 2014Leave a comment

On every retailer’s to-do list this year is to monetizeInstagram. The concept is a no-brainer as the visual social network gains more interaction than Twitter and Facebook. Executing a sale from the platform, however, isn’t as easy as a quick like, specifically because there is no outbound linking from a photo. Retailers have been struggling to figure out ways to monetize this content. We’ve see tactics like using the product SKU as the location of the photo, using the entire product name for easier online search later, shortened URLs used in copy for easy memory, and the ever-present shop-able Instagram galleries on websites.

None of these are perfect, of course, as Instagram is after all a social platform not an ecommerce platform. But some retailers have put new solutions in place just in time for this holiday season, partnering with start-ups in an attempt to figure it out. With the insights they’ll gain this season, if not the sales, these retailers will have a solid start on their social commerce strategy. Here are some examples:

Nordstrom:

Innovator Nordstrom partnered with Curalate to launch their Like2Buy service. The service is basically a shoppable web gallery (outside of Instagram) that the users have to click through from the Nordstrom profile page. The stronger selling point is the curated gallery aspect, in which you can shop only the selection of photos you’ve liked previously. Target and Charlotte Russe have also signed on as early launch partners.

Fox & Fawn:

Even boutiques and small businesses are leveraging shop-able Instagram solutions. Vintage Brooklyn outpost Fox & Fawn utilizes vendor Soldsie to let users leave comments with a hashtag to reserve goods from a photo. Users then have to call to pay but with a more established retailer’s ecommerce site, the users could checkout online.

RewardStyle:

The uber popular affiliate blogger network launched LikeToKnowIt, a service that utilizes email bounce backs as the mode of shopping from a blogger’s outfit post on Instagram. Vogue was the first magazine to make its feed shoppable using this service. They also just announced a partnership with BCBG for fashion week that will enable a shoppable runway.

Check out highlights from around the web:

Nordstrom Wants You to Shop on Instagram (Business Week)

Buy What You Like: You Can Now Shop Straight from Instagram (Forbes)

You Can Now Shop the Runway Just Minutes After a Show With These Chic New Apps (Glamour)

On Instagram, a Bazaar Where You Least Expect It (New York Times)

3 Startups Making Instagram Shoppable (Fashionista)

Weekly Industry Round Up: 9.2.2014

September 2, 2014September 2, 2014Leave a comment

Top industry news from last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

Nordstrom introduces seamless Instagram shopping experience. Link
Rumors that eBay is set to buy ASOS. Link
Abercrombie to strip logo from clothing. Link
Refinery29 teams up with Simon Malls. Link
Evernote launches office gear on market ecommerce portal. Link
More and more, fashion designers are selling direct to customers. Link
Intel poised to launch luxury smart bracelet at Barneys. Link
Report card on back to school: the season’s trends and what they mean for retailers. Link
Newegg unleashes its own fleet of delivery vehicles for same day delivery in LA. Link
How REI blazes a digital trail. Link
Google is working on drone deliveries too. Link
Zara withdraws t-shirts after accusations online of anti-Semitism. Link
JustFab Inc., which includes ShoeDazzle and FabKids, is valued at $1B following $85M investment. Link
Zalando blends data with fashion. Link
Claire’s reveals new plan to right sluggish sales. Link
Macy’s new Bronx store: localization in action. Link
Apple sends invites for September 9^th.Link
Teens favor tech over clothes. Link
Stuart Vevers’ first Coach collection hits Net-a-Porter. Link
Are things looking up for Target? Link
Uniqlo to open two Boston area stores. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Tweet this hashtag in NYC and Reebok could run a pair of sneakers over to you. Link
Facebook introduces bandwidth targeting to match mobile ads to your network quality. Link
Introducing Hyperlapse, Instagram’s new time-lapse video app. Link
12 marketers already experimenting with Hyperlapse. Link
Gap runs first social campaign for kids’ accounts. Link
Pinterest tests news tab on mobile. Link
Facebook boosts event visibility with new ad format. Link
Nordstrom wants you to shop on Instagram. Link
Vice Media sells a stake to A&E Network at $2.5B valuation. Link
What’s next for Twitter marketing real world innovation? Link
Twitter redesigns signup process to entice new users. Link
SnapChat said to have more than 100 million monthly active users. Link
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett to start in H&M holiday campaign. Link

Start-ups:

Amazon buys Twitch, bets on content in a hub for gamers. Link
Mallzee makes move to become the go-to mobile shopping destination for clothes. Link
Honest Co., Jessica Alba’s ecommerce startup, raises $70M. Link
How a clothing company successfully turned salvaged trash into fashion. Link
Menswear brand will deliver fresh white shirt in less than 90 minutes. Link
3 startups vying to become the “Uber for Beauty.” Link

International:

[APAC]

LuLuLemon’s Asia push. Link
WalMart looks online for Chinese growth. Link
Chinese are traveling more but shopping less. Link
Wanda, Tencent and Baidu take on Alibaba with $814M ecommerce deal. Link
Hermes first-half profit rises on Asia sales. Link
Apple’s opportunity in India. Link
Google to open new startup center in Seoul. Link
Why social ecommerce is a game changer for niche brands in China. Link

[AU/NZ]

Williams-Sonoma arrives in Sydney. Link
Australian retailers ramp up. Link
Inside Google’s secret drone-delivery program in Australia. Link
TopShop partners with Uber to offer free rides to its AU flagship. Link

[EU]

Marks & Spencer hopes for halo effect with unifying brand campaign. Link
Online beauty brand BirchBox pops up in London. Link

[CA]

LuLuLemon founder’s wife and son open luxury t-shirt store Kit and Ace. Link

[LATAM]

Columbia open and ready for business. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Zalando testing mobile clothing recognition app. Link
Apple rumored partnership with American Express, Visa and MasterCard for mobile payments. Link
NFC and wallet likely in next iPhone. Link
Tablet growth expected to be flat in North America and Europe this year. Link
Kenzo enhances Printemps pop-up with interactive mobile app. Link
Quirky Miu Miu mobile app makes mark at Venice Film Festival. Link
Pandora’s Google Glass app puts music controls on user’s face. Link
Another season, another app. Link
Macy’s offers digital wallet. Link
Full-screen ads are coming to the iPhone. Link
Rebecca Minkoff introducing wearable tech. Link
Storytelling app Steller becomes more of a social network. Link
Burger King ups ante on promoting apps with smartphone offer. Link
Ritz Carlton strive to improve customer stays with app upgrade. Link

Other:

Forbes’ 25 most innovative companies, including Hermes, Amazon, and Chipotle. Link
Report finds ecommerce draws hedge funds. Link
22% of millennials feel they are under extreme financial stress. Link
The world’s most creative people in business. Link
How does internationalization work for online retailers? Link

Fashion. Retail. Tech. News.

Headlines from around the web covering fashion, retail, ecommerce and technology.

Month: September 2014

Ready for wearables to be fashionable?

Weekly Industry Round Up: 9.2.2014