Hello! Below is a recap I compiled of industry news over the last week.  All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

• H&M rings up sales growth thanks to aggressive store opening program. Link
• Forever 21 has reorganized its retail division workforce. Link
• Amazon Prime 1-hour deliveries now available in Manhattan. Link
• Wal-Mart CEO supports $1B investment in wages. Link
• Tom’s founder on the future of retail showrooms. Link
• Ann Taylor parent said to be working with JP Morgan on sale. Link
• Nordstrom aims for $20B in sales by 2020. Link
• Saint Laurent has doubled its business since hiring model Hedi Slimane. Link
• Nordstrom’s income took a hit in 2014, thanks to tech investments. Link
• Global ecommerce sales climb 22% at WalMart. Link
• US annual ecommerce sales surpass $300B for first time. Link
• Target lowers free shipping minimum to $25. Link
• SNKRS app gaining traction for Nike. Link
• For online retailers, fast shipping is becoming as important as price. Link
• Amazon preparing to battle Netflix on original content. Link
• Canada Goose prepares to launch US ecommerce site. Link 
• Best Buy opening tech office in Seattle. Link 

Social Media + Marketing:

• At New York Fashion Week, brands focus on social media’s ROI. Link
• Oakley unveils brand push. Link
• Snapchat said to seek up to $19B value in funding. Link
• Sperry goes back to basics with campaign for adventurous millennials. Link
• YouTube is launching a kid-friendly video app. Link
• Pinterest reportedly eyes $11B in valuation. Link
• Facebook says it only sells viewable ads. Link
• Facebook challenges Google with product ads. Link
• Twitter is latest to boost FCC’s net neutrality plan. Link
• Google fits more search results on mobile screens. Link

Start-ups:

• Xiaomi becomes world’s most valuable tech startup with latest $1.1B funding round. Link
• Grabble closes $1.8M angel round for its Tindr-like fashion shopping app. Link
• Like AirBnB, Plate Culture turns your kitchen into a restaurant. Link
• Social shopping app Shopa secures $11M to scale internationally. Link
• Jet.com looks to give small merchants a leg up. Link

International:

• Navigating a storm of currency volatility. Link
• Visa expands its online payments service Checkout to 16 countries. Link
• [APAC]
  • Lowe’s opens India innovation center. Link
  • Tiffany & Co is now the number one American luxury brand for Chinese shoppers. Link 
• [A/ME] Lululemon to open stores in Middle East. Link
•  [EU]
  • J.Crew pushes further into Europe. Link
  • Apple unveils $2B plans for Irish and Danish data centers. Link
•  [AU]
• ASOS on Campus launches in Australia to woo university students. Link
• Etsy lanches gift cards in Australia. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

• Buzzfeed expands mobile team by acquiring visual conversation startup GoPop. Link
• Virtual reality comes to New York Fashion Week. Link
• Starbucks’ Apple Pay integration will brew up in-app revenue. Link
• Apple orders more than 5 million watches for initial run. Link
• Apple Pay gets a big vote of confidence from the U.S. government. Link
• Yahoo courts mobile app makers with new tools. Link
• Samsung buys LoopPay, a competitor to Apple Pay. Link

Other

• Apple wants to start producing cars as soon as 2020. Link
• Google and Apple fight for the car dashboard. Link
• Starbucks offers smallholder subscription coffee service. Link