Retailer + Brand News:

• Yoox to buy Net-a-porter for $775 Million. Link
• Chanel to launch ecommerce. Link
• Amazon launches ‘Dash’ home ordering kit. Link
• Google announces budget-priced Chromebits and Chromebooks. Link
• American Apparel to lay off 180 employees. Link
• GoDaddy pops 31% as it opens for trading, raising $460M in its IPO. Link
• Everything to know about Primark, the EU fast fashion brand about to crush its US competition. Link
• Amazon’s one-hour delivery lands in Atlanta. Link
• Membership-based delivery services are beginning to disrupt the $600 Billion-a-year grocery industry. Link
• Groupon quietly launches Groupon Stores, a marketplace for its $2B goods business. Link
• JayZ relaunches Tidal with music’s biggest artists as his co-owners. Link
• Birkenstocks SVP says Birks aren’t normcore. Link
• Sophia Amuroso opens up about what’s next for Nasty Gal. Link
• Nordstrom Rack’s digital secrets to in-store success. Link
• Online consignment store sees strong fast-fashion demand. Link
• Men are now the biggest online shoppers. Link
• Saks President steps down, Hudson’s Bay names new president. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

• Tinder launches its first in-app ad: a video spot for Bud Light. Link
• Calvin Klein to sponsor exhibit in Central Park. Link
• Pinterest’s new browser extension makes pinning way more efficient. Link
• Mobile ads will smash $100B mark worldwide in 2016. Link
• Pinterest shaking up social, search and shopping as it celebrates fifth birthday. Link
• Twitter publicly launches Curator, its real-time search and filtering tool for media outlets. Link
• New system tracks which ads coaxed your feet to walk into that store. Link
• New York Times launches Men’s Style. Link
• Tom Brady makes Periscope debut while shooting an ad for Ugg Australia. Link
• Pinterest says more guys are joining the site than ever. Here’s what they are doing. Link

Start-ups:

• Square rolls out open tickets to you can keep your tab open at bars. Link
• Watch out Uber and Lyft, Ford’s working on its own ridesharing service. Link
• Kickstarter’s ‘Campus’ offers project creators community guidance. Link
• Instabrand raises $2.5M in venture funding. Link
• LimeRoad, a fashion scrapbooking site based in India scoops up $30M Series C. Link
• Reformation raises $12M. Link

International:

• [APAC]
  • Snapdeal turns to local languages for better sales. Link
  • Japan app store prices to increase within 24 hours due to exchange rates. Link
  • Hilton expands digital check-in and rooms selection technology to more hotels. Link
  • China targets the dollar. Link
  • Korea’s online retailers see global sales growth. Link
• [CA]
  • WalMart scaling back on free shipping to shoppers in Canada. Link
• [EU]
  • Westfield and Inition use Oculus Rift virtual reality to showcase future of retail. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

• Target merges art, apps and sales for unique product integrations. Link
• Venmo finally getting an important security feature. Link
• Woolworth’s Apple Watch app brings shopping lists to your wrist. Link
• Smartphone-dependents often have no backup plan for web access. Link
• IBM gets serious about Internet of Things with $3B investment. Link
• Apple Pay’s biggest hurdle to overcome is at checkout. Link
• New York Times to bring one-sentence stories to Apple Watch. Link
• Whatsapp for Android allows users to make calls. Link
• Verizon Wireless customers can now opt out of ‘supercookies.’ Link
• Alibaba, Xiaomi partner for wearable payments. Link

Other:

• AirBnB adds Cuba to destination list for US travelers. Link
• The micro-living trend checks into hotels. Link