Happy Monday! I was running a race in Big Sur last week, so apologies for the silence. Below is a recap of industry news over the last couple of weeks.  Sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

• Nordstrom tests curbside pickups for online orders. Link
• Amazon tests package delivery to cars. Link
• PayPal tops eBay’s marketplace in sales for the first time. Link
• Adidas to use marine plastic waste in products from 2016. Link
• LVMH launches new visually dynamic site design. Link
• Kenzo revamps website. Link
• Goodbye 50% off: deep discounts are ending. Link
• Uber is quietly testing a massive merchant delivery program. Link
  • Uber reportedly planning merchant-delivery service with Tiffany, Louis Vuitton and other brands. Link
• 8 ways buying luxury will change. Link
• Amazon web services is a $5B business and it’s growing 50% a year. Link
• Warby Parker valued at $1.2B. Link
• Amazon expands business-sales marketplace after three years. Link
• Amazon shares soar to all-time high on cloud surprise. Link
• Google’s revenue hurt by rising dollar. Link
• Lowe’s lets consumers run wild with 3D printing. Link
• Retail’s new reality: invisible shopping centers and virtual assistants. Link
• Yoox and Net-a-porter merger may move more luxury online. Link
• Porter launches men’s athletic wear. Link
• Concept shop Story to tell Dress Barn’s tale. Link
• Why Nike and Under Armour are spending wildly to watch your every step. Link
• Nordstrom invests in turning flagships into destinations. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

• Facebook’s newsfeed tweak could add another ding to mobile site traffic. Link
• Facebook Messenger accounts for 10% of global mobile VoIP. Link
• Eva Chen exits Lucky. Link
• Buzzfeed doesn’t care where you watch its videos. Link
• Pinterest opens up to brands with new ways to plan posts and buy ads. Link
• Facebook is courting small businesses again. Link
• Refinery 29 raises $50M. Link
• Facebook adds video calling to Messenger mobile app. Link
• The rise of emoji on Instagram is causing language repercussions. Link
• The new boys’ club: Retailer Instagram accounts targeting men. Link
• Hulu wants brands to make commercials with Hulu to run on Hulu. Link
• The latest fashion, trending on Google. Link
• Linkedin follows Twitter, shocks social media investors. Link
• Meerkat for iOS now lets you publish livestreams to Facebook and links to your phone contacts. Link

Start-ups:

• First look at Uber’s co-founder’s shopping concierge “Operator”. Link
• Beacon marketer Swirl raises $18M in funding. Link
• Online fashion mall Lyst raises a fashionable $40M. Link
• Loop commerce raises $16M to make gifts more personal. Link
• Chipotle signs deal with food delivery start-up Postmates. Link
• Rocket Internet cuts stakes in lending sites. Link

International:

• [APAC]
  • WalMart to expand China store network by nearly a third after growth stalls. Link
  • China’s middle class propels Apple’s iPhone sales. Link
  • Japanese clothing store sports robot greeter. Link
  • Rakuten takes stake in Chinese online discount provider Fanli. Link
• [EU]
  • Amazon hikes free delivery minimum spend to £20. Link
• [CA]
  • Target returns, auctions off leases on most Canadian properties. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

• Apple Pay to hit Best Buy stores in 2015. Link
• Anonymous sharing app Secret shuts down. Link
• An example of how shopping could work on the Apple Watch. Link
• The Apple Watch can now tell you all about your local Apple Store. Link
• Apple is testing analytics for the app store. Link
• Android phones can now launch some apps on voice command. Link
• Luxottica working on new version of Google Glass. Link
• McDonald’s beacon strategy pushes in-store conversion rate to 20%. Link
• Adidas-Spotify mobile app partnership helps music listen to runners. Link
• Pinterest now wants developers to build apps based on all its data. Link

Other:

• Amazon launches travel service in three major cities. Link