Check out my recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

• Virgin America and Spotify team up for free inflight music streaming. Link
• ASOS reports small rise in annual profits. Link
• Amazon beats expectations with $24.4B in sales. Link
• Adidas aims to open automated shoe factory in Germany in 2016. Link
• American Apparel sees bright future after bankruptcy. Link
• Walmart plays catch-up with Amazon with significant increase in ecommerce investment. Link
• Google revenue rises as mobile contribution grows. Link
• Under Armour is stepping on Nike’s turf with donation to running track in Portland. Link
• Google expresses itself with fast-delivery service expansion in Cleveland. Link
• Apple Music has 6.5M paying subscribers. Link
• Microsoft goes upscale with Fifth Avenue flagship store. Link
• Amazon tested package delivery by newspaper trucks. Link
• Coty acquires content agency Beamly as it gears up for P&G deal. Link
• Amazon to charge $299 yearly membership for grocery delivery. Link
• Net-a-porter launches luxury ski shop. Link
• Lush Cosmetics touts transparency as ecommerce grows. Link

Marketing/Social:

• Twitter to let brands link up users’ Twitter handles with their customer accounts for customer care. Link
• Flipboard launches a new targeted ads product based on its interest graph. Link
• Digital network dedicated solely to fashion launches on Apple TV. Link
• Instagram’s new standalone app Boomerang captures 1-second video loops. Link
• Tailoring is key to Coca-Cola’s success on Snapchat. Link
• Coke creates podcast with iHeartMedia to target teens. Link
• Google discloses more search data to woo retailers. Link

Startups:

• Time Inc. acquires Hello Giggles. Link
• German startup Number26 turns retail shops into bank branches for its bank of the future. Link
• A flurry of startups vie to win ecommerce battle in India. Link
• Indiegogo creates generosity.com for personal fund-raising campaigns. Link

International:

• Target begins shipping to Canada through its website but shoppers dismayed at cost. Link
• Spotify moves closer to launches in Indonesia and Japan. Link
• Primark expands on rival Zara’s home turf with Spanish flagship store. Link
• Indonesia to woo American investment in ecommerce sector. Link
• Rare store sales data highlights Wal-Mart’s China challenge. Link
• Uber says 30% of trips take place in China. Link
• Facebook strives to bring cheap wifi to rural India. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

• Hundreds of apps banned from app store for accessing users’ personal information. Link
• Facebook M Assistant’s top requests include restaurant suggestions and shopping help. Link
• Tommy Hilfiger using virtual reality in stores from New York to Moscow. Link
• The New York Times is about to launch a virtual reality mainstream moment. Link
• Dunkin Donuts tells customers its app needs a jolt. Link
• Target gets into Halloween spirit with virtual reality, mobile site. Link