Check out industry news I’ve found around the web from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.  Happy reading.

Weekly Industry Brief 6.27.2016

Brand/Retailer:

• Valentino’s parent company confirms purchase of Balmain. Link
• How Uniqlo plans to establish a digital identity. Link
• How Patagonia keeps its brand authentic in the midst of an activewear boom. Link
• Macy’s CEO of 13 years to resign in 2017. Link
• Big Box retailers have two options if they want to survive. Link
• Warby Parker and Shinola fight to be the millennials choice in authentic retail. Link
• How fashion companies are starting to design like tech companies. Link
• Fast fashion castoffs fuel global recycling network. Link
• Ulta finding success in brick-and-mortar. Link
• Circuit City inches closer to retail relaunch. Link
• Sports Direct, Modell’s discuss joint bid for Sports Authority. Link
• Apple buys back e-book buyers following settlement. Link
• Why are affluent millennials shopping in dollar stores? Link

Marketing/Social:

• Snapchat: how brands reach millennials. Link
• Vine can now support videos that are 10 minutes long. Link
• Facebook, Google reportedly moving to automatic blocking extremist videos. Link
• You can now ‘try on’ and buy 900 lipsticks on Facebook. Link
• Amazon partners with fashion bloggers on anti-body shaming campaign. Link
• Google said to face investigation into ad services by EU. Link
• Iris Apfel is the best thing to happen to Macy’s. Link
• Apple just improved the most important social network in your life. Link
• Facebook signs deal with media companies, celebrities for Facebook Live. Link
• Facebook is now recommending events based on human opinions not algorithms. Link

Start Up:

• Away expands luggage options. Link
• Narvar raises $22M to help internet retailers deliver physical goods without frustrating customers. Link

International:

• Ikea plans upgrades, expansion in Russia. Link
• Luxury brands step up shift to digital in China. Link
• JD.com, stepping out of Alibaba’s shadow? Link
• Paris vows to fight Amazon Prime Now service. Link
• Starbucks, Tata extend partnership beyond India. Link
• U.K. business secretary seeks to reassure firms amid ‘Brexit.’ Link
• Elon Musk is squaring off against China for the future of Tesla. Link
• Chinese tourists to spend over $45B in APAC region for 2016. Link
• Entry of conglomerates shaking up online retail in India. Link
• Study says China’s millennials get ‘aggressive’ with consumer spending. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

• Snap, swipe, like: the mobile future of fashion retail. Link
• Google is reportedly building a phone for this year. Link
• Augmenting reality in retail: how Lowe’s, Walgreens make virtual change in the aisle. Link
• Google Fiber swallowed another internet provider. Link
• Google ops up virtual reality field trips, debuts new apps and service for teachers. Link