Hi! I’m back from holiday (and honeymoon!) and so excited to start this new year. Here is some industry news I’ve collected from the last few weeks. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

• Band of Outsiders is relaunching with a new team and only menswear. Link
• Boohoo bids $20M for Nasty Gal’s intellectual property. Link
• How Nike and Adidas are pushing the future of retail. Link
• Amazon sells out of Echo speakers in midst of holiday rush. Link
• Yahoo and other breaches drive surge in corporate hacking insurance. Link
• Kate Spade said to kick off formal sale process next month. Link
• Zalando looks to China for inspiration. Link
• Bobbi Brown will leave her namesake makeup brand. Link
• How H&M is trying to counteract fast fashion with revolutionary recycling. Link
• Inside the multi-million dollar ugly Christmas sweater industry. Link
• As last minute shoppers go online, retailers brace for trouble. Link
• Times Square landlords seek tenants wishing to offer experiences like food and entertainment. Link
• Macy’s to cut over 10K jobs. Link
• Amazon’s brick-and-mortar bookstore is coming to Manhattan. Link
• Modcloth opens brick-and-mortar shop. Link
• Amazon plans to sell its own line of athletic clothing. Link
• For the first time, Alibaba sues Taobao merchants over fakes. Link
• The human cost of next day delivery. Link
• Sweetgreen going fully cashless in 2017. Link
• Neiman Marcus withdraws IPO registration. Link
• The Limited to close all 250 stores. Link
• Amazon starts flexing muscle in new space: air cargo. Link
• Sears and Kmart announce store closures. Link
• Amazon, Forever 21 vying for bankrupt American Apparel. Link
• Drugs, guns and fake kicks: inside the counterfeit economy. Link

Marketing/Social

• Periscope sunk without Twitter’s wings. Link
• Coach confirms partnership with Selena Gomez. Link
• The EU has slapped Facebook with an antitrust complaint over its WhatsApp acquisition. Link
• Who is winning the social media shopping race? Link
• Neiman Marcus’ powerful personal shopper. Link
• Snapchat opens research center in China even though it’s banned there. Link
• Bed, Bath & Beyond tests a membership program. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

• How Google used AI to transform Google Translate. Link
• Rockets of Awesome raises $12.5M. Link
• Google, Gap test augmented reality shopping. Link
• Rent-the-Runway raises $60M. Link
• Amazon flies package to customer in England. Link
• Apple begins selling AirPod wireless headphones after two months of delays. Link
• 5 bleeding-edge brands that are infusing retail with artificial intelligence. Link
• L’Oreal debuts smart brush at CES. Link
• Samsung’s Gear VR browser gets improved WebVR content support. Link
• 7-Eleven beats Google and Amazon to the first regular commercial drone delivery service in the U.S. Link
• Mattel is building an Alexa for kids. Link

International

• Reliance forms joint venture with Bally in India. Link
• Amazon Prime video expands to 200 countries. Link
• Estee Lauder lower China prices by up to 30%. Link
• Apple plans first retail store in South Korea. Link
• American Apparel shuts 12 of its 13 UK stores. Link
• China faces rising retail vacancy rate. Link
• Adidas has taken the concept store battle to Stockholm with Europe’s first interactive virtual reality store. Link
• Amazon plans to add more sellers in key categories in bid to boost market share in India. Link
• How Unilever reaches rural consumers in emerging markets. Link
• Apple in discussion to manufacture some of its products in India. Link
• Prada to close boutique at Peninsula hotel as Hong Kong’s retail slump bites. Link
• TopShop to open 80 standalone shops in China. Link
• 12/12 even breaks records in China. Link