Hi! Here is some industry news I’ve collected over the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.
Brand/Retailer
- Top 7 retailers to watch in 2017. Link
- L’oreal to acquire three U.S. skin-care brands for $1.3B. Link
- Cult backpack brand Herschel gets into apparel. Link
- Gildan buys American Apparel at bankruptcy auction. Link
- Amazon is planning to hire 100,000 full-time employees. Link
- Cole Haan collaborates with Mountain Hardware, prAna and more for a women’s lifestyle collection. Link
- Apple takes first step to expanding its US manufacturing footprint. Link
- American Apparel to close L.A. headquarters and close all 110 U.S. stores. Link
- Nordstrom names Innovation Chief to bring digital tech to full-line stores. Link
- How Yoox and Net-a-porter is supporting fashion tech education. Link
- Holiday season sales grew eight times faster online than in stores. Link
- Cadillac unveils ultimate upscale car sharing program. Link
- Pandora is laying off 7% of its US workforce. Link
- J.C. Penney to open Nike outlets in more than 600 stores. Link
- Apple said to be seriously pursuing Netflix-style scripted TV and movies. Link
- Tiffany’s feels the Trump effect on 5th Link
- Online consignment shops clean up after the holidays. Link
- Michael Kors, Prada skimp on new handbag designs. Link
Marketing/Social
- Soulcycle, Casper and Drybar reveal the secrets to their cult brands’ success. Link
- Instagram accounts for 92% of brand social interactions. Link
- Snapchat will make London its new international HQ. Link
- DVF rebrands with new logo, monogram and brand colors and relaunches website in time for Spring. Link
- YouTube launches “Super Chat,” a way for creators to make money from their live streams. Link
- Adidas voted the most relevant brand of 2016. Link
- Here’s how the new vertical video ads will look inside Instagram Stories. Link
- Why Snapchat’s new search bar is a welcome sign for brands. Link
- Twitter is phasing out the “buy” button, will continue to offer donations. Link
- Vine shuts off sharing, launches Vine Camera. Link
Startup/Emerging Tech
- LetGo raises $175M to finance its used goods marketplace. Link
- Intel launches new IoT retail platform, plans $100M retail tech investment. Link
- Stadium Goods raises $4.6M to sell sought-after sneakers and streetwear. Link
- Richard Branson’s next big idea: sports festivals. Link
- Fabletics launches a free Daily Burn-like workout and other perks for members. Link
- Baidu opens augmented reality lab, begins integrating AR into search. Link
International
- Lululemon expands its European presences with a London flagship. Link
- Alibaba takes big step offline with $2.6B Intime deal. Link
- Alibaba launches ‘big data anti-counterfeiting alliance’ with Louis Vuitton, Swarovski and more. Link
- App downloads up 15% in 2016, revenue up 40% thanks to China. Link
- Apple is increasing the price of apps in the UK by 25% because of Brexit. Link