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 5^th 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