Hi! Here is a recap of the news I’ve been reading in the industry this week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Have a great week and Happy Spring!

Brands and Retailers

• What’s next for malls – a look at two successful companies in America? Fashionista
• Nike, H&M named world’s most valuable apparel brands. Fashionista
• Gymboree chief tapped to lead Banana Republic. Reuters
• Victoria Beckham to launch Spring collection at Target. Refinery29
• Macy’s CEO wants to make these five big changes at the store. CNBC
• Zara’s new focus: bigger bricks, more clicks. Wall Street Journal
• Honest Co taps Clorox veteran as new CEO. Fortune
• Acne reboots denim strategy. Business of Fashion
• L’oreal Beauty’s secret weapon is buying other companies. Fortune
• C. Penney closing 138 stores, liquidations begin next month. Retail Dive
• Canada Goose raises $256M in IPO. Bloomberg
• Walmar to acquire Modcloth. Recode
• Neiman Marcus mulls sale, with Hudson’s Bay seen as suitor. Bloomberg

Marketing and Social Media

• Adidas hires social-media stars to double women’s market share. Bloomberg
• Adidas steps away from TV advertising as it targets $4B growth. CNBC
• Inside Hearst’s turbulent quest to build a Snapchat brand. Glossy
• Hollister targets teens with mobile video game. AdAge
• Coachella sues Urban Outfitters for Free People capitalizing on festival brand. WWD
• Who is the millennial femal e micro influencer? Adweek
• Google removes audio ads from Google Home hours after introducing them. BGR

Startup and Emerging Tech

• Swatch takes on Google, Apple with watch operating system. Bloomberg
• Alibaba bets on big on augmented reality. Jing Daily
• Foursquare is launching an analytics platform to help retailers understand foot traffic. TechCrunch
• Why former Wall Streeters find new careers as fashion founders. Glossy
• Chic, direct-to-consumer vitamin companies are the latest wellness trend. Fashionista
• Shopify’s ecommerce revolution. Fortune
• Intel wants to be a tech ‘enabler’ for the fashion industry. Engadget
• DeepMind finds way to overcome AI’s forgetfulness problem. Bloomberg
• Drones may one day buzz inside a Walmart near you. Fortune

International

• Zara will enter India’s online shopping scene this year. Quartz
• Ikea plans to open five stores in Serbia. Economic Times
• Paris Gallery Group aims to open 30 new stores in Middle East. The National
• Amazon plans air cargo service for Chinese customers. Wall Street Journal
• Apple plans two more Chinese research hubs as iPhone sales slow. Bloomberg
• Amazon aims to breathe new life into Tokyo Fashion Week. WWD