Weekly Industry Brief: 3.27.2017

I know you’re really busy and probably don’t have time to read all of the articles that come across your inbox in a week. Same. So I’ve collected the retail industry headlines from around the web over the last week for easy scanning purposes.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Cheers.

Brands and Retailers

  • Google going deeper into retail with shopper extension. WWD
  • Walmart expands its ecommerce ambitions with a new investment arm. New York Times
  • Target CEO says stores are driving digital growth. Retail Dive
  • Target unveils store prototype with two types of shoppers in mind. Associated Press
  • Avon freshens up in a bid to reconquer Middle America. The Wall Street Journal
  • Sears Holdings acknowledges the end may be near. Retail Dive
  • Nike starts to feel the competition. The Wall Street Journal
  • Kiddie activity hubs seen as way to make malls Amazon-proof. Bloomberg
  • Lord & Taylor hopes to lure customers to the store with the largest dress floor in America. Fashionista
  • Bebe plans to shut its stores and focus on web. Bloomberg
  • Urban Outfitters and Hot Topic are among popular retailers for millennials. Fashionista
  • Get a first look at Topshop’s new bridal line. Fashionista
  • Target diversifies the look of its lingerie product. Glossy
  • Macy’s signs exclusive deal with DKNY. WWD
  • Amazon’s ambitions unboxed: stores for furniture, appliances and more. New York Times
  • Why Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein are thriving while other US brands are tanking. Quartz
  • Nike CEO says the retail landscape is unsteady. Fortune
  • Walmart plans to ramp up ecommerce with two major initiatives. Business Insider
  • Amazon has a new weapon in its war on brick-and-mortar retail. Business Insider
  • Coach said to be readying Kate Spade buy. Business of Fashion
  • H&M rethinks fast fashion. Glossy

Marketing and Social Media

  • Luxury brands are beginning to embrace WeChat’s new multimedia moments ads. Jing Daily
  • Instagram opens shoppable organic posts to more businesses in the US. Marketing Land
  • Facebook introduces a new ad format – product-focused ‘collection.’ Techcrunch
  • More big brands suspend Google ads over offensive videos. AdAge

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Google Glasses didn’t disappear; you can find them on the factory floor. NPR
  • Wells Fargo will let you use Apple Pay and Android Pay to withdraw money. Techcrunch
  • Tesla’s new solar roof tiles will be available to order starting in April. Techcrunch
  • The AI class that Facebookers are sprinting to get in. Wired
  • Apple patent points to a possible iPhone-powered laptop. CNet

International

  • Brooks Brothers reboots China business with new Beijing flagship. WWD
  • John Lewis debuts its own premium denim brand. Creativity Online
  • Ikea working on lowering pricing for India. LiveMint
  • Amazon to buy Middle Eastern online marketplace, Souq.com. Reuters
  • As Amazon floods with Chinese sellers, Western brands move into China’s booming e-Commerce market. Forbes
  • Here’s what happens in the athletic wear industry when China starts going to the gym. Quartz
  • As AirBnB just learned, it’s really hard to localize your brand name for China. AdAge
  • Lazada brings Alibaba’s biggest bazaar to Singaporean shoppers. Bloomberg
  • Walmart steps up Chilean business. WWD
  • Amazon is globalizing its retail empire. L2
  • How Brazil’s H&M defied the recession. Business of Fashion
  • Myntra launches first retail store for online brand ‘Roadster.’ The Economic Times
  • South Korea’s Lotte makes room for online retail brands. The Korea Herald
  • How United Arros became huge in Japan (and ready for global expansion.) GQ
Advertisement

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s