Here is a recap of retail and ecommerce industry news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Cheers!

Brands and Retailers

• H&M pledges to use 100% sustainable materials by 2030. WWD
• ‘Same-store sales’ is retail’s increasingly irrelevant metric. Forbes
• America’s retailers are closing stores faster than ever. Business of Fashion
• Why Amazon is trying to convince CPG giants to go direct to consumer. Forbes
• Big returns in hassle-free returns. Forbes
• LVMH sales rise 15%, beating estimates. Business of Fashion
• Staples explores sale after failed Office Depot deal. The Wall Street Journal
• Amid the “retail apocalypse” beauty stores are thriving. Quartz
• Ralph Lauren to close flagship Fifth Avenue store, cut jobs. Business of Fashion
• Etsy heralds congressional caucus on micro business. EcommerceBytes
• A new generation of even faster fashion is leaving H&M and Zara in the dust. Quartz
• The Jenna Lyons era at J.Crew comes to an end. New York Times
• H&M tries on multiple personalities to keep growing. Bloomberg
• SoulCycle sold fans on fitness, now it’s cashing in on clothes. Racked
• Walmart thinks it has four strategic advantages over Amazon. Business Insider
• Amazon plans to hire 30,000 part time employees. Fortune
• Online retailers’ new warehouses heat up local job markets. The Wall Street Journal
• Stores take flight from Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. New York Times
• HHGregg to close all stores after failing to find a buyer. IndyStar

Marketing and Social Media

• Twitter lets brands use location data in direct messages. Venture Beat
• Amazon will stream Thursday night NFL games this year. Recode
• Which luxury brands are reaching millennial shoppers? Huffington Post
• Brands are capitalizing on Coachella before the festival even begins. Fashionista
• Google brings fake news fact-checking to search results. Bloomberg
• YouTube will no longer allow creators to make money until they reach 10,000 views. The Verge
• Here is how much top influencers can make on Instagram and YouTube. Forbes
• Zappos rolls out traveling experiential marketing event. MediaPost
• YouTube TV launches live service in major markets. Seeking Alpha
• Prepare to be inspired by SoulCylce’s first major marketing campaign. AdWeek

Startup and Emerging Tech

• Adidas to mass produce 3D-printed shoe with Silicon Valley start-up. Reuters
• Canada tries to turn its A.I ideas into dollars. New York Times
• Apple Pay promised to make plastic obsolete; then came way shoppers and confused clerks. The Wall Street Journal
• Interactive magic mirrors are changing how we see ourselves – and shop. Fast Company
• Why regional fashion incubators outside of New York and LA matter. Fashionista

International

• Tory Burch opens flagship store on Regent Street in London. Retail Gazette
• India’s Flipkart raises $1.4B in biggest ever funding round. Business of Fashion
• Why China is leading us to the future of commerce. Forbes
• What Flipkart stands to gain against Amazon if it merges with Snapdeal. Quartz
• Can Li & Fung recast itself to catch up with the internet age? South China Morning Post
• Walmart grocery pickup coming to Canada. Canadian Grocer
• Amazon takes voice battle with Apple TV outside the US. Bloomberg
• Zara’s new Madrid store challenges Corte Ingles in retail tussle. Bloomberg
• India’s malls make changes to stay competitive. Economic Times