Hi! Here is a recap of retail and ecommerce industry news from the last week that I put together just for you.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

• Coach to buy Kate Spade for $2.4B. Business of Fashion
• Amazon lowers free shipping minimum back to $25. The Verge
• UPS is hampered by ecommerce conundrum as U.S. profit drops. Bloomberg
• The president of Amazon’s fashion division is leaving the ecommerce giant. Recode
• Etsy tanks after announcing a new CEO, flat earnings, and job cuts. Business Insider
• The RealReal is opening a real store in New York. TechCrunch
• Target begins testing next-day delivery with ‘Target Restock’ service. TechCrunch
• Rag & Bone’s CEO on challenging the status quo. Fast Company
• H&M group sales climb 7% in April. WWD
• Apple is the first company worth over $800B. Fortune
• The newness imperative: innovate or fade. Business of Fashion
• Revlon reports first quarter loss. Business of Fashion
• ‘Not dying, just changing,’ what the future holds for the American mall. Retail Dive
• Amazon Prime reportedly doubled US membership in last two years. Retail Dive

Marketing and Social Media

• Snapchat leaves it to rivals to connect the developing world. Wall Street Journal
• Why are Goop and Airbnb teaming up with Conde Nast and Hearst? Business of Fashion
• Aldi’s stunt to attract online shoppers in China. AdAge
• The Top 10 venture-backed fashion startups. Business of Fashion
• YouTube trots out Kevin Hart, James Corden to win back big brands. AdAge
• Hulu introduces shoppable ads and 360-degree spots. AdAge
• Nike’s race for world record – and runners. Business of Fashion
• Staples’ rebranding campaign focuses on delivery services. Bloomberg

Startup and Emerging Tech

• The online marketplace that’s a portal to the future of capitalism. New York Times
• Whirlpool acquires Yummly, the recipe search engine last valued at $100M. TechCrunch
• Third parties have always been the key to Amazon’s smart home domination plans. TechCrunch
• Food delivery startup Maple to shut down operations. VentureBeat
• Amazon plans to unveil new Echo. Wall Street Journal
• Staples to launch AI-powered office assistant. Wall Street Journal
• Apple Pay transactions rise by 450%. Forbes

International

• Zara opens largest store in Mumbai, to launch online portal by year-end. Live Mint
• com posts surprise profit as Chinese spending strengthens. Business of Fashion
• Express to close its 17 Canadian stores. Globe and Mail
• Cutting through Chinese tech giants’ profit distortion. Wall Street Journal
• Amazon launches fresh grocery service in German cities. Reuters
• China tops the United States as Swarovski’s largest market. Jing Daily
• Toys “R” Us top open 40 stores in China. China Daily