Happy Monday! Here is a brief of industry news I’ve been tracking over the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

• Macy’s CEO vows to keep shoppers’ attention as malls fade. Bloomberg
• Amazon launches ‘My Mix,’ a personalized shop filled with your favorite things. TechCrunch
• Nordstrom family explores taking retailer private, shares surge. Reuters
• Macy’s considering turning Herald Square roof into a public park. New York Post
• It’s not just retail that’s changing, it’s us. Bloomberg
• Amazon’s lending business for online merchants gains momentum. Bloomberg
• Ikea to try selling through third parties. Reuters
• UK-based fast-fashion site and new owner of Nasty Gal, Boohoo.com, just raised $65M. Fashionista
• The rise of luxury strip malls. Business of Fashion
• Crew and Ralph Lauren: the hard lessons consumers are teaching the fashion industry. Forbes
• Nike and Adidas are making huge investments that should terrify Under Armour. Business Insider
• Amazon CPG sales outpacing overall market. Retail Dive
• Denim makers are emphasizing stretch, comfort and styles that fit more like leggings. Wall Street Journal
• Cortana can now do price comparisons when you’re shopping online. TechCrunch
• Target and Cartwheel apps to merge starting this summer, mobile payments and improved maps to follow. TechCrunch
• Kids clothing brand Gymboree files for bankruptcy protection. Fast Company
• Saks owner Hudson’s Bay to cut 2,000 as losses mount. AdAge

Marketing and Social Media

• How bots are inflating Instagram egos. New York Times
• Selling stuff is no longer the point of retail stores. Fortune
• Shopify-powered app Frenzy will combine the experience of buying a product drop on your phone. Fashionista
• Facebook building feature to let users subscribe to news publications. Wall Street Journal
• Who What Wear launches an ecommerce app. Glossy
• Why is Google digitizing the world’s fashion archives?  Business of Fashion
• Snap is developing a second version of Spectacles which may include augmented retail. Techcrunch

Startup and Emerging Tech

• Shopify makes virtual employee bot free for merchants. Venture Beat
• This startup wants to turn unboxing videos into a big business. Fortune
• Apple unveils Business Chat, which brings customer service and shopping into iMessage. Techcrunch
• How artificial intelligence can help you build your own personalized e-boutique. Fashionista
• This is the next battleground for Apple, Google, Facebook and Microsoft. Fortune
• Is Farfetch edging towards a $5B IPO? Business of Fashion
• How StitchFix is using algorithmic design to become the Netflix of fashion. Fast Company
• Your complete guide to fashion customization. Fashionista
• Why The Real Real is opening real-life stores. Glossy

International

• Alibaba launches Tmall services in Malaysia and Singapore. Business of Fashion
• India now top country in the world for retail investment. Retail Dive
• L’Oreal set to sell The Body Shop to Brazil’s Natura in $1.1B deal. Business of Fashion
• Behind the Great Firewall, the Chinese Internet is booming. Wall Street Journal