I’m back! I was in Asia for work the past two weeks, so here are a bunch of industry headlines since then.  As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.  P.S. I can’t believe how quickly this summer is going by!  Happy August.

Brands and Retailers

• Michael Kores to buy Jimmy Choo in $1.2B deal. The New York Times
• Sephora is experimenting with a boutique format. Fast Company
• Fashion industry pays attention to plus-size women. The Economist
• Underwear is driving Amazon’s takeover of the American fashion industry. Business Insider
• Gymboree to close about 350 stores in restructuring. Wall Street Journal
• Five takeaways from Amazon Prime Day. Retail Dive
• Amazon sold three times as many Echo devices on Prime Day this year vs. last year. AdWeek
• Amazon to host job fair for 50,000 positions amid hiring squeeze. The Wall Street Journal
• The secrets to luxury eyewear brand Gentle Monster’s rapid rise. Jing Daily
• Wal-Mart said to be eliminating a few dozen jobs at headquarters. Business of Fashion
• Here’s how the Amazon effect is hitting the apparel industry. CNBC
• Birkenstock accuses Amazon of modern day piracy. Washington Post
• Amazon’s revenue rises 25% on retail dominance. The Wall Street Journal
• Stitch Fix has filed confidentially for an IPO. Recode
• How Reebok, Adidas and Y-3 will dress future space explorers. Fast Company
• Amazon’s next act: a trendy new in-house shoe collection. Footwear News
• How Rent the Runway is pulling off deliveries at the speed of Amazon. Glossy

Marketing and Social Media

• Amazon launches Spark, a shoppable feed of stores and photos aimed at Prime members. TechCrunch
• Facebook to show ads on Messenger to boost revenue growth. Wall Street Journal
• New Zara documentary takes viewers behind the scenes. Refinery29
• Coveteur is making their brand work official with a content studio. Glossy
• Instagram encroaches on Snapchat’s turf of social media influencers, winning their hearts, minds and posts. CNBC
• Old Navy succeeds by saying bye to celebrities. AdAge
• Twitter is developing a subscription plan that promotes your tweets automatically. Fortune
• P&G slashes digital ads by $140M over brand safety. AdAge
• What marketers should note from Facebook’s second quarter earnings. The Wall Street Journal
• Target is ending Cartwheel Perks rewards program, promises something better. CNBC
• Lyft and Taco Bell collaborate on a new service offering. The New York Times

Startup and Emerging Tech

• Online CPG start-up to test the power of brands. The Wall Street Journal
• How bots bested the $1B sneaker resale industry. Forbes
• China’s store of the future has no checkout, no cash, and no staff. Business of Fashion
• You will soon be able to search eBay by using a mobile snap or social media link. CNBC
• Farfetch founder talks about how he built a $1.5B fashion platform. Wired
• Intel eliminates its wearables division. CNBC
• AI and the retail store of the future. Venture Beat

International

• Starbucks rallies as Chinese sales growth fuels optimism. Bloomberg
• India will have more than 850M internet users by 2025. Economic Times
• Saint Laurent to launch online sales in China. The Wall Street Journal
• In China, designer goods delivered to your doorstep. The New York Times
• Chinese tourists spending less on shopping. Bloomberg
• JD.com’s growth outpaces China’s ecommerce marketing. The Wall Street Journal
• Amazon prepares to enter Southeast Asia via Singapore launch. TechCrunch
• Silicon Valley giants confront new walls in China. The New York Times
• Flikart said to make new offer for Snapdeal. Business of Fashion
• Where North Korea’s elite go for banned luxury goods. CNN
• WalMart to invest in expansion in India. Economic Times
• Amazon expands U.K. headquarters as Brexit leads bankers to exit. Bloomberg
• Why Abercrombie finally decided to start selling on Alibaba. AdAge