Hello!  Here are some industry headlines from the past two weeks.  As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

• ASOS to open up second US distribution center. Reuters
• Wal-Mart applies for patent for blimp-style floating warehouse. Bloomberg
• Amazon adds “instant pick up” in US brick-and-mortar push. Reuters
• Big spending expected for Back to School. AdAge
• Jump in US retail sales largely due to ecommerce spending. The Wall Street Journal
• Wal-Mart sales rise as retailer dodges industry malaise. The Wall Street Journal
• Gap shares rise as Old Navy boosts results. Reuters
• Target boosts forecast as back-to-school season aids turnaround. Bloomberg
• TJ Maxx maps plans for continued brick-and-mortar expansion. Bloomberg
• Macy’s and Levi’s team up on limited edition denim shop. WWD
• North Face parent company to buy Dickie’s for $820M. The Wall Street Journal
• Toys ‘R’ Us will return to Times Square. Bloomberg
• TopShop creative chief steps down. Fashionista
• Amazon’s private label business is booming thanks to device sales and expanded fashion lines. TechCrunch
• Inside the L.A. mall that’s defying the retail apocalypse. Fast Company
• Canada Goose debuts its first sweater collection. AdWeek

Marketing and Social Media

• Instagram is testing a way to invite friends to join a live video. AdWeek
• How Glossier hacked social media to build a cult-like following. Entrepreneur
• Sephora creates a digital community for loyal customers. WWD
• Patagonia steps up its public lands activism with first ever TV commercial. Fast Company
• Amazon Prime will be in more than half of US households by year’s end. CNBC
• Apple is entering the content streaming war against Netflix. Fast Company
• Fashion’s hottest brands and top selling products. Business of Fashion
• Cutting out the middleman has shortened the lifespan of fads. The New York Times
• Facebook adds eBay’s Daily Deals to its marketplace on mobile. TechCrunch
• Facebook tests targeting ads to people who visited brands’ brick-and-mortar stores. MarketingLand
• Macy’s pins hopes on new marketing. AdAge
• Marketers step up as tech leaders take AR mainstream. AdWeek
• Baidu and JD.com partner to send search users straight to the checkout. Bloomberg
• Facebook introduces “Watch” video product for short series. Bloomberg

Startup and Emerging Tech

• Look for Apple to release an AR-ready iPhone soon. Fast Company
• Amazon partners with ASU to offer Echo Dot to 1,600 engineering students. ZDNet
• Target buys software startup aimed at same-day delivery. Bloomberg
• Alexa brings hands-free TV to more devices. TechCrunch
• Shake Shack’s new chatbot can answer 300 customer questions. Digiday
• NastyGal founder raises $1.2M for new venture, GirlBoss Media. Forbes

International

• In China, Facebook tests the waters with a stealth app. The New York Times
• China’s JD.com says it is combining brick-and-mortar better than Amazon. CNBC
• The world’s biggest tech companies are no longer just American. The New York Times
• Pepe Jeans to open 20 new stores in India. Economic Times
• PayPal expands Apple integration; will become payment option in 11 new markets. TechCrunch
• McDonald’s plans to nearly double restaurants in China. US News
• Why you should look to China for the future of retail. The Wall Street Journal
• Paris fashion destination, Collette, to close in December. The New York Times
• Ikea set to expand in China. China Daily
• JD.com to launch luxury online retail website. The Wall Street Journal
• Retail giants are flocking to Iceland. Bloomberg