I’m back! Took a short hiatus from posting last week while enjoying a couple days off between jobs. New year, new job! I’m so excited to say I’m working on the future of ecommerce, which you can learn more about here and in this eMarketer report here.

Anyway, I’ll continue to post my weekly industry briefs.  As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands + Retailers

• Abercrombie Kids launches gender-neutral clothing line. Fashionista
• Gucci is going gangbusters online, leaving Louis Vuitton in the dust.  Forbes
• Zara unveils click-and-collect store in London.  Independent
• LVMH posts record 2017 sales driven by fashion and leather goods.  Fashionista
• What the Richemont-Yoox-Net-a-Porter deal means for online luxury retail.  Glossy
• Amazon chooses 20 finalists for second headquarters.  The New York Times
• At National Retail Federation trade show, technology was the star.  The New York Times
• Apple plans new US campus.  Reuters
• 52% of online apparel shoppers turn to Amazon.  Retail Dive
• IBM aims to solve global shipping inefficiencies using blockchain.  Retail Dive
• Amazon’s incredible 500K+ people power.  Wall Street Journal
• Google gets into audiobooks as rivalry with Amazon heats up.  Reuters
• WalMart makes a late entry to the ebooks market.  The New York Times
• Airbnb doubles down on experiences with $5M investment.  Fast Company
• How Domino’s transformed into an commence powerhouse whose product is pizza.  Forbes

Social Media + Marketing

• Inside the revamp of Sephora’s influencer strategy.  Glossy
• How Keihl’s is using text messages and AI to keep customers loyal.  Digiday
• The follower factory: Inside social media’s black market.  The New York Times
• Starbucks to debut credit card.  CNBC
• DTC brands are using loyalty programs to dodge the sales promotion trap.  Glossy
• How customers decide whether to buy from your website.  Harvard Business Review
• Twitter unveils sponsored moments. TechCrunch
• Instagram adds GIFs to stories.  AdAge
• Annoyed by targeted ads? Google’s got you covered.  AdAge
• Facebook has seen the future of online video and it’s vertical.  Campaign
• Salesforce is making it easier to create stoppable posts on Instagram.  AdWeek
• Snapchat to let users share stories outside its mobile app.  Business of Fashion
• Twitter working on Snapchat-style tool for video sharing.  Business of Fashion
• Abercrombie and Fitch might actually be pulling off its comeback.  Glossy

Start-up + Emerging Tech

• Nike to release PlayStation sneaker that vibrates on your feet.  Business of Fashion
• Depop raises $20M to expand in the US.  Fashionista
• How Nike used algorithms to design its latest shoe.  Wired
• Six ways new technology with revolutionize shopping.  Wired
• Stitch Fix CEO predicts AI’s impact on fashion.  Digiday
• Bill Gates made these 15 predictions in 1999 and they are crazy accurate.  Business Insider
• How to win founders and influence everybody.  Wired

International 

• JD.com planning US-based logistics. Retail Dive
• Tmall to hold China Day during New York Fashion Week. Jing Daily
• Chinese and Indian consumers want different things from luxury.  Jing Daily
• Buzzfeed will get a taste of the Chinese market in deal with local media giant.  AdAge

 

Here is some of the industry’s news over the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

• Lands’ End plans to open 40-50 brick-and-mortar stores over the next five years. Women’s Wear Daily
• Target’s plan to pump $7B into its stores really paid off over the holidays. Fortune
• Target plans private-label denim line. Women’s Wear Daily
• As Amazon and Walmart duke it out, niche retail can thrive. Fast Company
• Wal-Mart raises US hourly wage to $11 in wake of tax overhaul. Bloomberg
• With Nyden, H&M tests a brand designed to attract millennials. Glossy
• A tough agenda faces Neman Marcus’ new CEO. Forbes
• Yoox Net-a-Porter group’s sales hit yet another milestone in 2017. Fashionista
• Why Nike sees social responsibility as an opportunity to innovate. Fast Company
• Supreme Court could rule whether e-retailers pay state sales tax. Retail Dive
• New Look working with Deloitte on store closure plan. Telegraph
• Beauty’s future will be more about technology, quality, formulation and individualization. CNBC
• Department stores’ deepest woes remain in spite of upbeat holiday sales. CNBC
• Get to know commodity, the gender-neutral beauty company taking Sephora by storm. Fashionista
• If retailers want to compete with Amazon, they should use their tax savings to raise wages. Harvard Business Review

Marketing and Social Media

• Ad buyers prefer Instagram to Snapchat. Fast Company
• Facebook to change algorithm to favor posts from family and friends. AdAge
• CVS vows to stop altering beauty images in its marketing. Wall Street Journal
• Gimlet Media is one step closer to becoming the HBO of audio. Fast Company
• America’s love-hate relationship with social media, quantified. Recode
• Digital-only magazine covers are bringing media brands into the digital age. Fashionista

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

• Try-at-home gets a tech update with sensor suits. Glossy
• Apple is the only place you can buy Colgate’s new artificially intelligent toothbrush. Business Insider
• Kroger and rivals in talks to buy wholesales startup Boxed for up to $500M. Forbes
• Peloton wants to strike gold again with a $4K connected treadmill. Fast Company
• Lenovo Mirage Solo is Google’s bet on the future of VR. CNN
• Pay by fingerprint? Visa’s new card marks it possible. Fast Company
• Bots are about to get better at customer support than humans. Wired
• Amazon’s Alexa could start giving out opinions. Retail Dive

International

• How ASOS became a top beauty retailer in the UK. Glossy
• Apple and Tencent reach deal to let WeChat users dole out tips. Wall Street Journal
• Sales of lipsticks for kids grew six-fold last year in South Korea. Quartz