Month: February 2018

Weekly Industry Brief: 2.26.2018

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Happy Monday! Here is your recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands + Retailers

  • Chanel and Farfetch team up for digital push at fashion label’s stores.  Reuters
  • Amazon is giving its Prime members with a Visa rewards card 5% back when shopping at Whole Foods.  CNBC
  • Albertsons to buy Rite Aid in latest Amazon countermeasure.  Bloomberg
  • Soon available at WalMart, Harry’s is giving Gillette a run for its money.  Fast Company
  • AirBnB is rolling out a new tier aimed at higher-end travelers.  TechCrunch
  • UPS is working on a fleet of 50 custom-built electric delivery trucks.  TechCrunch
  • Nordstrom Family Group finalizing take private offer.  Business of Fashion
  • How Everyone is building the next-gen clothing brand.  Fast Company
  • Amazon has quietly launched an exclusive line of over-the-counter health products.  CNBC
  • Walmart has big year of commerce investments planned to bring growth back to 40%.  CNBC
  • Kith is dropping exclusive collections on Net-a-Porter.  Fashionista
  • Amazon plans to open as many as six more Amazon Go stores this year.  Recode
  • WalMart is launching a home decor site.  Business Insider
  • Net-a-porter beauty business is thriving.  Glossy
  • Walmart aims for affluent customers with online mattress line.  New York Times
  • Fitbit posted a weaker-than expected quarter.  Techcrunch
  • Chewy beats Amazon in online pet supply business.  Forbes
  • ASOS launches first-ever activewear line for men and women.  Independent

Social Media + Marketing

  • Nike teamed up with Snap and Darkstar to pre-release shoes on Snapchat.  TechCrunch
  • Snapchat copies Instagram, adds gif stickers.  The Next Web
  • Google debuts AdSense ‘auto ads’ with machine learning to make placement and monetization choice.  TechCrunch
  • Chanel unveils Instagram feed for beauty devotees.  LA Times
  • Maybelline asks followers if Snapchat is worth it.  AdAge
  • Is brand-free beauty the wave of the future?  Fashionista
  • Goop expands media empire with Gwyneth-hosted podcast.  Fast Company
  • Facebook says its clarifying its ad metrics.  TechCrunch
  • Get ready for 3D posts in your Facebook newsfeed.  Techradar
  • Instagram is dissolving its global community team.  The Verge

Startups + Emerging Tech

  • Glossier raises $52M in Series C funding.  Fashionista
  • Oreo snacks on AR in new mobile scavenger hunt.  Mobile Marketer
  • Diamond industry turns to AR to attract wedding-wary millennials.  Glossy
  • Proven wants to sell AI distilled custom skincare.  TechCrunch
  • DropBox files for IPO of up to $500M to tap into the public market.  The Drum
  • Dolce & Gabbana is using drones to model handbags at Milan Fashion Week.  Business Insider
  • Apple plan giant high-end iPhone and lower priced models.  AdAge

International

  • From online-only to omni-channel in China. Wall Street Journal
  • Flipkart is crushing Amazon in one of India’s biggest ecommerce categories.  Quartz
  • Chinese KOLs are a dime-a-dozen but sometimes a dime well spent.  Jing Daily

Weekly Industry Brief: 2.19.2018

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Happy Monday! Here is a recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • Burberry teams up with FarFetch in online push.  Business of Fashion 
  • Nautica brand to be sold by VF after losing its 90’s cool.  Bloomberg
  • J.Crew has hired the Starbucks executive who transformed the coffee chain into a tech innovator.  Recode
  • H&M forecasts physical stores to return to growth next year.  Business of Fashion 
  • In cutting time to market, toy companies try on fast-fashion approach. The Wall Street Journal
  • Fossil shares surge 79% as wearable tech spurs sales.  Fortune
  • Campbell Soup organic sales fall as dispute with Walmart continues.  CNBC
  • Walmart rolls out new apparel brands for women, kids and plus sizes.  CNBC
  • Sam’s Club offering free shipping in challenge to Costco and Amazon.  Fortune
  • Shopify beats estimates but signs emerge of slowing growth.  Business of Fashion 
  • Pepsi is investing in its ecommerce business to avoid the retail apocalypse.  Business Insider 
  • Sears to post a rare profit but that’s only thanks to tax reform.  Fortune
  • Walmart goes to the cloud to close the gap with Amazon. Reuters

Marketing and Social Media

  • Snapchat opens a store – and takes aim at a trillion-dollar industry.  Fast Company
  • How Giphy is bringing GIF engagement to brands.  The New York Times 
  • Unilever threatens to pull ads from Facebook and Google if they don’t help clean up the internet.  Fortune
  • How Glamgldw became the skin-care brand with the most buzz on social media.  Digiday
  • The Stories format is coming to Google search results next.  The Verge
  • Snap will use data to lure digital stars back from Instagram.  Bloomberg
  • Vimeo launches tools for simultaneous uploading or live streaming to Facebook, YouTube, Twitch.  TechCrunch
  • Why Diesel opened a deceptive NYC pop-up store selling knockoffs of its own clothes.  AdWeek
  • Google Chrome debuts automatic blocking of annoying ads.  Ars Technica

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • WeWork moves into retail with new partnership with J.Crew.  Glossy
  • Harry’s raises $112M to go behind shaving.  New York Times
  • Oreo hopes to see success in its own scavenger hunt AR game.  Digiday
  • Oliver Cabell disrupted the luxury bag market, and now it’s taking on sneakers.  Fast Company
  • Amazon-owned Twitch is expanding in Europe.  Digiday

International

Weekly Industry Brief: 2.12.2018

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Happy Monday! Here is a recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • QVC’s plan to survive Amazon might actually be working.  Bloomberg
  • Loft moves into plus sizes in attempt to bolster slumping sales.  Glossy
  • Macy’s will be the first major US department store to sell hijabs.  Business of Fashion
  • Lululemon CEO resigns after falling short of company’s code of conduct.  Fast Company
  • Less selection will define retail in 2018.  Retail Dive
  • Estee Lauder targets 5-second attention span in digital makeover. Business of Fashion
  • How Target, Kroger and Design Within Reach are tapping tech to improve your shopping trip. Forbes
  • Getting your product on shelves at Whole Foods just got harder.  Wall Street Journal
  • L.L. Bean to link boots, coats to blockchain. Wall Street Journal
  • Booming Costco courts millennials with online and delivery, but stores still rule.  The Seattle Times
  • Amazon said to launch delivery service to compete with UPS and FedEx.  TechCrunch
  • Coty quarterly profit beats as acquisitions pay off.  Business of Fashion 
  • L.L. Bean drops lifetime return policy.  CNN Money
  • Retail sales expected to climb as much as 4.4% in 2018.  CNBC
  • Amazon is laying off hundred of employees at its Seattle headquarters.  Fortune
  • In the wake of Amazon, trophy retail properties fall short.  Forbes

Marketing and Social Media

  • Instagram give brands a new way to sell in collection ads.  AdAge
  • Snap revenue surges on user growth, advertising gains.  Bloomberg
  • Pinterest users are conducting 600 million visual searches per month.  AdWeek
  • Birchbox, Revolve test Instagram Collection ads.  MarketingDive
  • YouTube usage soars nearly 30%.  MediaPost
  • Twitter posts a profit for the first time.  AdAge
  • The most successful brands focus on users not buyers. Harvard Business Review 
  • Viacom to launch its own streaming service this year.  TechCrunch
  • Unilever threatens to pull funds from social media that breeds division.  AdAge
  • Brands are becoming accountable for where digital ads show up. The New York Times
  • Snapchat starts selling $10+ caption able AR masks for events.  TechCrunch
  • The Affluencers: influencers who have actual influence.  The Cut
  • Facebook testing down-vote option for flagging abusive comments.  Entrepreneur
  • Why you won’t see Olympic-themed McDonald’s commercials this year.  CNN Money

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • Cardlytics up 3% following IPO, raised $70M.  TechCrunch
  • Grocery delivery startup Instacart is almost a unicorn.  Fast Company 
  • Amazon wants Alexa to be your home’s brain and this could be the next step.  Fast Company

International

  • How Tmall is fueling the global growth of China’s fashion designers. Glossy
  • Amazon eyes new warehouse in Brazil ecommerce push. Business of Fashion
  • How luxury brands sell and celebrate Chinese New Year online. Jing Daily
  • Alibaba buys sake in Chinese furniture retailer Easyhome.  South China Morning Post

Weekly Industry Brief: 2.5.2018

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Happy Monday! Here is a recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • J.Crew launches lower-priced swimwear line aimed at millennials.  Fashionista
  • Warby Parker shrunk its beloved frames to launch a kids line.  Fashionista
  • Kroger sells convenience store holdings for nearly $2B.  Fortune
  • Amazon wins holiday with 38% sales gain.  AdAge
  • H&M fashions a plan for a comeback.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Luxury in the age of digital Darwinism.  McKinsey
  • H&M just saw its biggest profit dip in six years.  Fashionista
  • Revlon’s CEO departing amid expected steep losses.  USA Today
  • How Yoox’s mobile app is driving more than 50% of sales.  Glossy
  • Tesla expands sales of solar gear at home depot.  Bloomberg
  • Amazon reports nearly $2B in profit, blowing past Wall Street expectations for holiday quarter.  TechCrunch
  • Five key takeaways from Amazon’s earnings.  Forbes
  • Former Under Armour execs launch direct-to-consumer brand.  RetailDive
  • What drew Amazon and Alibaba to bricks-and-mortar.  Bloomberg
  • The NFL wants to be your favorite lifestyle brand.  Racked
  • Ralph Lauren tumbles after posting weak holiday-season sales.  Business of Fashion 
  • Estes Lauder extends streak on strength of online, holiday sales.  Business of Fashion 
  • H&M is launching a new store ‘Afound’ to sell external brands.  Fortune
  • Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway and JP Morgan are joining forces to offer lower-cost health care to U.S. employees.  Inc

Marketing and Social Media

  • Hot 100 retailers embrace video to connect with shoppers.  Internet Retailer
  • Snapchat’s new Snap Store teases in-app commerce potential.  TechCrunch
  • How social media is changing product development in beauty.  Glossy
  • How personalization will evolve in 2018.  AdAge
  • For influencers, Instagram is the clear-cut favorite. eMarketer
  • Five trends you’ll see in Super Bowl ads on Sunday.  AdAge
  • McDonald’s received the most social media exposure worldwide. Business Insider
  • Unilever squeezes $700M out of ad production.  AdAge
  • Forget the spokesmodel – companies want real people.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Super Bowl ads 2018: what worked and what didn’t.  Entrepreneur

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • Farfetched gears up for fashion store of the future.  Reuters
  • Retail spending on AI to reach $7.3B by 2022.  RetailDive
  • Bustle is raising roughly $30M to go on a shopping spree.  TechCrunch
  • Google Home will now wake you up with your song of choice.  CNet
  • Storyline lets you build and publish Alexa skills without coding.  TechCrunch
  • Adidas Boost: the sneaker technology that changed a company’s fortunes.  GQ
  • HP is making a bigger VR push for professionals.  Engadget
  • Uber is piloting a bike-sharing service.  TechCrunch

International