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

Brands and Retailers

• Amazon has considered buying some Toys ‘R’ Us stores.  Bloomberg
• WalMart’s ecommerce CEO explains why its many acquisitions will help it reach millennials.  AdWeek
• WalMart to start selling cars at 250 stores.  AdAge
• Everlane launches underwear basics.  Fast Company
• Billionaire CEO wants to launch GoFundMe to buy Toys R Us.  The Washington Post
• Best Buy to stop selling Huawei.  CNet
• Ulta, Gap, Target and more: these retailers are still opening stores in 2018.  CNBC
• Sephora is capitalizing on limited edition by commissioning exclusive products from brands.  Glossy
• Nordstrom to partner with sneaker marketplace Stadium Goods at its stand-alone men’s store.  CNBC
• Gap Inc. pledges to conserve 10B liters of water by 2020.  Fashionista
• Chanel Beauty is expanding distribution in an effort to talk directly to customers.  Glossy
• How retailers are defending their reason for existing in the Amazon age.  Glossy
• New Look to close 60 stores.  Telegraph
• Amazon just passed Alphabet to become the world’s second most valuable company.  CNBC
• FedEx to add 500 new locations in Walmart stores in two years.  Business Insider
• Everlane’s five tactics for winning at physical retail.  Business of Fashion

Marketing and Social Media

• Facebook and Google face emboldened antagonists: big advertisers.  The Wall Street Journal
• Rivals chip away at Google’s and Facebook’s US digital ad dominance.  The Wall Street Journal
• Instagram tweaks its feed to show newer posts first again.  Fortune
• Home Depot expands partnership with Pinterest.  Retail Dive
• Sonos is yanking its Facebook ads in response to the Cambridge Analytica scandal.  Fast Company
• As Instagram Shopping goes global, brands look to optimize mobile commerce strategies.  Glossy
• Elon Musk just deleted the Facebook pages for Tesla and SpaceX.  Fast Company
• Facebook debuted 3 new ad products for retailers at ShopTalk.  AdWeek
• YouTube just become the top grossing iPhone app of the first time.  TechCrunch
• Glossier’s customer obsession is about stirring up conversation.  RetailDive
• Hulu has started to address advertisers’ inventory frustration.  Digiday
• YouTube to increase ad inventory.  The Verge
• Snapchat launches Map Explore feature to highlight breaking news.  The Verge

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

• Amazon has patented a drone that reacts to people shouting and waving at it.  USA Today
• Salesforce is buying MuleSoft at enterprise value of $6.5B.  TechCrunch
• This sneaker startup’s explosive growth comes from creative partnerships.  Fast Company
• Dropbox pops in IPO.  CNN Money
• Google may acquire light-field tech company Lytro for VR/AR.  CNet
• Cheddar raises $22M for international expansion.  The Wall Street Journal
• WalMart’s future could include drone assistants and smart cars.  Engadget
• Tech’s next big wave: big data meets biology.  Fortune

International

• India’s commerce market is exploding. Quartz
• Uber exiting Southeast Asia.  TechCrunch
• How to chase the next half-billion internet addicts in China.  The Wall Street Journal
• Alibaba is doubling down on Southeast Asia as its rivals are moving in.  Quartz