Happy Monday! Here is a recap of articles I’ve been reading over the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headlines.
Brands and Retailers
- AT&T is launching a $15 TV streaming subscription. The Verge
- Glossier is officially opening up shop in Los Angeles. Fashionista
- Former Nike designer launches Wone, a minimalist luxury activewear label to watch. Fashionista
- Amazon’s next conquest will be apparel. TechCrunch
- The retail industry is focusing on customer experience and convenience to win in ecommerce. AdWeek
- The dawn of micro-merch. The New York Times
- Best Buy to sell Amazon’s new Fire TV Edition smart TVs in stores. Retail Dive
- Starbucks to close nationwide for facia-bias training. The New York Times
- WalMart to launch redesigned website in May. The Wall Street Journal
- Net-a-Porter founder launches venture capital investment fund. The New York Times
- Packaged foods boost Amazon’s grocery sales. Bloomberg
- Facebook is forming a team to design its own chips. Bloomberg
- Amazon eyes a move into home shopping TV with possible Evine buy. TechCrunch
- As customers turn cold, Victoria’s Secret faces a reckoning. Glossy
- Hasbro bets on Walmart, Target and Alibaba as sales implode in wake of Toys R Us closure. Fortune
Marketing and Social Media
- Google beats expectations again with $31.15B in revenue. TechCrunch
- Snapchat introduces three new capabilities of its augmented reality lenses with ‘Shoppable AR.’ AdWeek
- Amazon now has 100M paid Prime subscriptions. AdAge
- How three brands brought tech to life at Coachella. AdWeek
- P&G ends its year-long YouTube ban. AdAge
- Facebook to show pre-roll video ads in more places. AdAge
- Revolve’s co-founder on why Coachella and influencers are central to the firm’s $1B revenue. Forbes
- Social media use is increasing despite privacy fears. The Next Web
- How Teen Vogue is reinventing traditional magazine covers in a digital-only landscape. Glossy
- Twitter’s rise from the ashes. Seeking Alpha
- How Juicy Couture and sister brands are automating their in-house influencer campaigns. Glossy
Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions
- Meet 9 startups investors have lit up to take the cannabis industry higher. TechCrunch
- Amazon is reportedly working on its first home robot. The Verge
- How Apple will use AR to reinvent the human-computer interface. Fast Company
- The beginner’s guide to how blockchain could change the ethical fashion game. Fashionista
- McKinsey’s latest AI research predicts it could create trillions worth of value someday. Recode
- You can now buy drinks, snacks and even hangover cures in the back of your Uber. CNBC
International
- Online retailers go offline in China. The Economist
- The journey to an agile organization at Zalando. McKinsey
- Alibaba’s TMall woos luxury brands to sell to its invite-only loyalty club for big spenders. Glossy
- Mantra acquires wearables maker Witworks. LiveMint
- Casper plans brick-and-mortar push into Canada. Retail Dive
- WalMart in advanced talks to acquire Amazon’s India rival, Flipkart. Recode
