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

• Lord & Taylor is closing 10 stores including its Fifth Avenue flagship.  Fortune
• Gucci aims to rival Louis Vuitton with $12B target.  Fortune
• The world’s largest apparel companies 2018.  Forbes
• Amazon introduces the Fire TV cube.  Quartz
• Ikea no longer just a furniture company.  Fast Company
• Why 2018 is the year of modernization for Target.  Retail Dive
• Five surprising findings about how people buy shoes and clothes.  Harvard Business Review
• Kayla Itsines’ Sweat app will rake in $77M this year.  TechCrunch
• Amazon taps into the indie beauty craze with new online store.  Glossy
• Target, Sycamore tried to acquire Toys ‘R’ Us assets.  Bloomberg
• Rue La La is buying GIlt.  Bloomberg
• How FitBit is trying to transform healthcare and itself.  Fast Company
• Yahoo Messenger to shut down.  Fortune
• How pop-up shops are evolving as commerce brands expand their footprints.  AdWeek
• Starbucks increases price of coffee.  AdAge
• J.C. Penny to open 650 Fanatics shops in stores.  Women’s Wear Daily

Marketing and Social Media

• Facebook allows video with copyrighted music, tests Lip Sync Live.  TechCrunch
• SeatGeek brings ticket selling into Snapchat.  TechCrunch
• Is H&M’s influencer-drive line the future of fashion?  Fast Company
• Behind the messy, expensive split between Facebook and WhatsApp founders.  The Wall Street Journal
• Facebook shared data with Chinese telecom Huawei, raising US government security concerns.  TechCrunch
• Facebook monetizes Marketplace with ads from users and brands.  TechCrunch
• Facebook takes on Twitch with launch of new game streaming.  Tech Radar
• Snapchat ad prices go from ungodly to cheap.  AdAge
• Instagram plans to launch a Snapchat Discover-style video hub.  TechCrunch
• Direct-to-consumer brands sour on Facebook ads.  Digiday
• Publishers are seeing traffic from more than just Facebook.  AdWeek
• How Generation Z’s social media savvy entrepreneurs are giving millennials a run for their money.  CNBC
• US podcast ad revenues hit record $314M in 2017. TechCrunch

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

• The Honest Company accelerates growth strategy with investment from L Catterton.  BusinessWire
• Casper launches a $35 nap pillow for sleeping on-the-go.  TechCrunch
• Apple drew up a patent for a new kind of blood pressure monitor.  The Verge
• H&M tests voice-activated mirrors at NYC flagship.  Retail Dive
• Why Microsoft is willing to pay so much for Github.  Harvard Business Review
• How shopping app Wish is building a retail empire.  CNet
• Microsoft acquires a bunch of game studios.  TechCrunch

International

• Amazon extends UK hiring spree as Brexit uncertainty lingers.  Bloomberg
• Chinese buyers crave a new sales pitch: “experiential luxury”.  Jing Daily
• Luxury sales are rebounding in China. Just not in stores. The New York Times
• India’s online sales to grow 31% in 2018. LiveMint