Hey! Thanks for keeping up on industry news with me.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Have a great week!

Brands + Retailers

• • Levi’s shares rose 32% in first day.  The New York Times
  • Everything Apple announced on Monday.  Gizmodo
  • After IPO, Levi’s sets its sights on $10B.  Fortune
  • How Glossier grew into a $1B beauty business.  CNN
  • Ulta is pulling ahead of Sephora and Amazon in battle for beauty shoppers.  Forbes
  • Square takes on Shopify with new micro-merchant tools.  Fast Company
  • CVS is partnering with brands like Medterra to sell CBD products in stores.  AdWeek
  • Madewell is in growth mode. Bloomberg
  • DSW to rebrand in shift to more in-house brands.  The Wall Street Journal
  • WalMart to drop price-matching program.  Dallas News
  • Fast fashion brands have a new threat in the $24B second hand clothing market. CNBC
  • Cannabis retail is here.  RetailDive
  • Neiman Marcus plants its flag in New York’s luxury battleground.  Fortune
  • Charlotte Russe to close all stores, begin liquidation.  Fortune
  • Study finds that most Amazon brands are duds, not disrupters.  Bloomberg
  • Starbucks announces trials for recyclable and compostable cups.  CNBC
  • 74% of consumers go to Amazon when they’re ready to buy something.  CNBC
  • Apple accidentally reveals iPhone upgrade.  Forbes
  • Victoria’s Secret formally returns to swimwear.  Fortune
  • Is Apple saying goodbye to fashion? The New York Times
  • Ikea enters Manhattan with small, urban format.  Curbed
  • Amazon to debut private-label skincare line.  CNBC
  • Hermes to launch skincare and makeup.  Elle

Social Media + Marketing

• • Why social commerce is becoming the ultimate form of advertising for CMO’s. Forbes
  • Pinterest steps up planning for IPO.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Apple unveils its $9.99/month news subscription service.  TechCrunch
  • Snapchat’s private ad market thrills brands but not publishers.  AdAge
  • Amazon is blocking ads for products that lose money.  Fast Company
  • Mobile ads trigger quicker recall, action than you might think.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Ahead of Apple’s video launch, YouTube pulls the plug on its Hollywood dreams. Fast Company
  • Pinterest and Airbnb team up on a Spring and Summer travel guide.  AdWeek
  • Warner Bro’s and Snapchat create first-ever voice-activated AR lens. AdWeek
  • Snapchat inks Foursquare deal to make ads even more targeted.  Inc

Start up + Acquisitions + Emerging Tech

• • Rent the Runway’s new funding round values the company at $1B.  The New York Times
  • McDonald’s bets big on big data with $300M acquisition.  Wired
  • Estee Lauder bets on tech innovation for future growth.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Walmart is using its money-losing personal shopping service start up, Jet Black, to develop AI to compete with Amazon.  The Wall Street Journal
  • Nars bets on virtual try-ons to fuel the in-store experience.  Glossy
  • Robinhood acquires financial newsletter MarketSnacks.  Fortune

International 

• • Uber will reportedly buy its Middle Easter rival, Careem for $3.1B.  Fast Company
  • How Sotheby’s is curating luxury experiences for millennials in Hong Kong.  Jing Daily
  • Yunji, a startup that enables social commerce via WeChat, files for $200M US IPO.  TechCrunch