Just like that, we’re halfway through the year. Before you jet off for a long 4th of July weekend, here are some highlights from industry news over the last week. Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.
Brands + Retailers
-
- Retail gets wrecked but Nordstrom and Kohl’s could see a revival. CNBC
- How this 120-year old apparel giant (VF) is trying to reinvent retail. Marketing Week
Retailers are becoming restauranteurs to boost sales. CNBC - Amazon adds Rite Aid locations to package delivery network. The Wall Street Journal
- Johnny Ive to leave Apple as chief designer to form independent company. AdAge
- Twitch is celebrating Prime Day with a 2-day live shopping show. AdWeek
- Rent the Runway is bringing its drop boxes to Nordstrom stores. Forbes
- H&M shifts focus from stores to global ecommerce. Bloomberg
- PepsiCo continues push away from plastic bottles to address environmental concerns. Fortune
- Abercrombie to sell CBD products at half of its stores. The Street
- Pier 1 Imports expands store-closing plans. USA Today
- Target, eBay gear up to challenge Amazon Prime Day. VentureBeat
Social Media + Marketing
-
- Amazon’s Prime Day Taylor Swift concert shows that it wants to sell you more than just stuff. Vox
- Cosmopolitan is launching a branded podcast with Tinder. Digiday
- Here’s how Instagram’s new Explore ads will work. AdAge
- Nike’s app for sneaker heads is fueling it’s digital business. Quartz
- How Supreme got pulled into a fight for its billion-dollar brand. The Wall Street Journal
- The kind of authenticity customers will pay more for. Harvard Business Review
- Instagram therapists are the new Instagram poets. The New York Times
- From Amazon to Uber, internet companies are driving US ad spend. AdAge
Start up + Acquisitions + Emerging Tech
-
- Apple continues expanding into healthcare by selling a consumer-focused Dianetes monitor in stores. CNBC
- Samsung launches Bixby marketplace in attempt to rival Amazon’s Alexa. Fast Company
- Walmart is using VR to help decide who should get promotions. Fast Company
- Why are brands using CGI influencers to promote skincare and fashion? Teen Vogue
- Alphabet’s Loon balloons take flight in first commercial trial. Fast Company
International
