Well…this clearly hasn’t been  a weekly brief lately!  Been quite the busy summer.  Nonetheless, here is a quick recap of industry news from the past few weeks. Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand+Retailer

• Starbucks designs store for app-oriented customer.  The Motley Fool
• American Eagle, Sephora expand into CBD category.  Glossy
• Amazon’s 48-hour Prime Day sets record. CNBC
• Quip moves from DTC to retail.  Digiday
• Starbucks to roll out delivery in the US by 2020.  Fortune
• Toys ‘R’ Us targets 10 stores by end of 2020.  Bloomberg
• Lady Gaga launching beauty line on Amazon.  CNN
• Amazon adds Rite Aid locations to delivery network.  The Wall Street Journal
• Rent the Runway is growing fast, and struggling to keep up.  The Wall Street Journal
• How Chanel’s beauty products propel its continued growth.  Glossy
• Consumer giants turn from diapers and detergents to jelly masks and eye rollers.  The Wall Street Journal
• With so many vacant stores, ecommerce is only part of the problem.  The Wall Street Journal
• From Old Navy to Madewell, how sub-brands grow up to eat their parents.  Retail Dive
• FTC approves Facebook fine of about $5B.  The New York Times
• Lululemon opens sprawling Chicago store with workout classes and a restaurant.  CNBC
• The inside story of Kim Kardashian West’s $1B bet on the shapewear industry.  The Wall Street Journal
• Walmart reshuffles leadership for better integration between digital and stores.  AdAge
• Barney’s exploring restructuring and bankruptcy.  AdAge
• Highsnobiety, once a sneaker blog, is collaborating with Prada and dropping a product of its own.  Adage
• Dollar General courts more affluent shoppers with home, party goods.  CNN
• Abercrombie and Urban Outfitters implementing buy-now-pay-later payment option to entice cash-strapped Gen Z.  Business Insider

Social + Marketing

• Facebook engagement on the rise. CNBC
• Big brands like Delta, P&G and Under Armour are increasingly hiring Hollywood talent agencies for marketing. Business Insider
• How L’Oreal is embracing new marketing codes to react to market disruption.  Marketing Week
• Pinterest encourages video uploads with new tools.  TechCrunch
• Google’s new shopping platform is now live.  Forbes
• Inside FootLocker’s pivot from athletics to youth culture. Quartzy
• Amazon pays consumers for personal online data. AdAge
• Pinterest reveals a new set of “emotional well-being activities.”  The Verge
• FaceApp responds to privacy concerns.  TechCrunch
• How YouTube stars are using Instagram’s IGTV as a testbed.  Digiday
• How TikTok is testing in-app ecommerce.  Digiday
• Netflix pledges to remain ad-free even as U.S. subscriptions slip.  AdAge
• How PopSugar built an Instagram tool that helps retailers with their ecommerce.  Digiday
• Facebook will ban ads that tell people in the US not to vote. Reuters
• Instagram tests hiding ‘likes’ to benefit your mental health.  Fortune
• Twitch celebrated Prime Day with 2-day live shopping show.  AdWeek
• YouTube’s pushing augmented-reality ads.  Digiday
• Teen love for Snapchat is keeping Snap afloat.  Wired

Start-Ups + Emerging Tech

• Uber puts a shopping experience in cars for riders to buy AirPods, Amazon Echos and more.  CNBC
• The fashion industry is getting more intelligent with AI.  Forbes
• Microsoft invests $1B in Elon Musk’s OpenAI.  Fortune
• Starbucks wants to create the AWS for restaurants.  Fast Company
• McDonald’s adds Doordash as a second delivery partner.  The Verge

International

• LL Bean poised to open first store in Canada.  The Seattle Times
• Reliance to launch Tiffany & Co and Tory Burch in India. Economic Times
• China’s answer to Zara and H&M is ready to take on the world.  South China Morning Post