Hi! Happy New Year! If you follow this newsletter you’ve noticed I’ve been radio silent the last couple of months. This is because I’ve been quite busy with a new job of becoming a mama. But, now that my baby girl is two months old and I’m *sort of* out of the initial fog, I thought I’d catch up on what’s been going on in the industry. I won’t go so far as to say this will be weekly this year because, well, I’ve got this new full-time job of being a mom plus my other full-time job, plus trying to be a normal, decent human being as well.
So for now, I hope you enjoy this quick recap! As always, sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.
Brands + Retailers
- Goop is coming to Sephora. CNBC
- Abercrombie & Fitch says its willing to walk away from any mall. Bloomberg
- More brands are leaving Amazon, but the strategy could backfire. CNBC
- Men may not buy into the growing clothing rental market. The New York Times
- In 2020, retail is moving back to Main Street. Fast Company
- Away’s CEO returns weeks after stepping down. The New York Times
- Will Gap really spin off Old Navy? Retail Dive
- Alphabet nears $1T market cap on ad-growth optimism. AdAge
- How the way we shop for sneakers has changed over the last decade. Fashionista
- Lord & Taylor plots its comeback under new owner. CNBC
- Kohl’s and J.C. Penney lose more ground amidst sluggish holiday sales. Bloomberg
- Amazon’s Business-to-Business marketplace could be a $31B business in four years. CNBC
- Why UK luxury department stores are outperforming their US counterparts. Glossy
- Cartier partners with TMall to grow Chinese presence. WWD
- Mexico is Walmart’s biggest international market. Reuters
Marketing + Social Media
- As Instagram reaches upper limits of US user growth, expect to see more ways to shop. Forbes
- Rent the Runway CEO says transparency about logistics problems boosted brand loyalty. AdWeek
- Who is buying 2020 Super Bowl Ads. AdAge
- Zuckerberg outlines Facebook’s five areas of focus. The Wall Street Journal
- Natura CEO plans to reinvent Avon Ladies into a glamsquad of “influencers.” Fortune
- Facebook and Instagram will allow users to see fewer political ads in 2020 election. Fast Company
- Podcast listeners are active and open to brand messaging. eMarketer
- The boutique fitness industry’s mission to monetize community. Quartz
- With customer acquisition costs on the rise, DTC leans on referral programs. Glossy
- Gen Z shoppers want a cute, cheap outfit that looks cute on Instagram. The New York Times
- The new trend of piercing pop-ups. The Wall Street Journal
Emerging Tech + Start Ups
- Casper files for IPO. Fast Company
- P&G acquires women’s shaving company, Billie. CrunchBase
- Walmart expands robotic workforce to 65o stores. AdAge
- Visa to buy Plaid for $5.3B in effort to reach start-ups. Bloomberg
- Procter & Gamble’s innovations at CES show shift to data-driven products. Forbes
- This AirBnB-style startup wants you to skip long-term leases and go month-to-month instead. Fast Company
- BMW debuts AR windshield that responds to gaze. Next Reality