Weekly Industry Brief: 11.29.2016

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As you recover from Cyber Monday, browse through some of the industry news over the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Cyber Monday sales surge but not all websites were ready. Link
  • Workers at Topshop’s distribution depot to potentially strike on Cyber Monday. Link
  • This Black Friday, Americans broke records online and on mobile. Link
  • Target CEO says online sales help stores on Black Friday. Link
  • Bed, Bath & Beyond buys PersonalizationMall.com. Link
  • Amazon is already boasting its best Cyber Monday ever. Link
  • Apple iPhone is most coveted holiday buy this year. Link
  • Why Amazon’s shares are slipping despite record Cyber Monday sales. Link
  • AT&T unveils its TV streaming service DirecTV Now. Link
  • Amazon expands its online gift shop and adds human curation. Link
  • Bargain hunters roil retailers looking for Black Friday lift. Link
  • See Herman Miller’s first retail store in North America. Link
  • Macy’s website suffers disruptions during critical shopping day. Link
  • Urban Outfitters misses their third quarter forecasts. Link
  • Crew’s net loss n arrows to $7.9M. Link
  • Zara’s recipe for success: more data, fewer bosses. Link
  • Abercrombie & Fitch quarterly sales miss estimates, shares skid. Link
  • Cyber Monday was the biggest online sales day in history. Link
  • Gucci surpasses Burberry as most digitally savvy luxury brand. Link
  • Inside Scotch & Soda, the under-the-radar brand that’s everywhere. Link
  • Another Cyber Monday, another online sales record. Link
  • Sarah Jessica Parker is opening her first stand-alone store and it’s not in NYC. Link
  • Patagonia donated all revenues from Black Friday. Link
  • Tiffany’s sales rebound, just as Trump traffic jam hits flagship. Link
  • H&M plans Hudson Yards flagship with elevated materials. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Facebook turned to TV to boost Facebook Live. Link
  • How this quirky clothing brand is using Snapchat to sell more shorts. Link
  • To snag Snapchat’s spectacles in New York, a long, cold wait. Link
  • Spotify’s biggest out-of-home push yet. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Facebook’s drone crash prompts safety investigation. Link
  • The 15 hottest NYC startups to follow right now. Link
  • The subscription box that knows more about you than you do. Link
  • Mon Purse, a customizable handbag line with over 6 billion options, launches in US. Link

International

  • Yoox Net-a-Porter group to launch in Middle East. Link
  • Apple iOS is losing to a homegrown competitor in China. Link
  • Lane Crawford sees Hong Kong sales perk up. Link
  • Ford to begin testing self-driving cars in Europe. Link
  • UK retailer, Hobbs, opens first US stand-alone store. Link
  • Black Friday still on the rise in Brazil, no Thanksgiving required. Link
  • Amazon in talks to buy Souq.com. Link
  • China’s ecommerce trends offer consumer insights. Link
  • Sephora opens 200th store in China. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.21.2016

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Happy official kick-off to the holiday shopping season!  Here is industry news from the last week with sources found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Neiman Marcus turns to Rent-the-Runway to lure younger shoppers. Link
  • Sources say J.Crew considering carving out Madewell. Link
  • Amazon files first lawsuit against counterfeit sellers. Link
  • This Black Friday, Everlane wants to buy 8,000 helmets for Vietnamese workers. Link
  • Anthropologie’s new Anthropologie & Co. in Palo Alto includes a Terrain café with menu by Vetri. Link
  • Amazon’s marketplace concept spreads to other retailers. Link
  • Target ships online orders from 1,000 of its stores. Link
  • NastyGal’s bankruptcy: What went wrong? Link
  • Coach, Kors and Kate: The handbag wars. Link
  • Target planning hundreds of small stores. Link
  • Gap to shut more stores as demand remains sluggish. Link
  • Nordstrom takes a big writedown on Trunk Club. Link
  • More people than ever will shop online over the holidays, spending to rise by 18%. Link
  • Patagonia to donate all Black Friday proceeds to environmental groups. Link
  • Fifth Avenue security disruptions will be permanent. Link
  • Amazon just turned Black Friday into a month-long event. Link
  • Starbucks is selling a $150 smart mug that lets you control the temperature of your coffee. Link
  • Fast Retailing CEO not interested in J.Crew, other acquisitions. Link
  • Amazon aims for double-digit Christmas growth while WalMart and Target hope for flat sales. Link

Marketing/Social

  • How Alibaba turns wealthy shopaholics into marketing squad. Link
  • Facebook considering ways to combat fake news. Link
  • Snapchat parent files for $25B IPO. Link
  • Instagram enters live video fray (and takes on Snapchat). Link
  • Facebook says it found more miscalculated metrics. Link
  • Forget filling ad breaks; some marketers make the podcasts. Link
  • Spectacles finally arrive in NYC with a Central Park Snapbot store. Link
  • Acne Studios founder is not down with our celebrity fashion obsession. Link
  • Google can now tell you how busy a place is before you arrive. Link
  • NBCUniversal invested another $200M in Buzzfeed. Link
  • Pinterest debuts Explore, a feature that surfaces trending pins and native videos. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • You rarely livestream but 1M people livechill on Houseparty. Link
  • Alexa will soon be able to send text messages through AT&T. Link
  • McDonald’s plans tech push with heavy focus on mobile. Link
  • Virtual reality lets Chinese customers shop Macy’s famed New York store. Link
  • Google buys shopping search startup to make images more lucrative. Link
  • Sources say Apple abandons development of wireless router. Link
  • How predictive AI will change shopping. Link
  • Analysts say Playstation VR will be top-selling VR system in 2016. Link

International

  • Why Abercrombie is pulling out of Hong Kong. Link
  • What US retailers can learn from Alibaba’s record-setting Singles Day. Link
  • China’s fashionistas flock to online luxury rentals. Link
  • Jeff Bezos invests billions to be top ecommerce player in India. Link
  • Alibaba buys a third of Chinese grocery chain. Link
  • Facebook to hire 500 new staff in major UK expansion. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.14.2016

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Here is your industry news from the past two weeks! Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • 5 rules for a retail town square: What Apple and Whole Foods can teach us. Link
  • IBM buys expert personal shopper from Fluid to build out Watson’s conversation skills. Link
  • American Apparel returns to bankruptcy with deal to sell brand. Link
  • Samsung to buy Harman to $8B in cashin bold auto gambit. Link
  • Superdry owner surges as label leaves retail rivals trailing. Link
  • What President Trump means for retailers. Link
  • Kohl’s introduces its own millennial-focused answer to fast fashion. Link
  • Kenneth Cole to shut down almost all its brick-and-mortar stores. Link
  • Estee Lauder to acquire Too Faced for $1.45B. Link
  • Amazon expands Home Services to 20 more cities. Link
  • Marks & Spencer to close 60 clothing and home stores. Link
  • eCommerce is growing but customers still prefer to shop in stores. Link
  • Amazon files lawsuit to keep counterfeit goods off site. Link
  • California style is back and making bank. Link
  • Fossil is closing stores. Link
  • Net-a-porter reveals Reformation collaboration. Link
  • Crew is discontinuing its bridal collection. Link
  • Lord & Taylor looks to modernize with renovations. Link
  • Primark steps up expansion in US. Link
  • Burberry profit down 40% as costs rise. Link
  • NastyGal petitions to file for bankruptcy. Link
  • Wal-Mart boosts online holiday inventory for Black Friday. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Instagram introduces shoppable product tags. Link
  • Pinterest is adding 15 ad tech companies to beef up its data and measurement game. Link
  • Inside Lululemon’s unconventional influencer network. Link
  • YouTube is helping to sell a lot of makeup. Link
  • What happens when big data meets high fashion. Link
  • H&M trades David Beckham for Weekend in push for younger shoppers. Link
  • Vogue launches Vogue Arabia, it’s first foray into the 22 countries of the Arab League. Link
  • Snapchat’s latest update reveals it grand strategy. Link
  • Crowd-sourced products sell better when they’re marketed that way. Link
  • CoverGirl adds Muslim beauty blogger as ambassador. Link
  • Gap harnesses optimism in holiday ads. Link
  • Snapchat delivers mysterious vending bot to sell its spectacles. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Beware, iPhone users: Fake retail apps are surging before holidays. Link
  • Fashion startup Farfetch said to plan IPO as soon as 2017. Link
  • Online startup Harry’s Razor jumps into Gillette’s turf. Link
  • Wayfair expands virtual reality universe with IdeaSpace. Link
  • Apple considers wearables expansion with digital glasses. Link

International

  • Alibaba doubles down on entertainment with $1.5B fund. Link
  • How Alibaba turned China’s Singles’ Day into the world’s biggest shopping bonanza. Link
  • Amazon plans to enter Southeast Asia with Singapore launch in Q1 2017. Link
  • Julep, Little Red Book partner on China launch. Link
  • Alibaba rival JD envisions its own delivery drone fleet by 2017. Link
  • Chinese shoppers’ share of global luxury purchases drops 30%. Link
  • Alabbar, Saudi PIF to set up $1B ecommerce firm. Link
  • Study: Chinese millennials spend big on shopping because they live with their parents. Link
  • American Apparel’s UK business goes into administration. Link
  • Alibaba shatters Singles’ Day records. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.30.2016

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Hi! Was MIA last week due to a pretty busy schedule. Also, I won’t be posting next week…as per my WEDDING (pause for reaction). But I’ll be back after that, in time for Singles Day (11/11) in China, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and all the other holiday shopping that is upon us.  Here is some industry news from the last two weeks. Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Nordstrom pilots reserve online, try in store program. Link
  • Ruelala expands international shipping options. Link
  • Skechers is crashing after dismal earnings. Link
  • eBay makes bid for younger shoppers with revamped image. Link
  • Amazon executives are pleased with brick-and-mortar bookstores so far. Link
  • Hollister collaborates with Sydney Sierota on partywear collection. Link
  • Victoria Beckham to offer affordable line at Target. Link
  • Pizza, parks and pet spas: shoppers will pay more for experiences. Link
  • The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is here, with a private jet, rose-gold tweezers, and first editions of children’s books. Link
  • Amazon to add 120,000 seasonal workers this holiday. Link
  • Why QVC is launching a new TV channel dedicated entirely to beauty. Link
  • Online orders must be delivered in two days to be considered fast. Link
  • Gucci’s investment in ecommerce is paying off. Link
  • Sonia Rykiel to shutter secondary line, lay off a quarter of staff. Link
  • Liberty Fairs launches ecommerce site with FarFetch. Link
  • Anthropologie’s new beauty department is peak Anthropologie. Link
  • Brooks Brothers buys jewelry line Alexis Bittar. Link
  • New data shows surprising ways this holiday season will be different. Link
  • American Apparel prepares to file for bankruptcy again. Link
  • Leandra Medine’s first ever shoe collection launches on Net-a-porter. Link
  • Wal-Mart plans to expand same-day in store pick up. Link
  • Through investment, Campbell’s soup is getting into meal delivery. Link
  • In an age of fast fashion, Patagonia is going slow. Link
  • How Levi’s ended up collaborating with Off-White, Supreme, Vetements and Gosha Rubchinksiy. Link
  • The coming fast-fashion boom in the developing world spells big trouble for the environment. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Twitter cuts staff, simplifies advertising efforts, and will close down Vine. Link
  • How Tommy Hilfiger is reimagining his brand. Link
  • Millennials aren’t cheap, they’re thrifty. Link
  • Facebook to add food delivery option. Link
  • Why ASOS and Adidas are outperforming competitors in earned media value. Link
  • Facebook helps TV ads reach additional 5% of the population ignored by the average campaign. Link
  • Facebook offers advertisers a way to exclude ethnic groups. Link
  • How social media is driving the plus-size clothing fashion revolution. Link
  • Facebook mimics snapchat again with its new messaging camera. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Google voice search comparison shops on mobile. Link
  • Benchmade Modern makes custom sofas on demand. Link
  • Groupon buys Living Social, it’s rival once valued at $6B. Link
  • Keep Collective, Stella and Dot’s sister brand has been an unexpected runaway success. Link
  • You can now be styled by a fashion-savvy algorithm. Link
  • Meet River Island’s new emo, selfie-taking mannequins. Link
  • How DIY fashion collective Flying Solo is taking direct-to-consumer retail offline. Link

International

  • Fan BingBing and Li Chen front H&M’s Chinese New Year campaign. Link
  • Amazon Prime launches in China, beefs up express delivery in Paris. Link
  • Two reasons Chinese millennials have cash to burn. Link
  • China overtakes the US in iOS app store revenue. Link
  • Tiffany and Co. enters New Zealand. Link
  • Wal-Mart, JD.com add three new initiatives to strategic alliance. Link
  • Nordstrom’s Canada drive: surprises, hurdles and what’s ahead. Link
  • Banana Republic to close UK stores as sales slip. Link
  • Starbucks names China CEO, sees 5,000 stores there by 2021. Link
  • New Look seeks fashion edge in China with local designs. Link
  • Thailand retailers serve citizens in mourning. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.17.2016

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Embraced my day off last Monday so this week is a bit of a combo of the last two weeks.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Bed Bath tries to move beyond the coupon. Link
  • Google pop-ups may signal path to brick-and-mortar. Link
  • Shopify now lets merchants sell through Facebook Messenger. Link
  • Warby Parker, Bonobos have big plans for physical stores. Link
  • Canada Goose preparing for IPO. Link
  • Will Anthropologie ‘s super stores win where department stores have failed? Link
  • Amazon to build convenience stores, Wall Street Journal reports. Link
  • Alibaba’s $60B Finance Arm seeks growth before IPO, say sources. Link
  • Amazon said to limit warehouse access to new merchants. Link
  • Amazon launching music streaming service for $10 a month. Link
  • New from Target and Dwell: Chic modern furniture for $400 or less. Link
  • Fast Retailing’s growth slows sharply. Link
  • Designers find Rent-the-Runway a rich source of data. Link
  • Macy’s flagship debuts Apple shop. Link
  • US retail sales rose in September by the most in three months. Link
  • Macy’s to open on Thanksgiving; Target, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus to close. Link
  • Economist sees mid-market slump this holiday shopping season. Link
  • Is customization the future of the beauty industry? Link
  • Everlane is thinking about adding stores. Link
  • Swarovski, maker of all things bejeweled, tries on a hoodie. Link
  • Nordstrom pulls Moschino drug-themed clothing line after protests. Link
  • Everlane partners with Opening Ceremony on collaboration. Link
  • eBay’s new high-end furniture shop includes a visual search engine. Link
  • Net-a-porter to open West London technology hub. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Meet CoverGirl’s first ever male spokesmodel. Link
  • New Patagonia short film shows how fair trade shopping is good for business. Link
  • Facebook launches a pared back chat app for Android. Link
  • Abercrombie’s massive rebrand initiates with Instagram disappearance. Link
  • Karl Lagerfeld to open hospitality line of hotels, bars and clubs. Link
  • Your guide to Generation Z: the frugal, brand-wary, determined anti-millenninals. Link
  • Can Abercrombie entice Generation Z by being nicer? Link
  • Facebook’s Slack competitor now available for any business to use. Link
  • How the founders of Coveteur built a must-follow fashionable (and profitable) brand. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • IBM to pour $200M into Watson Internet of Things A.I. business in Munich. Link
  • Galleries Lafayette reveals retail disrupters in startup accelerator. Link
  • Three fashion start-ups tapping tough categories. Link
  • Alibaba’s new payment system lets virtual reality shoppers pay by nodding. Link
  • Kohl’s Pay is the latest combatant in the payment app wars. Link
  • The mainstreaming of virtual reality. Link

International

  • UK retailers fret about sourcing prices as Brexit weakens pound. Link
  • WalMart Mexico sales growth slowed in Q3. Link
  • Macy’s plans to launch ecommerce site in China in 2017. Link
  • Majority of global consumers shop cross border. Link
  • H&M opens in New Zealand. Link
  • Google to return to China as a hardware provider. Link
  • Almost a million Chinese tourists visit Macau during Golden Week. Link
  • Apple to open its second R&D center in China. Link
  • Two ways to break into India’s consumer market. Link
  • Ikea does its homework before opening in India. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.3.2016

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Happy October! Sources in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • West Elm plans to launch its own boutique hotels. Link
  • WalMart in talks to invest up to $1B in India’s Flipkart. Link
  • Old Navy names Chief Marketing Officer. Link
  • American Eagle names Bob Madore Chief Financial Officer. Link
  • Starbucks to continue profitable expansion in low-income neighborhoods. Link
  • The rise and fall of Aeropostale. Link
  • Amazon finds grocers are hard to kill. Link
  • Uber is rocking the suburbs. Link
  • What to millennials actually use Venmo for? Link
  • Everlane responds to lower global cashmere costs by charging less for sweaters. Link
  • Facebook launches a Craigslist competitor for buying and selling used items. Link
  • Aritzia rises 16% in Toronto stock exchange after IPO. Link
  • H&M third quarter earnings miss estimates on discounts. Link
  • Rebel teens are killing America’s clothing giants. Link
  • New Adidas CEO sets off in pursuit of Nike. Link
  • Sears, Claire’s at high risk in study of retail failures. Link
  • Luxury stores add more amenities in tougher market. Link
  • Madewell teaming up with Sezane again in latest French girl collection. Link
  • Sarah Jessica Parker launches line of dresses. Link
  • Bass Pro Shop buys Cabela’s for $4.5B. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Snapchat users spending average of 78 seconds playing Under Armour’s Cam Newton game. Link
  • Location tracking and the trouble with opting in. Link
  • Patagonia launches a beer that’s good for the planet. Link
  • eBay dips its toes in fashion with Project Runway partnership. Link
  • WhatsApp races to internationalize Snapchat’s overlaid creative tools. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Best Buy to open at midnight to launch PlayStation’s new VR headset. Link
  • WalmartLabs open sources the application platform that powers Walmart.com. Link
  • H&M and Sephora nab early entry into Kik’s fashion bot shop. Link
  • Google quietly expands ride sharing service. Link
  • IBM Watson will power inspection drones that can spot damage on cell towers. Link

International

  • Office Depot agrees to sell European business to Aurelius Group. Link
  • Amazon raises stake as retailers battle for customers online in Canada. Link
  • Uniqlo dips its toes in Canada’s cutthroat retail sector. Link
  • Amazon bets on Diwali to take title as India’s top web retailer. Link
  • Singapore’s Golden Week courts China’s tourists as retail falls. Link
  • Even Chanel and Hermes are susceptible to current global climate. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.26.2016

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HERE YOU GO and YOU’RE WELCOME! Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Alexander Wang partners with Adidas on new unisex collection. Link
  • Ralph Lauren shut down Madison Avenue to reveal first ‘see-now-buy-now’ collection. Link
  • Kate Spade does ‘see-now-buy-now’ with a new video starting Zosia Mamet. Link
  • Aeropostale to live on at malls. Link
  • Etsy buys Blackbird to bring AI to it’s search platform. Link
  • Zara’s success shrouded in ecommerce secrecy. Link
  • Saks revamps personal shopping experience. Link
  • Macy’s teams up with grooming services provider in beauty push. Link
  • Frank and Oak launch womenswear. Link
  • Saving the big box: inside Toys R Us’ plan to revive its stores. Link
  • Target shakes up online leadership with eye on rivals. Link
  • Aritzia may raise up to $400CAD in IPO. Link
  • CVS is hoping to change the way you buy beauty products in the grocery store. Link
  • 500 Million Yahoo accounts breached. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Disney said to be considering bid for Twitter. Link
  • Canada Goose ads tell a global brand story. Link
  • Susie Bubble and BryanBoy respond to Vouge’s criticism of fashion bloggers. Link
  • Nielsen says mainstream consumers really are interested in virtual reality. Link
  • Retailers can now run Facebook ads based on if products are in stock. Link
  • Nieman Marcus blames fashion bloggers for down sales. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Google shows up late to the crowded AI-based personal assistant field. Link
  • Messaging apps are changing how companies talk with customers. Link
  • Fully autonomous robots: the warehouse workers of the near future. Link
  • Burberry launches ‘see-now-buy-now’ chatbot. Link
  • Why fashion brands are gaga over chat bots. Link
  • Stitchfix expands to menswear. Link
  • Why successful m-commerce needs to work at the speed of light. Link
  • Amazon swats at Shutterfly with photo printing service. Link
  • How Rebecca Minkoff uses technology to create a better shopping experience. Link

International

  • K. retail sales resilient in August as shoppers unfazed by Brexit. Link
  • Nike shuts 35% of stores in India. Link
  • Zara and Lululemon to open at Abu Dhabi’s new mall. Link
  • Apple expands Latin America presence, opens first store in Mexico. Link
  • Amazon quietly raises free shipping threshold in Canada. Link
  • Handmade at Amazon expands to five European countries. Link
  • Martha Stewart has sights on China via Alibaba. Link
  • Plus sized fashion show scores big in Japan. Link
  • China’s millennials are redefining luxury in search for more originality. Link
  • With thriving maker culture, how Shenzhen is becoming the creative capital of China. Link
  • Target launches on Tmall to sell in China. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.13.2016

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As always, sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Aeropostale wins approval of $243M sale to mall group. Link
  • Ralph Lauren adopts “see now, buy now.” Link
  • Macy’s store closures haven’t sent retailers running. Link
  • Moda Operandi opens a shopping salon to an invite-only client list. Link
  • Crew enlisted its staffers, family and friends to model its Spring collection. Link
  • Ecommerce is a boon for rural America but it comes with a price. Link
  • Jessica Alba’s Honest Company has been in talks to sell to a big consumer product giant. Link
  • Macy’s signs deal to open an Apple store at its Herald Square flagship. Link
  • Amazon Prime now delivers to this football stadium. Link
  • Ousted American Apparel founder secures $10M loan for new venture. Link
  • Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop get into the fashion business. Link
  • What the founder of Tom’s Shoes is doing now. Link
  • In the studio with the creative director of Coach. Link
  • 7 questions with HP’s CEO after $1B acquisition. Link
  • Kate Spade upgrade as Wells Fargo predicts comeback for brand. Link

Marketing/Social

  • American Eagle launches new marketing campaign. Link
  • Facebook steps in to prove the value of chatbots with Tommy Hilfiger. Link
  • How Under Armour mastered crisis communications after the 2014 Olympics. Link
  • Struggling Banana Republic appoints Olivia Palermo style ambassador. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Facebook adds payments to Messenger chatbots. Link
  • Alphabet and Chipotle bring burrito delivery by drone to campus. Link
  • WalMart wants shoppers to be able to hail a cart. Link
  • Eye-tracking technology for cars promises to keep drivers alert. Link
  • Apple’s new app store for iMessage could help brands break free on mobile. Link
  • Google’s new app lets you take, share VR photos with your phone. Link
  • Amazon brings push notifications to Echo. Link

International

  • Japanese app takes off in the US. Link
  • Online sales in France grew 13% in the first half. Link
  • Starbucks to open 500 new stores in China in 2016 in chase for $9.5B tea market. Link
  • Ikea to integrate its stores in India with online trade. Link
  • How to attract China’s connected traveling shoppers before, during and after their trips. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.6.2016

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Check out the industry’s headlines from the week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text. Ciao!

Brand/Retailer

  • TopShop the latest to join runway-to-retail move. Link
  • Target’s omni-channel target. Link
  • Intermix opens its first concept store. Link
  • First look at Abercrombie’s new branding. Link
  • Club Monaco joins NYFW schedule with shoppable presentation. Link
  • Crew to launch new line at Nordstrom. Link
  • Aritzia seeks to raise about $232M in initial offering. Link
  • Inside the reinvention of Saks Fifth Avenue. Link
  • Fabrics that pass heat but not light may keep people cool in the summer. Link
  • ASOS to pay 20M pounds to rival retailers. Link
  • Crew shows no signs of improving in first half of the year. Link
  • Consortium submits bid to save 229 Aeropostale stores. Link
  • American Girl Dolls coming to a Toys R Us near you. Link
  • Lululemon set to open smaller, hyper-local stores. Link
  • Starbucks is testing weekend brunch. Link

Marketing/Social

  • This fashion week, Google gets a new look. Link
  • Prada to focus on online, social to grow sales. Link
  • Snapchat will hit nearly $1B in ad revenue by the end of 2017. Link
  • Facebook created the digital equivalent of a coupon drawer. Link
  • Stadiums update location tracking to feed ad exchanges. Link
  • Ann Taylor joins Snapchat with a shopping strategy. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Smashbox goes behind the scenes of a photo shoot with its foray into VR. Link
  • Lowe’s launches retail robots. Link
  • Michael Kors brings really, really big design to Android Wear. Link
  • Yelp invites hackers to expose vulnerabilities through bug bounty program. Link
  • How Rebecca Minkoff keeps disrupting the fashion industry. Link

International

  • China’s luxury consumer moves online, brands follow. Link
  • Lululemon helps China’s affluent young professionals warm up to an active lifestyle. Link
  • German retail sales rise 1.7% in July. Link
  • Amazon expands Dash into the U.K., Germany and Austria. Link
  • Outlet malls booming in China as department stores feel the pinch. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 8.29.2016

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Our last summer Friday  is upon us…SOS!  Good news is that it’s basically holiday now. Yay!

Below are highlights from the industry over the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headlines.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Nordstrom to start selling J.Crew. Link
  • Tesco enters supermarket ‘time wars’ with same day and click-and-collect. Link
  • Marc Jacobs collaborates with MTV. Link
  • ASOS the most searched fashion retailer on Google in UK. Link
  • Project X points to an Amazon drive-up grocery store in Seattle. Link
  • Sephora’s Magnificent Mile store has a new, high-tech look. Link
  • Aeropostale loses bid to rein in Sycamore. Link
  • Gap and Abercrombie are trapped in retail’s nightmarish discount cycle. Link
  • Urban Outfitters bares all at its HQ. Link
  • How Le Labo took the fragrance industry by storm after starting with nothing. Link
  • Square expands lending and payment services. Link
  • Apple’s retail stores are undergoing major makeover. Link
  • Amazon tests 30-hour work week. Link
  • Startups in Target’s Techstar accelerator race to the finish line. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • London is getting the first Youtube store. Link
  • Apple weighs iPhone video editing app in renewed push on social. Link
  • Snapchat bringing live scores to high school football games. Link
  • Why text message marketing works on millennials. Link
  • Major brands are betting big on podcasts and it seems to be paying off. Link
  • How Revolve is using “style codes” to hack Instagram and Snapchat. Link
  • Warby Parker made a video game to cure your workday boredom. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech:

  • Best Buy set to be virtual reality’s first mainstream test. Link
  • Introducing the first voice-activated hotel room. Link
  • Here’s how shoppable video will finally work. Link
  • Garmin releases its first luxury smartwatch the Fenix Chronos. Link
  • GOAT raises $5M to help sneakerheads buy and sell covetable kicks. Link
  • Helix Sleep raises $7.4M to sell made-to-order mattresses online. Link
  • Five ways beacons are transforming the enterprise. Link

International:

  • Alibaba reportedly in talks to acquire ShopClues. Link
  • UK retail sales defy gloomy Brexit expectations. Link
  • Lower retail prices threaten profits of middleman Li & Fung. Link
  • Myntra claims $1B in sales. Link
  • What’s stopping luxury goods groups in China from moving from bricks to clicks? Link
  • Can foreign tech companies win in China? Link
  • China’s yuan hits its weakest level in over a month. Link
  • EU will rule Apple owes more than $1B in back taxes resulting from Ireland arrangement. Link