Tag: alibaba

Weekly Industry Brief: 4.17.2017

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Here is a recap of retail and ecommerce industry news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline. P.S. If you ever have any feedback, let me know! Have a great week.

Brands and Retailers

  • Amazon will account for half of all ecommerce sales by 2021. Fortune
  • Inside Farfetch’s store of the future. Business of Fashion
  • Wal-Mart is reportedly about to buy Bonobos. Business Insider
  • Neiman Marcus finds even wealthy shoppers want better deals. Wall Street Journal
  • Google makes Nevada land grab for data center. Wall Street Journal
  • Retail sales in US declined for a second month in March. Bloomberg
  • Three big insights for fashion brands looking to compete with Amazon. Glossy
  • Home Depot now makes $5B online, but a stellar store experience remains its top priority. Adweek
  • Canada Goose could triple its revenue over the next five years. CNBC
  • Wal-Mart offers deals for click-and-collect customers. CNBC
  • Imagining the store of the future. New York Times
  • How retailers are thriving despite the supposed death of their industry. Entrepreneur
  • Wal-Mart eliminates more corporate jobs. Business of Fashion
  • Jeff Koons’ new line with Louis Vuitton. New York Times
  • At Lord & Taylor, the Bobbi Brown lifestyle in a shop. WWD
  • Prada’s turnaround plan: fewer stores, more ecommerce. Glossy
  • Crate & Barrel CEO out after less than two years. Chicago Tribune
  • The Body Shop attracts bids from 15 suitors. Business of Fashion
  • Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing’s profit increases amid global expansion. Business of Fashion
  • Is American retail at a historic tipping point? New York Times
  • Jeff Bezos outlines his methods for high velocity decision making. Quartz
  • Theory introduces garment recycling program. WWD
  • Rue 21 closing hundreds of stores amid lender talks. WWD
  • Specialty retailer South Moon Under gets funding to fuel growth. WWD

Marketing and Social Media

  • Millennials may prefer stores, by 20% of apparel purchases are online. WWD
  • How messaging is transforming the customer experience. WWD
  • Facebook messenger is now twice the size of Instagram. Recode
  • Influencer marketing: an opportunity slipping through our fingers. Adweek
  • Instagram now lets you organize bookmarks into private collections. Techcrunch
  • Snap wants to help brands track when ads drive people to locations. Wall Street Journal
  • Google is trying to turn Image Search into a shopping tool. Recode
  • Instagram stories is finally bigger than Snapchat after copying many of its features. Adweek
  • Yext finishes the day up 21% as IPO window remains wide open. Techcrunch

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Glossier is poised to hire nearly 300 new employees in New York. Fashionista
  • Apple secures permit to test autonomous vehicles in California. Wall Street Journal
  • Purple, a Utah mattress startup you’ve probably never heard of, is on track to unicorndom. Techcrunch
  • How P.E. Nation is tapping into today’s active-meets-streetwear zeitgeist. Glossy
  • Reformation’s first-ever swim collection has arrived. Fashionista
  • Inside Stitch Fix’s experiment to design clothing with an algorithm. Glossy
  • Indochino’s made-to-measure suits are coming to a city near you. Bloomberg
  • Samsung to delay launch of English-language version of virtual assistant. Wall Street Journal

International

  • Contemporary fashion replaces luxury amid Hong Kong downturn. South China Morning Post
  • US children’s brand Carter’s to open 200 stores in China. China Daily
  • Amazon Prime’s popularity grows in India. Live Mint
  • Acne ramps up Asia, kickstarts “less is more” denim approach. WWD
  • Juicy Couture to close all stores in the UK. Telegraph
  • How China won the race to being considered a mobile-first commerce nation. Forbes
  • Starbucks extends health coverage to workers’ parents in China. Bloomberg
  • Dior seeking millions from ‘network’ of Chinese knock-off sites. WWD

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.27.2017

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I know you’re really busy and probably don’t have time to read all of the articles that come across your inbox in a week. Same. So I’ve collected the retail industry headlines from around the web over the last week for easy scanning purposes.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Cheers.

Brands and Retailers

  • Google going deeper into retail with shopper extension. WWD
  • Walmart expands its ecommerce ambitions with a new investment arm. New York Times
  • Target CEO says stores are driving digital growth. Retail Dive
  • Target unveils store prototype with two types of shoppers in mind. Associated Press
  • Avon freshens up in a bid to reconquer Middle America. The Wall Street Journal
  • Sears Holdings acknowledges the end may be near. Retail Dive
  • Nike starts to feel the competition. The Wall Street Journal
  • Kiddie activity hubs seen as way to make malls Amazon-proof. Bloomberg
  • Lord & Taylor hopes to lure customers to the store with the largest dress floor in America. Fashionista
  • Bebe plans to shut its stores and focus on web. Bloomberg
  • Urban Outfitters and Hot Topic are among popular retailers for millennials. Fashionista
  • Get a first look at Topshop’s new bridal line. Fashionista
  • Target diversifies the look of its lingerie product. Glossy
  • Macy’s signs exclusive deal with DKNY. WWD
  • Amazon’s ambitions unboxed: stores for furniture, appliances and more. New York Times
  • Why Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein are thriving while other US brands are tanking. Quartz
  • Nike CEO says the retail landscape is unsteady. Fortune
  • Walmart plans to ramp up ecommerce with two major initiatives. Business Insider
  • Amazon has a new weapon in its war on brick-and-mortar retail. Business Insider
  • Coach said to be readying Kate Spade buy. Business of Fashion
  • H&M rethinks fast fashion. Glossy

Marketing and Social Media

  • Luxury brands are beginning to embrace WeChat’s new multimedia moments ads. Jing Daily
  • Instagram opens shoppable organic posts to more businesses in the US. Marketing Land
  • Facebook introduces a new ad format – product-focused ‘collection.’ Techcrunch
  • More big brands suspend Google ads over offensive videos. AdAge

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Google Glasses didn’t disappear; you can find them on the factory floor. NPR
  • Wells Fargo will let you use Apple Pay and Android Pay to withdraw money. Techcrunch
  • Tesla’s new solar roof tiles will be available to order starting in April. Techcrunch
  • The AI class that Facebookers are sprinting to get in. Wired
  • Apple patent points to a possible iPhone-powered laptop. CNet

International

  • Brooks Brothers reboots China business with new Beijing flagship. WWD
  • John Lewis debuts its own premium denim brand. Creativity Online
  • Ikea working on lowering pricing for India. LiveMint
  • Amazon to buy Middle Eastern online marketplace, Souq.com. Reuters
  • As Amazon floods with Chinese sellers, Western brands move into China’s booming e-Commerce market. Forbes
  • Here’s what happens in the athletic wear industry when China starts going to the gym. Quartz
  • As AirBnB just learned, it’s really hard to localize your brand name for China. AdAge
  • Lazada brings Alibaba’s biggest bazaar to Singaporean shoppers. Bloomberg
  • Walmart steps up Chilean business. WWD
  • Amazon is globalizing its retail empire. L2
  • How Brazil’s H&M defied the recession. Business of Fashion
  • Myntra launches first retail store for online brand ‘Roadster.’ The Economic Times
  • South Korea’s Lotte makes room for online retail brands. The Korea Herald
  • How United Arros became huge in Japan (and ready for global expansion.) GQ

Weekly Industry Brief: 1.17.2017

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Hi! Here is some industry news I’ve collected over the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Top 7 retailers to watch in 2017. Link
  • L’oreal to acquire three U.S. skin-care brands for $1.3B. Link
  • Cult backpack brand Herschel gets into apparel. Link
  • Gildan buys American Apparel at bankruptcy auction. Link
  • Amazon is planning to hire 100,000 full-time employees. Link
  • Cole Haan collaborates with Mountain Hardware, prAna and more for a women’s lifestyle collection. Link
  • Apple takes first step to expanding its US manufacturing footprint. Link
  • American Apparel to close L.A. headquarters and close all 110 U.S. stores. Link
  • Nordstrom names Innovation Chief to bring digital tech to full-line stores. Link
  • How Yoox and Net-a-porter is supporting fashion tech education. Link
  • Holiday season sales grew eight times faster online than in stores. Link
  • Cadillac unveils ultimate upscale car sharing program. Link
  • Pandora is laying off 7% of its US workforce. Link
  • J.C. Penney to open Nike outlets in more than 600 stores. Link
  • Apple said to be seriously pursuing Netflix-style scripted TV and movies. Link
  • Tiffany’s feels the Trump effect on 5th Link
  • Online consignment shops clean up after the holidays. Link
  • Michael Kors, Prada skimp on new handbag designs. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Soulcycle, Casper and Drybar reveal the secrets to their cult brands’ success. Link
  • Instagram accounts for 92% of brand social interactions. Link
  • Snapchat will make London its new international HQ. Link
  • DVF rebrands with new logo, monogram and brand colors and relaunches website in time for Spring. Link
  • YouTube launches “Super Chat,” a way for creators to make money from their live streams. Link
  • Adidas voted the most relevant brand of 2016. Link
  • Here’s how the new vertical video ads will look inside Instagram Stories. Link
  • Why Snapchat’s new search bar is a welcome sign for brands. Link
  • Twitter is phasing out the “buy” button, will continue to offer donations. Link
  • Vine shuts off sharing, launches Vine Camera. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • LetGo raises $175M to finance its used goods marketplace. Link
  • Intel launches new IoT retail platform, plans $100M retail tech investment. Link
  • Stadium Goods raises $4.6M to sell sought-after sneakers and streetwear. Link
  • Richard Branson’s next big idea: sports festivals. Link
  • Fabletics launches a free Daily Burn-like workout and other perks for members. Link
  • Baidu opens augmented reality lab, begins integrating AR into search. Link

International

  • Lululemon expands its European presences with a London flagship. Link
  • Alibaba takes big step offline with $2.6B Intime deal. Link
  • Alibaba launches ‘big data anti-counterfeiting alliance’ with Louis Vuitton, Swarovski and more. Link
  • App downloads up 15% in 2016, revenue up 40% thanks to China. Link
  • Apple is increasing the price of apps in the UK by 25% because of Brexit. 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: 10.17.2016

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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: 8.22.2016

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I’m back! Took off last week while in San Fran for work.  Enjoy your weekly briefing of industry news. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Macy’s to close 100 stores. Link
  • Check out Apple’s new store a One World Trade Center. Link
  • How Walmart is surviving the war against Amazon and beating Target. Link
  • Coach’s transformation has taken hold with customers. Link
  • How Estee Lauder is getting millennials to buy its skincare. Link
  • Gap plans to focus on faster fashion and activewear as sales keep sliding. Link
  • Apple’s retail boss wants Apple stores to resemble ‘town squares.’ Link
  • Where we spend is upending traditional retail. Link
  • Westfield’s new World Trade Center mall puts in-store tech center stage. Link
  • How Nike is changing the world. Link
  • Gap shoppers don’t want to ‘dress normal.’ Link
  • Victoria’s Secret is getting cheaper. Link
  • Walmart announces focus on millennials in the apparel category. Link
  • Nordstrom expands Space concept to four new locations. Link
  • Nieman Marcus cuts 80 home office jobs. Link
  • US ecommerce posts its largest gain in nearly two years. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Vfiles launches  crowd-sourced youth magazine. Link
  • Rent the Runway using Snapchat for customer service. Link
  • Instagram launches business tools to help users buy and sell. Link
  • Alibaba’s ecommerce app has a social network Facebook would love. Link
  • There’s real money in messaging, Snapchat and WeChat show. Link
  • Facebook is building its own Steam-style desktop gaming platform with Unity. Link
  • Pinterest jumps into video ads fray. Link
  • Turner and Scripps investing $45M in Refinery29. Link
  • Amazon reportedly planning a $5 per month music service for Echo owners. Link
  • For its first global campaign, Uniqlo ponders why we get dressed every day. Link
  • Jack Wills’ strategy to pay you for the catalog-perfect summer. Link

Start Up and Emerging Tech:

  • This sneakerhead made a stock exchange for shoes. Link
  • Hamlet is a new, free text messaging service allowing users to shop for home décor from the comfort of their phone. Link
  • Topshop will soon integrate electronic circuits into garments. Link
  • How a Wall Street background can help you create fashion. Link
  • The MIT lab that’s quietly pioneering fashion for everyone. Link
  • Kate Spade jumps into the connected wearables category. Link
  • This 16-year-old is making million selling rare sneakers. Link

International:

  • Amazon’s new UK distribution center to create 500 jobs in 2017. Link
  • China’s luxury lifestyles fall prey to the far east slowdown. Link
  • Alibaba’s getting more revenue outside of ecommerce. Link
  • Walmart’s Mexico unit is selling its apparel chain for $853M. Link
  • Ikea to launch ecommerce in Shanghai. Link
  • Growth in online purchases by rural Chinese outpaces that of urbanites. Link
  • China is flooding Silicon Valley with cash. Link
  • Alibaba reports growth, even as China’s economy stumbles. Link
  • Myntra buys majority stake in fashion brand. Link
  • Xiaomi’s once admired strategy for winning China’s smartphone market has backfired. Link
  • For Indian ecommerce, the choice is between discount and bleed or profit and die. Link
  • Zalando plans foreign hubs to get frocks out faster. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 8.1.2016

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Wowsa. It’s already August. Here is your weekly brief of industry news I’ve collected from around the web. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Weekly Industry Brief 8.1.2016

Brand/Retailer:

  • L’oreal to acquire IT cosmetics in $1.2B deal. Link
  • Amazon delivers huge profits in second quarter blowout. Link
  • Macy’s, Nordstrom fight for identity in an off-price retail world. Link
  • Walgreens to shutdown ecommerce site Drugstore.com. Link
  • Dollar General buys Walmart Express stores, to sell fresh produce. Link
  • How Adidas wiped out a chunk of its own management to drive growth. Link
  • How Lululemon equipped Canadian Olympians for Rio. Link
  • Peek inside Apple’s first Brooklyn store. Link
  • What the changing tenant list in Times Square says about retail. Link
  • Luxottica cuts 2016 outlook as U.S. weakness hits profits. Link
  • Giant shopping mall company Westfield is turning to 10 startups to breathe new life into retail. Link
  • Under Armour founder Kevin Plank’s $5.5B plan for Baltimore. Link
  • Google follows Facebook with an amazing quarter of results. Link
  • Starbucks’ Schultz to step back, focus on high-end strategy. Link
  • Jennifer Lopez and Guiseppe Zanotti launching footwear and handbags together. Link
  • How Lovely Bride founder built a wedding chain for cool girls. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Inside the Revolve house, the buzziest brand activation of the summer. Link
  • What to expect from Abercrombie’s new and improved look. Link
  • Amy Schumer is joining Old Navy’s roster of funny girls. Link
  • Vice Media makes another fashion acquisition. Link
  • Reddit, the anti-corporate corner of the internet will soon allow brands to sponsor regular posts. Link
  • Madewell’s 24-day denim campaign includes a Goop jumpsuit. Link
  • Ralph Lauren comes back to TV after 8 years for Olympic spot. Link
  • Instagram, the $50B grand slam driving Facebook’s future. Link

Start Up:

  • Good Eggs raises $15M to expand across the US. Link
  • This New York based start-up accelerator is supporting the next generation of retail disrupters. Link

International:

  • Flipkart buys Jabong for $70M. Link
  • China’s Didi Chuxing buys Uber China. Link
  • India will finally get affordable, homegrown versions of Zara and H&M. Link
  • Longchamp plans to open six stores in India. Link
  • Burberry buys up remaining stake of retail operation in China. Link
  • Amazon takes on Alibaba with Japan portal for Chinese shoppers. Link
  • China’s shopping craze fills wallets. Link
  • Hong Kong’s swank generation of fashion bloggers turning hobbies into careers. Link
  • Alibaba and insurer AXA join to calm global customers worried about fakes. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Beauty shopping augmented with new mobile apps. Link
  • Alibaba launches Buy+, using VR to make shopping more interactive. Link
  • Facebook has really big plans for virtual reality. Link
  • Apple drops a new iOS 10 beta with a hundred new emojis. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 7.5.2016

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Happy Tuesday! Here is your weekly industry recap of news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Online shopping forces shift in inventory strategies. Link
  • Nordstrom to integrate Trunk Club ops, cut jobs. Link
  • Walmart squares up against Amazon with 2-day delivery across the U.S. Link
  • Amazon Prime day is back on July 12. Link
  • Adidas and Kanye West expand their partnership with planned sports gear and Yeezy retail stores. Link
  • VF Corp sells contemporary brands segment for $120 million. Link
  • Mac’s new initiative aims to expand the brand’s relationship with fashion. Link
  • Zalando driving innovation with diversity. Link
  • Synthetic spider silk could be the biggest technological advance in clothing since nylon. Link
  • Amazon is quietly eliminating list prices. Link
  • Netflix is coming to Comcast cable TV. Link
  • LVMH is looking for startups to bring personalization to its brands. Link
  • Nike co-founder Phil Knight retires from board. Link
  • Reformation is opening new stores, first up in San Francisco. Link
  • Amazon begins selling perishable private-label foods. Link
  • Victoria’s Secret promotes bras without padding as it responds to athleisure trend. Link
  • UPS adds locker locations for shipment pickups. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Instagram’s evolution as a business platform. Link
  • How Time Inc’s new video-only platform hopes to unearth the next big digital star. Link
  • Farfetch teams with Apple on music channel for fashion site. Link
  • Chipotle launches loyalty program to get customers and data. Link
  • Facebook puts friends above publishers in “News Feed Values” and ranking change. Link
  • Twitter is putting together a team focused on VR and AR. Link
  • Pinterest is soon launching a way to search for products with your smartphone camera. Link
  • Twitter estimates that it has 10 million users in China. Link

Start Up:

  • A drone start-up explores underwater. Link
  • HourlyNerd, the Uber of business consultants, snags $22M. Link
  • Mattress startup Casper to sell via West Elm and internationally. Link

International:

  • A South Korean copy of Snapchat takes off in Asia. Link
  • Brexit gives Europeans $15,000 discount on Cartier watch. Link
  • China’s JD.com says Brexit could boost imports of British goods. Link
  • Brexit vote sends tourists flocking to London to purchase luxury goods. Link
  • eCommerce winners and losers in the wake of Brexit. Link
  • The consolidation of India’s overcrowded e-commerce sector has begun. Link
  • Alibaba has a new online system to remove fake goods from its site. Link
  • JD.com loses luster as hedge funds backpedal amid slowing growth. Link
  • Alibaba’s plans for online to offline go off track. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • NBC will offer 85 hours of VR Olympics programming, courtesy of Samsung. Link
  • Wireless generation: why sports bras and bralettes are disrupting women’s underwear. Link
  • Rimmel’s new augmented reality app lets users nab real life makeup looks. Link
  • How augmented reality and iOT will recreate business environments. Link

Weekly Industry Brief 5.16.2016

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Thought: One day maybe I should change the title to Weekly Amazon Brief…

Below is your weekly industry brief of headlines I’ve compiled from around the web. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Retail sales rise most in a year, marking US consumer comeback. Link
  • WalMart steps up attack on Amazon with two-day delivery service. Link
  • How online shopping is cannibalizing mall stores. Link
  • Gap plummets after comeback plan fails to revive sales growth. Link
  • Online marketplaces boost customer loyalty and increased AOV. Link
  • Amazon expands its handmade goods marketplace to compete with Etsy. Link
  • FedEx and eBay team up to make it easier to sell used goods online. Link
  • Plus sized fashion and the potential to increase sales. Link
  • Amazon to launch a meal kit service this fall. Link
  • Target’s Marimekko was no Lilly Pulitzer but still shows signs of success. Link
  • Ugg’s new store format reflects bigger brand. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Amazon takes on YouTube with launch of Amazon video direct. Link
  • Everlane opens pop-up shop in Soho to showcase shoe collection. Link
  • Here’s how generation Z girls prefer to shop and socialize online. Link
  • StyleHaul creators bet big on Milennial moms. Link
  • Why WalMart launched its own digital newsroom. Link
  • Under Armour made history with Steph Curry, now what? Link
  • PepsiCo bets big on in-house content creation. Link
  • Lowe’s uses interactive Snapchat stories to make DIY home projects a tap away. Link
  • Facebook now lets brands use video ads in Audience Network to raise awareness. Link

Start Ups

  • Bloomup raises $4M for its beauty marketplace. Link
  • Jack Threads introduces try outs hoping to reengage customers. Link
  • Jet.com enters grocery delivery foray. Link
  • Waze pilots carpooling service in Bay Area. Link

International

  • China’s VIPShop’s active customers close to 20M at the end of 2015. Link
  • Is Alibaba the real winner of this multi-million online celebrity ad auction? Link
  • Anti-counterfeiting group in China suspends Alibaba’s membership. Link
  • Mall landlords go for novelty in China. Link
  • Flipkart building mapping platform to help mark customer addresses more accurately. Link
  • Abercrombie to expand brand in Middle East. Link
  • Apple invests $1BB in Chinese ride-hailing app. Link
  • China cosmetics maker branches out into baby gear as two-child policy takes effect. Link
  • Tesco to sell British favorites through El Corte Ingles. Link
  • UK Economy set for slow growth. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • WeChat payment reached over 300K retail stores. Link
  • WayFair devotes a tech team to virtual reality. Link
  • Google working on Amazon Echo rival, Chirp. Link
  • Touchscreen mirror can hail a cab while you get ready. Link
  • McDonald’s uses virtual reality to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at food production. Link