Tag: amazon

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 3.30.2015

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Happy Monday! Below is a recap of industry news over the last week.  All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • Instacart to charge more during peak delivery times. Link
  • Target teams up with Of a Kind for new home collection. Link
  • H&M profits surge 36% in Q1. Link
  • Zulily nips business model in the bud. Link
  • Can data save the mall? Link
  • Rue La La founder’s next venture: luxe Italian shoes at bargain prices. Link
  • Amazon’s on demand services marketplace launches Monday. Link
  • Indiegogo success story Canary hits Best Buy for $249. Link
  • Converse unboxes plan to convert chatter into brand experiences. Link
  • Apple announces grand openings for dedicated Apple Watch shops in London, Paris, and Tokyo. Link
  • Gucci to appoint Consumer Officer amid management shakeup. Link
  • Lululemon’s new offering: anatomy friendly pants for men. Link
  • Amazon rumored to be in talks to acquire Net-a-Porter. Link
  • Five companies making fair trade fashion cooler than what you have in your wardrobe. Link
  • Kanye West to purchase online retailer Karmaloop. Link
  • Saks and Nordstrom prepare to land in Puerto Rico. Link
  • Walmart looks to draw click-and-collect shoppers. Link
  • Banana Republic’s flagship store opens in Manhattan with new look. Link
  • Slow cargo, weather take toll on LuLuLemon. Link
  • Also to design Joe Fresh line of footwear. Link
  • Fashion entrepreneur takes her retail background on the road. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Shopstyle driving revenues for fashion brands. Link
  • Facebook may host news sites’ content. Link
  • Facebook’s F8 announcements. Link
  • Soon Facebook Messenger will let you reach out to businesses. Link
  • Me moves into Google territory with AppWords, a deep link mobile search and ad platform. Link
  • Twitter’s new venture-capital arm quietly opens for business. Link
  • Buzzfeed joins the podcast frenzy. Link
  • Google brings ad targeting from the web to TV. Link
  • Why big brands and top web publishers love this stealth digital ad startup. Link
  • Facebook pushes into the internet of things, hoping to power your smart devices. Link
  • 6 reasons why marketers should bet on podcasting. Link
  • Twitter debuts Periscope to rival Meerkat. Link
  • Twitter soups up mobile ads with location data from Foursquare. Link
  • Marriott uses authentic stories to woo millennials. Link
  • Bloglovin targets participation with ‘collections’ of visual inspiration boards. Link

Start-ups:

  • Gone, the app for selling your old stuff, taps UPS to go nationwide instantly. Link
  • Rocket Internet’s Helpling mops up another $45M for its on-demand home cleaning service. Link
  • August raises $38M to expand smart lock retail availability. Link
  • Alcohol startups are brewing up VC cash. Link
  • Teabox raises $6M to grow its global tea-commerce business. Link
  • Magic just showed its first product to investors—now it may be worth $40M. Link
  • Lyft adds profiles to make ride sharing more personalized. Link
  • Stripe makes a bet on marketplaces with new product. Link

International:

  • [APAC]
    • Honest Brand eyes China. Link
    • Apple plans China iPhone trade-in program. Link
    • Xiaomi expands its offline presences in India with the mobile store tie-up. Link
    • India’s online fashion sales set to soar. Link
  • [CA]
    • Sephora shoes fresh face in Canadian makeup retail. Link
  • [EU]
    • Burberry to open café in London. Link
    • Google takes starred product ratings to Europe to boost shopping searches. Link
    • Facebook completes first drone flight above UK. Link
    • EU to investigate barriers to cross-border ecommerce. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • App reveals what your exact location looked like in the past. Link
  • Cities take lead on app development. Link
  • Secret is working on new apps, won’t shut down original product. Link
  • Apple Watch could make you a walking weather station. Link
  • New app Chosen is American Idol meets YouTube meets mobile devices. Link
  • Nine brands to watch out for on the Apple Watch. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 3.23.2015

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Happy Monday! Below is a recap of industry news over the last week.  All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • American Express to launch loyalty program with Macy’s, Exxon, AT&T. Link
  • eCommerce delivers Korean beauty to US consumers. Link
  • Apple is building a Watch shop in Tokyo’s Isetan. Link
  • Facebook Messenger launches friend-to-friend payments. Link
  • Sur la Table is using its website to help shoppers better visualize a new kitchen table. Link
  • Marc by Marc Jacobs to be discontinued. Link
  • Tiffany expects a weak 2015. Link
  • Amazon wins approval to test delivery drones outdoors. Link
  • How Sorel won winter by making rugged boots girly. Link
  • J.Crew says it failed at women’s fashion last year. Link
  • Starbucks to launch delivery in Seattle. Link
  • eBay to open new section on its site for Sotheby’s auction. Link
  • Amazon expands one-hour delivery to Baltimore and Miami. Link
  • Sports Authority adds plus-size women’s activewear. Link
  • The Etsy guide to building a brand. Link
  • Sephora’s digital boss joins StichFix as COO. Link
  • Target to pay $10M to settle lawsuit from data breach. Link
  • Retailers are launching a new generation of ecommerce membership programs modeled on Amazon Prime. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Pinterest crosses $10B mark. Link
  • Nylon Guys to go all digital. Link
  • 10 trends shaping the future of branded content. Link
  • Big advertisers shift towards digital. Link
  • Facebook launches innovation lab in Brazilian slums. Link
  • How Facebook’s custom audiences won over Adland. Link
  • Pinterest, Snapchat, Buzzfeed – hear come tech’s multibillion-dollar babies. Link

Start-ups:

  • Video-streaming app Meerkat raises another $12M. Link
  • This start-up founder wants you to be able to go on a vacation without packing a suitcase. Link
  • Start-up raises $40M to keep small businesses’ cash flowing. Link
  • Fashion rental start-up Le Tote tries a new tactic to lure subscribers. Link

International:

  • [APAC]
    • Snapdeal of India in talks to buy mobile-payments company FreeCharge. Link
    • Twitter is opening an office in Dubai. Link
    • Xiaomi dips its toe into financial services. Link
    • Yahoo cutting 300 jobs as part of China office closing. Link
    • Lines form at Chanel’s China stores after euro-driven price cuts. Link
  • [CA]
    • Amazon expands in Canada with move to new Toronto skyscraper. Link
  • [EU]
    • Online retail spurs investment in EU warehouses. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • Google and Intel team up with TAG Heuer on a luxury smartwatch. Link
  • Multi-brand apps gain ground in fashion. Link
  • SmartFocus announces ‘virtual beacons’ so retailers can draw in-store targeting. Link
  • Google isn’t giving up on Glass. Link
  • Apple is tinkering with augmented reality. Link
  • Facebook testing a new app called Phone. Link
  • Gucci collaborates with Will.i.am to create wearable tech device. Link
  • Fitbit adds bike workout tracking to its Surge fitness watch. Link
  • Amazon working on a service called Unlocked that’s Prime for Android apps. Link
  • What’s coming in Apple’s next iPhone update. Link
  • Wearable drones invade SXSW as fashion meets technology. Link

Other

  • At Kodak, clinging to a future beyond film. Link
  • Will personalized pricing take ecommerce back to the bazaar? Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 2.10.2015

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Hello! Was taking a break in Vermont over the weekend, so apologies for the delay. Below is a recap I compiled of industry news over the last week.  All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • Wallpaper Magazine dives into ecommerce. Link
  • Lululemon founder steps down from board. Link
  • Target to open 15 Target Express stores this year. Link
  • Macy’s buys Bluemercury. Link
  • Amazon opens brick-and-mortar campus store. Link
  • Madewell inks deal with Nordstrom. Link
  • Under Armour releases 2014 results, acquires two more fitness apps. Link
  • Ralph Lauren plans new global band management structure. Link
  • Kate Spade Saturday: A downmarket move goes bust. Link
  • Zulily to hit one billion dollars in sales in 2014. Link
  • Gap merges ecommerce and marketing in new executive position. Link
  • Macy’s program helps cultivate retail entrepreneurs. Link
  • Change for the better at Neiman Marcus. Link
  • Lucky Magazine launches shops, its new ecommerce venture. Link
  • Fab.com’s fire sale should close this month. Link
  • Lifestyle brands are acquiring their way to becoming tech companies. Link
  • Frank & Oak expands personal stylist feature. Link
  • Gap, Aeropostale raise outlook for holiday period. Link
  • Old Navy teams with Current Elliott. Link
  • BCBG gets $135M in cash infusion. Link
  • eBay’s innovation and new ventures group hit hard by layoffs in restructuring. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Tinder shuts down Gap’s pants party campaign because it violated terms of service. Link
  • Imgur unleashes subscription-only pro editing tool for all users. Link
  • Burberry joins with Line to live stream show in Japan. Link
  • Four video startups looking to challenge YouTube’s dominance. Link
  • Twitter to sell ads on Flipboard and Yahoo Japan. Link
  • American Express Apple Pay ad turns out to be a fun trip through time. Link
  • Tumblr ad executive stepping down as Yahoo combines teams. Link
  • Revenue at Twitter rises but user growth slows. Link
  • Twitter and Google said to reach deal on Search. Link
  • Twitter user growth falls below Facebook’s for the first time. Link

Start-ups:

  • These companies are trying to disrupt Men’s Wearhouse. Link
  • Trellie is launching a smart jewelry starter kit this spring with dozens of accessories. Link
  • Andreessen Horowitz taps into thriving world of programmers. Link

International:

  • [APAC]
    • TopShop to close all Japanese stores. Link
    • FedEx express to increase ground fleet capacity in India. Link
    • Alibaba tries out drone delivery in China. Link
    • Line buys Stripe-like Japanese startup WebPay to boost its payments service. Link
    • Qualcomm fined $975M by China. Link
  • [CA]
    • Target and landlords in court battle over sale of leases. Link
  • [EU]
    • Hem acquires online design portal, Discipline.eu. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • ApplePay and JetBlue strike first airline deal. Link
  • Adidas gets ready for Kanye collaboration with new sneaker reservation app. Link
  • iOS 9 leak reveals Apple’s new focus. Link
  • Eight out of ten retailers increasing mobile budgets in 2015. Link
  • Michael Kors to join wearable tech movement. Link
  • Apple’s iOS9 pegged as a stability update, which is way better than a feature frenzy. Link
  • Apple grabs 93% of the handset industry’s profit. Link
  • Samsung to launch a new Galaxy smartphone on March 1st. Link

Other

  • Uber opening robotics research facility in Pittsburgh to build self-driving cars. Link
  • Apple to open giant data center in Arizona. Link
  • Q&A with Amazon Prime boss on the program’s 10th Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 2.2.2015

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Hi there! Below is a recap I compiled of industry news over the last week.  All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • Kate Spade Saturday and Jack Spade to shut down all stores. Link
  • Crew loses 2nd major exec in three weeks. Link
  • H&M profit rises 12% in Q4. Link
  • Yahoo spins off $40B stake in Alibaba. Link
  • H&M is opening 400 stores this year and launching a new beauty range. Link
  • Why Target’s new plus-sized line could redefine $17.5B underserved market. Link
  • Amazon rewards sellers who offer free shipping. Link
  • Google’s BrandLab wants to save businesses (and Google). Link
  • Gap’s creative director Rebekka Bay exits. Link
  • Forever 21 coming to Fifth Avenue. Link
  • Rachel Zoe to launch maternity line. Link
  • Apple reigns supreme when it comes to making money, but now faces even greater expectations. Link
  • Coach shuffles execs, sales fall again. Link
  • Under Armour taps former Nike exec to head footwear business. Link
  • Adobe is suing Forever 21 for pirating Photoshop. Link
  • Amazon’s latest foray: back end email systems. Link
  • AOL lays off 150 staffers. Link
  • Conde Nast unveils branded content shop powered by editors. Link
  • com co-founder to launch artsy online marketplace. Link
  • Jones New York to close stores, end wholesale business. Link
  • Ikea looks to catch up with online retail. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Lyft rolls out national marketing campaign. Link
  • Snapchat’s new Discover feature puts news and entertainment a swipe away from your stories. Link
  • Starbucks, Match want you to have your first date at Starbucks. Link
  • Twitter adds group messaging and video recording. Link
  • Pinterest pushes ads further toward users’ personal spaces. Link
  • TMobile, Macy’s among first advertisers on Snapchat Discover. Link
  • McDonald’s gives away every product advertised during Super Bowl. Link
  • The average Super Bowl commercial could generate as much as $10M in ad value. Link
  • Why Nordstrom’s digital strategy works. Link
  • Twitter displays its value with instant timeline for new users. Link
  • P&G’s #LikeAGirl ad scored the most social buzz during the Super Bowl. Link
  • Vine introduces Vine Kids. Link

Start-ups:

  • Fresh Monk secures new funding round for crowdfunded tshirts. Link
  • ClosetSpace digitizes your closet, builds outfits and offers fashion tips. Link
  • With $40M in recent funding, Classpass hires execs. Link
  • Mobile loyalty startup Lootsie raises $3.5M. Link
  • Minibar offers on-demand booze delivery in 13 cities. Link

International:

  • [APAC]
    • Apple China sales top $16B in Q1. Link
    • H&M to launch in three new Asian markets. Link
    • Free Shipping is the default for Korea. Link
    • Alibaba to launch fund for Hong Kong startups. Link
    • Apple ranks as China’s most desirable luxury brand. Link
    • com follows its own path. Link
  •  [CA]
    • Uniqlo to open Canadian stores. Link
    • Sears Canada names acting president – CEO to top management job. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • Facebook tests beacons to feed users local content. Link
  • Apple Watch to ship in April. Link
  • The next step for the mobile wallet? Loyalty programs. Link
  • FTC says internet-connected devices pose big risks. Link
  • Google Now will suck in outside app data. Link
  • Loyalty programs see boost as they go mobile. Link
  • Apple stores to act more like jewelry stores for upcoming gold Apple Watch. Link
  • iPad experiences 18% drop in sales, 22% fall in revenue. Link
  • Android breaks 1B mark for 2014, 81% of all 1.3B smartphones shipped. Link