Tag: apple

Weekly Industry Brief: 6.13.2016

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I’ve recapped industry news found around the web from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

If you’re wondering why I do this every week, the simplest answer is that it helps me be better at my job.  It keeps me on top of trends so I can make better decisions, identify opportunities and be competitive.  Plus, I’m pretty passionate about the whole thing.  And there is never enough to satisfy me. So I always seek more.

Hopefully it helps you too.

Brand and Retailers

  • Amazon launching a music streaming service. Link
  • Etsy’s new ultra-sustainable headquarters is filled with local, handmade furniture. Link
  • Urban Outfitters warns of falling retail sales in current quarter. Link
  • Skechers’ has quietly been making billions. Link
  • Coach unveils Disney collection. Link
  • Amazon opens tech office in downtown Minneapolis. Link
  • Fashion brands invest in express payment options. Link
  • H&M opens first store in Puerto Rico. Link

Marketing and Social Media

  • Snapchat launches a colossal expansion of its advertising, ushering a new era for the app. Link
  • Microsoft to buy Linkedin for $26.2B. Link
  • Pinterest partners with Oracle to test tracking offline sales. Link
  • Vogue introduces $200 members-only subscription. Link
  • Cultivating brand loyalty in even the toughest customer. Link
  • Apple bets on messaging emojis, Siri to keep customers loyal. Link
  • iHeartMedia and WeWork will target entrepreneurs with branded podcasts. Link
  • Sephora makes Snapchat shoppable. Link

Start Ups

  • These companies dream of becoming the Lululemon of the pajama industry. Link
  • China’s Tencent, Lenovo buy into US augmented reality startup. Link
  • How Stitch Fix uses data to pick clothes for you. Link

International

  • Amazon plans to invest $3B in India. Link
  • Skechers CEO talks international expansion. Link
  • Amazon to debut same-day grocery delivery service in London. Link
  • Rakuten to exit the UK, Austria and Span as global retrenchment continues. Link
  • H&M may reduce size of stores in India. Link
  • Ikea to finally test online shopping in Australia. Link
  • Jones New York to close entire Canadian business. Link
  • Kazakhstan could be a bright spot for retailers. Link
  • Line backs a beauty and fashion portal rolled out in Iran. Link
  • The rise of China’s shopping villages. Link

Mobile and Emerging Tech

  • Google, Baidu and the race for an edge in the global speech recognition market. Link
  • Why the maker movement matters. Link
  • Will gestures make smartwatches useful? Link
  • Next generation health. Link
  • JD.com launches drone delivery in rural China. Link
  • Everything Apple announced at WWDC in one handy list. 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

Weekly Industry Brief: 5.9.2016

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I’m back! I’ve been traveling (China and Hong Kong! So, lots of headlines about China…) and super busy but I’m so glad to be back and catching up on industry news. I’ve been gone for a bit so here is a recap of news over the last few weeks.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Net-a-porter and Tiffany’s ecommerce exclusive. Link
  • Gilt Groupe’s founder launches new shopping app. Link
  • Why the future of ecommerce depends on better roads. Link
  • What Nordstrom’s festival tour means for retail. Link
  • Amazon challenges Netflix by opening Prime to monthly subscribers. Link
  • Amazon updates wedding registry, adds new features. Link
  • Target’s Marimekko collection opens to muted response. Link
  • Nordstrom’s new bottom-line focus results in job cuts. Link
  • Amazon shuttering Myhabit.com. Link
  • Amazon teams up with luxury merchants to sell $7,000 ball gowns. Link
  • Gap to open design studio in Brooklyn industrial complex. Link
  • Amazon reports better than expected profits in first quarter. Link
  • Amazon pledges same-day delivery to all urban areas. Link
  • Coach announces that its cutting 300 jobs. Link
  • Gap bets on basics for growth. Link
  • Aeropostale seeks bankruptcy protection, closing all Canadian stores. Link
  • Walmart is looking for new retail tech from startups. Link
  • Macy’s woos millennials with ramped-up wedding business. Link
  • The greening of Adidas. Link
  • ASOS and Wayra launch fashion tech accelerator. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • How Snapchat killed the homepage. Link
  • Starbucks launches controversial rewards program. Link
  • Promoted tweets with hashtags have higher CPAs, lower CTRs. Link
  • Amazon has begun labeling some of its products as Prime-exclusive. Link
  • Why Land’s End is introducing an Amazon Prime-like subscription. Link
  • A commitment to unretouched images landed model Iskra Lawrence the career of her dreams. Link

Start Ups

  • Zalora, Rocket Internet’s unprofitable Asian fashion portal is selling off business units. Link
  • Amazon eyed up Everland, Le Tote and more for acquisition in a wider fashion push. Link
  • Pepsi launches emoji pop up store at Story. Link
  • This new tool wants to make the off-price clothing business easier. Link
  • Farfetch raises $110M towards global omni-channel domination. Link

International

  • China’s cult of the ordinary commands big influence. Link
  • Alibaba to buy controlling stake in Lazada for about $1B. Link
  • Abercrombie & Fitch expands Middle East presence. Link
  • Chinese economic growth last quarter will be slowest in years. Link
  • Foreign products get more expensive for Chinese shoppers. Link
  • China regulator to launch campaign to clean up ecommerce online ads. Link
  • Levi’s applies to add retail operations in India. Link
  • Flipkart eyes on becoming India’s largest furniture retailer by year end. Link
  • Myntra launches Mizuno in India. Link
  • Apple asks India to waive local sourcing requirement. Link
  • Alibaba sales surge as Chinese consumers defy economic gloom. Link
  • Gucci departs IACC following Alibaba membership. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • Shoppers flock to apps shaking up retail. Link
  • Shopping app Spring launches one of the first bots on Facebook Messenger. Link
  • Inside the making of Taco Bell’s artificially intelligent, drunk-tolerant TacoBot. Link
  • Dunkin’ Donuts to launch delivery in Boston via app. Link
  • TopShop looking for the next big thing in wearable tech. Link
  • Bots, Messenger and the future of customer service. Link
  • Toms drives home the impact of its donations through VR. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 1.18.2016

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Here is a recap of news around the industry from the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand / Retailer:

  • Big retailers search for their spot in shopping’s future. Link
  • Music meets fashion as Stella McCartney shows pre-fall line. Link
  • GoPro lays off 7% of staff, warns of poor sales. Link
  • Under Armour tumbles after analysts say it has a woman problem. Link
  • American Eagle managed to beat the odds this holiday season. Link
  • The Zappos exodus continues after radical management experiment. Link
  • Amazon to open pick-up spot on University of Pennsylvania campus in Philadelphia. Link
  • Amazon is expanding into the world of ocean freight shipping. Link
  • Why Under Armour is paying big ten money to sponsor Yale University sports. Link
  • Best Buy lowers sales outlook after holiday sales drop. Link
  • WalMart to close hundreds of stores. Link
  • US holiday sales rose 3%, missing projections. Link

Social Media / Marketing:

  • How Snapchat plans to compete with Facebook for advertising dollars. Link
  • Marketing in the moments, to reach customers online. Link
  • Coach invests in new campaign to help revive ailing brand. Link
  • Foursquare CEO steps down as app seeks to boost growth. Link
  • Twitter brings Periscope live video into the newsfeed. Link
  • WhatsApp is ditching its $1 annual subscription fee. Link
  • Marketers, welcome to the world of emotional analytics. Link
  • Marriott’s adventure in online content marketing continues with premier of latest film. Link
  • How Michelle Phan is changing the marketing playbook for makeup. Link

Start Ups:

  • Meet the houseware startups making high design more affordable. Link 
  • Ex-Googler’s new venture is turning weed into a hip, lifestyle brand. Link
  • Venture capital is terrible at online shopping. Link
  • Jawbone raises $165M at half its last valuation. Link

International:

  • Apple inks deal for Champs-Elysees deal for flagship store. Link
  • Burberry is growing in mainland China again. Link
  • Black Friday fuels surprise surge in Brazilian retail sales. Link
  • NetFlix global expansion attracts some unexpected customers. Link
  • China’s Baidu says in talks to invest in Indian ecommerce startups. Link
  • Slump in Hong Kong, Macau hit Burberry’s Christmas sales. Link

Mobile / Wearable / Emerging Tech:

  • Apple’s recent acquisitions point to an AR future. Link
  • Why other location-based technologies could steal beacons’ thunder in 2016. Link
  • Top IoT and wearable technology trends for 2016. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 1.11.2016

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Here are some of the things that happened over the last week in retail, technology, and fashion. All sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Have a great week!

Brand/Retailer:

  • Apple Music now has more than 10M subscribers. Link
  • Warm weather cost apparel stores hundreds of millions this fall and winter. Link
  • Ace to open hotel in New Orleans. Link
  • Hudon’s Bay to acquire Gilt Groupe for $250M. Link
  • What’s next for the American department store? Link
  • Why Finish Line is closing 150 stores even though ‘athleisure’ is booming. Link
  • Off-price retailers like TJ Maxx and Ross are thriving. Link
  • Holiday sales rise but not all retailers are cheery. Link
  • Holiday season winners and losers. Link
  • LuLuLemon reaches a turning point. Link
  • Macy’s slashes 4,000 jobs after huge drop in holiday season sales. Link
  • Old Navy sales tumble. Link
  • Kohl’s is debating whether to take itself private or break up the company. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Instagram is now curating videos about live events. Link
  • Snapchat is building its own ad platform. Link
  • Target partnering with SoulCycle. Link
  • Burberry debuts on Apple TV with menswear fashion show. Link
  • Longer tweets said to be coming soon to Twitter. Link
  • What lies ahead for marketing in an increasingly ad-free future. Link
  • The White House joins Snapchat. Link
  • Burberry runs lunar New Year WeChat campaign. Link
  • Twitter wants to let brands turn your tweets into ads. Link

Startup:

  • How this bootstrapped company, Homepolish, is competing with a rival that raised $200M. Link
  • Japan’s fashion rental service AirCloset snags $8M. Link

International:

  • Amazon is letting UK shoppers to buy now, pay later. Link
  • Hong Kong retail sales figures fall for 12th straight month. Link
  • Wayfair roles out Canadian ecommerce site. Link
  • What Amazon Prime is like around the world. Link
  • Louis Vuitton sues counterfeit online sellers in China. Link
  • Victoria’s Secret to open first Southeast Asia flagship in Singapore. Link
  • Dolce & Gabbana appeals to Muslim consumers. Link

Mobile/Wearbles/Emerging Technology:

  • Under Armour gets serious about fitness tech with HealthBox, a big box of gadgets. Link
  • L’Oreal unveils smart skincare patch at CES. Link
  • Samsung’s smart clothes are wearables you’d actually wear. Link
  • Fashion icon Iris Apfel is designing wearables for Wisewear. Link
  • Apple acquires startup that reads emotions from facial expression. Link
  • Apple rolls out new betas across its platforms. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 1.3.2016

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Hi! Happy New Year! I haven’t published in awhile because I started a new job in a new city. I’m still figuring out my routine but hope to keep publishing on a regular schedule.  Capturing news about the retail/technology industries keeps me in the loop about my own industry and hopefully some of you find it helpful as well. If you do have any feedback or suggestions for me, leave it in the comments!

Cheers,

Carolann

Below is a recap of industry news from December 2015. All sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Cyber Monday Sales Top $3 Billion as Discounts Spur Buyers. Link
  • Ikea CEO Sees Online Accounting for 10% of Revenue by 2020. Link
  • Amazon is capturing bigger slice of US online holiday spending. Link
  • Yoox Net-a-Porter appoints executives from Instagram, La Rinascente to board. Link
  • H&M blames warm weather across US and Europe for sales miss. Link
  • How Primark is pushing into a cutthroat retail landscape. Link
  • How Boohoo.com releases up to 300 new products a day. Link
  • Apple doubles down on luxury image. Link
  • Alibaba hires ex-Apple investigator for global anti-piracy fight. Link
  • Holiday sales who online shift. Link
  • Hudson’s Bay is said to consider buying Gilt. Link
  • This big retailer could kill your subscription startup. Link
  • Holiday shipping delays claim retailer Jet.com. Link
  • Retailers face challenges as click and collect gains popularity. Link
  • Abercrombie & Fitch President steps down, Hollister president promoted to dual role. Link
  • More businesses are varying prices by the day, the hour, even the minute. Link
  • Retailers that dominated in 2015. Link
  • Why men are going to brick-and-mortar stores in the digital age. Link

Social/Marketing:

  • Pinterest Acquires Two Image Indexing Startups In Mobile Shopping Push. Link
  • Burberry campaign gets raw, goes 3D with DreamWorks. Link
  • Facebook plans to shape up social software for work in 2016. Link
  • Menswear site Four Pins shutting down. Link
  • Carine Roitfeld’s second collaboration with Uniqlo will hit stores in February. Link
  • A Nasty Gal and Courtney Love collaboration is happening. Link
  • Facebook tests interest-specific newsfeeds on mobile. Link
  • Snapchat is making its own original content for Discover again. Link

Startups:

  • Custom Suit Startup Indochino Wants More Physical Stores. Link
  • Four Nest Alums are opening a retail store to sell trendy tech gadgets. Link
  • A Tinder-like shopping app looks to keep shopping simple. Link
  • Lyft doubles funding with new $1B round. Link
  • Ayr to branch off from Bonobos to form as its own standalone company. Link

International:

  • Net-a-porter China’s GM talks mobile sales and Yoox merger. Link
  • Rakuten to set up shop on JD.com. Link
  • Europe’s privacy revolution sends shivers through Silicon Valley. Link
  • China 2015 retail sales to rise almost 11%, slower than 2014. Link
  • Currency fluctuations drive Chinese consumers to Japan. Link
  • Alibaba warned by US to combat sales of counterfeit products. Link
  • Abercrombie and Fitch opens first store in Dubai. Link
  • Starbucks launches ecommerce site on Alibaba’s TMall. Link
  • Walmart considers closing 5% of its Brazil stores. Link
  • Woolworths follows Macy’s, Costco with plans for TMall shopfront. Link
  • Apple Pay seeks growth in Asia, Europe after slow US adoption. Link
  • Amazon UK to expand grocery range in 2016. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Walmart Prepares to Enter Mobile Payments Business. Link
  • Target thinks it has enough customer trust to get into the mobile wallet game. Link
  • You can now hail an Uber via Facebook Messenger. Link
  • Who’s winning the 3D printed shoe race? Link
  • Mobile shopping up but US lags other parts of the globe. Link
  • How retailers are using mobile messaging to change the way we shop. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.30.2015

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Happy Cyber Monday!  Below are some industry highlights from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Note: I’ll be taking a short break with the weekly updates as I ramp up at my new job. More to come soon. Cheers!

Holiday:

  • When and where do Black Friday’s biggest crowds actually hit? Link
  • Black Friday shopping with thinner crowds as Americans spend more online. Link
  • Black Friday News: fewer people in stores, Everlane gives profits to factory workers. Link
  • US holiday sales on track amidst online boost. Link
  • US store sales down slightly for Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Link
  • Online sales surge ahead of brick-and-mortar retailers’ big day. Link
  • Holiday shopping unlikely to cheer many investors. Link
  • Thanksgiving/Black Friday online sales hit $4.5B, 34% of purchases made on mobile. Link
  • Google shares Black Friday location data for marketers. Link

Brand/Retailer:

  • Neiman Marcus web site suffers outages for second straight day. Link
  • Burberry, Google launch interactive video experience at London flagship. Link
  • Wal-Mart revamps ecommerce technology as Amazon applies pressure. Link
  • Amazon touts new drone prototype, plans multiple designs. Link
  • Kate Spade’s CMO talks phone-charging purses, Pixar and dressing room selfies. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • How Nordstrom and Sephora are nailing social media going into Black Friday. Link
  • J.Crew and American Girl embrace social commerce ads for the holidays. Link
  • Target’s big digital holiday campaign combines Snapchat, Facebook, and Instagram. Link
  • Snapchat debuts Story Explorer, a more detailed approach to live events coverage. Link
  • Shopping app Spring proves to be an inexpensive asset for young brands. Link
  • Vine arrives on the Apple Watch. Link
  • These ecommerce companies are seeing lots of referral traffic from Pinterest. Link

Startups:

  • Jet.com snags a fresh $350M in funding. Link
  • Deliveroo, an on-demand food delivery services, rasies $100M. Link
  • Rocket Internet’s latest company is ZenRooms, a budget hotel platform for Southeast Asia. Link

International:

  • Facebook prepares for instant articles push in Asia. Link
  • Facebook expands free internet service in India. Link
  • Apple plans to launch Apple Pay in China by February. Link
  • China’s mobile payments war is going global. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Swatch to start selling mobile payment watch in US in 2016. Link
  • Smartphones overtake desktops for holiday shopping. Link
  • Swatch teams up with Visa for a watch that can make payments. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.16.2015

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Happy Monday! Check out industry highlights from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Holiday:

  • H&M to close US stores on Thanksgiving. Link
  • Target keeps Thanksgiving opening at 6pm. Link
  • Don’t expect holiday far at Nordstrom until Black Friday. Link
  • Walmart scales back on Black Friday, offers longer-term discounts. Link
  • Walmart to offer most Black Friday promotions online first. Link

Brand/Retailer:

  • Apple’s Angela Ahrendts on where the company is taking retail next. Link
  • Postmates to buy Sosh, a service for discovering local activities. Link
  • Beats music to shut down on November 30. Link
  • J.C. Penney sales beat estimates, helped by Sephora. Link
  • Rent the Runway will launch everyday fashion rentals next year. Link
  • Urban Outfitters to buy Vetri restaurants. Link
  • How Revolve Clothing took its brand global. Link
  • Marriott buying Starwood in deal valued at $12.2B. Link
  • Yoox Net-a-Porter raises savings estimates amid merger benefits. Link
  • Fossil Group to buy wearable fitness company Misfit for $260M. Link
  • Kohl’s taps Reed Krakoff for its next collaboration. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Tumblr rolls out instant messaging on both web and mobile. Link
  • YouTube launches its long-awaited music app. Link
  • Shopify launches an Instagram for classified listings. Link
  • Oscar winning filmmaker directs a short film for Canada Goose. Link
  • Facebook launches Notify, a notifications app. Link
  • Facebook adds photo recognition to messenger. Link
  • Snapchat says it has 6 billion video views a day. Link
  • Pinterest’s new tool lets you do searches using pictures. Link

Startups:

  • You can now request an Uber through Slack. Link
  • Cola, a new start-up introduces ways to do more in text messages. Link
  • Uber signs digital mapping deal with TomTom. Link

International:

  • Macy’s joins Singles’ Day debutantes in Chinese spending spree. Link
  • China shatters online shopping records in just 12 hours on Singles’ Day. Link
  • Alibaba to invest in U.S. startups as part of expansion plan. Link
  • Amazon may export delivery lessons from India to cut costs abroad. Link
  • Spain’s Mango to shut 450 U.S. sales outlets. Link
  • Facebook restricts more content in India than anywhere else. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Apple, banks in talks on mobile person-to-person payment service. Link
  • Apple may be launching Venmo competitor. Link
  • LG and Google introduce a phone-free smartwatch. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.19.2015

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Check out my recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Uber’s courier service, UberRush goes live in Chicago and San Francisco. Link
  • Kohl’s expands same-day delivery to 9 cities ahead of holiday season. Link
  • Target teams up with Who What Wear on full-fledged fashion line. Link
  • Under Armour CEO and CFO to step down. Link
  • PayPal will now pay for your return shipping. Link
  • Birchbox is launching its own makeup line. Link
  • WalMart to pour $2B into ecommerce over next two years. Link
  • Nike sets aggressive revenue target of $50B by 2020. Link
  • Nordstrom Rack is becoming a massive threat to Macy’s, Kohls, and JC Penny. Link
  • Balmain x H&M: See the full collection with prices. Link
  • Rodarte to team up with & Other Stories next Spring. Link
  • Starbucks is testing delivering coffee to office workers in the Empire State Building. Link
  • How Levi’s is fighting athleisure by reinventing denim. Link
  • Ralph Lauren opens first store in Brooklyn. Link
  • American Apparel sees bright future after bankruptcy. Link
  • Target enlists entrepreneurs to help it think outside the big box. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Survey finds teens prefer Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Link
  • Facebook pushes shopping features in move toward ecommerce. Link
  • How Facebook’s Moments is solving the other people’s photos problem. Link
  • Target taps Shazam for shoppable link to TV ad campaign. Link
  • How Unilever tapped ‘I Want that Hair’ moments by aggregating blogger videos. Link
  • Facebook tests video tab, intensifying YouTube rivalry. Link
  • How the Instagram effect is changing advertising images. Link

Startup

  • Outdoor Voices, a brand for simple, cool activewear, raises $7M in funding. Link
  • How non-technology companies are trying to mimic startups by launching innovation labs. Link

International

  • H&M’s next target is the Indian middle class. Link
  • Amazon bets on Mexico. Link
  • Zalando feels growth pains as margins miss estimates. Link
  • Starbucks may be opening stores in Italy. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech

  • Square, the mobile payments company, files for IPO. Link
  • Swatch links with China banking giants for mobile payment watch. Link
  • More brands use beacons to connect with customers real-time. Link
  • Nike debuts interactive shopping app, Tech Book. Link
  • Apple focuses on 3D Touch with new iPhone 6 ad. Link
  • Yaho offers password free log in for email. Link
  • LinkedIn revamps mobile app to boost use. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.12.2015

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Below is a recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Amazon challenges Etsy with handmade marketplace. Link
  • com eliminates $50 membership fee to broaden appeal. Link
  • Why big-name chefs are opening restaurants with Urban Outfitters. Link
  • More retailers offering free shipping on returns. Link
  • Uniqlo plans to curb US store openings, citing ‘limited’ brand awareness. Link
  • Amazon wants to know how its employees feel every day. Link
  • Gap slump deepens on disappointing September sales report. Link
  • Banana Republic’s creative directors steps down as brand flails. Link
  • Urban Outfitters to end on-call shifts in New York City. Link
  • Amazon building a tech business for the long haul. Link
  • Holiday sales expected to total $630B this year. Link
  • Dell buys EMC for $67B, the largest deal in tech history. Link
  • When it comes to delivery, one size doesn’t fit all. Link
  • City Sports files for bankruptcy, will sell or close down. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Mobile search surpasses desktop at Google. Link
  • With reactions, Facebook supercharges the like button. Link
  • How advertising will work in Google’s accelerated mobile pages. Link
  • Vimeo is producing its first slate of originals. Link
  • Twitter’s Moments geared to reduce newcomer intimidation. Link
  • Marketers look to diversify their online spending. Link
  • Facebook to start soring ads’ results across its mobile app network. Link
  • Pinterest adds retailers with expanded buy button. Link
  • Snapchat on pace to overtake Facebook for video supremacy. Link

Startups:

  • Glamsquad raises another $15M to launch in more cities. Link
  • Start-ups picked by Disney hint at future tech for children. Link
  • Meet Sounds, a music app that lets you share songs on Instagram. Link

International:

  • Need Supply to open stores in Japan. Link
  • European fashion sense dominates online too. Link
  • Russia proves a bright spot for China’s online retailers. Link
  • SIngPost grows ecommerce with U.S., European services. Link
  • Apple is blocking its news app from everyone in China. Link
  • WalMart Canada to join forces with 7-Eleven for ecommerce pickup points. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • How Urban Outfitters may boost mobile sales with visual search. Link
  • Microsoft builds its first laptop, the Surface Book. Link
  • Facebook Messenger for Apple Watch officially launches. Link
  • Abercrombie looks to revive sales with mobile-led model. Link
  • China helps offset lowest US iPhone share in the past four years. Link