Tag: ecommerce

Weekly Industry Brief: 5.1.2017

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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, comments, (constructive) criticism…please reach out! Have a great week.

Brands and Retailers

  • LVMH to take control of Christian Dior in $13.1B deal. New York Times
  • Vince says it has ‘substantial doubt’ that it’ll stay in business. Fashionista
  • Wal-Mart’s tech incubator hires Rent-the-Runway co-founder. Bloomberg
  • Sources say Coach is the likely buyer of Jimmy Choo. Telegraph
  • Kit and Ace is closing all of its US, UK and Australia stores. Racked
  • Gucci sales jump a record 50% in part due to China, digital. Fashionista and Bloomberg
  • Amid brick-and-mortar travails, a tipping point for Amazon in Apparel. New York Times
  • Zappos launches line for special needs consumers. Mediapost
  • A look inside Reformation’s sustainable Los Angeles factory. Fashionista
  • Goop to open first beauty pop-up. WWD
  • Crew shakes up management, cuts jobs in bid for profitability. Bloomberg
  • Adidas tells us how it plans to catch Nike. GQ
  • How BooHoo is beating the rocky American retail market. Digiday
  • Next week, Adidas releases a new running shoe made from ocean plastic. Forbes
  • As retailers race to close stores, a web startup is opening them. Wall Street Journal
  • Gap to source 100% sustainable cotton by 2021. Triple Pundit
  • Apple’s stock races ahead as investors bet on new iPhone. New York Times
  • L’oreal rounds up bidders for The Body Shop. Business of Fashion

Marketing and Social Media

  • Lead by Louis Vuitton, fashion brands storm digital. Adage
  • Bloomberg and Twitter announce live broadcasting partnership. Bloomberg
  • A new Goop magazine is coming to Conde Nast. Fashionista
  • Snapchat’s Discover partners are seeing more views on TV, desktop and mobile. Mashable
  • How Under Armour lost its swagger. Business of Fashion
  • What marketers can learn about chatbots from pros that have seen early success. Adweek
  • How brands are finally cashing in on social with shoppable Instagram stories and snapchat ads. AdWeek

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • The robots are coming for your wardrobe. Fast Company
  • Dominos delivers its pizza tracker to your IoT devices. Forbes
  • This startup’s expansion could pave the way for more innovative retail. Adage
  • How Echo Look could feed Amazon’s big data fueled fashion ambitions. Techcrunch
  • Amazon’s new Echo aims to answer age-old question: does this look good on me? Wall Street Journal
  • Apple is in talks to launch its own Venmo. Recode
  • Instagram’s growth speeds up as it hits 700 million users. Techcrunch
  • Amazon rival, Boxed, sees narrow inventory as edge. Bloomberg

International

  • Online retail growth reflects changing consumption in China. China Daily
  • Amazon’s Italian subsidiary under investigation for tax evasion. WWD
  • When the name game gets serious in China. Business of Fashion
  • Zalando considers brick-and-mortar stores. Business of Fashion
  • China’s $1.5B social commerce startup, Pinduoduo, could transform online retail. Business of Fashion
  • More Chinese tourists seen traveling to the Middle East.  BBC
  • Gogoboi teams up with western ecommerce retailers to sell luxury on WeChat. Jing Daily

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 4.24.2017

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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

  • PetsMart is buying Chewy.com for $3.35B in the largest ecommerce acquisition ever. Recode
  • Wal-Mart’s bargain bin ecommerce plan. Bloomberg
  • Pop-up stores shore up rough retail real estate market. Glossy
  • Burberry’s “see now, buy now” strategy is actually working. Fashionista
  • How online is transforming brick-and-mortar retail. New York Times
  • Ikea considering standalone restaurants. Fast Company
  • Primark plans biggest expansion in decades as chain’s sales soar. Bloomberg
  • Alibaba’s Jack Ma predicts decades of social upheaval as internet spreads its disruption. Fortune
  • Wal-Mart buys shoes.com domain for $9M. Retail Dive
  • At luxury stores it isn’t shopping, it’s an experience. Wall Street Journal
  • Macy’s new CEO plans to take on TJ Maxx. CNBC
  • Sears’ march toward bankruptcy: gradually then suddenly. Forbes
  • Bebe closing all stores. Forbes
  • Amazon adding 2,500 new jobs in New Jersey. Inc
  • Amidst backlash, Ivanka Trump clothing is relabeled as Adrienne Vittadini. Business of Fashion
  • Net-a-porter to launch Cartier’s Panthere watch exclusively. WWD

Marketing and Social Media

  • Insider #RevolveFestival, an influencer-filled weekend that dominated the Coachella party scene. Fashionista
  • These natural beauty brands are using big data to give skin care a makeover. Fast Company
  • Google sees another chance to get programmatic TV right. AdAge
  • Mark Zuckerberg outlines Facebook’s AR plans. AdAge
  • Teenage dream: How Urban Outfitters is navigating a rocky retail scene. Refinery 29
  • Victoria’s Secret and Nike rank among top brands for millennials. Bloomberg
  • Amazon launches ‘Subscribe with Amazon,’ a marketplace for digital subscriptions. Techcrunch
  • Meet the Muslim woman who inspired Nike to enter the hijab business. Fast Company
  • Athleta looks to lead market with new sustainability plan. Glossy
  • Madewell is ramping up its denim donation program after a blockbuster Earth Day. Fast Company

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Paypal signs new Android deal to speak up store checkout. Wall Street Journal
  • A robot-delivery startup helped write state laws that are locking out competition. Recode
  • Spotify is working on its own music hardware. The Verge
  • Amazon forms team to focus on driverless technology. Wall Street Journal
  • Facebook is working on a way to let you type with your brain. The Verge
  • Four ecommerce innovations that WalMart doesn’t own yet. Forbes
  • How in-home package delivery could save ecommerce. Fast Company

International

  • Amazon to launch a presence in Australia. Seattle Times
  • As Flipkart slips, Amazon tightens its grip on the Indian market. Quartz
  • Longchamp sets eyes on China. China Daily
  • Fans of China’s teen stars are crowdsourcing big ad buys to prove their devotion. AdAge
  • Here are six products you can expect to start moving to brick-and-mortar in India. Forbes

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: 4.10.2017

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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. Cheers!

Brands and Retailers

  • H&M pledges to use 100% sustainable materials by 2030. WWD
  • ‘Same-store sales’ is retail’s increasingly irrelevant metric. Forbes
  • America’s retailers are closing stores faster than ever. Business of Fashion
  • Why Amazon is trying to convince CPG giants to go direct to consumer. Forbes
  • Big returns in hassle-free returns. Forbes
  • LVMH sales rise 15%, beating estimates. Business of Fashion
  • Staples explores sale after failed Office Depot deal. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amid the “retail apocalypse” beauty stores are thriving. Quartz
  • Ralph Lauren to close flagship Fifth Avenue store, cut jobs. Business of Fashion
  • Etsy heralds congressional caucus on micro business. EcommerceBytes
  • A new generation of even faster fashion is leaving H&M and Zara in the dust. Quartz
  • The Jenna Lyons era at J.Crew comes to an end. New York Times
  • H&M tries on multiple personalities to keep growing. Bloomberg
  • SoulCycle sold fans on fitness, now it’s cashing in on clothes. Racked
  • Walmart thinks it has four strategic advantages over Amazon. Business Insider
  • Amazon plans to hire 30,000 part time employees. Fortune
  • Online retailers’ new warehouses heat up local job markets. The Wall Street Journal
  • Stores take flight from Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. New York Times
  • HHGregg to close all stores after failing to find a buyer. IndyStar

Marketing and Social Media

  • Twitter lets brands use location data in direct messages. Venture Beat
  • Amazon will stream Thursday night NFL games this year. Recode
  • Which luxury brands are reaching millennial shoppers? Huffington Post
  • Brands are capitalizing on Coachella before the festival even begins. Fashionista
  • Google brings fake news fact-checking to search results. Bloomberg
  • YouTube will no longer allow creators to make money until they reach 10,000 views. The Verge
  • Here is how much top influencers can make on Instagram and YouTube. Forbes
  • Zappos rolls out traveling experiential marketing event. MediaPost
  • YouTube TV launches live service in major markets. Seeking Alpha
  • Prepare to be inspired by SoulCylce’s first major marketing campaign. AdWeek

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Adidas to mass produce 3D-printed shoe with Silicon Valley start-up. Reuters
  • Canada tries to turn its A.I ideas into dollars. New York Times
  • Apple Pay promised to make plastic obsolete; then came way shoppers and confused clerks. The Wall Street Journal
  • Interactive magic mirrors are changing how we see ourselves – and shop. Fast Company
  • Why regional fashion incubators outside of New York and LA matter. Fashionista

International

  • Tory Burch opens flagship store on Regent Street in London. Retail Gazette
  • India’s Flipkart raises $1.4B in biggest ever funding round. Business of Fashion
  • Why China is leading us to the future of commerce. Forbes
  • What Flipkart stands to gain against Amazon if it merges with Snapdeal. Quartz
  • Can Li & Fung recast itself to catch up with the internet age? South China Morning Post
  • Walmart grocery pickup coming to Canada. Canadian Grocer
  • Amazon takes voice battle with Apple TV outside the US. Bloomberg
  • Zara’s new Madrid store challenges Corte Ingles in retail tussle. Bloomberg
  • India’s malls make changes to stay competitive. Economic Times

Weekly Industry Brief: 4.3.2017

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Every Monday I collect and publish the retail industry headlines from around the web over the last week for easy scanning purposes.  Hope it helps. Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Enjoy!

Brands and Retailers

  • Spanx goes after bras. WWD
  • Amazon launches Amazon Cash, a way to shop its site without a bank card. Techcrunch
  • Jenna Lyons out after 26 years at J.Crew. Fashionista
  • VF Corp. in reshaping mode; focus on consumer and retail. WWD
  • The winners and losers in a Coach-Kate Spade acquisition. Digiday
  • How Warby Parker’s success beat their own expectations. Bloomberg
  • Coty just signed a deal to grow Burberry’s beauty business. Fortune
  • Verizon announces new name brand for AOL and Yahoo: Oath. New York Times
  • Nike’s Soho flagship leads transformational charge into the future of sports retail. Stores
  • UPS rolling out Saturday ground deliveries nationwide. Consumerist
  • Why investors are so keen on Amazon. The Economist
  • How ecommerce is making stores relevant again. Fortune
  • Bergdorf Goodman’s chief to step down as parent Neiman seeks sale. Bloomberg
  • North Face owner VF needs a new mega-deal. Here’s why it’s taking so long. Fortune
  • H&M is launching a new brand called Arket. Fashionista
  • As retailers close stores, the world’s third-largest apparel player, Uniqlo, takes another run at the US. CNBC
  • Lululemon investors see red as company cites lack of colorful clothing. Wall Street Journal
  • Luxury-goods companies are belatedly trying to go digital. The Economist

Marketing and Social Media

  • Revolve Social Club to open doors to public for festival style pop-up. WWD
  • Amazon wants influencers for new shop program. WWD
  • How Generation Z is transforming the shopping experience. Retail Dive
  • How the Instagram look gave rise to a new makeup artist. Glossy
  • Snapchat makes it possible to search for Stories by keywords. MarketingLand
  • Clique Media Group launches new vertical inspired by a surge in wellness traffic. Glossy
  • Alice + Olivia launches private Instagram for top consumers. Glossy
  • Pinterest sets focus on small businesses to propel revenue growth. Adage
  • J&J and Verizon join major marketers suspending YouTube advertising. Adage
  • Forever 21 pushes low-priced concept. WWD
  • Amazon quietly launches its own social media influencers program into beta. Techcrunch
  • To take on Netflix, Hollywood studios are planning ‘premium’ videos on demand. Wall Street Journal
  • Adidas All Day app aims to help you stay fit and eat healthy. Engadget
  • Chase had ads on 400,000 sites. Then on just 5,000. Same results. New York Times
  • Lululemon will target millennials with its first-ever global ad campaign. Fashionista

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Amazon Prime Air drone completes its first US public delivery. CNet
  • Glossier is launching perfume and sunscreen. Vogue
  • HTC is launching its VR app subscription service at $7 per month. Techcrunch
  • Inside retail’s live chat revolution. Forbes
  • L’oreal’s technology incubator is creating the future of beauty. New York Times
  • Starbucks is going to try out a mobile order only store. Techcrunch
  • Goop enters the $37M nutritional supplements industry. Fast Company
  • Dominos will deliver pizza by robot in Europe. Newsweek
  • The spiral of Spring’s great mobile experiment. Glossy

International

  • Amazon buys Middle Eastern online marketplace, Souq.com. Bloomberg
  • The real reason Chinese millennials are super consumers. Forbes
  • Wal-Mart okay with selling only made-in-India products says India CEO. The Times of India
  • More Chinese consumers say no to fake goods. Wall Street Journal
  • With Reebok expansion, Adidas challenges Nike in China. Business of Fashion

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: 3.20.2017

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Hi! Here is a recap of the news I’ve been reading in the industry this week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Have a great week and Happy Spring!

Brands and Retailers

  • What’s next for malls – a look at two successful companies in America? Fashionista
  • Nike, H&M named world’s most valuable apparel brands. Fashionista
  • Gymboree chief tapped to lead Banana Republic. Reuters
  • Victoria Beckham to launch Spring collection at Target. Refinery29
  • Macy’s CEO wants to make these five big changes at the store. CNBC
  • Zara’s new focus: bigger bricks, more clicks. Wall Street Journal
  • Honest Co taps Clorox veteran as new CEO. Fortune
  • Acne reboots denim strategy. Business of Fashion
  • L’oreal Beauty’s secret weapon is buying other companies. Fortune
  • C. Penney closing 138 stores, liquidations begin next month. Retail Dive
  • Canada Goose raises $256M in IPO. Bloomberg
  • Walmar to acquire Modcloth. Recode
  • Neiman Marcus mulls sale, with Hudson’s Bay seen as suitor. Bloomberg

Marketing and Social Media

  • Adidas hires social-media stars to double women’s market share. Bloomberg
  • Adidas steps away from TV advertising as it targets $4B growth. CNBC
  • Inside Hearst’s turbulent quest to build a Snapchat brand. Glossy
  • Hollister targets teens with mobile video game. AdAge
  • Coachella sues Urban Outfitters for Free People capitalizing on festival brand. WWD
  • Who is the millennial femal e micro influencer? Adweek
  • Google removes audio ads from Google Home hours after introducing them. BGR

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Swatch takes on Google, Apple with watch operating system. Bloomberg
  • Alibaba bets on big on augmented reality. Jing Daily
  • Foursquare is launching an analytics platform to help retailers understand foot traffic. TechCrunch
  • Why former Wall Streeters find new careers as fashion founders. Glossy
  • Chic, direct-to-consumer vitamin companies are the latest wellness trend. Fashionista
  • Shopify’s ecommerce revolution. Fortune
  • Intel wants to be a tech ‘enabler’ for the fashion industry. Engadget
  • DeepMind finds way to overcome AI’s forgetfulness problem. Bloomberg
  • Drones may one day buzz inside a Walmart near you. Fortune

International

  • Zara will enter India’s online shopping scene this year. Quartz
  • Ikea plans to open five stores in Serbia. Economic Times
  • Paris Gallery Group aims to open 30 new stores in Middle East. The National
  • Amazon plans air cargo service for Chinese customers. Wall Street Journal
  • Apple plans two more Chinese research hubs as iPhone sales slow. Bloomberg
  • Amazon aims to breathe new life into Tokyo Fashion Week. WWD

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.13.2017

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Hi! Here is a recap of retail industry news over the last week. Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • Outdoor Voices to open four stores in 2017. Link
  • Patagonia to launch website for Worn Wear recycling program. Link
  • C Penney to focus on beauty, appliances amidst store closures. Link
  • HHGregg files for bankruptcy. Link
  • LVMH to launch multi-brand ecommerce site. Link
  • Adidas raises forecasts as new CEO plans fast-fashion focus. Link
  • Millennials buy more clothes on Amazon than any other website. Link
  • Staples to close 70 stores in North America. Link
  • MAC Cosmetics to enter Ulta Beauty in bid for new audience. Link
  • Why Dick’s Sporting Goods is ditching 20% of its suppliers. Link
  • Anthropologie continues to struggle with fashion misses. Link
  • The cool kids behind Opening Ceremony. Link
  • Women’s retailer J.Jill gets lukewarm IPO response. Link
  • Urban Outfitters CEO says retail bubble has burst. Link
  • Amazon will now offer Spanish on the US website. Link

Marketing and Social Media

  • Home brands like West Elm turn to hotels to connect with new customers. Link
  • LikeToKnowIt now lets you shop from your screenshots. Link
  • Spotify and The North Face collaborate to make a song only available in the rain. Link
  • Mary Kay goes social to attract millennials. Link
  • Casper, the Standard Hotel and Tesla turned this retro motel into a crash pad at SXSW. Link
  • Why brick-and-mortar retailers need to go digital with analytics. Link
  • Nike reveals the Pro Hijab for Muslin athletes. Link
  • Yext files for IPO. Link
  • Verizon Ventures and R/GA partner to launch a digital media ‘venture studio,’ Link

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Virginia passes first US law outlining rules for delivery by robot. Link
  • Global M&A activity up 30% in 2016. Link
  • Levi’s smart jacket about to hit stores. Link
  • Hubble raises $16.5M to deliver affordable daily contact lenses. Link
  • Under Armour joins the innovation rush. Link
  • Bolt Threads debuts its first product, a $314 tie made from spiderwebs. Link
  • Brands stand to benefit from the Leandra Medine investment. Link
  • Macy’s testing more self-service shoe sections. Link
  • Stitch Fix using artificial intelligence and data to design clothes. Link

International

  • Yoox Net-a-Porter to launch ecommerce on WhatsApp. Link
  • Wal-Mart doubles down on Brazil, despite sluggish sales. Link
  • The $7B Japanese retailer that’s targeting the US. Link
  • Bloomgindale’s grows Middle East footprint with Kuwait store opening. Link
  • Amazon Prime ships off to Mexico. Link
  • International Women’s Day is a day in China to reward your inner goddess through online shopping. Link
  • Amazon said to resume talks of Souq.com takeover. Link
  • Amazon India launches Under Armour. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.6.2017

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Here is your industry brief of news I’ve collected from around the web over the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Gap Inc. plans to trim workforce with 216 layoffs. Link
  • Wal-Mart to take technical aim at Amazon and Target with app update for pharmacy and money-transferring services. Link
  • Canal Street Market offers blueprint for revitalizing retail. Link
  • Target to reduce prices, remodel stores and launch new private label brands. Link
  • In retail’s slump, Saks looks to woo guys with DJs, putt-putt golf. Link
  • Alexander Wang and Adidas set to release second collaboration pack. Link
  • Puma and Under Armour trade places. Link
  • Best Buy CEO declares turnaround phase over, but there are still challenges. Link
  • Amazon wants to send packages to the moon by 2020. Link
  • How one teen retailer is thriving while its competitors flounder. Link
  • Hermes taps into customizing trend with handbags. Link
  • McDonald’s is finally getting mobile ordering and delivery. Link
  • If Yoox-Net-a-Porter group is actually trying to take over the world, it’s working. Link
  • Sarah Jessica Parker launches made-in-the-US handbag collection. Link
  • Abercrombie & Fitch to close another 60 U.S. stores as sales crater. Link
  • Costco to increase membership fee. Link
  • H&M hops on the ‘see now, buy now’ train with diverse runway show. Link
  • La Perla seeks to expand into fashion. Link
  • Amazon’s private label Elements expands for first time in years with invite-only vitamins and supplements. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Who is behind the flurry of influencer-backed beauty brands? Link
  • Facebook adds a travel-planning feature called ‘City Guides.’ Link
  • Virtual reality leads marketers down a tricky path. Link
  • S. consumers now spend 5 hours per day on mobile devices. Link
  • Amazon and Pinterest threaten to shake up the search ad market. Link
  • How Urban Outfitters leveraged location marketing for a 75% conversion gain. Link
  • Comcast is integrating YouTube into its set-top box. Link
  • One of Facebook Messenger’s first retail partners has ditched it as a notification tool. Link
  • Can YouTube TV get you to cut the cord for $35 a month. Link
  • Bloggers are panicking over changes to Amazon’s affiliate system. Link
  • Meet the Muslim women inspiring a modest revolution in the fashion industry. Link
  • NBC Universal invests $500M in Snapchat at IPO. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Robots will be in stores sooner than you think. Link
  • it’s app helps you buy the products in your screenshots. Link
  • Garmentory wants to bring small boutiques online. Link
  • IBM and Salesforce partner to sell Watson and Einstein. Link
  • Jay Z launches Arrive to fund startups, offer branding support and more. Link
  • Skin-care startup Drunk Elephant gets new round of investing. Link
  • Shopping app targeting Chinese-American consumers pursues discerning spenders in the US. Link

International

  • Starbucks opening high-end roastery in Italy. Link
  • Middle East ecommerce takes flight. Link
  • German discounter Aldi to start online sales in China. Link
  • Eurozone retail sales continue to fall. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 2.27.2017

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Here is your industry brief of news I’ve collected from around the web over the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Jet’s hipster shoppers get a taste of Wal-Mart in-house brands. Link
  • Sources say Sycamore Partners wins bankruptcy auction for The Limited. Link
  • Macy’s plans to stay afloat by making major changes to stores. Link
  • Wall Street worries over Victoria’s Secret weakness. Link
  • Celine to finally offer ecommerce. Link
  • Amazon nabs the top spot for online cosmetic sales. Link
  • Wal-Mart outperforms Amazon as the competition heats up. Link
  • C. Penney is closing up to 140 stores as turnaround stalls. Link
  • TJX is planning a new chain that could deliver another blow to department stores. Link
  • How operators are giving new life to aging malls. Link
  • The one brand rushing into the mall while others flee. Link
  • Airbnb buys Tilt, signaling its growing interest in group travel. Link
  • Reformation boutique brings ecommerce ease to SF shop. Link
  • Is Airbnb on an acquisition spree? Link
  • How Neiman Marcus is turning technology innovation into a ‘core value.’ Link
  • BCBG prepares for bankruptcy. Link
  • Gap CEO insists the company is neither sick nor dying. Link

Marketing/Social

  • After 51 years, Vans is finally explaining what ‘Off the Wall’ means. Link
  • Glossier uses Oscars as launchpad. Link
  • Facebook’s virtual reality ambitions could be threatened by court order. Link
  • Twitter debuts custom profiles for businesses’ agents, so people don’t think they’re talking to bots. Link
  • How the subscription economy will change the price we pay. Link
  • In four years, YouTube has gone from 100M hours of video viewed a day to 1B. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • UPS tests drone delivery. Link
  • JackThreads lays off employees and puts self for sale. Link
  • Wendy’s to install self-ordering machines in 1,000 stores. Link
  • For IBM’s CTO for Watson, not a lot of value in replicating the human mind in a computer. Link
  • AI can make us all dress better. SO why isn’t the fashion industry using it more? Link
  • How Nordstrom’s new incubator will support young designers. Link
  • Consumers don’t want robots to help them shop. Link
  • How a former Vogue assistant created the first fashion search engine. Link
  • Why payment companies are flocking to messaging apps. Link

International

  • Australia’s General Pants Co. to open second US store. Link
  • Flipkart-owned Myntra wins rights to be sole distributor for Mango in India. Link
  • Xiaomi courts US interest while flirting with expansion. Link
  • Inside India’s booming sportswear market. Link
  • Why online retail growth in the UAE is different than the rest of the world. Link