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Weekly Industry Brief: 2.12.2018

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Happy Monday! Here is a recap of industry news from the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • QVC’s plan to survive Amazon might actually be working.  Bloomberg
  • Loft moves into plus sizes in attempt to bolster slumping sales.  Glossy
  • Macy’s will be the first major US department store to sell hijabs.  Business of Fashion
  • Lululemon CEO resigns after falling short of company’s code of conduct.  Fast Company
  • Less selection will define retail in 2018.  Retail Dive
  • Estee Lauder targets 5-second attention span in digital makeover. Business of Fashion
  • How Target, Kroger and Design Within Reach are tapping tech to improve your shopping trip. Forbes
  • Getting your product on shelves at Whole Foods just got harder.  Wall Street Journal
  • L.L. Bean to link boots, coats to blockchain. Wall Street Journal
  • Booming Costco courts millennials with online and delivery, but stores still rule.  The Seattle Times
  • Amazon said to launch delivery service to compete with UPS and FedEx.  TechCrunch
  • Coty quarterly profit beats as acquisitions pay off.  Business of Fashion 
  • L.L. Bean drops lifetime return policy.  CNN Money
  • Retail sales expected to climb as much as 4.4% in 2018.  CNBC
  • Amazon is laying off hundred of employees at its Seattle headquarters.  Fortune
  • In the wake of Amazon, trophy retail properties fall short.  Forbes

Marketing and Social Media

  • Instagram give brands a new way to sell in collection ads.  AdAge
  • Snap revenue surges on user growth, advertising gains.  Bloomberg
  • Pinterest users are conducting 600 million visual searches per month.  AdWeek
  • Birchbox, Revolve test Instagram Collection ads.  MarketingDive
  • YouTube usage soars nearly 30%.  MediaPost
  • Twitter posts a profit for the first time.  AdAge
  • The most successful brands focus on users not buyers. Harvard Business Review 
  • Viacom to launch its own streaming service this year.  TechCrunch
  • Unilever threatens to pull funds from social media that breeds division.  AdAge
  • Brands are becoming accountable for where digital ads show up. The New York Times
  • Snapchat starts selling $10+ caption able AR masks for events.  TechCrunch
  • The Affluencers: influencers who have actual influence.  The Cut
  • Facebook testing down-vote option for flagging abusive comments.  Entrepreneur
  • Why you won’t see Olympic-themed McDonald’s commercials this year.  CNN Money

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • Cardlytics up 3% following IPO, raised $70M.  TechCrunch
  • Grocery delivery startup Instacart is almost a unicorn.  Fast Company 
  • Amazon wants Alexa to be your home’s brain and this could be the next step.  Fast Company

International

  • How Tmall is fueling the global growth of China’s fashion designers. Glossy
  • Amazon eyes new warehouse in Brazil ecommerce push. Business of Fashion
  • How luxury brands sell and celebrate Chinese New Year online. Jing Daily
  • Alibaba buys sake in Chinese furniture retailer Easyhome.  South China Morning Post

Weekly Industry News: 8.21.2017

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Hello!  Here are some industry headlines from the past two weeks.  As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • ASOS to open up second US distribution center. Reuters
  • Wal-Mart applies for patent for blimp-style floating warehouse. Bloomberg
  • Amazon adds “instant pick up” in US brick-and-mortar push. Reuters
  • Big spending expected for Back to School. AdAge
  • Jump in US retail sales largely due to ecommerce spending. The Wall Street Journal
  • Wal-Mart sales rise as retailer dodges industry malaise. The Wall Street Journal
  • Gap shares rise as Old Navy boosts results. Reuters
  • Target boosts forecast as back-to-school season aids turnaround. Bloomberg
  • TJ Maxx maps plans for continued brick-and-mortar expansion. Bloomberg
  • Macy’s and Levi’s team up on limited edition denim shop. WWD
  • North Face parent company to buy Dickie’s for $820M. The Wall Street Journal
  • Toys ‘R’ Us will return to Times Square. Bloomberg
  • TopShop creative chief steps down. Fashionista
  • Amazon’s private label business is booming thanks to device sales and expanded fashion lines. TechCrunch
  • Inside the L.A. mall that’s defying the retail apocalypse. Fast Company
  • Canada Goose debuts its first sweater collection. AdWeek

Marketing and Social Media

  • Instagram is testing a way to invite friends to join a live video. AdWeek
  • How Glossier hacked social media to build a cult-like following. Entrepreneur
  • Sephora creates a digital community for loyal customers. WWD
  • Patagonia steps up its public lands activism with first ever TV commercial. Fast Company
  • Amazon Prime will be in more than half of US households by year’s end. CNBC
  • Apple is entering the content streaming war against Netflix. Fast Company
  • Fashion’s hottest brands and top selling products. Business of Fashion
  • Cutting out the middleman has shortened the lifespan of fads. The New York Times
  • Facebook adds eBay’s Daily Deals to its marketplace on mobile. TechCrunch
  • Facebook tests targeting ads to people who visited brands’ brick-and-mortar stores. MarketingLand
  • Macy’s pins hopes on new marketing. AdAge
  • Marketers step up as tech leaders take AR mainstream. AdWeek
  • Baidu and JD.com partner to send search users straight to the checkout. Bloomberg
  • Facebook introduces “Watch” video product for short series. Bloomberg

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Look for Apple to release an AR-ready iPhone soon. Fast Company
  • Amazon partners with ASU to offer Echo Dot to 1,600 engineering students. ZDNet
  • Target buys software startup aimed at same-day delivery. Bloomberg
  • Alexa brings hands-free TV to more devices. TechCrunch
  • Shake Shack’s new chatbot can answer 300 customer questions. Digiday
  • NastyGal founder raises $1.2M for new venture, GirlBoss Media. Forbes

International

Weekly Industry Brief: 7.31.2017

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I’m back! I was in Asia for work the past two weeks, so here are a bunch of industry headlines since then.  As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.  P.S. I can’t believe how quickly this summer is going by!  Happy August.

Brands and Retailers

  • Michael Kores to buy Jimmy Choo in $1.2B deal. The New York Times
  • Sephora is experimenting with a boutique format. Fast Company
  • Fashion industry pays attention to plus-size women. The Economist
  • Underwear is driving Amazon’s takeover of the American fashion industry. Business Insider
  • Gymboree to close about 350 stores in restructuring. Wall Street Journal
  • Five takeaways from Amazon Prime Day. Retail Dive
  • Amazon sold three times as many Echo devices on Prime Day this year vs. last year. AdWeek
  • Amazon to host job fair for 50,000 positions amid hiring squeeze. The Wall Street Journal
  • The secrets to luxury eyewear brand Gentle Monster’s rapid rise. Jing Daily
  • Wal-Mart said to be eliminating a few dozen jobs at headquarters. Business of Fashion
  • Here’s how the Amazon effect is hitting the apparel industry. CNBC
  • Birkenstock accuses Amazon of modern day piracy. Washington Post
  • Amazon’s revenue rises 25% on retail dominance. The Wall Street Journal
  • Stitch Fix has filed confidentially for an IPO. Recode
  • How Reebok, Adidas and Y-3 will dress future space explorers. Fast Company
  • Amazon’s next act: a trendy new in-house shoe collection. Footwear News
  • How Rent the Runway is pulling off deliveries at the speed of Amazon. Glossy

Marketing and Social Media

  • Amazon launches Spark, a shoppable feed of stores and photos aimed at Prime members. TechCrunch
  • Facebook to show ads on Messenger to boost revenue growth. Wall Street Journal
  • New Zara documentary takes viewers behind the scenes. Refinery29
  • Coveteur is making their brand work official with a content studio. Glossy
  • Instagram encroaches on Snapchat’s turf of social media influencers, winning their hearts, minds and posts. CNBC
  • Old Navy succeeds by saying bye to celebrities. AdAge
  • Twitter is developing a subscription plan that promotes your tweets automatically. Fortune
  • P&G slashes digital ads by $140M over brand safety. AdAge
  • What marketers should note from Facebook’s second quarter earnings. The Wall Street Journal
  • Target is ending Cartwheel Perks rewards program, promises something better. CNBC
  • Lyft and Taco Bell collaborate on a new service offering. The New York Times

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Online CPG start-up to test the power of brands. The Wall Street Journal
  • How bots bested the $1B sneaker resale industry. Forbes
  • China’s store of the future has no checkout, no cash, and no staff. Business of Fashion
  • You will soon be able to search eBay by using a mobile snap or social media link. CNBC
  • Farfetch founder talks about how he built a $1.5B fashion platform. Wired
  • Intel eliminates its wearables division. CNBC
  • AI and the retail store of the future. Venture Beat

International

  • Starbucks rallies as Chinese sales growth fuels optimism. Bloomberg
  • India will have more than 850M internet users by 2025. Economic Times
  • Saint Laurent to launch online sales in China. The Wall Street Journal
  • In China, designer goods delivered to your doorstep. The New York Times
  • Chinese tourists spending less on shopping. Bloomberg
  • JD.com’s growth outpaces China’s ecommerce marketing. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amazon prepares to enter Southeast Asia via Singapore launch. TechCrunch
  • Silicon Valley giants confront new walls in China. The New York Times
  • Flikart said to make new offer for Snapdeal. Business of Fashion
  • Where North Korea’s elite go for banned luxury goods. CNN
  • WalMart to invest in expansion in India. Economic Times
  • Amazon expands U.K. headquarters as Brexit leads bankers to exit. Bloomberg
  • Why Abercrombie finally decided to start selling on Alibaba. AdAge

Weekly Industry Brief: 7.10.2017

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Hi! Here is a recap of headlines from the last two weeks. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text. Happy Prime Day Eve!

Brands and Retailers

  • Amazon Prime day is July 11 and more than a day. Retail Dive
  • Amazon pushes Alexa for Prime deals but some shoppers resist. Bloomberg
  • Amazon Prime Day deal will launch in 13 countries. CNBC
  • Target’s next-day essentials delivery service opens to customers in pilot test. TechCrunch
  • Nike unveils stunning new headquarters in New York City. Architectural Digest
  • Yoox Net-a-Porter open tech hub in London. The Guardian
  • QVC to acquire rival HSN for more than $2B. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amazon and Dish Network: a match in the making? The Wall Street Journal
  • Walmart is building giant in-store kiosks for online order pickup. Business Insider
  • Walgreens, Rite Aid ends $9.4B merger. The Wall Street Journal
  • H&M to open fewer stores, focus on building online sales. Bloomberg
  • Equity firm to pay $6.9B for Staples. Bloomberg
  • Microsoft to cut up to 4,000 sales and marketing jobs. New York Times
  • Package delivery jobs rise as more consumers shop online. The Wall Street Journal
  • Talks between Abercrombie & Fitch and potential buyers stall. The Wall Street Journal
  • Target prepares to roll out four new home and clothing brands. CNBC
  • Lululemon’s youth brand launches capsule collection of furniture. Fast Company
  • Try, then buy? Amazon’s move is part of a shopping trend. New York Times
  • Shopping malls pay to stay relevant in an Amazon era. AdAge
  • Ten major retailers that could go bankrupt in 2017. Retail Dive

Marketing and Social Media

  • West Elm’s new AI tool scans Pinterest to recommend furnishings. Fast Company
  • L’Oreal, Google team to build 6-second YouTube ads. Business Insider
  • Oreo is sending experimental flavors to individual fans. AdWeek
  • Digital privacy to come under Supreme Court’s scrutiny. The New York Times
  • Facebook has new ad products for retailers. Glossy
  • EU slams Google with 2.4B fine. Seeking Alpha
  • For brands, Twitter is a marathon not a sprint. AdWeek
  • How Instagram learns from your likes to keep you hooked. Fast Company
  • Tiffany’s hunts for path to regain “cool.” Wall Street Journal
  • Meet the Plurals: your next marketing challenge. AdAge

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Amazon-backed media startup has raised $15M to make a big bet on ecommerce. Recode
  • How Maisonette is changing the way children’s’ clothes are bought online. Glossy
  • Alibaba launches low-cost voice assistant amid AI drive. Business of Fashion
  • This is how Google wants to humanize artificial intelligence. Fortune
  • Amazon is launching a series of Alexa training workshops worldwide. Techcrunch
  • Emoji search is spreading. Digiday
  • ThredUp is opening its first brick-and-mortar store. Racked
  • Visa takes a strategic stake in Klarna, the finance startup out of Sweden. Techcrunch

International

  • Apple continues Asia expansion with its first retail store in Taiwan. Techcrunch
  • H&M to add stores and go online in India by 2018. Economic Times
  • UK retail has biggest June sales rise for 6 years. Business of Fashion
  • Muji will be opening hotels in China and Japan. PSFK
  • TopShop closes underperforming stores in bid to save Australian operation. The Age
  • Starbucks gives new Kyoto shop a distinctly Japanese feel. Advertising Age
  • Walmart Canada to grown online with 3rd Financial Post
  • Alibaba to invest $1B more in Lazada. Bloomberg
  • The accelerating disruption of China’s economy. Fortune

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: 3.6.2017

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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: 10.30.2016

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

Brand/Retailer

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

Marketing/Social

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

Startup/Emerging Tech

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

International

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

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.13.2016

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

Brand/Retailer

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

Marketing/Social

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

Startup/Emerging Tech

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

International

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

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.6.2016

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

Brand/Retailer

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

Marketing/Social

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

Startup/Emerging Tech

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

International

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

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 8.1.2016

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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