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Weekly Industry Brief: 11.9.2015

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

Brand/Retailer:

  • American Eagle acquires high-end men’s label Todd Snyder. Link
  • Google aims to begin drone package deliveries in 2017. Link
  • Best Buy hopes same-day delivery will fend off Amazon. Link
  • Amazon opens a bookstore in Seattle. Link
  • Sephora blends mobile with bricks-and-mortar for first connected boutique. Link
  • Burberry to unify brands under one label in bid to boost appeal. Link
  • Chanel expands ecommerce business with sunglasses. Link
  • JD sues Alibaba for misleading users with speedy delivery pledge. Link
  • H&M’s limited supply of Balmain overwhelms stores, website. Link
  • Michael Kors CEO vows to end retail rollout. Link
  • Holiday shoppers plan to spend more as retailers introduce marketing promotions. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Starbucks’ seasonal #RedCups triggers excitement online. Link
  • Facebook debuts a new way to share music with your friends. Link
  • Vice’s new Viceland channel promises to remake cable with edgy infomercials. Link
  • Pinterest pushes buyable pins to Android phones, introduces Pinterest Shop. Link
  • YouTube now supports 3D virtual reality video. Link
  • Why the collection should be called Balmain x H&M x Instagram. Link
  • Twitter stars and favorites are replaced by hearts and likes. Link
  • Facebook says ad-blocking technology could have impact on sales. Link

Startups:

  • How this startup used Slack to prototype its app’s coolest feature. Link
  • Match, owner of dating sites like Tinder, seeks $403M in IPO. Link
  • Deliv acquires Zipments to grow its same-day delivery service in NYC. Link

International:

  • Sephora to open shops in Iran next year. Link
  • Ikea to double stores in Canada even as website sales soar. Link
  • Why Singles’ Day in China is bigger than Cyber Monday. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • The North Face gives shoppers virtual reality experience. Link
  • Urban Outfitters embraces mobile shopping’s future with 3D Touch support. Link
  • Honest Beauty line comes to mobile with an app offering shopping and makeup tips. Link
  • Best new features of Android Marshmallow. Link
  • MIT is opening an innovation center in Hong Kong. Link
  • Apple debuts shopping category on the app store. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.2.2015

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Check out industry news from the last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Walgreens to buy Rite Aid for $9.4B. Link
  • Poshmark adds retail brands to its seller community. Link
  • Urban Outfitters to end on-call shifts nationwide. Link
  • 76% of online shopping in the US this holiday season will be spent on 1% of products. Link
  • Five retailers that will dominate this holiday shopping season. Link
  • Target will offer free shipping on all online orders. Link
  • Wal-Mart won’t promote free shipping deals over holidays. Link
  • Macy’s makes moves to counter shoppers’ changing habits. Link
  • REI to close on Black Friday. Link
  • Lord & Taylor jumps into discounts game. Link
  • Wal-Mart tries offering fewer products, adding to tensions with suppliers. Link
  • UPS to increase fees, add new one for third-party sellers. Link
  • Kohl’s to add smaller stores in urban areas. Link
  • Some retailers step back from Black Friday frenzy. Link
  • Mall of America gets ready for holiday shoppers by adding WiFi. Link
  • Microsoft goes upscale with Fifth Avenue flagship store. Link
  • Warby Parker expanding beyond eyewear. Link
  • Wal-Mart bets on in-store pickup in holiday showdown with Amazon. Link
  • Coach sales starting to look up. Link
  • Carine Roitfeld x Uniqlo has landed. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Facebook introduces slideshow ad unit to reach consumers in emerging markets. Link
  • Yelp continues shift away from display advertising. Link
  • Target boosts digital, social to 61% of holiday budget. Link
  • Snapchat adds to native ad arsenal with sponsored lens. Link
  • How LuLuLemon puts more focus on feelings. Link
  • Macy’s starts off holiday effort with wish fulfillment. Link

Startups:

  • Why is Silicon Valley pouring millions of dollars into old clothes? Link
  • Doorman is a startup eliminating missed package deliveries. Link
  • New mobile search startup focuses on apps. Link

International:

  • Apple Pay hitting Canada and Australia in 2015, Spain and more in 2016. Link
  • Facebook strives to bring cheap wifi to rural India. Link
  • Hong Kong shoppers go downmarket. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Amazon launches ‘Pay with Amazon’ buttons for mobile apps. Link
  • Nike embraces weather app in campaign to sell gear suited to local conditions. Link
  • QVC: the unlikely juggernaut of mobile shopping. Link
  • JPMorgan challenges Apple Pay with mobile app offering discounts. Link
  • App Store to feature ecommerce apps in new Shopping category ahead of Black Friday. Link
  • Facebook says nearly one third of online shopping transactions are on mobile. Link
  • Samsung sells more phones but for less money. Link
  • Baublebar and Jawbone collaborate on a bracelet for the wearable tech market. 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

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.28.2015

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Below are selected highlights from the week in retail, fashion, technology, and ecommerce. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Quirky is filing for bankruptcy and selling its smart home subsidiary. Link
  • Amazon offered discounted Prime memberships on September 25th. Link
  • WalmartLabs snaps up Silicon Valley based Punchtab, with focus on Sam’s Club customers. Link
  • Groupon is laying off 1,100 employees and shuttering operations in seven countries. Link
  • Hermes launches a content website to promote its men’s line. Link
  • Apple is about to change everything we know about TV. Link
  • Kenneth Cole is revamping its brand identity by embracing its activist past. Link
  • H&M’s plans for global domination: expanding beauty and opening three stores a day. Link
  • Why Coach is focusing on ready-to-wear. Link
  • Kit and Ace continues its expansion from in-store coffee shops to technical silk for spring. Link
  • H&M sales recover in September after weak August. Link
  • Target hires executive for new operations role. Link
  • Can America’s biggest beauty retailer take on Sephora? Link
  • Uber has a new pre-paid ride service called UberEvents. Link
  • Macy’s to hire 85,000 workers for holiday shopping season. Link
  • Amazon getting ready to launch it’s “Etsy killer.” Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Most Instagram users are outside the U.S. Link
  • Instagram hits 400 Million users, soars passed Twitter. Link
  • Facebook will bring in $163B in global ad revenue this year. Link
  • Kardashians off to a big start with their own web channels. Link
  • Five things to know about Facebook’s Internet initiative. Link
  • Balmain for H&M releases first image from ad campaign. Link
  • Facebook takes 360 degree video out for a spin. Link

Startups:

  • You can now have wine delivered with your Blue Apron dinner. Link
  • Quixey reaches into apps to boost mobile commerce. Link
  • Lyft moves customer support team to Nashville to combat high-priced San Francisco market. Link

International:

  • Mobile and marketplaces lift French online retail sales in the first half. Link
  • Sephora partners with Indian beauty retailer. Link
  • Google announces plan to put WiFi in 400 train stations across India. Link
  • Alibaba makes Beijing a hub. Link
  • France rejects Google’s efforts to limit application of privacy ruling. Link
  • Nike sprints ahead as China sales defy economic slowdown. Link
  • Billionaire’s startup brings Black Friday to Pakistan’s shoppers. Link

Mobile:

  • You can now order your Starbucks before you get to the store. Link
  • Websites attract bigger audiences but users spend more time in apps. Link
  • Four brands whose creative approach to mobile marketing are getting big results. Link
  • Apple says half of devices have downloaded iOS9. Link
  • More brands flock to Amazon Dash but largely remains an experiment. Link
  • Smartphone users spend almost all their time in their three favorite apps. Link
  • Samsung and Oculus announce $99 gear VR headsets for Galaxy phones. Link
  • Samsung touts mobile payment success. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 9.21.2015

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Below are selected highlights from the week in retail, fashion, technology, and ecommerce. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Burberry becomes first major fashion brand with an Apple Music channel. Link
  • Walgreens offering same day delivery with Postmates. Link
  • Small-batch, crafted denim is on the rise. Link
  • Restoration Hardware’s new teen line. Link
  • If you don’t offer same-day shipping, you’re disappointing 56% of millennials. Link
  • Under Armour expects to generate $7.5B in revenue by 2018. Link
  • Kohl’s latest collaboration is with Thakoon. Link
  • Apple says iPhone pre-orders are beating last years’ pace. Link
  • Move over millennials, here comes generation Z. Link
  • Amazon Prime offers six months of the Washington Post for free. Link
  • Postmates CEO on a potential partnership with Lyft. Link
  • The upcoming H&M x Balmain collection is two months away. Link
  • Under Armour and Sports Authority partner to reward work outs. Link
  • Target to foster retail tech startups. Link
  • J.Crew going back to basics. Link
  • Jet.com attracts millennials. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Facebook may gain alternative to the like button. Link
  • Six lessons brands can learn from Lauren Conrad’s social success. Link
  • Pinterest surpasses 100M monthly users. Link
  • Instagram is on track to becoming a $5B product. Link
  • Snapchat is now hosting exclusive live stories from the NFL. Link
  • Facebook bends to advertiser viewability demands. Link
  • Fake Google site combats apathy towards refugees. Link
  • Facebook is putting more of your data into its ad-relevancy machine. Link
  • Facebook preparing to launch its Office product. Link

Startups:

  • CentreStyle, built by teenagers, helps you get dressed in any weather. Link
  • Startup seeks to help brands sell excess fashion stock. Link

International:

  • American Eagle Outfitters wants its slice in Western Europe. Link
  • Refinery 29 heads to the UK, then Germany and France. Link
  • UK’s online sales growth slowed in August. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Amazon has 6 new devices and an actual plan for hardware. Link
  • Walmart simple text could be Walmart’s version of magic. Link
  • Walmart built the fastest-growing retail app by focusing on one key shopper habit. Link
  • The most popular paid iPhone app right now is an ad blocker. Link
  • Stripe unveils a new tool to help retailers build native buying experiences in apps. Link
  • Facebook looks to bring virtual reality to mobile devices. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 9.8.2015

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Happy Tuesday! Industry news from the last week is below.  Sources in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Have a great week!

Brand/Retailer:

  • Modcloth to open first store, hire fashion director. Link
  • Uber to unveil big ecommerce delivery program with retailers in the fall. Link
  • Nike wants to win winter with a $185 hoodie. Link
  • ASOS Chief and founder to step down after 15 years. Link  
  • Net-a-porter founder Natlie Massenet resigns. Link
  • Fila teams up with Urban Outfitters for exclusive line. Link
  • Etsy’s pulling the plug on Grand St. at the end of September. Link
  • TrueCar helps Sam’s Club get into the car business. Link
  • Amazon Dash button will now be effectively free. Link
  • BagSnob celebrates 10 years with multi-brand ecommerce launch. Link
  • High street retailers are launching own-brand beauty lines. Link
  • Amazon, Google, Netflix team up for royalty-free video. Link
  • Google wants to deliver your groceries. Link
  • Staples, Office Depot certify compliance with FTC information re Link
  • Uniqlo to open brand showroom as first Chicago store. Link
  • Online back to school shopping increases 12%. Link
  • Why fashionable millennials are flocking to online retailers like Everlane for wardrobe basics. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Facebook makes it easier to optimize ad campaigns based on conversions. Link
  • Estimote creates an indoor location system using beacons and “nearables.” Link
  • Facebook advances Bazaar marketplace ambitions. Link
  • See the first brands to test Facebooks iAd-like mobile format. Link
  • Reebok heads back to the gym with new marketing blitz. Link
  • Emily Weiss, blogger to social brand builder. Link
  • From TheFacebook.com to one billion users in a single day. Link
  • Facebook’s Josh Miller named White House ‘Director of Product.’ Link
  • Buzzfeed is laying groundwork for major expansion in Los Angeles. Link
  • Why growth hacking is the next big thing in marketing. Link

Startups:

  • Paris-based online consignment retailer, Vestiaire Collective, raises $37M to advance US growth. Link
  • Amazon buys streaming video startup Elemental. Link
  • What’s driving VC firms to take bigger risks. Link
  • Why AOL bought Millennial Media for $238M. Link
  • NewsCred nabs $42M to help marketers act as publishers. Link

International:

  • Alibaba, JD.com target rural China for ecommerce growth. Link
  • Myer partnership to bring Topshop into 20 stores across Australia. Link
  • UK retailers post worst sales decline since financial crisis. Link
  • Retailers prod China for lower prices after devaluation. Link
  • Uber closes in on $1.2B funding for China. Link
  • Twitter unlocks promoted tweets in 167 more countries. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Amazon Prime expands video downloads to iOS and Android platforms. Link
  • Thanks to Apple Pay, contactless payments will grow by 100% in 2015. Link
  • Forget clothing labels, musicians all want to move into apps. Link
  • Macy’s Backstage focuses on mobile to compete with discount retailers. Link
  • Facebook messenger tops YouTube in app popularity. Link
  • Amazon wants to sell you a $50 tablet this Fall. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 8.24.2015

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Hi! Industry news from the last week is below.  Sources in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Have a great week!

Brand/Retailer:

  • Macy’s tests chutes, tablets in dressing rooms to repel Amazon. Link
  • TBS to launch a new tech show sponsored by Intel. Link
  • American Eagle strikes successful chord with Aerie brand. Link
  • Target’s latest ecommerce weapon is more precise delivery windows. Link
  • Conde Nast hit web traffic high and turns on the caffeine. Link
  • Comcast to invest $200M in Buzzfeed. Link
  • Uniqlo to try out four day work week. Link
  • Madewell recalls over 50K sandals. Link
  • Gap’s earnings meet estimates as new CEO works to revamp chain. Link
  • Inside Lands End’s quest for a younger, cooler customer. Link
  • Urban Outfitters beats Q2 profit forecasts. Link
  • Sephora sends sales higher at JC Penny. Link
  • H&M launches denim collection made from in-store clothing donations. Link
  • Target is doubling down on design that is both fabulous and functional. Link
  • Gap to test fast fashion model in select stores. Link
  • Gap CEO committed to elevating product before boosting marketing. Link
  • Amazon’s PR troubles show corporate culture impacts brand perception. Link
  • Not just millennials, consumers what experiences over things. Link
  • Forever 21 aims to grow up with its customers. Link
  • Apple shuffles in-store products for updated shopping experience. Link
  • WalMart sees growth ahead in global ecommerce. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Twitter opens up its mobile ad network, introduces video. Link
  • Google’s plan to win the music-streaming marketing war: partner with cool brands. Link
  • Facebook has taken over from Google as a traffic source for news. Link
  • Facebook takes on Medium and Linkedin with new Notes look. Link
  • Twitter gives promoted tweets and video ads more mobile reach. Link
  • Facebook tries allowing GIFs in ads and page posts. Link
  • Google brings Twitter to desktop search results. Link
  • Why Target had the only ad in Vogue’s September issue with a digital edge. Link
  • Snapchat Discover to add Mashable, limit sponsorship takeovers. Link

Startups:

  • Google Ventures just led a $100M investment in 3D printing startup Carbon3D. Link
  • 50 companies that may be the next startup unicorns. Link
  • Thread raises $8M to scale personal styling service. Link

International:

  • Zalando sees success by tailoring its brand to each market. Link
  • AirBnB’s China strategy is to get more people to leave China. Link
  • Uber raises $100M from Tata of India. Link
  • Luxe for sale as Cartier, Prada become bargains in Brazil. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • LinkedIn unveils app to compete with corporate directory. Link
  • Google adds Marshmallow to its Android pantry. Link
  • Swatch CEO signals plan to add smartwatch range. Link
  • Ralph Lauren is bringing its sensory ‘smartshirt’ to market for $295. Link
  • Mobile video advertising is growing three times as fast as spending on desktop video. Link
  • Samsung introduces new phones, Samsung Pay and Periscope competitor. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 8.17.2015

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I’m back! Industry news from the last week is below.  Sources in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Have a great week!

Brand/Retailer:

  • ModCloth’s new line, new CEO offer fresh start. Link
  • Yahoo buys Polyvore for more than $200M. Link
  • Apple swaps online ‘store’ for ‘buy’ buttons. Link
  • Sephora launching beauty box subscription service. Link
  • Brad Goreski will sell C.Wonder on QVC as its new creative director. Link
  • Alibaba to buy back $4B of stock after share price rout. Link
  • Inditex surge takes Zara owner’s market value past $100B. Link
  • How Olivia Kim is teaching Nordstrom to think small. Link
  • Lime Crime slapped with FDA warning for ‘unsafe’ lipstick. Link
  • NBC Universal invests $200M in Vox Media. Link
  • Ellen Degeneres’ lifestyle brand is coming to Bergdorf Goodman in September. Link
  • Google launches new company, Alphabet. Link
  • Target tiptoes into grocery delivery. Link
  • Restoration Hardware is going to sell fancy furniture for teenagers. Link
  • Zalando raises annual sales forecast after strong second quarter. Link
  • Old Navy delivers another win for Gap’s July comps. Link
  • Online sales leading toward smaller, urban warehouses. Link
  • Warby Parker signs on to Nordstrom’s pop-up concept. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Facebook joins the live-streaming crowd with a service for celebrities. Link
  • Instagram takes on growing role in the art market. Link
  • Facebook reverses plan to limit data for advertisers. Link
  • Comcast is about to launch a major video platform called Watchable to rival Facebook and Google. Link
  • Amazon tweaks ads on its site, in possible challenge to Google. Link
  • Inside Taco Bell’s Snapchat strategy. Link
  • Levi’s latest campaign seeks to make denim look cool again. Link
  • Target to have shoppable ads in Vogue’s September issue. Link

Startups:

  • Snapdeal will invest $100M in its research arm over the next three years. Link
  • Will ‘Uber for Models’ disrupt the industry? Link
  • Why Time Inc invested in visual search engine Snap Fashion. Link
  • Jessica Alba’s startup, Honest, valued at $1.7B. Link

International:

  • Alibaba lands Macy’s as first U.S. department store for its online portal. Link
  • As Macy’s eyes China, some see need for focus at home. Link
  • Beauty without borders as South Korean products sell in America. Link
  • How Nordstrom is avoiding a Target-style collapse in Canada. Link
  • How Western fashion brands are using social media in China. Link
  • Smartphone shopping offers big opportunities in Indonesia. Link
  • Rural Chinese villagers are the hot new ecommerce market. Link
  • Five reasons India will become the world’s next ecommerce giant. Link
  • Ikea opens concept store in Abu Dhabi. Link
  • Hudson’s Bay sets sites on Europe. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Google wires San Antonio for fiber-optic internet. Link
  • In a shift, Rite Aid to accept Apple and Google mobile payments. Link
  • Apple looking at facial recognition for easing photo-sharing. Link
  • Web retailers, now with stores, teach new tricks. Link
  • Google: Going mobile only is fine for our search results. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 7.13.2015

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Check out the week’s industry news in fashion, retail, and technology. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Amazon Prime Day will usher a new era of manufactured shopping days. Link
  • J.Crew debuts value-focused ‘Mercantile’ brand to spark growth. Link
  • Inside Target’s tech funhouse and search for its next billion-dollar business. Link
  • American Apparel to close stores and lay off workers. Link
  • Yahoo will enter daily fantasy sports market. Link
  • Time Inc. launching next big vertical, ‘The Drive,’ about cars for the under-35 crowd. Link
  • Levi’s responds to challengers with revamped women’s jeans. Link
  • Uniqlo had a strong Spring in the U.S. Link
  • Skechers sues Steve Madden over athleisure knockoffs. Link
  • Coty agrees to purchase P&G beauty brands for $12.5B. Link
  • Toys R Us to shift ecommerce from eBay to in-house. Link
  • American Express launches express online payment tool. Link
  • Back-to-school shopping starts early as U.S. parents seek deals. Link
  • LVMH to cut 70 jobs as it suspends Donna Karan label. Link
  • Saks and Lord & Taylor personalize websites, emails to lure high-spending shoppers. Link
  • With Flyease Nike reinvents the zipper. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • eBay and Amazon are the most visible Google Search advertisers. Link
  • Brands try to redefine emojis in Twitter’s latest hashtag game. Link
  • Twitter is now letting apps advertise with video. Link
  • Facebook changes how it charges brands for clicks on their ads. Link
  • Facebook said to seek music video licensing deals. Link
  • Facebook wants your attention so it’s charging separately for ad clicks that send you away. Link

Startups:

  • Jet.com officially launches on Monday, offering lowest prices on the Internet. Link
  • Disney’s startup accelerator enters its sophomore year with a new batch of companies. Link
  • Italy’s Quattrocento joins the race to become the Warby Parker of Europe. Link

International:

  • DHL Express to widen delivery options for internet shoppers in Australia. Link
  • Moscow malls open half-empty as retailers struggle. Link
  • Alibaba boosts Singapore Post stake, invests in ecommerce unit. Link
  • Alibaba invests $100M in luxury-focused Mei.com. Link
  • Rakuten buys virtual fitting room startup Fits.me in fashion commerce play. Link
  • Apple building a new store in Hong Kong. Link
  • Barnes & Noble closes international Nook store. Link
  • Twitter eyes Latin American market from new Miami office. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Six futuristic retail displays that will change your idea of ‘ecommerce.’ Link
  • Jawbone sues Fitbit for third time in two months. Link
  • Google starts testing driverless cars in Austin. Link
  • Tablet sales have plateaued but there’s a future in business. Link
  • Virgin Hotels turns mobile into shoppable Gap closet for guests. Link
  • Android Wear reportedly getting watch-to-watch sharing features. Link
  • Comcast launches its own cable-free TV with Stream. Link