Tag: fashion

Weekly Industry Brief: 1.11.2016

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

Have a great week!

Brand/Retailer:

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

Marketing/Social:

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

Startup:

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

International:

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

Mobile/Wearbles/Emerging Technology:

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

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 11.23.2015

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

Holiday:

  • Amazon bets on same-day delivery this year to target the procrastinator. Link
  • Best Buy reports softer sales, cautions ahead of holiday quarter. Link
  • WalMart is about to turn Cyber Monday into Cyber Sunday. Link
  • DHL’s new U.S. head talks holiday ecommerce, global trade and China. Link

Brand/Retailer:

  • Sephora’s new retail stores will take cues from YouTube. Link
  • ASOS launches wedding line. Link
  • Retailers scale up online sales distribution networks. Link
  • Consumers increasingly seeking services over things, giving new challenge for department stores. Link
  • Ikea tests click-and-collect in smaller stores. Link
  • Macy’s is launching a Korean beauty shop-in-shop. Link
  • Goop will open a holiday pop-up shop in New York City. Link
  • Polo Ralph Lauren debuts interactive fitting rooms at Fifth Avenue flagship. Link
  • Abercrombie shares rise after third-quarter sales top estimates. Link
  • Here’s why Gap just cut its 2015 profit forecast. Link
  • Martha Stewart ditches eBay for Amazon. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • The potential of geolocation for revolutionizing retail. Link
  • Polyvore on why they sold to Yahoo. Link
  • On Snapchat, brands trust influencers, but verify with only screenshots. Link
  • Conde Nast to shutter Details. Link
  • Facebook launches Fundraiser product to allow nonprofits to set up campaign pages. Link
  • Snapchat’s lackluster ad business threatens $16B valuation. Link
  • Jimmy Fallon unveils brilliant collaboration with J.Cew. Link

Startups:

  • LivingSocial offers a cautionary tale to today’s startups. Link
  • Caeden, a wearable tech start-up, introduces a smart bracelet. Link

International:

  • Apple Pay now available in Canada. Link
  • Louis Vuitton to close shops in China amid luxury slowdown. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Samsung Gear VR sold out online at Amazon and Best Buy. Link
  • Google lets users tap mobile apps without downloading them. Link
  • Google brings app into browsers, blurring mobile-desktop lines. Link
  • Dunkin Donuts tests mobile ordering in bid to catch up with Starbucks. Link
  • Can artificial intelligence sell shoes? Link
  • Facebook at Work gets its own version of Messenger with debut of Work Chat. Link
  • Brands look far and wide for a niche in virtual reality. 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: 10.26.2015

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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:

  • Virgin America and Spotify team up for free inflight music streaming. Link
  • ASOS reports small rise in annual profits. Link
  • Amazon beats expectations with $24.4B in sales. Link
  • Adidas aims to open automated shoe factory in Germany in 2016. Link
  • American Apparel sees bright future after bankruptcy. Link
  • Walmart plays catch-up with Amazon with significant increase in ecommerce investment. Link
  • Google revenue rises as mobile contribution grows. Link
  • Under Armour is stepping on Nike’s turf with donation to running track in Portland. Link
  • Google expresses itself with fast-delivery service expansion in Cleveland. Link
  • Apple Music has 6.5M paying subscribers. Link
  • Microsoft goes upscale with Fifth Avenue flagship store. Link
  • Amazon tested package delivery by newspaper trucks. Link
  • Coty acquires content agency Beamly as it gears up for P&G deal. Link
  • Amazon to charge $299 yearly membership for grocery delivery. Link
  • Net-a-porter launches luxury ski shop. Link
  • Lush Cosmetics touts transparency as ecommerce grows. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Twitter to let brands link up users’ Twitter handles with their customer accounts for customer care. Link
  • Flipboard launches a new targeted ads product based on its interest graph. Link
  • Digital network dedicated solely to fashion launches on Apple TV. Link
  • Instagram’s new standalone app Boomerang captures 1-second video loops. Link
  • Tailoring is key to Coca-Cola’s success on Snapchat. Link
  • Coke creates podcast with iHeartMedia to target teens. Link
  • Google discloses more search data to woo retailers. Link

Startups:

  • Time Inc. acquires Hello Giggles. Link
  • German startup Number26 turns retail shops into bank branches for its bank of the future. Link
  • A flurry of startups vie to win ecommerce battle in India. Link
  • Indiegogo creates generosity.com for personal fund-raising campaigns. Link

International:

  • Target begins shipping to Canada through its website but shoppers dismayed at cost. Link
  • Spotify moves closer to launches in Indonesia and Japan. Link
  • Primark expands on rival Zara’s home turf with Spanish flagship store. Link
  • Indonesia to woo American investment in ecommerce sector. Link
  • Rare store sales data highlights Wal-Mart’s China challenge. Link
  • Uber says 30% of trips take place in China. Link
  • Facebook strives to bring cheap wifi to rural India. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Hundreds of apps banned from app store for accessing users’ personal information. Link
  • Facebook M Assistant’s top requests include restaurant suggestions and shopping help. Link
  • Tommy Hilfiger using virtual reality in stores from New York to Moscow. Link
  • The New York Times is about to launch a virtual reality mainstream moment. Link
  • Dunkin Donuts tells customers its app needs a jolt. Link
  • Target gets into Halloween spirit with virtual reality, mobile site. 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: 9.14.2015

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

Brand/Retailer:

  • eBay set to offer shipping club, starting in Germany. Link
  • Etsy testing same-day delivery in New York. Link
  • Toys R Us lowers free shipping limit for online orders. Link
  • Restoration Hardware gears up to launch new concept. Link
  • Macy’s chasing consumer electronics sales through Best Buy partnership. Link
  • Primark throws its hat into U.S. market. Link
  • Google to start testing grocery deliveries this year. Link
  • Farfetch opens ecommerce platform to brands. Link
  • Lululemon profit exceeds estimates as new styles drive sales. Link
  • Quicksilver files for bankruptcy. Link
  • How low can ‘free shipping’ minimums go? Link
  • Coach to debut luxury line at fashion week. Link
  • Kate Spade delivers more clever accessories for Spring. Link
  • Google follows Amazon web services into on-demand supercomputing. Link
  • Blackberry to buy Good Technology getting deeper into security. Link
  • Etsy getting into the manufacturing business. Link
  • Rebecca Minkoff debuts iPhone-charging wallet and new Apple Watch bands. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Wendy’s VP: millennials respond to realness in video. Link
  • Timberland looks beyond millennials in new ad campaign. Link
  • Kohl’s brings fashion week to shoppers with Lauren Conrad runway livestream. Link
  • Apple exploring creation of its own original video content. Link
  • Uber’s in-car magazine is advertisers’ ticket to targeting local clientele. Link

Startups:

  • Secondhand clothing marketplace thredUP raises $81M Series E let by GSIP. Link
  • Berlin-based online fashion and lifestyle retailer Lesara bags more funding. Link
  • The Black Tux grabs $25M to dress men to the nines. Link
  • Trillenium takes virtual reality into online shopping. Link

International:

  • Ikea moves forward with plans to enter India. Link
  • Russian fashion market’s plunge turns heat on global brands. Link
  • Swatch CEO plays down China turbulence. Link
  • John Lewis to start selling Apple Watch across UK. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Sotheby’s auction coming to an art app near you. Link
  • Everything to know about Apple’s event. Link
  • U.S Consumers now spend more time in apps than watching TV. Link
  • A closer look at the fancy new Hermes Apple Watch band. Link
  • Starbucks app update raises bar on mobile payments. Link
  • eBay’s apps get a refresh. Link
  • Android Pay goes live, Google Wallet becomes cash swap app. Link
  • Amazon dumps the Fire phone. Link
  • Apple wants to sell you an iPhone for $32 per month. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 8.31.2015

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

Brand/Retailer:

  • Amazon rolls out 1-hour alcohol delivery service. Link
  • Free People surpasses H&M, Zara and Forever 21 as top destination for college girls. Link
  • Best Buy’s store-within-a-store bet is paying off. Link
  • Amazon curtails development of consumer devices. Link
  • Abercrombie & Fitch ditches logo, targets grown-ups. Link
  • Why J.Crew decided to ditch high fashion. Link
  • Tiffany profit misses estimates after currency weighs on sales. Link
  • Aeropostale reports Q2 loss. Link
  • Abercrombie & Fitch shares jump after earnings top estimates. Link
  • The Outnet turns to beauty. Link
  • Gap Inc. eliminates on-call scheduling. Link
  • H&M creates a grant for innovations in clothing recycling. Link
  • Days numbered for barcodes as shoppers demand more data. Link
  • At test Target cafes, hot dogs out, salads in. Link
  • Foot Locker CEO: ‘Casualization’ trend is here to stay. Link
  • In new Amazon Prime program, not all goods arrive in two days. Link
  • Why Converse decided to mess with success. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Instagram moves beyond the square. Link
  • Aerie sees sales jump after abandoning airbrushing. Link
  • What Instagram’s new formats may mean for marketers. Link
  • Gisele dances in Stuart Weitzman’s first-ever commercial. Link
  • & Other Stories launches slightly obscure collaboration with new Instagram account. Link
  • YouTube gaming set to launch with upgraded live-streaming feature. Link
  • Facebook and Google want you to do more with those photos. Link
  • Forever21 targets older millennials and they’re using celebrities to do it. Link

Startups:

  • Forget Etsy, app Tictail wants to democratize ecommerce. Link
  • An ex-Apple engineer takes on the furniture industry with couches you can FedEx. Link

International:

  • Hermes first-half profit jumps 20% on faster Japan sales growth. Link
  • GST to apply to all Australian overseas purchase from July 2017. Link
  • Netflix partners with Softbank for Japan launch. Link
  • Suffering at home, Bebe pushes into China. Link
  • Torrid to open first international store in Canada. Link
  • Saks to open its first Off 5th in Western Canada. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Facebook tests digital assistant for its messaging app. Link
  • Etsy’s mobile app lets you locate local artisans on-the-go. Link
  • Google Maps goes after Yelp, Waze with added features. Link
  • Walgreens new app anticipates users’ needs with intelligent messaging. Link
  • Silicon Valley to get a manufacturing innovation institute. Link
  • Why WhatsApp bombed in the US, while Snapchat and Kik blew up. Link
  • Apple lines up September 9th event, seen unveiling new iPhones. Link
  • LG tracks Apple with ‘urbane’ luxury smartwatch. Link
  • Amazon boosts its artificial intelligence chops. Link
  • Target’s Cartwheel app drives 10% more offer downloads via personalization. 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

Weekly Industry Brief: 6.29.2015

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

Brand/Retailer:

  • Tom Ford partners with Net-a-Porter on ecommerce exclusive. Link
  • Warby Park to continue to invest in brick-and-mortar. Link
  • Verizon completes AOL acquisition for $4.4B. Link
  • Abercrombie puts shoppers front and center in turnaround effort. Link
  • Target’s Lilly Pulitzer hit underlines power shift in retail to consumers. Link
  • How Shinola went from shoe polish to the coolest brand in America. Link
  • H&M second quarter profits rise but fall short of expectations. Link
  • Warby Parker to give NYC community school students free glasses and eye exams. Link
  • American Eagle amps up digital investments. Link
  • Why your next package will be delivered by an Uber. Link
  • Lululemon issues another recall. Link
  • Converse looks to deepen music relationships with new recording studio. Link
  • H&M working on mysterious new brand. Link
  • Nike exceeds profit estimates on new products and athleisure trend. Link
  • Barnes & Noble files plan for spinning off campus bookstores. Link
  • H&M banks on a fashion-conscious fashion conscience with sustainability strategy. Link
  • Inside Marriott’s attempt to win over millennials. Link
  • Online fashion retailers tap offline opportunities. Link
  • Zulily tests online returns program. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • ShopStyle brings ecommerce to Snapchat, with assist from influencers. Link
  • Facebook’s new signup ads that auto-fill your email or phone number. Link
  • Instagram’s new search update makes it easier to explore the world. Link
  • Unilever gets in touch with Vice’s feminine side. Link
  • Now you can use Messenger without Facebook. Link
  • Google gives Gmail users the ability to undo send. Link
  • Now Instagram wants to be a source for real-time news. Link
  • Facebook claims a photo-recognition breakthrough. Link
  • Tumblr launches Tumblr TV, a gif search engine with full-screen viewing mode. Link
  • Instagram to take on Twitter with updated photo feed. Link
  • Apple wins Cannes Lions top prize for its ‘Shot on iPhone 6’ ad campaign. Link
  • Snapchat is teaming up with The Daily Mail and the world’s largest ad agency to launch a native advertising firm. Link

Start-ups:

  • Tinder is going public. Link
  • Postmates raises $80M in push toward $1 deliveries. Link
  • Olapic raises $15M. Link
  • Online jewelry startup BaubleBar to open retail stores. Link
  • OneFineStay, a high-end AirBnB rival confirms $40M funding round. Link
  • Same-day shopping app Curbside picks up $25M more in funding. Link

International:

  • JD.com partners with ZestFinance to offer credit services to Chinese customers. Link
  • How online retail is erasing borders. Link
  • Missguided launches first UK physical presence with Selfridges concession. Link
  • Forever 21 is set to launch flagship Sydney shop. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Android Wear gets new watch faces from Hello Kitty, Angry Birds and 15 other mega brands. Link
  • Apple Watch launches in seven new countries, coming to three more in July. Link
  • Apple researching geo-fencing technology that could make errands easier. Link
  • Uber hires former Google Maps chief to work on advanced research. Link
  • Amazon wants to turn its personal assistant, Alexa, into a leading platform. Link
  • Apple Music will let you stream 100,000 of your own tracks when iOS9 launches. Link