WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 8.11.2014

August 11, 2014Leave a comment

Top industry news from last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

Amazon expands same day delivery to new markets. Link
Target’s latest designer partnership with Altuzarra. Link
Urban Outfitters said to be eyeing AU-based activewear company Lorna Jane. Link
Kenneth Cole’s fall campaign promotes social action. Link
Back to school: brick and mortar wins but discounts are key. Link
Urban Outfitters to open first Hawaii store on Black Friday. Link
New Jersey a launch pad for same day delivery. Link
Shift to online sales is prompting retailers to scale back more store openings. Link
Adidas to cut jobs, boost marketing spend. Link
Amazon favors brands like Burberry and Levi’s with “play to pay” strategy. Link
Banana Republic unveils new look under creative director Marissa Webb. Link
Dannijo to launch footwear. Link
Rent the Runway to launch first standalone store. Link
Ralph Lauren to launch Polo line for women. Link
Fossil to debut first-ever Men’s and Women’s fragrances. Link
NastyGal’s back to school lookbook. Link
Microsoft wants to make retail splash near Apple’s iconic 5^th Avenue store. Link
Walmart redesigns website to better compete with Amazon. Link
Net-a-porter displays real-time sales in first outdoor media campaign. Link
New shopping website takes on local retailers. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Twitter’s “payments and shipping” settings inside the Android app hint at ecommerce. Link
Google tests new music ads. Link
Wanelo tests in-app purchases to bid to be the Amazon for Millennials. Link
Google tests way to track consumers from mobile browsers to the apps they use. Link
Pinterest’s take on direct messages blows Twitter’s out of the water. Link
Twitter changes pricing model for advertisers. Link
Facebook bans incentivizing users to like pages. Link
For $100,000, GQ’s most elite readers will promote your brand. Link
Facebook Messenger privacy fears. Here’s what to know. Link

Start-ups:

Universal shopping cart Two Tap launches to compete in ecommerce with partners like Sephora and Free People. Link
Luxury consignment reseller Snobswap raises funds to bring brick-and-mortar shops online. Link
Sosh launches Concierge, the Uber of restaurant dining. Link
tt to raise funding for its social shopping app. Link
Buzzfeed closes $50M investment round to take its content beyond lists. Link
Vine competitor Groopie lets vloggers create TV-style shows together. Link
YouTube buys mobile video startup Directr. Link
Casper, an online mattress start-up raises $13.1M. Link
RocketInternet’s FoodPanda gets $60M in new funding. Link
Rally is an Etsy for sports fans. Link

International:

[APAC]

New breed of Singapore startups for men who hate to shop. Link
Amazon’s plan to invest in Indian market. Link
Six takeaways from Gap and Old Navy about brand building in China. Link
In Japan, Uber as travel agent. Link
Xiaomia tops Chinese smartphone market. Link
Ecommerce in China now takes up 10% of all retail. Link
China sales lift Coach. Link

[AU/NZ]

Uniqlo to open more Australian stores. Link

[EU]

Tesco to launch non-food social commerce platform. Link
UK internet usage highest in EU. Link

[CA]

Canada luxury shoppers gain U.S. chains’ favor. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Apple to announce iPhone 6 on September 9^th. Link
Simon expands iBeacon program to outfit more smart malls. Link
Epicurious teams up with Swirl for in-store beacon experience. Link
Vurb raises $8M to steal mobile search from Google. Link
Google to expand market share in wearable technology. Link
Foursquare now tracks users even when the app is closed. Link
PayPal uses music festivals to push mobile app. Link
After Whatsapp, now Facebook Messenger supports Android Wear. Link

Other:

General Electric wants to act like a startup. Link
ESPN adds Tilt’s group payment technology to fantasy football apps. Link
Why Fender’s interactive design team wireframes its site by hand. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 8.4.2014

August 4, 2014Leave a comment

Top industry news from last week. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

Zappos tests personal shopping assistant image recognition app. Link
PayPal’s “Bill Me Later” service becomes “PayPal Credit” as company expands credit products globally. Link
Lord & Taylor to test beacons in store. Link
Spanx stretches into new territory with jeans. Link
Online retailer Blue Nile to experiment with brick and mortar retail presence. Link
Diane Von Furstenburg to launch fashion jewelry line. Link
A guide to 11 Fashion Tech Labs, from Nordstrom, to Target, to Macy’s. Link
Gilt partners with HP on fashionable smartwatch. Link
Hollister’s first celebrity collaboration with Lucy Hale of Pretty Little Liars. Link
Patagonia releases new eco-friendly wetsuits. Link
Rue La La attracts Gilt Groupe for potential sale. Link
Converse x Missoni Chuck Taylor launching at Nordstrom. Link
Target names new CEO from outside the organization. Link
How Sephora plans to survive retail in a digital age. Link
Adidas virtual storefront concept uses interactive digital signage controlled with smartphones. Link
Uniqlo expands to MidWest. Link
Calvin Klein designs collection for Net-a-Porter. Link
WalMart continues small format expansion. Link
Ikea creates omnichannel shopping experience from favorite items in app. Link
Etsy set to launch wholesale business this week. Link
eBay to venture into online services. Link
Apple closes acquisition of Beats music. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Coca Cola launches Tweet a Coke campaign. Link
Under Armour makes headlines with Misty Copeland ballerina ad. Link
Twitter buys image-search startup Madbits. Link
Instagram launches one-touch photo and video messaging app Bolt outside the US. Link
Google Shopping now features product ratings in ads. Link
Big brands are driving Twitter and Facebook’s mobile ad expansion. Link
Marc Jacobs’ fragrance installation asks shoppers to upload their dreams. Link
Facebook gives up on gifts. Link
Meet the first viral SnapChat stars. Link
Twitter testing easier-to-use hashtags. Link

Start-ups:

WalMart Labs acquires Luvocracy, a Pinterest-like marketplace for product recommendations. Link
BaubleBar raises $10M in new funding lead by Chris Burch’s Burch Creative Capital. Link
HelloWorld, an easier way to share your location with friends. Link
Hukkster online shopping tool shuts down. Link
Saffron Fix delivers Indian food ingredients and recipes. Link
Goodshop, the website that donates to your chosen nonprofit when you shop online launches iOS app. Link
Square said to be in talks to buy food delivery start up Caviar. Link
Groupon founder working on walking tour app. Link
AirBnB expands to business travel. Link

International:

Canada and Australia are top choice for cross-border ecommerce, followed by Japan and New Zealand. Link

[APAC]

Amazon to invest $2B in India. Link
Why China is “10 Years Ahead” of the world with social commerce. Link
Alibaba mulls investment in SnapChat. Link
US Retailers target Chinese shoppers with stores, products. Link
China’s malls add parks, playgrounds to attract big-spending parents. Link
Rakuten believes chat app Viber can completely cange its ecommerce business. Link

[AU/NZ]

Surfstitch in IPO talks. Link
The Iconic’s heavy mobile investment paying off. Link
New Zealand online shoppers spent $1.3B offshore. Link

[EU]

3D printer company MakerBot opens EU office in Germany. Link
Zalando’s deal with TopShop. Link

[A/ME]

Rocket Internet’s Jumia goes deeper into Africa. Link
Facebook launches mobile app in Zambia with free Internet access. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Android market share hits new record. Link
Hilton hotel rooms will soon unlock via iPhones. Link
Swatch to add personal fitness data to touch watch. Link
Starwood’s app-driven vision for the hotel of the future. Link
Buzzfeed to launch mobile app to be dedicated to serious news. Link
Best Buy CEO says tablets are crashing, has hope for PCs. Link
Square plans new chip-friendly credit card reader. Link
Mobile internet revenue to hit $700B in 4 years. Link
Polyvore launches new, simpler version of iPhone app. Link

Other:

New York Times runs a full-page medical marijuana ad for the first time ever. Link
Hotel gives guests virtual seeds to plant trees in fire-ravaged Chilean Patagonia. Link
At lunch with Michael Kors and Danny Meyer. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 7.28.2014

July 28, 2014July 28, 2014Leave a comment

Industry brief for the week of July 20th – July 26th 2014. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

Target launches In a Snap app, an image recognition/visual search app just in time for back to school. Link
Urban Outfitters, Nordstrom and The Gap among retail’s digital winners. Link
Lord & Taylor set to launch two concept shops to support emerging designers. Link
J.Crew’s first Williamsburg location teases with graffiti artist’s mural. Link
New stores feature food options to fuel shoppers. Link
JCPenny showcases real people-inspired mannequins in New York City. Link
Aeropostale teases AeroNow re-branding with social, text campaigns. Link
TargetExpress tests takes aim at Generation Y. Link
Will selling nostalgia work for Calvin Klein? Link
Under Armour to target women during football season. Link
BirchBox is using its retail space to track customers offline. Link
Spotlight on niche retail experience Wildfang, founded by three former Nike employees. Link
Essie vending machines are coming to an airport near you. Link
Wal-Mart’s Asia CEO takes charge of U.S. business. Link
Macy’s reveals 2015 sustainability initiatives. Link
Amazon’s Fire phone hits stores. Link
Amazon opens web store for customizable 3D printed products. Link
Dollar Tree to buy Family Dollar for $8.5B. Link
Cara Delevingne is new face of TopShop for Autumn/Winter 2014. Link
H&M opens its largest store on Fifth Avenue. Link
Uniqlo’s Boston pop-up is open for business. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Forever21, Urban Outfitters among most popular retailers on Pinterest. Link
Facebook launches save, read-it-later for links, places and media pages. Link
Adidas, Champs Sports want you to watch their new web shows on Instagram. Link
Nike’s secret New York vending machine trades free swag for FuelBand points. Link
Line adds ‘hidden chat’ feature. Link
SnapChat may be working on secret peer-to-peer payment feature. Link
Facebook and Twitter aim to tap $300B eCommerce market. Link
Instagram’s “Bolt” leak could be a new Facebook app or an app install ad test. Link
Instagram seeks user feedback on its advertisers. Link
Facebook earnings: Instagram, mobile shift and other areas to watch. Link
Retailers outspend luxury brands on luxury keywords in paid search. Link
Veuve Clicquot travels to consumers with branded mail truck. Link

Start-ups:

Keep, a universal shopping cart for the web. Link
Apple confirms purchase of book recommendation maker BookLamp. Link
Paris Picnic is a service that delivers a French picnic anywhere within an hour. Link
Weave is a Tinder for LinkedIn. Link
Google buys game-livestreaming firm Twitch for $1B. Link
Application enables Etsy shop integration on Wix sites. Link

International:

[APAC]

More people in China go online using mobile devices than PCs. Link
Mulberry steps up digital game in China with new WeChat account. Link
McKinsey’s 2025 Luxury Forecast: China’s cities hold key to growth. Link
Yoox partners with WeChat to socialize mobile commerce. Link
Gartner says mobile connections in India will rise to 815M in 2014. Link
Amazon to open five new warehouses in India. Link

[AU/NZ]

Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn and West Elm to open in Sydney on August 28^th. Link
Missoni to collaborate with Target Australia. Link

[EU]

Gap opening stores in Austria and Slovenia. Link
Boohoo.com launches in Germany. Link
TopShop to launch on Zalando in September. Link
Nobody seems quite sure how Spain’s new Google tax will work. Link
Harrods builds footwear destination. Link

[A/ME]

SuitSupply opens in South Africa. Link
PayPal finds eager online shopping base in Nigeria. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Amazon quietly launches consumer-facing mobile wallet app. Link
Retailers look to beacon to improve in-store experience and gather consumer data. Link
Big brands acquire mobile talent; smaller brands seek alternatives. Link
Foursquare re-brands, unveils new app and logo. Link
Apple granted patent for smartwatch device. Link
Yahoo buys mobile analytics firm Flurry. Link
For its first Google Glass effort, eBay adapts its RedLaser product finder app. Link
Michelob Ultra turns up volume on mobile music with dedicated player. Link
Unilever searches for Internet of Things partners. Link
iPads feeling pressure but ‘others’ are doing fine. Link
New Explore button on Google Maps instantly localizes user experience. Link

Other:

McDonald’s is re-branding to take on Chipotle. Link
Amazon will spend $100M on new, original shows in Q3. Link
Zillow to acquire Trulia for $3.5B. Link
Britney Spears launching her own lingerie line. Link
Virgin America files for IPO. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY ROUND UP: 7.21.2014

July 21, 2014Leave a comment

Industry brief for the week of July 13th – July 19th 2014. All sources can be found in the hyperlink after the headline:

Retailer News:

Nordstrom integrates Instagram to create shopping experience. Link
Tory Burch launches FitBit jewelry collection. Link
eBay partners with Sotheby’s for online auctions. Link
Nordstrom in talks to buy Trunk Club. Link
H&M’s NYC flagship will sell all product categories. Link
Zara’s parent company to implement RFID technology in all stores. Link
Puma teams up with We Go Hard for autumn/winter 2014. Link
Warby Parker teams with Into the Gloss for new aviators. Link
West Elm’s collaboration with Etsy could be the start of a new wave of partnerships. Link
Under Armour to join forces with Samsung for wearables. Link
Amazon reveals subscription ebook service. Link
Rent the Runway goes ‘Unlimited’ with monthly subscription service. Link
Ulta takes a chance on new brands. Link
Design Within Reach is bought by Herman Miller. Link
Dell now accepts Bitcoin for all online U.S. purchases. Link
Online version of Ikea catalog adds shopping lists, favorites. Link
This package could help Amazon use 200 times fewer boxes. Link
Fendi opens Soho pop-up shop. Link
Kate Spade launches first swimwear collection. Link
Modcloth cuts almost 15% of its staff. Link
Macy’s rethinking Brooklyn unit’s future. Link
Neiman Marcus enables Visa checkout to boost ecommerce conversion. Link
Uniqlo designed MoMa security staff’s new uniforms. Link
How Ikea wins business through co-creation and collaboration. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

Snapchat adds filters that unlock art based on your location. Link
Twitter inches closer to ecommerce with CardSpring deal. Link
Google Plus rescinded its real-name mandate. Link
Turning likes into a career: social media stars. Link
Brands go digital in extended sponsorships with music festivals. Link
Agencies increase focus on cause marketing. Link
Imgur roles out powerful new viral image search tool. Link
Pinterest launches new category pages you can follow on mobile & web. Link
Facebook tests new ‘buy’ button for online purchases in U.S. Link
YouTube’s new content push: investing in its own stars. Link
Beauty bloggers changing the face of the make-up industry. Link
Buzzfeed cracks the Pinterest code. Link
Facebook explains why it wants to be a retail store. Link

Start-ups:

Kate Bosworth to launch new fashion app called Style Thief. Link
An app that is like Tinder for shopping. Link
Higgle lets like-minded shoppers name their price when they buy together. Link
Threadflip raises $13M to grow workforce by 40%. Link
App tracks product price drops with a simple screenshot. Link
Why entrepreneurs are jumping on the drinkable meal bandwagon. Link
Meet the Uber of the retail world. Link

International:

[APAC]

Alibaba strikes deal with Nielsen to shed more light on Chinese shopping habits. Link
Line’s new ecommerce app for Thailand is the scruffy cousin to its shopping app in Japan. Link
Chinese ecommerce firm JD.com relaunches eBay-like Paipai to take on Alibaba. Link
Five takeaways from Japan’s report on internet usage. Link
WalMart increases Indian wholesale business. Link
The world’s largest duty-free mall set to open in September in China. Link
Amazon India introduces shopping via Twitter hashtag. Link

[AU/NZ]

Apple brings trade-in program to Australia. Link
TopShop close to Perth opening. Link

[CA]

Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters coming to Winnipeg. Link

[EU]

Primark plans US expansion. Link
In EU, Google to stop labeling apps with in-app purchases as “free.” Link
eBay doubling down on Click-and-Collect service in Britain. Link

[A/ME]

Neiman Marcus debuts duty-free deals in the Middle East. Link

[LATAM]

Alibaba teams up with Brazil postal service firm. Link
Baidu search engine enters Brazil. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

Starbucks testing mobile ordering system. Link
Music messaging app lets users chat with song snippets. Link
Visa tries to unseat Google Wallet and PayPal. Link
Google Wallet iOS app adds gift cards, invoicing and the ability to send money from debit cards for free. Link
Google inks deal to make smart contact lenses. Link
Kim Kardashian’s iOS game couple make $200M this year—here’s how. Link
Mobile marketing trends dominating the first half of 2014. Link

Other:

UPS announces expansion of early morning delivery service. Link
AirBnB gets a rebrand. Link
Pinterest’s unique approach to building new features users love. Link
Ex-Amazon manager gets funding to help retailers battle Amazon. Link
Fashion labs: how tech is changing the way we dress and shop. Link

Rent The Runway Launches Subscription Service

July 21, 2014July 21, 2014Leave a comment

Rent the Runway made big news last week with the beta launch of a new subscription service for accessories. With Rent the Runway Unlimited, customers pay $75 per month to rent everything from handbags, to sunglasses, to jewelry. The customer gets up to three accessories at a time and can keep them as long as they want, until they are ready to trade in for the other items on their list.

The new section of the website currently features a metallic silver Barbara Bui leather jacket that retails for over $2,300, a nearly $600 Elizabeth and James bag, and $675 Balenciaga sunglasses.

Co-founder and CEO of Rent the Runway, Jennifer Hyman, told WWD that they are aiming to “attack” Zara and H&M, which appeal to the mass market with what she calls fast fashion disposable “junk food.” With Unlimited, customers can enjoy the thrill and high of wearing of on-trend luxury products without breaking the bank. A nice proposition for those weary of spending big bucks on a trend that may not last through next season.

My take: Rent the Runway has been doing a great job of distorting their category. Temporary ownership of luxury goods is not a ground-breaking idea but they’ve been able to successfully increase share of wallet from millions of women. They’ve gone the same way as other successful tech start-ups such as Bonobos, BirchBox and Warby Parker by opening brick and mortar retail stores and now, they seek to capitalize on the subscription business model. Next up, they are planning a brand face-lift that will include more editorial content (Net-a-porter anyone?) and a further push to sell their products permanently via a Try to Buy program. Though they haven’t said so, I imagine international is on their road map as well as a more digitally innovative in-store experience.

Way to use your VC funding well, ladies.