Tag: google

Weekly Industry News: 8.28.2017

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Hi! Another week of Amazon-filled news (…and I did enjoy buying my cheaper apples and avocados today). Anyway, here are some industry headlines from the past week.  As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • Everlane’s quest to make the world’s most sustainable denim. Fast Company
  • Whole Foods just got less expensive. Business Insider
  • More than half of online sales growth in the US came from Amazon last year. Business Insider
  • Amazon’s private brands have grown from $0 to $2.5B in sales in less than a decade. Business Insider
  • How Target is using small-format stores to score with younger shoppers. Retail Dive
  • Macy’s hires eBay executive amid management shakeup. The Wall Street Journal
  • Sears inked two more licensing deals that will put a wide range of products on shelves outside of Sears. Chicago Tribune
  • These are the 10 most popular mobile apps in America. Recode
  • How Barney’s is navigating luxury’s slowdown. Fortune
  • How Lush is winning at both online and brick-and-mortar beauty retail. Fashionista
  • Target bets big on in-house brands. Business of Fashion
  • Consumer products retailers are at a crossroads as a new threat rises. Retail Dive
  • Beyond Amazon and Alibaba, what’s next for ecommerce? TechCrunch
  • Burt’s Bees to launch makeup line. Women’s Wear Daily

Marketing and Social Media

  • How retailers are using personalization to win customer loyalty. Forbes
  • Google issuing refunds to advertisers over fake traffic, plans new safeguards. The Wall Street Journal
  • How Instagram and Snapchat are benefitting from Facebook’s declining teen and tween numbers. AdWeek
  • Tiffany makes inroads with millennials as Hepburn era fades. AdAge
  • How Hollister came back from the dead. Bloomberg
  • Snapchat is adding manual controls for advertisers concerned about brand safety. AdWeek

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Google Home launches WalMart shopping. Seeking Alpha
  • Amazon has developed an AI fashion designer. Technology Review
  • Shopify’s ecommerce empire is growing in Amazon’s shadow. Bloomberg
  • Mobile payment company Square just opened its first brick-and-mortar store. AdWeek
  • Target and Cartwheel apps merge ahead of mobile payments launch. TechCrunch
  • Here is the Ionic, Fitbit’s long-awaited answer to the Apple Watch. Fast Company

International

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 News: 8.7.2017

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

Brands and Retailers

  • Uniqlo tries new approach: shirts in vending machines. The Wall Street Journal
  • Now at Saks: salt rooms, a bootcamp and a peek at retail’s future. The New York Times
  • Retail’s not dead and physical stores still matter, Goldman says. CNBC
  • Aldo to buy Vince Camuto in a merger of shoe brands. The New York Times
  • The luxury arms race: Michael Kors and Coach target takeovers. The New York Times
  • Amazon is rolling out secure delivery hubs for multi-dwelling buildings. Retail Dive
  • Under Armour shares reach record low as retailer cuts 2% of its workforce. CNBC
  • American Apparel is relaunching very soon. Racked
  • Under Armour’s game plan to revive sales may hit snags. Reuters
  • Yoox Net-a-porter open to partnerships in different markets. Reuters
  • Apple’s services generated more than $27.8B in revenue in 12-month period. The Wall Street Journal
  • Adidas powers ahead against Nike with second quarter growth. Business of Fashion
  • Amazon owns a whole collection of secret brands. Quartz
  • These retailers make the most money per square foot on their real estate. CNBC
  • Netflix makes first acquisition with comic-book publisher. AdAge

Marketing and Social Media

  • Amazon is launching a home makeover show featuring YouTube stars that’s designed to sell products. Business Insider
  • Etsy suspends brand campaign, shifts marketing strategy. AdAge
  • Airbnb and Nat Geo found the perfect place to watch the eclipse. Fast Company
  • How consumer brands can connect with customers in a changing retail landscape. Harvard Business Review
  • Babies R Us wants to give millennial parents a more honest message about parenthood. AdWeek
  • Google is developing technology for Snapchat-like media content. The Wall Street Journal
  • How H&M is using Instagram to drive interest in its newest brand. Glossy

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • For Outdoor Voices, opening stores is all about building community. Fashionista
  • Apple’s AR glasses are no longer an “if” but a “when.” Fast Company
  • Chatbots bring new income stream to ecommerce. VentureBeat
  • Amazon Alex just made it even easier to find the right music on Echo. Fortune

International

  • Europe’s luxury brands may be returning to form. The New York Times
  • Alibaba launches new membership program. WWD
  • Alibaba, Marriott team up to serve Chinese tourists abroad. The Wall Street Journal
  • How Alibaba plans to win over luxury brands. Glossy
  • Brits will soon gain the right to have their online history deleted. Fast Company

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: 6.26.2017

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Happy Monday! Here is your weekly brief of news from the last week in retail and ecommerce. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headlines.

Brands and Retailers

  • eBay will now match Amazon’s, WalMart’s and others’ prices on over 50,000 items. TechCrunch
  • Amazon’s grocery ambitions spell trouble for big food brands. Wall Street Journal
  • Google rolls out Google Jobs. Seeking Alpha
  • Uber founder resigns as CEO. New York Times
  • Amazon launches new ‘try before you buy’ Prime wardrobe service. Fortune
  • Etsy will cut 15% of its workforce in a new round of layoffs. TechCrunch
  • Nike will start selling directly on Amazon. Racked
  • Yoox Net-a-Porter shares jump on Alibaba interest. Business of Fashion
  • Adidas has nearly doubled its US sneaker market share. Yahoo Finance
  • StitchFix hires its first CFO; is an IPO next? Recode
  • Sources say Eddie Bauer to explore options including sale. Reuters
  • Why America’s retailers are tapping into wellness for growth. Business of Fashion
  • Nestle sale of L’Oreal stake could spark domino effect. Business of Fashion
  • How Bonobos fits at WalMart. Forbes
  • Louis Vuitton in talks to open US factory. Business of Fashion
  • Sears closing another 20 stores. Fortune

Marketing and Social Media

  • Reddit looks to lure advertisers with video and redesign. Wall Street Journal
  • Google will stop reading your email for Gmail ads. AdAge
  • Moda Operandi is driving Instagram purchase through Amazon Pay. Glossy
  • Now Facebook is getting into original TV programming. Fast Company
  • Club Monaco’s new collection and campaign taps into 90’s nostalgia. Fashionista
  • Crash diet pricing: the ecommerce path to success. Women’s Wear Daily
  • Retailers’ efforts to lure shoppers to stores with experiences still missing the mark. CNBC
  • Instagram is testing a major new feature. Forbes

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Ikea and Apple may be cooking up the next big thing in retail. Fast Company
  • Houzz raises a huge $400M round at $4B valuation. TechCrunch
  • Can the Drybar model be replicated with makeup? Fast Company
  • JD.com invests $397M into luxury marketplace Farfetch as part of new strategic partnership. TechCrunch
  • Why Apple and J.P. Morgan are chasing Venmo. Wall Street Journal
  • Casper raises $170M and plans I.P.O. New York Times
  • Amazon said to be working on translation services for AWS customers. TechCrunch

International

  • Digital-savvy CEO at France’s Carrefour seeks to turn it around. Bloomberg
  • Middle East retailers need to invest in mobile shopping platforms and secure websites. The National
  • What China’s $1T new Silk Road spells for fashion. Business of Fashion
  • Sears Canada closing 59 stores as it seeks bankruptcy protection. Fortune

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 5.30.2017

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Hi there! Here is a Tuesday edition of your weekly industry news recap.  I was traveling for work last week and enjoying my day off yesterday (aka sitting in traffic), so here is a bunch of news I’ve been reading over the past two weeks.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

And I feel obliged to call attention to the fact that there are just SO. MANY. headlines about the “retail apocalypse.”  Think we all get it and are ready for more interesting industry news, right? Here’s hoping.

Brands and Retailers

  • Apple thinks its stores can succeed at retail while others are dying. Quartz
  • Uniqlo bets on speed to take on Zara for global sales. Business of Fashion
  • Crew’s Mickey Drexler admits to big miss on how technology would transform retail. Wall Street Journal
  • TaskRabbit’s CEO joins Nordstrom’s board. Fortune
  • How Urban Outfitters plans to weather the current US retail draught. Fashionista
  • Forever 21 is bringing its new beauty boutique to malls. CNBC
  • Burberry cleans up its wardrobe to make way for a new chief. Bloomberg
  • Apple’s big event in June could have some hardware surprises. Fortune
  • $8M worth of stock destroyed in ASOS warehouse fires. Fashionista
  • Farfetch’s North America President on the future of retail. Glossy
  • From Pantene to Polo: the new chief executive at Ralph Lauren. New York Times
  • Walmart online sales jump 63% on the heels of Amazon. New York Times
  • Scott Galloway is bearish on US retailing, sees global opportunities. Forbes
  • Nokia and Apple move from courtroom foes to business partners. Wall Street Journal
  • Pottery Barn’s big problem: your tiny apartment. Washington Post
  • Alice + Olivia goes heavy on experimentation in quest for digital optimization. Glossy
  • Amazon’s physical stores may be causing hype byt the digital payoff could be the real story. AdWeek
  • Payless to close as many as 408 stores. Wall Street Journal
  • Staples rebuffs Cerberus offer, Sycamore still in the running. Bloomberg
  • Abercrombie & Fitch posts first quarter loss of $62M. Business of Fashion
  • Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger owner PVH beats first-quarter forecasts. Business of Fashion
  • This is how Best Buy gets customers into its stores. MarketWatch
  • The place where old-fashioned malls are beating Amazon: Small-town America. Washington Post
  • Why Nordstrom is opening a New York men’s store before opening a women’s one. Fashionista
  • In new era of retail, shuttering all stores isn’t the answer. Retail Dive
  • Coach thinks outside the bag. Fortune
  • Amazon stock breaks $1,000 for the first time.  CNBC

Marketing and Social Media

  • Google adds YouTube to suite of ad tools tracking retail sales. Bloomberg
  • Twitter giving brands a new way to promote their chatbots. TechCrunch
  • Instagram tests direct response ads in Stories. AdAge
  • Instagram rolls out location Stories feature, just like Snapchat’s location Stories feature. Recode
  • 50% of Gen Z can’t live without YouTube. AdWeek
  • Polaroid eyewear launches global Instagram push. The Drum
  • Twitter partners with BBC for live video. Techcrunch
  • How Google plans to kill ‘last click attribution.’ AdAge
  • Social network, Nextdoor, says it will make tens of millions in revenue this year. Fortune

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • The bootmakers who rule the obsessive world of streetwear. Wired
  • Everything Google announced at its Google IO event.  Techcrunch
  • Web retail startups turn to growth from bricks-and-mortar. Wall Street Journal
  • Target is said to invest $75M in bedding startup Casper. Bloomberg
  • Away packs capital for retail store expansion. Wall Street Journal
  • Google has launched a new AI-focused venture capital program. Seeking Alpha
  • Alibaba to lead $1B funding for Chinese food startup. Bloomberg

International

  • China’s millennial consumers: what Victoria’s Secret got wrong and Nike got right. Forbes
  • Google and the internet in rural India.  New York Times
  • UPS forges China joint venture to tap country’s ecommerce boom. Bloomberg
  • TopShop Australia enters into administration. NZ Herald
  • China’s bicycle renaissance is no boon to biggest producers. Bloomberg
  • Google cozies up to China with AI expertise and a game of go. Bloomberg
  • Chinese online retailer JD.com is developing heavy-duty delivery drones. Wall Street Journal
  • Tencent’s online ad revenues soar as WeChat claims nearly 1 billion user. Jing Daily
  • How Coach’s $2.4B Kate Spade deal could boost its market in China. Jing Daily
  • China drives Burberry’s sales for fiscal year 2017 ended in March. Jing Daily
  • Most Dubai shoppers turn to online retailers for frequent purchases. The National
  • Ikea aims to have 30% of products made in India. LiveMint
  • Grana, the Everlane of China, gears up for a US launch. Glossy
  • Ikea makes 1,300 new jobs in the UK. Retail Gazette
  • China’s strength and its shopping lift Alibaba’s results. New York Times

Weekly Industry Brief: 4.10.2017

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Here is a recap of retail and ecommerce industry news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Cheers!

Brands and Retailers

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

Marketing and Social Media

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

Startup and Emerging Tech

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

International

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

Weekly Industry Brief: 4.3.2017

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

Brands and Retailers

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

Marketing and Social Media

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

Startup and Emerging Tech

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

International

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

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.20.2017

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

Brands and Retailers

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

Marketing and Social Media

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

Startup and Emerging Tech

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

International

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

Weekly Industry Brief: 2.27.2017

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

Brand/Retailer

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

Marketing/Social

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

Startup/Emerging Tech

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

International

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