Tag: google

Weekly Industry Brief: 1.9.2017

1 Comment

Hi! I’m back from holiday (and honeymoon!) and so excited to start this new year. Here is some industry news I’ve collected from the last few weeks. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Band of Outsiders is relaunching with a new team and only menswear. Link
  • Boohoo bids $20M for Nasty Gal’s intellectual property. Link
  • How Nike and Adidas are pushing the future of retail. Link
  • Amazon sells out of Echo speakers in midst of holiday rush. Link
  • Yahoo and other breaches drive surge in corporate hacking insurance. Link
  • Kate Spade said to kick off formal sale process next month. Link
  • Zalando looks to China for inspiration. Link
  • Bobbi Brown will leave her namesake makeup brand. Link
  • How H&M is trying to counteract fast fashion with revolutionary recycling. Link
  • Inside the multi-million dollar ugly Christmas sweater industry. Link
  • As last minute shoppers go online, retailers brace for trouble. Link
  • Times Square landlords seek tenants wishing to offer experiences like food and entertainment. Link
  • Macy’s to cut over 10K jobs. Link
  • Amazon’s brick-and-mortar bookstore is coming to Manhattan. Link
  • Modcloth opens brick-and-mortar shop. Link
  • Amazon plans to sell its own line of athletic clothing. Link
  • For the first time, Alibaba sues Taobao merchants over fakes. Link
  • The human cost of next day delivery. Link
  • Sweetgreen going fully cashless in 2017. Link
  • Neiman Marcus withdraws IPO registration. Link
  • The Limited to close all 250 stores. Link
  • Amazon starts flexing muscle in new space: air cargo. Link
  • Sears and Kmart announce store closures. Link
  • Amazon, Forever 21 vying for bankrupt American Apparel. Link
  • Drugs, guns and fake kicks: inside the counterfeit economy. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Periscope sunk without Twitter’s wings. Link
  • Coach confirms partnership with Selena Gomez. Link
  • The EU has slapped Facebook with an antitrust complaint over its WhatsApp acquisition. Link
  • Who is winning the social media shopping race? Link
  • Neiman Marcus’ powerful personal shopper. Link
  • Snapchat opens research center in China even though it’s banned there. Link
  • Bed, Bath & Beyond tests a membership program. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • How Google used AI to transform Google Translate. Link
  • Rockets of Awesome raises $12.5M. Link
  • Google, Gap test augmented reality shopping. Link
  • Rent-the-Runway raises $60M. Link
  • Amazon flies package to customer in England. Link
  • Apple begins selling AirPod wireless headphones after two months of delays. Link
  • 5 bleeding-edge brands that are infusing retail with artificial intelligence. Link
  • L’Oreal debuts smart brush at CES. Link
  • Samsung’s Gear VR browser gets improved WebVR content support. Link
  • 7-Eleven beats Google and Amazon to the first regular commercial drone delivery service in the U.S. Link
  • Mattel is building an Alexa for kids. Link

International

  • Reliance forms joint venture with Bally in India. Link
  • Amazon Prime video expands to 200 countries. Link
  • Estee Lauder lower China prices by up to 30%. Link
  • Apple plans first retail store in South Korea. Link
  • American Apparel shuts 12 of its 13 UK stores. Link
  • China faces rising retail vacancy rate. Link
  • Adidas has taken the concept store battle to Stockholm with Europe’s first interactive virtual reality store. Link
  • Amazon plans to add more sellers in key categories in bid to boost market share in India. Link
  • How Unilever reaches rural consumers in emerging markets. Link
  • Apple in discussion to manufacture some of its products in India. Link
  • Prada to close boutique at Peninsula hotel as Hong Kong’s retail slump bites. Link
  • TopShop to open 80 standalone shops in China. Link
  • 12/12 even breaks records in China. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 12.13.2016

Leave a comment

Here is your weekly industry brief over the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Cheers!

Brand/Retailer

  • Cyber Monday drives $52B in online sales. Link
  • Aerie opens concept store in New York. Link
  • LA City Attorney suing Sears, Kohl’s, Macy’s, JC Penney for alleged pricing scheme. Link
  • Starbucks’ Schultz sees sweeping retail consolidation. Link
  • Millennials making bigger investments in makeup. Link
  • Revolve launches beauty. Link
  • Ikea adapts to growing urban populations. Link
  • American Apparel to close nine stores by end of December. Link
  • Museums rethink retail. Link
  • Sports bras are making Lululemon a lot of money. Link
  • Kylie Jenner and Shopify prepare for what may be the most hyped pop-up ever. Link
  • Starbucks 5-year plan: lots of stores, food and cold drinks. Link
  • Google signs deal with Cuba’s state-run telecommunications company. Link
  • Nordstrom turns to electronic gifting service amid shift online. Link
  • There’s a Crossfit war being fought over your feet. Link
  • Net loss grows at Neiman Marcus. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Ikea renamed products after frequently Googled problems that those products solve. Link
  • How Costco appeals to millennials and Gen Z without specifically targeting them. Link
  • Snapchat adds four new features including much-requested group chat. Link
  • Weibo’s comeback lures luxury brands. Link
  • Selena Gomez inks $10M deal with Coach. Link
  • How Revolve is leveraging user-generated content for its beauty business. Link
  • Kylie Cosmetics sidelines journalists at store opening. Link
  • Instagram brings live video broadcasts to all U.S. users. Link
  • Facebook Live will spin up 360-degree streaming to match YouTube. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • Job cuts at Honest Co. could mean deal, IPO are tabled. Link
  • Prada uses video, virtual reality to market fragrance. Link
  • Why AR will be bigger than VR. Link
  • L’Occitane ups technology with smart beauty fitting room. Link
  • Retail chatbots show the power of artificial intelligence, just in time for the holidays. Link
  • Adidas to sell 3-D shoes to public. Link

International

  • Starbucks becomes first retail brand to use WeChat’s gift card product. Link
  • Mexico overtakes Canada as No. 2 U.S. exporter ahead of Trump. Link
  • China Consumers Association cites ‘Misleading’ Singles’ Day promotions. Link
  • China’s retail sales climb 10.8% in November. Link
  • ASOS boosts U.K. sourcing after pound’s Brexit fall. Link
  • Wal-Mart to invest $1.3B in Mexico. Link
  • Hong Kong loses Ralph Lauren flagship, braces for more closures. Link
  • Staples agrees to sell European operations to Cerberus Capital. Link
  • Marks & Spencer to shutter its 10 stores in China. Link
  • Uniqlo targets 100 more stores in China expansion. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.21.2016

Leave a comment

Happy official kick-off to the holiday shopping season!  Here is industry news from the last week with sources found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Neiman Marcus turns to Rent-the-Runway to lure younger shoppers. Link
  • Sources say J.Crew considering carving out Madewell. Link
  • Amazon files first lawsuit against counterfeit sellers. Link
  • This Black Friday, Everlane wants to buy 8,000 helmets for Vietnamese workers. Link
  • Anthropologie’s new Anthropologie & Co. in Palo Alto includes a Terrain café with menu by Vetri. Link
  • Amazon’s marketplace concept spreads to other retailers. Link
  • Target ships online orders from 1,000 of its stores. Link
  • NastyGal’s bankruptcy: What went wrong? Link
  • Coach, Kors and Kate: The handbag wars. Link
  • Target planning hundreds of small stores. Link
  • Gap to shut more stores as demand remains sluggish. Link
  • Nordstrom takes a big writedown on Trunk Club. Link
  • More people than ever will shop online over the holidays, spending to rise by 18%. Link
  • Patagonia to donate all Black Friday proceeds to environmental groups. Link
  • Fifth Avenue security disruptions will be permanent. Link
  • Amazon just turned Black Friday into a month-long event. Link
  • Starbucks is selling a $150 smart mug that lets you control the temperature of your coffee. Link
  • Fast Retailing CEO not interested in J.Crew, other acquisitions. Link
  • Amazon aims for double-digit Christmas growth while WalMart and Target hope for flat sales. Link

Marketing/Social

  • How Alibaba turns wealthy shopaholics into marketing squad. Link
  • Facebook considering ways to combat fake news. Link
  • Snapchat parent files for $25B IPO. Link
  • Instagram enters live video fray (and takes on Snapchat). Link
  • Facebook says it found more miscalculated metrics. Link
  • Forget filling ad breaks; some marketers make the podcasts. Link
  • Spectacles finally arrive in NYC with a Central Park Snapbot store. Link
  • Acne Studios founder is not down with our celebrity fashion obsession. Link
  • Google can now tell you how busy a place is before you arrive. Link
  • NBCUniversal invested another $200M in Buzzfeed. Link
  • Pinterest debuts Explore, a feature that surfaces trending pins and native videos. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • You rarely livestream but 1M people livechill on Houseparty. Link
  • Alexa will soon be able to send text messages through AT&T. Link
  • McDonald’s plans tech push with heavy focus on mobile. Link
  • Virtual reality lets Chinese customers shop Macy’s famed New York store. Link
  • Google buys shopping search startup to make images more lucrative. Link
  • Sources say Apple abandons development of wireless router. Link
  • How predictive AI will change shopping. Link
  • Analysts say Playstation VR will be top-selling VR system in 2016. Link

International

  • Why Abercrombie is pulling out of Hong Kong. Link
  • What US retailers can learn from Alibaba’s record-setting Singles Day. Link
  • China’s fashionistas flock to online luxury rentals. Link
  • Jeff Bezos invests billions to be top ecommerce player in India. Link
  • Alibaba buys a third of Chinese grocery chain. Link
  • Facebook to hire 500 new staff in major UK expansion. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.17.2016

Leave a comment

Embraced my day off last Monday so this week is a bit of a combo of the last two weeks.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Bed Bath tries to move beyond the coupon. Link
  • Google pop-ups may signal path to brick-and-mortar. Link
  • Shopify now lets merchants sell through Facebook Messenger. Link
  • Warby Parker, Bonobos have big plans for physical stores. Link
  • Canada Goose preparing for IPO. Link
  • Will Anthropologie ‘s super stores win where department stores have failed? Link
  • Amazon to build convenience stores, Wall Street Journal reports. Link
  • Alibaba’s $60B Finance Arm seeks growth before IPO, say sources. Link
  • Amazon said to limit warehouse access to new merchants. Link
  • Amazon launching music streaming service for $10 a month. Link
  • New from Target and Dwell: Chic modern furniture for $400 or less. Link
  • Fast Retailing’s growth slows sharply. Link
  • Designers find Rent-the-Runway a rich source of data. Link
  • Macy’s flagship debuts Apple shop. Link
  • US retail sales rose in September by the most in three months. Link
  • Macy’s to open on Thanksgiving; Target, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus to close. Link
  • Economist sees mid-market slump this holiday shopping season. Link
  • Is customization the future of the beauty industry? Link
  • Everlane is thinking about adding stores. Link
  • Swarovski, maker of all things bejeweled, tries on a hoodie. Link
  • Nordstrom pulls Moschino drug-themed clothing line after protests. Link
  • Everlane partners with Opening Ceremony on collaboration. Link
  • eBay’s new high-end furniture shop includes a visual search engine. Link
  • Net-a-porter to open West London technology hub. Link

Marketing/Social

  • Meet CoverGirl’s first ever male spokesmodel. Link
  • New Patagonia short film shows how fair trade shopping is good for business. Link
  • Facebook launches a pared back chat app for Android. Link
  • Abercrombie’s massive rebrand initiates with Instagram disappearance. Link
  • Karl Lagerfeld to open hospitality line of hotels, bars and clubs. Link
  • Your guide to Generation Z: the frugal, brand-wary, determined anti-millenninals. Link
  • Can Abercrombie entice Generation Z by being nicer? Link
  • Facebook’s Slack competitor now available for any business to use. Link
  • How the founders of Coveteur built a must-follow fashionable (and profitable) brand. Link

Startup/Emerging Tech

  • IBM to pour $200M into Watson Internet of Things A.I. business in Munich. Link
  • Galleries Lafayette reveals retail disrupters in startup accelerator. Link
  • Three fashion start-ups tapping tough categories. Link
  • Alibaba’s new payment system lets virtual reality shoppers pay by nodding. Link
  • Kohl’s Pay is the latest combatant in the payment app wars. Link
  • The mainstreaming of virtual reality. Link

International

  • UK retailers fret about sourcing prices as Brexit weakens pound. Link
  • WalMart Mexico sales growth slowed in Q3. Link
  • Macy’s plans to launch ecommerce site in China in 2017. Link
  • Majority of global consumers shop cross border. Link
  • H&M opens in New Zealand. Link
  • Google to return to China as a hardware provider. Link
  • Almost a million Chinese tourists visit Macau during Golden Week. Link
  • Apple to open its second R&D center in China. Link
  • Two ways to break into India’s consumer market. Link
  • Ikea does its homework before opening in India. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 6.27.2016

1 Comment

Check out industry news I’ve found around the web from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.  Happy reading.

Weekly Industry Brief 6.27.2016

Brand/Retailer:

  • Valentino’s parent company confirms purchase of Balmain. Link
  • How Uniqlo plans to establish a digital identity. Link
  • How Patagonia keeps its brand authentic in the midst of an activewear boom. Link
  • Macy’s CEO of 13 years to resign in 2017. Link
  • Big Box retailers have two options if they want to survive. Link
  • Warby Parker and Shinola fight to be the millennials choice in authentic retail. Link
  • How fashion companies are starting to design like tech companies. Link
  • Fast fashion castoffs fuel global recycling network. Link
  • Ulta finding success in brick-and-mortar. Link
  • Circuit City inches closer to retail relaunch. Link
  • Sports Direct, Modell’s discuss joint bid for Sports Authority. Link
  • Apple buys back e-book buyers following settlement. Link
  • Why are affluent millennials shopping in dollar stores? Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Snapchat: how brands reach millennials. Link
  • Vine can now support videos that are 10 minutes long. Link
  • Facebook, Google reportedly moving to automatic blocking extremist videos. Link
  • You can now ‘try on’ and buy 900 lipsticks on Facebook. Link
  • Amazon partners with fashion bloggers on anti-body shaming campaign. Link
  • Google said to face investigation into ad services by EU. Link
  • Iris Apfel is the best thing to happen to Macy’s. Link
  • Apple just improved the most important social network in your life. Link
  • Facebook signs deal with media companies, celebrities for Facebook Live. Link
  • Facebook is now recommending events based on human opinions not algorithms. Link

Start Up:

  • Away expands luggage options. Link
  • Narvar raises $22M to help internet retailers deliver physical goods without frustrating customers. Link

International:

  • Ikea plans upgrades, expansion in Russia. Link
  • Luxury brands step up shift to digital in China. Link
  • JD.com, stepping out of Alibaba’s shadow? Link
  • Paris vows to fight Amazon Prime Now service. Link
  • Starbucks, Tata extend partnership beyond India. Link
  • U.K. business secretary seeks to reassure firms amid ‘Brexit.’ Link
  • Elon Musk is squaring off against China for the future of Tesla. Link
  • Chinese tourists to spend over $45B in APAC region for 2016. Link
  • Entry of conglomerates shaking up online retail in India. Link
  • Study says China’s millennials get ‘aggressive’ with consumer spending. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Snap, swipe, like: the mobile future of fashion retail. Link
  • Google is reportedly building a phone for this year. Link
  • Augmenting reality in retail: how Lowe’s, Walgreens make virtual change in the aisle. Link
  • Google Fiber swallowed another internet provider. Link
  • Google ops up virtual reality field trips, debuts new apps and service for teachers. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 5.23.2016

Leave a comment

Happy Monday!  Check out the week’s industry news.  Sources can be find in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand and Retailers

  • Sports Authority bankruptcy auction won by trio of liquidators. Link
  • Anthropologie’s new stores are absolutely gigantic. Link
  • Starbucks copies fast food chains with new deal. Link
  • L Group taps former Spanx CEO to lead Victoria’s Secret. Link
  • Amazon adds free restaurant delivery in Manhattan. Link
  • Nike and Olivier Rousteing collaborate on football collection. Link
  • Abercrombie appoints new brand presidents. Link
  • Uniqlo, Theory team up on shirts. Link
  • Apple shows off new retail look in San Francisco. Link
  • Gap mulls selling on Amazon. Link
  • American Eagle wins market share while others fail. Link
  • How Urban Outfitters was a Q1 sleeper success story. Link
  • TJX companies map aggressive store expansion plan. Link
  • Barnes and Noble brings beauty to colleges. Link

Marketing and Social Media

  • This mobile app pays you for your selfies while giving custom data to brands. Link
  • H&M and Bloglovin’ are offering a mentorship with Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine. Link
  • Women are loving Aerie’s ban on retouching. Link
  • How Coca Cola adapted its Olympics campaign for China. Link
  • How custom Snapchat filers have grown into a huge market. Link
  • The top spending retailers on Snapchat. Link

Start Ups

  • This start-up is helping businesses get their products made in the USA. Link

International

  • Old Navy exits Japan as it copes with sales decline. Link
  • Meet Modanisa, the Net-a-porter of Muslim fashion. Link
  • Australia’s Cotton On wants to conquer the US. Link
  • India’s Jabong sheds brands with low margins to focus on premium, lifestyle products. Link
  • Mobile payments heat up in China. Link
  • Amazon, Flipkart or Snapdeal: who will win India’s ecommerce wars? Link
  • Canada is a growth market for WalMart. Link

Mobile and Emerging Tech

  • Google and Levi’s team up on a connected jacket. Link
  • Uber confirms its testing self-driving cars in Pittsburgh. Link
  • Google rolls out messaging apps, Google Assistant and Google Home at I/O. Link
  • Affirm is partnering with Expedia and Eventbrite so you can pay for experiences over time. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 5.9.2016

Leave a comment

I’m back! I’ve been traveling (China and Hong Kong! So, lots of headlines about China…) and super busy but I’m so glad to be back and catching up on industry news. I’ve been gone for a bit so here is a recap of news over the last few weeks.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Net-a-porter and Tiffany’s ecommerce exclusive. Link
  • Gilt Groupe’s founder launches new shopping app. Link
  • Why the future of ecommerce depends on better roads. Link
  • What Nordstrom’s festival tour means for retail. Link
  • Amazon challenges Netflix by opening Prime to monthly subscribers. Link
  • Amazon updates wedding registry, adds new features. Link
  • Target’s Marimekko collection opens to muted response. Link
  • Nordstrom’s new bottom-line focus results in job cuts. Link
  • Amazon shuttering Myhabit.com. Link
  • Amazon teams up with luxury merchants to sell $7,000 ball gowns. Link
  • Gap to open design studio in Brooklyn industrial complex. Link
  • Amazon reports better than expected profits in first quarter. Link
  • Amazon pledges same-day delivery to all urban areas. Link
  • Coach announces that its cutting 300 jobs. Link
  • Gap bets on basics for growth. Link
  • Aeropostale seeks bankruptcy protection, closing all Canadian stores. Link
  • Walmart is looking for new retail tech from startups. Link
  • Macy’s woos millennials with ramped-up wedding business. Link
  • The greening of Adidas. Link
  • ASOS and Wayra launch fashion tech accelerator. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • How Snapchat killed the homepage. Link
  • Starbucks launches controversial rewards program. Link
  • Promoted tweets with hashtags have higher CPAs, lower CTRs. Link
  • Amazon has begun labeling some of its products as Prime-exclusive. Link
  • Why Land’s End is introducing an Amazon Prime-like subscription. Link
  • A commitment to unretouched images landed model Iskra Lawrence the career of her dreams. Link

Start Ups

  • Zalora, Rocket Internet’s unprofitable Asian fashion portal is selling off business units. Link
  • Amazon eyed up Everland, Le Tote and more for acquisition in a wider fashion push. Link
  • Pepsi launches emoji pop up store at Story. Link
  • This new tool wants to make the off-price clothing business easier. Link
  • Farfetch raises $110M towards global omni-channel domination. Link

International

  • China’s cult of the ordinary commands big influence. Link
  • Alibaba to buy controlling stake in Lazada for about $1B. Link
  • Abercrombie & Fitch expands Middle East presence. Link
  • Chinese economic growth last quarter will be slowest in years. Link
  • Foreign products get more expensive for Chinese shoppers. Link
  • China regulator to launch campaign to clean up ecommerce online ads. Link
  • Levi’s applies to add retail operations in India. Link
  • Flipkart eyes on becoming India’s largest furniture retailer by year end. Link
  • Myntra launches Mizuno in India. Link
  • Apple asks India to waive local sourcing requirement. Link
  • Alibaba sales surge as Chinese consumers defy economic gloom. Link
  • Gucci departs IACC following Alibaba membership. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • Shoppers flock to apps shaking up retail. Link
  • Shopping app Spring launches one of the first bots on Facebook Messenger. Link
  • Inside the making of Taco Bell’s artificially intelligent, drunk-tolerant TacoBot. Link
  • Dunkin’ Donuts to launch delivery in Boston via app. Link
  • TopShop looking for the next big thing in wearable tech. Link
  • Bots, Messenger and the future of customer service. Link
  • Toms drives home the impact of its donations through VR. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.28.2016

1 Comment

Here is your Monday recap of industry news over the last week from around the web.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline. (P.S. I love feedback. Shoot me a message in the comments or on Twitter if you’ve got any!)

Brand/Retailer

  • Everlane’s founder on building a business with radical transparency. Link
  • Rent-the-runway expands into everyday clothing rentals. Link
  • Why Target is fast-tracking food innovation. Link
  • Aerie launchies Men’s underwear with body positivity campaign. Link
  • Crew to double Mercantile stores, open 10 new Madewell stores in 2016. Link
  • Uniqlo selling on shopping app Spring. Link
  • Target preps for Marimekko launch. Link
  • Nike’s third quarter sales miss estimates, hurt by strong US dollar. Link
  • Madewell adopting a buy now, wear now press strategy. Link
  • Lululemon’s Lab Concept opens in New York City. Link
  • Nordstrom hires Amazon vet as chief technology officer. Link
  • Amazon opening fulfillment center in Kansas. Link 
  • Nike kicks up 56% increase in ecommerce sales. Link 

Marketing/Social Media

  • Google is building YouTube Connect, a live-streaming app to take on Periscope. Link
  • Pinterest works to pin down path to wider international audience. Link
  • Twitter co-founder creates new media company Matter Studios. Link
  • Instagrammers really want you to turn on notifications to avoid death my algorithim. Link
  • Email is dying among mobile’s youngest users. Link
  • Line builds out its chat app for businesses as Facebook Messenger threat looms large. Link
  • Google is redesigning its biggest cash cow, Adwords. Link

Start Ups

  • Trax & Wax is a vinyl subscription service for those craving that fresh underground dance sound. Link
  • Get ready to pay more to have others do your chores. Link
  • How one woman is going after a $17B plus-sized opportunity. Link
  • Delivery startup DoorDash raises $127M in latest round. Link

International

  • McDonald’s, Pizza Hut cook up new plans for India. Link
  • FedEx to expand ecommerce reach in China, Japan. Link
  • Swedish payments provider, Klarna, looks to expand ecommerce presence. Link
  • Giants clash on nascent Indian ecommerce market. Link
  • China changes online import tax rules, a move to help cosmetics. Link
  • Will Apple’s cheapest iPhone in history satisfy Chinese consumers? Link
  • Social commerce takes off in China. Link
  • Alibaba reaches 3 Trillion Yuan milestone even as China slows. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • Adobe announces personalization technology concept to bridge online and brick-and-mortar. Link
  • Makeup brands testing augmented reality to drive conversions. Link
  • PayPal drops on concern that ApplePay threatens online payments volume. Link
  • Smartwatch firm Pebble lays off 25% of its staff. Link
  • Two thirds of UK online traffic is mobile. Link 

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.8.2016

Leave a comment

Here is your Tuesday recap (sorry, busy Monday!) of industry news over the last week from around the web.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Abercrombie & Fitch posts unexpected rise in comparable sales. Link
  • Herschel goes high-tech with its new magic fabric. Link
  • Yoox Net-a-porter partner with IBM. Link
  • Amazon is about to give QVC a run for its money. Link
  • Under Armour debuts first ever 3D-printed shoes. Link
  • Why big retailers are going solar. Link
  • Samsonite confirms deal to buy Tumi. Link
  • Valentino eyes IPO in 2017 after revenue exceeds $1B. Link
  • Online retailer Everlane seeks valuation north of $250M in investment talks. Link
  • Fashion is dull and other key points about the state of Urban Outfitters’ business. Link
  • Aerie shows it pays to tell young women to love their bodies. Link
  • Seeking millennials’ kids and babies, Target spends big on tech. Link
  • Analysts see mixed message in teen market. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Apple finally joins Twitter with eye toward socializing its customer service. Link
  • Snapchat catches up with Facebook, clocks 8B daily video views. Link
  • New York Magazine building out branded content studio. Link
  • The Instagram Effect: How the platform drives decisions at fashion brands. Link
  • Facebook reaches 3 million advertisers, launches your business store video tool. Link
  • Amazon Prime now finding fashion followers. Link
  • Pinterest’s buyable pins help lure new sales and customers. Link

Start Ups

  • How this digital entrepreneur rocketed a fashion business from 4 to 350 employees. Link
  • Why show startups are making sneakers from wool. Link
  • ‘Warby Parker of suits,’ Combatant Gentlemen opens pop-up shop in Nordstrom. Link
  • The hot ecommerce app Wish has hundreds of millions of users. Link
  • Augment raises over $3M in Series A funding from Salesforce. Link
  • You can now make voice calls using Slack. Link
  • Bed-in-a-box startups challenge traditional mattress makers. Link

International

  • The billionaire African behind the continent’s greatest retail empire. Link
  • Amazon to open second largest delivery center in Hyperbad. Link
  • Zalando targets logistics as mobile fashion sales grow. Link
  • Victoria’s Secret to open flagship in Shanghai. Link
  • Europe’s antitrust enforcer on Google, Apple and the year ahead. Link
  • com’s revenue growth beats expectations. Link
  • Apple is selling more phones in India’s biggest cities than you might think. Link
  • Ikea to open first India store at Hyperbad. Link
  • Uber launches in Pakistan. Link
  • Adidas to boost China outlets by a third with 3,000 stores. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • The North Face to launch insanely smart Watson-powered shopping app next month. Link
  • Apple sold 116M Apple Watches in 2015. Link
  • Is 3D printing the next industrial revolution? Link
  • Amazon expands Alexa AI with new tap and dot voice-controlled speakers. Link
  • Google is plotting ways for developers to cash in on virtual reality Cardboard. Link
  • Google Fiber is coming to San Francisco. Link
  • From science fiction to reality, retailers get serious about drones. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 2.22.2016

Leave a comment

Here is your weekly recap of news I found around the web about fashion, retail and ecommerce. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Amazon raises its free shipping minimum for non-Prime members to $49. Link
  • BirchBox co-founder joins First Round Capital as first female partner. Link
  • VF Corp falls after fourth quarter results trail estimates. Link
  • Neiman Marcus opens new store on Long Island as luxury sales slow. Link
  • Coach is now a full-fledged American fashion house. Link
  • Wal-Mart, reporting slower ecommerce growth makes plans to expand number of products available online. Link
  • Nordstrom tumbles after holiday sales miss analyst estimates. Link
  • Wal-Mart still outshined by Amazon despite spending billions. Link
  • Google is expanding its same-day delivery on groceries. Link
  • Proenza Schouler skillfully mixed commerce on the runway for Fall 2016. Link
  • Prada dealt new blow as finance chief quits luxury maker. Link
  • Kit and Ace lays off 10% of staff. Link
  • Ex-Lululemon CEO advising Adidas on how to target women. Link
  • Ralph Lauren to bring management of distribution site in house. Link
  • Amazon’s private label push: a new fast-fashion giant? Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Shopping is coming to Snapchat. Link
  • Time Inc. buys two car-focused YouTube channels. Link
  • Gatorade’s Super Bowl Snapchat filter got 160 million impressions. Link
  • Alexa Chung debuts collection for Marks & Spencer. Link
  • Why Starbucks is overhauling its loyalty program. Link
  • Facebook plans to put ads in Messenger. Link
  • Snapchat now lets everyone pay to design geofilters. Link
  • Facebook’s huge plan to shake up dull world of telecoms. Link
  • How Kanye and Adidas ‘Yeezy-hacked’ the business model of celebrity endorsements. Link
  • Google doing away with ads along the right rail. Link

Start Ups

  • VCs invested more in space startups last year than in the previous 15 years combined. Link
  • New online fashion retailers are capitalizing on consumers’ desires to purchase clothing that lasts. Link

International

  • Amazon to open parcel locker network in Europe. Link
  • Apple Pay to be launched in China. Link
  • Amazon top open new fulfillment center in UK. Link
  • Twitter has more users than Facebook in Japan. Link
  • eCommerce stakes are high in the Mideast after the largest ever A round for Wadi.com. Link
  • Luxury retailer Saks entering Canada amid cooling economy. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • PayPal matches Stripe with its own native toolkit for apps. Link
  • This luxury watch is getting MasterCard payment functionality. Link
  • Why retailres are missing mobile with millennials. Link
  • Here’s where Google Fiber is headed next. Link