Tag: retail

Weekly Industry Brief: 6.6.2016

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Happy Monday! Here is a recap of industry news from the last two weeks. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Mary Meeker:

  • Mary Meeker’s 2016 internet trends report. Link
  • Mobile advertising a $22B opportunity in the US. Link
  • Internet boom times are over, says Mary Meeker. Link
  • Mary Meeker: People don’t just tolerate Snapchat ads, they play with them. Link

Brand and Retailers

  • WalMart to test last mile delivery with Uber, Lyft and Deliv. Link
  • Need Supply launches its own clothing line. Link
  • Under Armour is expanding into fashion sportswear. Link
  • Kenzo joins forces with H&M. Link
  • US and UK apparel retailers fight changing demographics. Link
  • Michael Kors shrinking its department stores business on purpose. Link
  • Salesforce to buy Demandware for $2.8B. Link
  • How AirBnB designs for every person on the planet. Link
  • Gucci partners with Conde Nast’s 23 Stories on a sponsored 4-part film directed by Gia Coppola. Link
  • Can Canada Goose come in from the cold? Link
  • High end brands are all about beauty these days. Link
  • Australian retail giant Cotton On gears up for big California expansion. Link

Marketing and Social Media

  • Outdoor “dad” brands tapping urban youth. Link
  • Retailers find success with storytelling. Link
  • With 92% of luxury retailers on WeChat, here’s how they can step up their game. Link
  • Twitter disbands commerce team, ceases product development on “buy” button. Link
  • Snapchat redesigning Discover to make it more like a newsstand. Link
  • CVS has Jimmy Kimmel to thank for move to digital receipts. Link
  • Snapchat said to have 150M daily users, surpassing Twitter. Link
  • Refinery29 launches in Germany, its first foreign language. Link
  • Twitter is inviting users to become ‘Twitter Insiders’ to help brands. Link

Start Ups

  • Meet Eponym, the eyewear startup taking on Luxottica. Link
  • Birchbox finds that cute boxes filled with makeup are not enough. Link
  • StitchFix the $250M start-up playing fashionista moneyball. Link
  • WeWork quietly opens hotel rooms in New York City. Link

International

  • Dior makes Asian ecommerce debut in South Korea. Link
  • Kors Shares Leap as Firm Buys China License for $500M. Link
  • Indian ministries divide on Apple’s retail vision. Link
  • Coach’s strong presence in China to help the company in the future. Link
  • Google is coming back to China soon. Link
  • Europe’s decision on geo-blocking and what you need to know. Link
  • Manolo Blahnik steps up in-store presence in Asia. Link
  • How New Balance ran into a wall in China. Link
  • Myntra aims to increase sales by 90% this fiscal year. Link

Mobile and Emerging Tech

  • Target to expand in-store IoT experiences. Link
  • Why China’s biggest social app has sputtered overseas. Link
  • How PayPal plans to get back on top in digital payments. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 5.23.2016

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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 5.16.2016

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Thought: One day maybe I should change the title to Weekly Amazon Brief…

Below is your weekly industry brief of headlines I’ve compiled from around the web. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer

  • Retail sales rise most in a year, marking US consumer comeback. Link
  • WalMart steps up attack on Amazon with two-day delivery service. Link
  • How online shopping is cannibalizing mall stores. Link
  • Gap plummets after comeback plan fails to revive sales growth. Link
  • Online marketplaces boost customer loyalty and increased AOV. Link
  • Amazon expands its handmade goods marketplace to compete with Etsy. Link
  • FedEx and eBay team up to make it easier to sell used goods online. Link
  • Plus sized fashion and the potential to increase sales. Link
  • Amazon to launch a meal kit service this fall. Link
  • Target’s Marimekko was no Lilly Pulitzer but still shows signs of success. Link
  • Ugg’s new store format reflects bigger brand. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Amazon takes on YouTube with launch of Amazon video direct. Link
  • Everlane opens pop-up shop in Soho to showcase shoe collection. Link
  • Here’s how generation Z girls prefer to shop and socialize online. Link
  • StyleHaul creators bet big on Milennial moms. Link
  • Why WalMart launched its own digital newsroom. Link
  • Under Armour made history with Steph Curry, now what? Link
  • PepsiCo bets big on in-house content creation. Link
  • Lowe’s uses interactive Snapchat stories to make DIY home projects a tap away. Link
  • Facebook now lets brands use video ads in Audience Network to raise awareness. Link

Start Ups

  • Bloomup raises $4M for its beauty marketplace. Link
  • Jack Threads introduces try outs hoping to reengage customers. Link
  • Jet.com enters grocery delivery foray. Link
  • Waze pilots carpooling service in Bay Area. Link

International

  • China’s VIPShop’s active customers close to 20M at the end of 2015. Link
  • Is Alibaba the real winner of this multi-million online celebrity ad auction? Link
  • Anti-counterfeiting group in China suspends Alibaba’s membership. Link
  • Mall landlords go for novelty in China. Link
  • Flipkart building mapping platform to help mark customer addresses more accurately. Link
  • Abercrombie to expand brand in Middle East. Link
  • Apple invests $1BB in Chinese ride-hailing app. Link
  • China cosmetics maker branches out into baby gear as two-child policy takes effect. Link
  • Tesco to sell British favorites through El Corte Ingles. Link
  • UK Economy set for slow growth. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • WeChat payment reached over 300K retail stores. Link
  • WayFair devotes a tech team to virtual reality. Link
  • Google working on Amazon Echo rival, Chirp. Link
  • Touchscreen mirror can hail a cab while you get ready. Link
  • McDonald’s uses virtual reality to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at food production. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 5.9.2016

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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: 4.11.2016

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I’m back! Sorry for the pause last week.  Here are the last two weeks of industry news from around the web. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headlines.

Brand/Retailer

  • H&M steps up ecommerce, unveils new sustainability line. Link
  • How West Elm became an unlikely incubator of independent design. Link
  • Victoria’s Secret unveils restructuring. Link
  • Lululemon is banking on menswear for long term growth. Link
  • Kit & Ace builds buzz with hotel pop-ups. Link
  • Amazon plans big push to expand Prime Now fast delivery. Link
  • Valentino offers $569M to buy Balmain. Link
  • Local delivery service Postmates launches Amazon Prime-like subscription. Link
  • Whole Foods set opening date for new ‘365’ store chain. Link
  • Uniqlo: again facing Japan’s deflating economy. Link
  • Luxury market growth will hit a low point in 2016 forecasts Bain. Link
  • Gap shares decline. Link
  • Etsy had a rough year as a public company, but it has a plan. Link
  • Clothes are now the top selling category online in the US. Link
  • Prada CEO under pressure as profit falls to five-year low. Link
  • Lululemon expands its line of exclusive, peculiar shops. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Instagram updates overlay for action-driving ads. Link
  • Will Restoration Hardware customers warm to loyalty program? Link
  • Instagram rolls out 60-second videos. Link
  • Facebook’s live video effort entices media companies. Link
  • WeChat advertising lessons from L’oreal Paris. Link
  • Saint Laurent deletes Instagram history to welcome new creative director. Link
  • Hypebeast files for IPO. Link
  • Victoria’s Secret turns its back on the catalog. Link
  • New Facebook rules allow publishers and celebrities to share sponsored content. Link
  • StyleHaul’s digital land grab. Link

Start Ups

  • Somewhere between granny panties and thongs, new underwear brands find fans online. Link
  • SoulCylce founders resign. Link
  • Fashion data firm, Claire, to accelerate at Rebecca Minkoff. Link

International

  • ASOS closes China business. Link
  • Banana Republic to enter India. Link
  • India sets rules for foreign ecommerce ownership. Link
  • Myntra in talks to take over Forever 21’s retail chain in India. Link
  • Amazon plans two-hour delivery in Berlin. Link
  • Amazon may violate India’s new rules on foreign ecommerce. Link
  • FedEx rebrands Bongo International as FedEx crossborder. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • Ikea tests virtual reality with new kitchen experience app. Link
  • Here’s how Nike became a platform business. Link
  • Domino’s cooks up its latest tech move: zero click ordering. Link
  • New Balance only made 44 pairs of these $400 3D-printed sneakers. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.28.2016

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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: 3.21.2016

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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

  • Todd Snyder to open for NYC store in October. Link
  • Starwood plans to accept Arbang Groups offer, outbidding Marriott. Link
  • Aeropostale says its exploring strategic alternatives, in dispute with supplier. Link
  • Crew revenue edges up on growth at Madewell chain. Link
  • At Nike, extending the track to the runway. Link
  • Fedex says retailers should be paying more for web delivery. Link
  • American Apparel offering on-demand delivery via Postmates partnership. Link
  • Avon cutting jobs and moving headquarters to UK. Link
  • Everlane founder on iterating and ‘fixing’ fashion retail. Link
  • Low oil prices hit luxury retailers hard. Link
  • Spotify now has 30 million subscribers. Link
  • Gap’s clothing empire is clambering to reclaim its relevance. Link
  • Chanel introduces Monsieur, entering the men’s watch market. Link
  • Teens experiencing attitude shift and its affecting Tiffany’s business. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Uber teams up with Marc Jacobs. Link
  • Michelle Phan takes on new digital category with comic series. Link
  • How REI’s stop-shopping campaign brings in more shoppers. Link
  • Instagram will soon go algorithmic in its feed. Link
  • Clique Media Group creates Obsessee, a social-media only content brand targeted towards 14-22 year olds. Link
  • Companies planning to boost mobile ad spend by 38% this year. Link
  • Twitter begins switching its algorithmic timeline on by default. Link
  • Lord & Taylor settles FTC’s deceptive advertising charges. Link

Start Ups

  • ‘Brotailers’ redefining how guys buy clothes. Link
  • Online jewelry retailer Blue Nile to open first DC “webroom.” Link
  • Why clothing startups are returning to American factories. Link
  • How Maple built an insanely efficient food delivery machine. Link
  • Instacart gets Red Bull and Doritos to pay your delivery fees. Link
  • Why online-first retailers are flocking to Nordstom. Link

International

  • Facebook sees big growth in Asia despite free basics controversy. Link
  • Canadian January retail sales rebound, lifting first quarter growth outlook. Link
  • LI & Fung sees difficult year after earnings beat estimates. Link
  • Alibaba takes tough stance on fight with counterfeits. Link
  • Airbnb will open its Cuba listings to users outside the United States. Link
  • China’s consumers spend up on spas, travel and entertainment. Link
  • Uniqlo launches first range of hijabs in the UK. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • Michael Kors unveils its first Android Wear smartwatches. Link
  • Nintendo’s free smartphone app Miitomo comes to Japan. Link
  • Alibaba spreads its wings into virtual reality for shopping. Link
  • Selected Lowe’s stores to use Hololens in kitchen redesign. Link
  • Amazon wants to patent the pay-by-selfie. Link
  • Nike gets personal with new fitness app and products. Link
  • Everything that Apple announced in 3/21 Keynote. Link
  • Apple unveils a smaller iPad Pro, Apple’s vision of the future of computers. Link

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.14.2016

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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

  • Target looking to hire 20 people for mysterious start-up called Goldfish. Link
  • Amazon finds air freight partner. Link
  • Amazon debuts its first live show that lets you shop while you watch. Link
  • High-fashion brands split on faster retail cycle. Link
  • Dozens of Jos. A. Brank stores closing due to poor sales. Link
  • Patagonia to help fund residential solar installations. Link
  • Top 25 innovative consumer and retail brands of 2015. Link
  • Nordstrom cutting 120 tech jobs to save profits. Link
  • Why Brooks Brothers is investing in veteran tailors. Link
  • Burberry becomes focus of takeover talks. Link
  • Zara uses supply chain to win again. Link
  • The North Face doubles down on locally sources manufacturing. Link
  • Roberto Cavalli launches website. Link
  • Modcloth enters bridal foray. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Snapchat has a secret team possibly building a pair of smart glasses. Link
  • British Vogue tests breaking fashion news alerts on WhatsApp. Link
  • Buzzfeed launches new ad format to further monetize its big social reach. Link
  • Facebook acquires video filter app Msqrd to square up to Snapchat. Link
  • L’oreal creates unbranded content hub to woo beauty fans. Link
  • The relationship between Instagram and music is a powerful one. Link
  • Retail analysts cautiously optimistic about Abercrombie & Fitch. Link
  • Under new CMO, Lowe’s debuts marketing rebrand. Link
  • Platform bets big on branded social loyalty. Link

Start Ups

  • Personal shopping services seek scale. Link
  • Whole Foods and Instacart to offer home grocery delivery to more US households. Link
  • Does this new online marketplace really use a stock trading model? Link
  • Marla Malcom Beck sold Bluemercury to Macy’s for $210M and now she’s betting on vegan cosmetics. Link
  • Made-to-measure menswear maker Indochino raises $30M as it eyes the wedding market. Link

International

  • Apple refiles application for retail stores in India. Link
  • Culture gap impedes business efforts for US trade with Cuba. Link
  • Victoria’s Secret, Nike cashe in on rising girl power in China. Link
  • EU regulators to release findings on barriers to cross-border ecommerce. Link
  • Alibaba’s logistics arm gets funding to boost delivery speed. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • Amazon Echo users can now ask Alexa to pay their credit card. Link
  • True Religion to arm associates with Apple Watches in clientelling move. Link
  • Robots may someday engage male shoppers who shy away from in-store interactions. Link
  • Ferragamo puts microchips in shoes to bid to fight fraudsters. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 3.8.2016

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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: 2.29.2016

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Leap day edition! Did you hear Zappos gave their employees the day off?

For the rest of us, 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.

Brand/Retailer

  • Online lingerie retailer Adore Me to open brick-and-mortar stores. Link
  • Kohl’s to test smaller format stores. Link
  • Restoration Hardware announces membership program. Link
  • Samsung reinvents retail in New York’s meatpacking district. Link
  • How the CEO of Barney’s turned the retailer around. Link
  • American Eagle Outfitters’ new warehouse meets omnichannel needs. Link
  • Adidas launches subscription box service. Link
  • Nordstrom’s high cost for online sales. Link
  • Tommy Hilfiger launches ‘inclusive’ clothing line for kids with disabilities. Link
  • Frances Valentine launches ecommerce. Link
  • Rachel Zoe dives into retailwith first standalone store. Link
  • Retailers reconsider store counts as traffic dips. Link
  • Click-and-collect programs gave Target a holiday boost. Link

Marketing/Social Media

  • Facebook enhances everyone’s Like with Love, Haha, Wow, Sad, Angry Buttons. Link
  • Getting YouTUbe stars to sell your product. Link
  • Instagram has over 200,000 advertisers just five months after opening the spigot. Link
  • Retailers hope smaller stores, personalization and digital will stanch the bleeding. Link
  • Amazon’s ‘The Fashion Fund’ follows Vogue’s design competition. Link
  • NBC replaces ads with paid content from American Express. Link
  • Snapchat using Nielsen as standard measure for its advertising. Link

Start Ups

  • MakeSpace raises $17.5 Million for hassle-free storage units. Link
  • HomeMe launches with app to take the pain out of apartment rentals. Link
  • Same-day delivery startup Deliv gets funding boost from UPS. Link
  • com acquires online retailer Hayneedle. Link
  • GoPro spends 20% of its cash on hand to acquire two video editing startups. Link
  • RocketClub lets early adopters earn a financial stake in startups. Link

International

  • UK consumers do more shipping on mobile devices. Link
  • Cross-border ecommerce is luring Chinese shoppers. Link
  • The Montreal company shaking up luxury fashion, one pair of $860 sweatpants at a time. Link
  • India’s Flipkart sees value cut 27% amid startup shakeout. Link
  • Amazon partners with British supermarket chain Morrisons for fresh grocery deliveries. Link
  • Ilea’s India bet runs into thicket of rules. Link
  • Mideast online retailer Souq.com raises $275M from investors. Link
  • Japan manufacturing output up in January, retail falls. Link
  • With humility, Starbucks will enter Italian market. Link

Emerging Tech/Mobile

  • Will virtual reality save retail? Link
  • Mobile payments gain big traction among millennials. Link
  • Meet Fabric, Twitter’s new mobile app built specifically for developers. Link
  • Square cash takes aim at businesses with new ‘Cash Drawer’ feature. Link
  • Apple surpasses Fitbit as the world’s largest wearable maker. Link