Tag: retail

Weekly Industry Brief: 1.8.2018

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Happy New Year! Very excited to be kicking off a new year.  Regardless of your opinion on resolutions, I think it’s a good time to reflect, reset, and restart.  In the meantime, catch up on some industry news from the last few weeks.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • Outfoxed by small-batch upstarts, Unilever decides to imitate them. The Wall Street Journal
  • This bustling mall has a hole to fill – just not with stores. Bloomberg
  • Amazon puzzles over the perfect fit for boxes. The Wall Street Journal
  • WalMart is testing personal shopping and cashier-free stores. Fortune
  • The state of the world consumer in 2018. The Robin Report
  • Nike remains challenged in the US. Business of Fashion
  • Nike to partner with StichFix and expand with Amazon. Retail Dive
  • Here is what retailers have to prove in 2018. Fortune
  • In 2018, Amazon will turn to private-label goods. Digiday
  • Fast-fashion chain Primark is slow off the mark in US. The Wall Street Journal
  • The Echo Dot was the best-selling product on all of Amazon this holiday season. TechCrunch
  • Apple led holiday device activations, but Samsung gained ground. VentureBeat
  • Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt steps aside. Mashable
  • Amazon grabbed 4% of all US retail sales in 2017. CNBC
  • Quicksilver is merging with Billabong. CNN

Marketing and Social Media

  • Turning physical stores into living advertorials. Business of Fashion
  • Amazon shipped over 5 billion items with Prime in 2017. TechCrunch
  • Instagram will add recommended posts to your feed. TechCrunch
  • Snapchat considers making users sit through three seconds of ads. AdAge
  • From vegan diet to flat Earth, Kyrie Irving’s insane new Nike ad packs in a lot. AdWeek
  • Sears and Kmart stopped buying national TV ads in holiday season. The Wall Street Journal
  • Four ways social media influences millennials’ purchasing decisions. Forbes
  • Walmart is investing in shopper data: how that will change the grocery aisle. Forbes
  • Amazon has big plans for Alexa ads in 2018. CNBC

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • Amazon’s smart mirror patent teases the future of fashion. CNN
  • The future of secure authentication is your voice. Fortune
  • Subscription businesses are booming; here’s how to value them. Harvard Business Review
  • Digitally native brands are investing in, and changing, the store. Glossy
  • Spotify makes confidential filling for U.S. IPO. Reuters
  • Why beauty brands keep investing in chatbots, despite growing pains. Glossy
  • Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook is looking into how it can use cryptocurrency. Business Insider

International

  • Amazon to unveil private label smartphone in India. Economic Times
  • Saint Laurent launches on JD.com luxury platform, Toplife. Business of Fashion
  • Prada unveils mobile-first ecommerce shop in China. Women’s Wear Daily
  • Regional Hong Kong malls attract Goldman Sachs, Puma. Business of Fashion
  • Who influences the influencers? The Chinese tastemakers you don’t know.  Jing Daily
  • JD.com planning hundreds of unmanned stores. Retail Dive
  • TopShop opens first China store. JingDaily
  • Dubai billionaire’s tech startup takes on Amazon. Wall Street Journal
  • Google plans to open brick-and-mortar stores in India to shore up sales of Pixel smartphones. India Times
  • Online holiday shopping’s big hangover. The New York Times
  • Customer service sucks in Latin America. Amazon may change that.  Bloomberg

Weekly Industry Brief: 12.18.2017

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And just like that, here is my last industry brief of 2017!  I hope you’ve enjoyed skimming the weekly headlines as much as I’ve enjoyed collecting them to stay informed.  It was quite the year for retail.  Looking forward to 2018.  Cheers and Happy Holidays!

As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • Zara owner Inditex seeks $472M for 16 stores. Bloomberg
  • Amazon expands same-day delivery and one-day shipping to thousands more cities. Techcrunch
  • Target adds an e-gifting option to its website. Techcrunch
  • Looking to mirror success of Stitch Fix, retailers experiment with subscription models. Glossy
  • Redbox unveils its service for digital movie purchases and rentals. Techcrunch
  • The global property business tries to adapt to ecommerce. The Economist
  • What fashion brands can learn from Nike’s first six months as an Amazon partner. Digiday
  • Etsy picks Google for first move to cloud. The Wall Street Journal
  • H&M to close stores after unexpected dip in sales; will start selling on China’s Tmall. The Telegraph
  • Toys ‘R’ Us is considering shutting down at least 100 stores. Fortune
  • Sears strikes second deal with Amazon as core business continues to collapse. Fortune
  • Fashion brands giving bookstores new live. Quartz

Marketing and Social Media

  • Why Matches Fashion is investing more in shoppable video. DigiDay
  • Barbie woos a new generation of parents with diversity. Fast Company
  • The most Googled searches of 2017. USA Today
  • Brands spending more ad dollars on Amazon. Digiday
  • There have been 17B video chats on Messenger in 2017. AdWeek
  • Snap releases Lens Studio, a tool for creating your own AR effects. The Verge
  • YouTube to launch new music subscription service in March. Bloomberg
  • Cultivating an emotional connection with your customers is how you survive disruption. Entrepreneur
  • Google AdWords adds targeting by phone number and mailing address. AdAge

Startup + Emerging Tech + Acquisitions

  • Target is buying same-day delivery service, Shipt, for $550M. Techcrunch
  • AirBnB’s new apartment brand gets $200M investment. Forbes
  • The Mall of America’s new chatbot aims to make your holiday shopping easy. AdWeek
  • Apple invests $390M in TrueDepth component maker Finisar. TechCrunch
  • Pepsi one-ups Budweiser brewer by ordering 100 Tesla electric semi-trucks. Techcrunch
  • NastyGal founder Sophia Amoruso just raised venture funding for her new company. Techcrunch
  • Ikea is stepping into virtual reality by creating a game for new store openings. AdWeek

International

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 12.11.2017

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Happy Monday! Here is a brief of industry news over the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • Wal-mart’s new name: it’s not just a store anymore. The Wall Street Journal
  • Why Home Depot is spending an extra $5.4B on stores and ecommerce in next three years. Fortune
  • Amazon’s impressive holiday seaons performance sends a message to retail giants. Forbes
  • A revived The Limited returns to plus sizes. Glossy
  • American Eagle Outfitters is finding strength beyond denim. MarketWatch
  • Sears gains after investor asks chain to consider going private. Business of Fashion
  • Lululemon Athletica pushes forward with ambitious goals for 2020. Motley Fool
  • How Amazon picks its seemingly random deals of the day. The Wall Street Journal
  • Surging online orders slow Walmart delivery network. The Business of Fashion
  • Designer makeup brands want you to buy more lipstick. Racked
  • How Kering Group is shaping the future of eco-friendly fashion. Departures
  • Shoppers need a reason to go to your store other than buying stuff. Harvard Business Review
  • Outdoor Voices opens permanent store in Los Angeles. Fashionista
  • Kylie Jenner is getting into the mobile pop-up retail game. Fashionista
  • Patagonia sues the Trump administration. Fashionista
  • Amazon’s beauty strategy is as elusive as ever. Glossy

Marketing and Social Media

  • Nike’s new flagship store in New York will have floor exclusively for NikePlus members. Footwear News
  • How Timberland imagined a new shipping experience. The Robin Report
  • Instagram’s new story highlights save your disappearing videos forever. Wired
  • Pinterest launches Facebook Messenger bot. Venture Beat
  • Louis Vuitton turns to Facebook Bot to chat up customers online. Bloomberg
  • The 10 most watched ads on YouTube in 2017. AdWeek
  • Snapchat and Coach just debuted snapcodes embedded into holiday pins. AdWeek
  • Reddit now lets brands publish to subreddits, manage private messages through Sprinklr. MarTech Today
  • Why Visa spent a year developing a signature sound. The Wall Street Journal
  • How celebrities ruled the beauty industry in 2017. Fashionista
  • Netflix users collectively watched 1 Billion hours of content per week in 2017. TechCrunch

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • GM launches Marketplace for in-car shopping and reservations. TechCrunch
  • Target launches a mobile wallet in its Android and iOS apps. The Verge
  • Meet your new boss: an algorithm. The Wall Street Journal
  • Hilton unveils plans for its smart hotel room rollout in 2018. Skift
  • Apple Pay cash is coming for Venmo’s business. Slate
  • Digital voice assistants prove they are not just gimmicks. eMarketer
  • Apple acquires Shazam. TechCrunch

International

  • Amazon’s Australian launch brings excitement, dread and defiance. The New York Times
  • Alibaba tech underpins world’s most-interactive Starbucks. Alizila
  • Starbucks is opening a store in China every 15 hours. CNBC
  • L’oreal is confident China’s selfie revolution will be good for its business. CNBC
  • Ikea is preparing for the next 100 years in India. Quartz
  • Amazon Echo rolls out to 80 new markets. Venture Beat

Weekly Industry Brief: 12.4.2017

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Happy December! Hope your holiday season is off to a great start.  Here is a recap of news from the last week.  Headlines can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

My favorite, worth a watch: Blast from the past: Watch Jeff Bezos describe Amazon’s business in 1999. Geek Wire

[Special Section!] Holiday Shopping

  • Shoppers hit the mall but more often tapped their phones. The New York Times
  • Cyber Monday becomes largest online shopping day in US history. CNBC
  • Shoppers say they hate Christmas in October but stats show they don’t. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amazon devoured 55% of Black Friday online orders. RetailDive
  • Echo Dot and Amazon Fire TV Stick outsold everything else on Amazon over Thanksgiving Weekend. Fortune
  • Black Friday weekend highlights from brick-and-mortar and online stores. Forbes

Brands and Retailers

  • Amazon may have patented the next big thing in online shopping. Quartz
  • Everlane’s first-ever brick-and-mortar store takes radical transparency literally. Fast Company
  • Home Depot shares hit all-time high as housing momentum swells, company advances mobile initiatives. CNBC
  • Ikea goes to down with new focus on city stores. Reuters
  • Nike will close its flagship NYC store in Spring, new one coming in 2019. Fortune
  • Alphabet will fold Nest back into Google to take on Amazon. Seeking Alpha
  • There’s a good chance your favorite clothes are made by a company you’ve never heard of. Bloomberg
  • How the mall business can reinvent itself for the digital age. McKinsey
  • Fruit of the Loom tries on subscription underwear. Bloomberg
  • Are Calvin Klein’s Amazon pop-ups dissing department stores? RetailDive
  • Established beauty companies are now turning to Kim Kardashian for business advice. Fashionista
  • StitchFix defies odds, soars over 50% since lackluster debut. TechCrunch
  • CVS to buy Aetna for $69B in a deal that may reshape the health industry. The New York Times

Marketing and Social Media

  • YouTube’s new Stories-like feature could make it a more social environment. Business Insider
  • These are the most-searched handbags, shoes and sneakers of 2017. Fashionista
  • Facebook built a version of Messenger specifically for children. Recode
  • Anastasia makes Stories shoppable. L2 Inc
  • How millennial and generation Z women shop when they want to splurge. AdWeek
  • Facebook expands feature letting businesses build Messenger into their websites. The Verge
  • How email fell behind in the race to personalize digital shopping. The Wall Street Journal
  • Spotify wraps up 2017 by making humorous goals for 2018 using its data and artists. The Drum
  • How Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google manipulate our emotions. TED
  • Why retailers are rethinking their holiday ad strategies and moving away from storytelling. AdWeek

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Inside Adidas’ robot-powered, on-demand sneaker factory. Wired
  • WeWork buys MeetUp, the service for bringing hobbyists together. The New York Times
  • eBay now lets you start shopping with a Google Assistant smart speaker and finish on your phone. Venture Beat
  • Predicting success in startup consumer brands. TechCrunch

International

  • Amazon reportedly mulls retail sales in Israel. Times of Israel
  • Wal-Mart already has a thriving online grocery business – in China. Bloomberg
  • Why Amazon orders in Mexico need cash and the corner store. Bloomberg

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.27.2017

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Cyber Monday Edition! You’re probably still on conference calls, waiting for the final hours of sales to hit your constant flow of reports, hoping for the ultimate win of a glitch-free Cyber Monday (sorry, J.Crew!)…so while you are doing that, take a look at a recap of news from the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headlines.

[Special Section!] Holiday Shopping

  • Cyber Monday runs up $840M so far in US sales online. TechCrunch
  • Black Friday online sales surge to new records with mobile pushing fastest. Fortune
  • This Black Friday, some mall visitors came out for more than bargains. Washington Post
  • Thanksgiving ecommerce sales hit a record $2.87B, up 18.3% year-on-year. Techcrunch
  • At $1B a day or more, online shopping in the US has already set a new record this month. CNBC
  • Macy’s CEO sees strong start to holidays, helped by coat sales. Bloomberg
  • Inside the Wal Mart vs. Amazon battle over Black Friday. The Wall Street Journal
  • Nike, Macy’s suffer technical snafus on Black Friday. The Wall Street Journal
  • Soaring web sales continue to dominate holiday retail. CNBC
  • Millennials and the cosmetics boom. New York Times
  • Five digital stats that sum up Cyber Monday and Black Friday. AdWeek
  • Cyber Monday sales up 16% so far, even though best deals were already gone. AdAge

Brands and Retailers

  • Amazon wants you to buy an Echo next to that Whole Foods turkey. Bloomberg
  • Retailers offering delayed shipping options to avoid peak charges. The Wall Street Journal
  • Retailers experiment with a new philosophy: smaller is better. New York Times
  • Victoria Beckham scales up with $40M private equity investment. Fashionista
  • Crew to close more stores amid sinking sales. Fashionista
  • Everlane is opening its first brick and mortar stores, after years of swearing it wouldn’t. Washington Post
  • WeWork reportedly expanding into retail. Retail Dive
  • Inside the revolution at Etsy. New York Times
  • The future of retail in the age of Amazon. Fast Company
  • High-end stores that don’t actually sell anything are the future of retail. Quartz
  • Urban Outfitters surprises with strong Q3 earnings. Chain Store Age
  • Abercrombie same-store sales blow past estimates. Business Insider

Marketing and Social Media

  • Advertisers leaving YouTube due to ad placements. Seeking Alpha
  • Inside year three of REI’s #OptOutside campaign. AdWeek
  • How Sephora is quietly supporting female entrepreneurs. Glossy
  • Facebook debuts web-based VR experiences within standard newsfeed. Marketing Land
  • From collaborations to new stores to Paris Fashion Week, here’s how Lacoste is trying to stay relevant. Fashionista
  • Snapchat debuts two new advertising products. TechCrunch

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Augmented reality will transform city life. Venture Beat
  • Meet the Everlane of skin care. The Cut
  • Robot makers raise funding in fight against Amazon. Bloomberg
  • Baidu unveils home robots and smart speakers. Venture Beat
  • Four futuristic features every retail store will have by 2025. Time

International

  • Amazon recruits Indian merchants on hunt for lower priced merchandise. New York Times
  • Amazon gears up to begin selling in Australia. Reuters
  • French shoppers to spend more online this holiday than last year.  Reuters
  • Demand for gold in China lifts profit at world’s largest jeweler.  Bloomberg
  • Amazon is selling its cloud services business in China to local firm.  Fortune

 

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.20.2017

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Happy Black Friday Week! And Happy Thanksgiving. Hope everyone has a very successful two weeks ahead.

Here is a recap of industry from the last week. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • American Eagle opened a store of the future complete with free laundry and an iPad in every dressing room. Business Insider
  • Forever 21 reports payment card security breach. Reuters
  • Reformation launches very cute, very planet-friendly baby clothes. Fashionista
  • Farfetch’s revenue up 74% to last year. Fashionista 
  • Google Express lets you shop at Costco without a membership. Fast Company
  • Abercrombie & Fitch revenue up in Q3; rebranding is catching on with consumers. Fashionista
  • Gain in U.S. retail sales last month signals steady demand. Bloomberg
  • Black Friday will be the biggest mobile shopping day ever in the U.S., claims forecast. TechCrunch
  • Amazon and Whole Foods unveil new price cuts for Prime members. The Verge
  • For the first time, Calvin Klein to sell new underwear exclusively on Amazon this holiday. L2
  • Wal-Mart joins retailers planning to try out Tesla truck. Bloomberg
  • As athleisure cools, denim heats up. The Business of Fashion
  • Uber agrees to buy tens of thousands of Volvo cars for its autonomous fleet. Fast Company
  • Why this Christmas is make-or-break for Macy’s. Fortune
  • Lululemon enters footwear market with branded sneaker line. SmartBrief

Marketing and Social Media

  • Dollar Shave Club CMO thinks online estate sales are the next big thing. Ad Age
  • The real reason the incredibly boring Ikea ads are so engaging. Forbes
  • Snapchat admits it made the wrong decision on its spectacles. Tech Radar
  • YouTube partners with Ticketmaster to promote tickets for live shows below artists’ videos. Venture Beat
    Seventeen Magazine launches ‘Here,’ a community by and for LGBTQ teens.  Fashionista
  • Jay-Z’s debut album turned into an Urban Outfitters capsule collection. Mashable
  • Pinterest adds custom QR-like codes for businesses, more shoppable pins. MarketingLand
  • Instagram now lets you post Stories from the mobile web. The Verge
  • Updated Adidas shopping app is personalized to what you like. PSFK
  • Facebook’s dynamic creative can generate up to 6,250 versions of an ad. MarketingLand

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Williams-Sonoma acquires augmented reality 3D imaging startup. Total Retail
  • AirBnB acquires ad tech startup AdBasis. TechCrunch
  • The Real Real: High-end disruptor or gateway drug to luxury? Robin Report
  • Goop for men? This new site targets the $3.8B wellness industry. Fast Company
  • MAC installs augmented reality mirrors to boost conversion s and collect data. Glossy
  • Buzzfeed bets on the future of television. Fast Company
  • StitchFix up just 1% on first day of trading, after reducing size of IPO. TechCrunch
  • Outdoor sportswear finally gets the direct to consumer treatment. Fast Company
  • Apple pushes HomePod release to early 2018. TechCrunch

International

  • Ikea counts cost of Brexit as furniture import prices soar. Bloomberg
  • China faces waste hangover after Singles Day buying binge. The Business of Fashion
  • Postmates launches in first international city: Mexico City. TechCrunch
  • Alibaba bets $2.9B that it can take on Wal-Mart in China. Bloomberg
  • Amazon brings Echo and Alexa to Canada. TechCrunch
  • Retailing in the Middle East: How to recapture profitable growth. McKinsey
  • Tencent’s profit surges 69% thanks to its thriving games business. TechCrunch
  • Forrester predicts 80% of companies will fail to comply with HDPR in 2018. Martech
  • Alibaba and Alipay: A mobile future. Seeking Alpha

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.13.2017

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Happy Monday! This week I have a special section of headlines about Alibaba’s Double 11/Singles Day event from the weekend.  Next week is Black Friday here in the US, which means we have one more Monday before Cyber Monday.  Cheers to a successful holiday!

As always, sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Alibaba’s Singles Day Event

  • Alibaba’s Singles Day racks up $8.6B in first hour. Bloomberg
  • Alibaba’s Singles Day sales smash record with $25B haul. Fortune
  • Alibaba lets AI, robots and drones do heavy lifting for Singles Day. South China Morning Post
  • Alibaba’s Singles Day sales hit record. New York Times
  • Alibaba tests 60 futuristic pop-up stores across China for Singles Day. Digiday
  • Lessons from Alibaba’s $25B shopping event. AdAge
  • Singles Day 2017 highlights Alibaba’s intent to become a global leader. Forbes
  • Alibaba and JD.com squabble over Singles Day sales calculations. Women’s Wear Daily
  • Singles Day faces fatigue in China. The Wall Street Journal
  • JD.com generated $19B in sales at its rival event. Fortune
  • Black Friday, Prime Day and Singles Day: When do people spend the most? Fortune

Brands and Retailers

  • CVS will offer next day delivery of prescriptions. New York Times
  • Amazon Cash, the service that lets you use cash to shop Amazon online, arrives at 7-Eleven. TechCrunch
  • Burberry shares are plunging as investors flee new CEO’s expensive plans. Fortune
  • Online retailers are desperate to stem a surging tide of returns. Bloomberg
  • Amazon developing a free, ad-supported version of Prime. AdAge
  • Nordstrom is launching 24/7 curbside pickup for the holidays. Fashionista
  • Victoria Beckham to collaborate with Reebok in 2018. Fashionista

Marketing and Social Media

  • How Vimeo is preparing for the future of video storytelling. Fast Company
  • Snapchat’s programmatic ads fetch $3-$8 CPMs. Digiday
  • Tencent could play a role redesigning Snapchat following $2B investment. Techcrunch
  • Instagram might let you follow hashtags. Fast Company
  • How Kith built its brand in niche streetwear. New York Times
  • Facebook relaunches Events app as Facebook Local, adds bars and food. Techcrunch
  • Spotify expands merch to beauty products, sells out tickets for Who We Be. Techcrunch
  • Women-only social club The Wing launches a bi-annual print magazine. AdWeek
  • At Tiffany, the Fifth Avenue face-lift starts at home. New York Times
  • Crew cast seven ‘real people’ in its 2017 holiday gift guide. Fashionista
  • Amazon expands its influencer program to include Twitter and Instagram, in addition to YouTube. Techcrunch

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Music.ly, a Chinese app big in the U.S. sells for $1B. New York Times
  • Tinder wants to spice up your love life with AI and location services. Android Authority
  • Stitch Fix gets a close look from consumer VC firm ahead of IPO. Techcrunch
  • Heyday raises $3M for personalized skincare and facials. Techcrunch
  • Apple has acquired imaging sensor startup InVisage Technologies. Techcrunch
  • Voice-enabled smart speakers to reach 55% of U.S. households by 2022. Techcrunch

International

  • Costco to expand internationally; will launch in France. Bloomberg
  • Birchbox opens first UK standalone store. Vogue
  • Amazon says Australia launch imminent. Business of Fashion
  • PayPal launches domestic payments in India. Business Line

 

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.6.2017

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

Brands and Retailers

  • Old Navy launches kids’ ‘Super Boxes’ subscription service. WWD
  • Amazon discounts other sellers’ products as retail competition stiffens. CNBC
  • Ann Taylor launches subscription rental program. Glossy
  • Burberry’s Christopher Bailey to leave before 2019. Bloomberg
  • Century 21 launches boutique minded shop-in-shop. The New York Times
  • Target store staff can now create online orders for customers when local merchandise is unavailable. TechCrunch
  • Ralph Lauren’s retreat from discounting helps bolster profit. Bloomberg
  • Starbucks sells Tazo tea brand to Unilever. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amazon to end fresh grocery delivery service in some areas. Reuters
  • Glossier, Stitch Fix among the most disruptive companies. Retail Dive
  • Macy’s opens ‘digital playground’ at Herald Square. Retail Dive
  • Clique Media Group becomes bona fide fashion brand. Fast Company
  • Uniqlo founder thinks US needs fewer malls and more of his stores. The Wall Street Journal
  • Sears, Kmart to close more stores in 2018. USA Today

Marketing and Social Media

  • Kylie cosmetics will host pop-up shops at Topshops this holiday season. Fashionista
  • Inside the influencer prom that was the Revolve Awards. Fashionista
  • Conde Nast to shutter print edition of Teen Vogue. Fashionista
  • Ben & Jerry’s created a Facebook AR filter. AdWeek
  • Instagram is expanding shoppable photos to thousands of merchants. The Verge
  • The best rewards programs give you more than points. Racked
  • REI thinks you have better things to do than shop on Black Friday. Washington Post
  • Dolce & Gabbana is now in the pasta business. Bloomberg
  • Instagram Stories and WhatsApp Status hit 300M users, nearly 2X Snapchat. TechCrunch
  • Target offers free shipping on holiday orders. Business of Fashion

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Microsoft thinks they can make holograms the future of retail. Wired
  • Square launches a point-of-sale payment system aimed at larger businesses. AdWeek
  • Amazon adds AR shopping feature to its iOS app. TechCrunch
  • Quip raises $10M for electric toothbrushes. TechCrunch
  • Here’s how much consumers will use voice technology in the near future. AdWeek
  • Snap acquires Metamarkets to step up its ad tech play. TechCrunch
  • Blue Apron shares trade down after disappointing earnings. TechCrunch

International

  • Alibaba profit rises on targeted use of consumer data. The Wall Street Journal
  • Google has a new plan for China – and it’s not about search. Bloomberg
  • Ikea to hire hundreds of local women for first India store. Economic Times
  • How Alibaba makes Singles’ Day appealing to luxury brands. Glossy
  • Canada’s Indigo Books plans first US store. The Star
  • Estee Lauder gains after Chinese expansions helps lift forecast. Bloomberg
  • Apple’s revenues are growing again in China. TechCrunch

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.30.2017

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Happy Monday! Here is a recap of industry news over the last week. Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline. Cheers to a successful Q4 and holiday season ahead!

Brands and Retailers

  • Nordstrom doubles down on discount format as retail woes deepen. Bloomberg
  • Nike tells investors it will shift away from ‘mediocre’ retailers. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amazon launches Business Prime to bring quick delivery to work. Bloomberg
  • Iconic Lord & Taylor building in New York will become WeWork headquarters. The New York Times
  • Sears stops selling Whirlpool appliances. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amazon shares pass $1,000 after posting strong financials. Techcrunch
  • McDonalds rolls our successor to dollar menu as price war rages. Bloomberg
  • Louis Vuitton scours the nation for a new U.S. factory site and discovers Keene, Texas. Dallas News
  • Columbia Sportswear taps Opening Ceremony for collaborate. Women’s Wear Daily
  • American Eagle’s NYC concept lets students do laundry while shopping. Retail Dive
  • Uber has a new credit card for people who want to earn points for ride-hailing. The Verge
  • Uber will now let you add multiple stops to your route. Techcrunch
  • Preorders start for iPhone X, delivery window hits six weeks. Seeking Alpha
  • CVS said to be in talks to buy Aetna in landmark acquisition. The New York Times
  • Nike sharpens focus on women’s wear, ramps up investment in yoga. Bloomberg
  • Proenza Schouler launches a more casual, accessible second line. Fashionista
  • Nike still plans to hit $50Billion in sales by 2020. Fashionista
  • Jason Wu collaborates with tech juggernaut Stitch Fix. Elle
  • Amazons’ brick-and-mortar returns service deemed underwhelming. Business of Fashion
  • Walgreens to shutter 600 stores as part of Rite Aid deal. USA Today

Marketing and Social Media

  • Under Armour finds a remarkable new ad start in teenage refugee Olympian. AdWeek
  • Kris Wu: China’s Influencer ‘triple threat.’ Business of Fashion
  • What shoppers really want from personalized marketing. McKinsey
  • Twitter shares skyrocket after it says it might finally make money soon. Techcrunch
  • McDonald’s to review its $2B global media buying account. The Wall Street Journal
  • Millennials have fallen in love with Gucci, for now. The Wall Street Journal
  • Amazon ditched its affiliate store feature. Digiday
  • Why Snapchat spectacles failed. Techcrunch
  • Sephora cast its own store employees for its most diverse campaign yet. Racked
  • Keds found its sweet spot by partnering with female entrepreneurs. AdWeek

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Moda Operandi launches The Platform, an incubator for emerging brands. Business of Fashion
  • Walmart is rolling out shelf-scanning robots in stores. Techcrunch
  • How chat and voice related tech is changing retailer and customer interactions. Retail Dive

International

  • India overtakes the US to become the world’s second largest smartphone market. Techcrunch
  • Martens is finding a new following in Asia. Quartz
  • Amazon takes a long view approach in India. Economic Times
  • Amazon to add seventh Canadian distribution center. CBC
  • The UK’s Marks & Spencer to start offering mortgages next year. Bloomberg
  • How Toronto became an unlikely fashion force. Glossy

Weekly Industry Brief: 10.23.2017

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Here is a recap of news in the retail and ecommerce industry from the last week.  Sources are in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brands and Retailers

  • Venmo users can now shop online anywhere PayPal is accepted in the US. TechCrunch
  • Amazon and big apartment landlords strike deals on package delivery. The Wall Street Journal
  • Wal-Mart courts Lord & Taylor for online challenge to Amazon. The Wall Street Journal
  • Where internet orders mean real jobs, and a new life for communities. The New York Times
  • ASOS proves fast fashion isn’t cheap, sees huge growth ahead. Retail Dive
  • Target unveils climate change program. Retail Dive
  • Amazon adds apparel, shoes to ‘handcrafted’ shop. Women’s Wear Daily
  • Proenza Schouler debuts new site, powered by Farfetch. Glossy
  • ASOS’s product strategy: 5,000 new styles a week, more in-house designs. Glossy
  • How retailers use personalized prices to test what you’re willing to pay. Harvard Business Review
  • Amazon gets 238 proposals across North American for HQ2. AdAge
  • Under Armour debuts subscription service. AdAge
  • Jet.com launches its own private brand to woo millennials. Fortune
  • Target is keeping it simple for holiday season sales. Fortune
  • Tommy Hilfiger has designed a fashion line for people with disabilities. Fortune

Marketing and Social Media

  • Arianna Huffington’s new app lets you humblebrag about turning your phone off. The Verge
  • Revolve is hosting its own awards show next month. Fashionista
  • Nike is using its new digital studio to build a community of sneakerheads. TechCrunch
  • Facebook is taking aim at LinkedIn again by testing a resume feature. AdWeek
  • Vogue, Vice will team up in bid to win ad dollars. Variety
  • How BFF marketing became the MO for women’s direct to consumer brands. The Business of Fashion
  • This year’s Neiman Marcus Christmas Book gifts are on a different level. Fortune
  • Abercrombie and Fitch draws on legacy for new look. Business of Fashion
  • Facebook is now testing paywalls and subscriptions for instant articles. TechCrunch
  • Rent the Runway’s national campaign wants you to convert your closet into anything you want. AdWeek
  • Snap hit with more layoffs, plans to slow hiring in 2018. Business Insider

Startup and Emerging Tech

  • Stitch Fix files for IPO. Business of Fashion
  • Walmart sees a shopping future filled with AR, AI and chatbots. CNet
  • L’oreal to partner with Paris-based beauty start-ups. Business of Fashion
  • Intel and Amazon partner on voice recognition technology. Engadget
  • Amazon to open visually focused AI research hub in Germany. TechCrunch
  • ‘Pay with Google’ goes live. Techcrunch
  • Walmart’s Store No. 8 showcases the future of VR. Retail Dive

International