Tag: startups

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 1.19.2015

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Happy Monday! Below is a recap of industry news in fashion, retail, and technology. All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • NastyGal CEO steps down. Link
  • Under Armour overtakes Adidas in U.S. sportswear market. Link
  • Why teens have abandoned stores like Wet Seal, Delia’s and Deb Shops. Link
  • Traditional stores still trounce ecommerce when it comes to returns, new survey says. Link
  • Demandware snags point-of-sale provider Tomax to extend reach from web to store. Link
  • Holiday spending reached a three-year peak in 2014. Link
  • Etsy crafts IPO putting NY tech companies back on the map. Link
  • Banana Republic to show at New York Fashion Week for the first time. Link
  • DVF fuels IPO speculations. Link
  • Urban Outfitters’ holiday sales jump; namesake brand returns to positive growth. Link
  • Indiegogo signals a blending of crowdfunding and commerce. Link
  • Wet Seal stock dives after filing for bankruptcy. Link
  • Kate Spade Saturday x West Elm collection is here. Link
  • Why Lilly Pulitzer for Target is going where no capsule collection has gone before. Link
  • eBay smart mirrors at Nordstrom and Rebecca Minkoff stores. Link
  • Ralph Lauren is pushing higher into luxury with new stores, accessories. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Facebook rolls out a platform for professionals called Facebook at Work. Link
  • Marc Jacobs unveils new campaign with social media models. Link
  • Xpire brings “disappearing” posts to Twitter. Link
  • Facebook offers artificial intelligence tech to open source group. Link
  • ‘Pinfluencers’ are getting paid, Pinterest itself not so much. Link
  • MySpace still reaches 50 Million people each month. Link
  • Facebook aquihires top members of influential design firm Teehan+Lax. Link
  • Tinder captures brand dollars with Gillette deal. Link
  • Five ways brands can use Snapchat to take back control of the retail experience. Link
  • YouTube plans Super Bowl halftime show with online stars (and fake Super Bowl ads). Link

Start-ups:

  • Kevin Rose leaves Google Ventures to work full-time on his mobile app development startup. Link
  • ClosetSpace brings fashion inspiration and recommendations to your smartphone. Link
  • Video chat app Rounds raises $12M in new funding led by Sequoia. Link
  • Italist is like shopping the streets of Italy but online. Link
  • True Fit raises $15M to give apparel shoppers confidence online. Link
  • Grocery delivery start-up Instacart raises $220M. Link
  • Big Data startup MongoDB is now valued at $1.6B. Link

International:

[APAC]

  • How Dominos reinvented itself in India. Link
  • Uniqlo owner promises to improve working conditions in China. Link
  • Alibaba launching effort to woo US retailers. Link
  • Alibaba buys controlling stake in Chinese internet marketing firm AdChina. Link

[EU]

  • Amazon’s tax deal with Luxembourg may break rules, EU regulator says. Link
  • ASOS shares jump on strong Christmas sales. Link

[CA]

  • Target closing Canadian operations. Link

[LATAM]

  • Nintendo pulls the plug on Brazil. Link

[AU/NZ]

  • eBay launches click-and-collect in Australia. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • Turn old clothes into cash with these mobile apps. Link
  • Mobile commerce in 2015. Link
  • Google to launch Project Ara market pilot in Puerto Rico later this year. Link
  • Mobile app use isn’t replacing mobile web usage but driving it. Link
  • Google Play’s app store and developer community grew faster than Apple’s in 2014. Link
  • Microsoft announces a Skype for iOS testing program. Link
  • Google launches classroom mobile apps for Android and iOS. Link
  • Apple Watch companion app features said to include activity reminders, phone unlock. Link
  • Apple and Ericsson sue each other over mobile patents. Link
  • Google translate app gets an upgrade. Link
  • Booking.com tries to personalize hotel choices with new app. Link
  • Google is in talks to acquire mobile payments service, Softcard. Link

Other:

  • Apple patent shakes GoPro’s stock. Link
  • IBM wins most patents but Google and Apple climb in rankings. Link
  • Google Domains launches to all in U.S. with support for blogger integration, templates and more domain endings. Link
  • Google Glass sales halted but firm says kit is not dead. Link
  • Google is bidding for a Pentagon contract worth more than $2B. Link

Weekly Industry Brief 12.15.2014

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Hi there! Below is a recap of news in fashion, retail, and technology over the last week. All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after each headline:

Holiday:

  • Behind the holiday trend of self-gifting. Link
  • Best Buy offers free two-day shipping to lure holiday shoppers. Link
  • Retailers grapple with shifting holiday patterns. Link
  • Meet the secret army of meteorologists who keep your holiday deliveries on time. Link
  • Amazon drives more holiday web retail traffic than biggest TV ad spender. Link

Retailer + Brand News:

  • Amazon introduces “Make an Offer” option. Link
  • Gucci, Coach tie for top spot in L2 digital study. Link
  • Amazon launches Surprise!, a Facebook-powered app for sending personalized e-cards. Link
  • The buzziest beauty brands of 2014. Link
  • ASOS sales soar in the UK, not so much everywhere else. Link
  • In the next few weeks, U.S. retailers can add the Shop Now button to their pages. Link
  • Online retailer Frank & Oak opens Canadian flagship. Link
  • Digital kiosks fuse in-store and online shopping. Link
  • Gucci CEO and Creative Director step down. Link
  • H&M taps Olivia Wilde as conscious ambassador. Link
  • Nordstrom partnering with eBay for smart fitting rooms. Link
  • Marriott debuts hotel brand for millennials in New Orleans. Link
  • How Tommy Hilfiger had its biggest year ever. Link
  • Bloomingdale’s social shopping experiment, Zoomingdales. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Instagram hits 300 Million users. Link
  • JC Penny has store shoppers surprise complete strangers with gifts. Link
  • The new co-op isn’t retail ad budgets, it’s audience data. Link
  • LinkedIn rolls out a simplified homepage with analytics and news feed front and center. Link
  • Polyvore reveals the most searched fashion brands. Link
  • The worst corporate tweets of 2014. Link
  • Lowe’s explores native tools on Vine and Instagram. Link
  • YouTube’s most popular ads of 2014. Link
  • The most discussed topics on Facebook in 2014. Link
  • Snapchat poaches start tech banker from Credit Suisse. Link
  • Facebook search can now find specific posts. Link
  • The most viral tweets of 2014. Link
  • Brands can now turn positive reviews into native ads and only pay when people share them. Link
  • How Hendrick’s gin has found creative ways to fluently speak to hard-to-reach hipsters. Link
  • Facebook dumps Bing, will introduce its own search tool. Link
  • Apple store online now accepts PayPal in US and UK. Link
  • Google Plus lets you define your own gender. Link
  • Under Armour is Ad Age’s marketer of the year. Link

Start-ups:

  • Tinder competitor Hinge raises $12M to bring its friends-of-friends dating app abroad. Link
  • Chef’d uses crowdfunding to roll out recipe-and-ingredient delivery service for gourmet meals. Link
  • Facebook’s Oculus buys two startups for virtual reality gestures, 3D. Link
  • Change.org raises $25 M from big names to go global and mobile. Link
  • Guy-oriented web content startup Woven Digital raises $18M in funding. Link

International:

[APAC]

  • India’s SnapDeal acquires Wishpicker to deliver better product recommendations. Link
  • Southeast Asia gets own online shopping festival. Link
  • Apple to open research site in Japan. Link
  • China’s Baidu set to partner with Uber and reportedly invest up to $600M. Link
  • Is Asia setting the trend on selfies? Link

[EU]

  • Google News shut down in Spain. Link
  • Amazon UK glitch sells thousands of products for a penny. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • Android Wear adds customizable faces to its smartwatches. Link
  • eBay draws inspiration from Pinterest for iPad commerce app. Link
  • Iowa is building the nation’s first smartphone driver’s license. Link
  • Shazam launches new version of mobile app. Link
  • Chicago and New York officials look to build Uber-like apps for taxis. Link
  • Invasion of wearable in the workforce. Link
  • Snap Fashion extends its visual search engine app into men’s clothing. Link
  • App detects when your friends are nearby and immediately silences your phone. Link
  • Hulu offers free streaming on Android over the holidays. Link
  • Whatsapp may be working on a web version of its popular messaging app. Link
  • Venmo lets users sign in using bank account log in. Link

Other:

  • 2015 technology trends to watch. Link
  • McDonald’s seeks help wooing millennials. Link
  • TV disruption on display as Netflix and Amazon go head-to-head at Golden Globes. Link
  • Analysts claim teens still prefer print books. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 11.24.2014

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Happy week of Black Friday! Below is a round up of industry news from the last week. All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after each headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • Nordstrom unveils customization studio. Link
  • Century 21 ups ante with C21 edition. Link
  • H&M to launch eight new online markets in 2015. Link
  • Neiman Marcus links with St. Regis Hotel in Washington, D.C. Link
  • Gap names new presidents for Banana Republic and Gap brands. Link
  • WalMart tightens online price-match policy. Link
  • Fashion boutiques team up with Farfetch.com for click-and-collect service. Link
  • Zappos tests brick-and-mortar pop up shop this holiday season. Link
  • Net-a-porter said to consider 2015 IPO. Link
  • What FEED can teach companies about making meaningful connections. Link
  • Ikea to reissue original midcentury furniture. Link
  • Amazon to launch travel booking website. Link
  • Cavernous stores wear on Forever 21. Link
  • Apple’s plans for Beats Music start to take shape. Link
  • AT&T and Starbucks to bring wireless phone chargers to some coffee shops. Link
  • Amazon leases Manhattan building, hinting at ambitions. Link
  • Wonder to close most of its stores. Link Burch Creative refutes these reports. Link
  • Amazon plans fashion photography studio in London. Link
  • Coach rolls out new retail concept. Link
  • Black Friday: Top US shopping day fades to gray. Link
  • Nordstrom reshuffles its traditional half-yearly sales. Link
  • Fab is close to a fire sale but CEO gets another chance. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Wanelo launches buy now technology. Link
  • How Michael Kors forces Instagram to do retail. Link
  • Google to help publishers make money by blocking ads. Link
  • Facebook testing collaboration tools for businesses. Link
  • Why fashion marketers should be paying attention to Ello. Link
  • TV looks to offer web-like ad targeting. Link
  • Forrester says brands are wasting money on Facebook and Twitter. Link
  • New York Magazine creates ‘pop-up blogs.’ Link
  • Ikea recreates iconic mealtime master paintings. Link
  • Google adds detailed info to shopping search results on mobile devices. Link
  • Amazon announcing Black Friday specials on Snapchat. Link

Start-ups:

  • Glossier raises over $10M to reinvent the beauty industry. Link
  • How crowdfunding is changing the fashion business. Link
  • Memoir raises $5.5M to stitch together your digital photos. Link
  • Kik raises $38M to battle Snapchat for teens. Link

International:

[APAC]

  • Lazada battles global ecommerce players and Indonesian rivals. Link
  • Macy’s, Saks, Bloomingdale’s and more accept Alipay to woo rich Chinese shoppers. Link

[EU]

  • Zara to open new Irish stores as retail recovers. Link
  • Royal Mail warns competition from Amazon will hamper growth. Link
  • UK looks to keep records on internet users. Link
  • UK shoppers plan holiday spending spree, Deloitte says. Link

[AU]

  • Sephora store opens in Sydney on December 5th. Link

[A/ME]

  • Dubai’s Souq.com plans “Black Friday” equivalent to help boost sales growth. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • Sephora rolls out Apple Pay in all Bay Area and Manhattan locations. Link
  • Target’s new app steers you to the right aisle for Black Friday. Link
  • Victoria’s Secret adds messaging to app. Link
  • For Opening Ceremony x Intel MICA smart bracelet, beauty beats brains. Link
  • Google Play store opens to Chinese developers. Link
  • US mobile payments market to boom by 2019. Link
  • This clever app scans wine and beer bottles to help you find drinks you’ll love. Link
  • Moleskine Smart Notebooks turns your sketches into adobe-friendly vector files. Link
  • Square reveals plans to support Apple Pay in 2015. Link
  • App, magazine and IRL community for collaborating creators. Link
  • Adobe shaping the future of creative mobile apps. Link

Other:

  • The $100 custom shirt is here. Does it have room for profit? Link
  • Experts predict retailers will face holiday hacking surge. Link
  • The post-PC CEO: no desk, no desktop. Link
  • A look at seven game-changing tech advances for retailers. Link