Tag: target

Weekly Industry Brief: 7.13.2015

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Check out the week’s industry news in fashion, retail, and technology. Sources can be found in the hyperlinked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Amazon Prime Day will usher a new era of manufactured shopping days. Link
  • J.Crew debuts value-focused ‘Mercantile’ brand to spark growth. Link
  • Inside Target’s tech funhouse and search for its next billion-dollar business. Link
  • American Apparel to close stores and lay off workers. Link
  • Yahoo will enter daily fantasy sports market. Link
  • Time Inc. launching next big vertical, ‘The Drive,’ about cars for the under-35 crowd. Link
  • Levi’s responds to challengers with revamped women’s jeans. Link
  • Uniqlo had a strong Spring in the U.S. Link
  • Skechers sues Steve Madden over athleisure knockoffs. Link
  • Coty agrees to purchase P&G beauty brands for $12.5B. Link
  • Toys R Us to shift ecommerce from eBay to in-house. Link
  • American Express launches express online payment tool. Link
  • Back-to-school shopping starts early as U.S. parents seek deals. Link
  • LVMH to cut 70 jobs as it suspends Donna Karan label. Link
  • Saks and Lord & Taylor personalize websites, emails to lure high-spending shoppers. Link
  • With Flyease Nike reinvents the zipper. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • eBay and Amazon are the most visible Google Search advertisers. Link
  • Brands try to redefine emojis in Twitter’s latest hashtag game. Link
  • Twitter is now letting apps advertise with video. Link
  • Facebook changes how it charges brands for clicks on their ads. Link
  • Facebook said to seek music video licensing deals. Link
  • Facebook wants your attention so it’s charging separately for ad clicks that send you away. Link

Startups:

  • Jet.com officially launches on Monday, offering lowest prices on the Internet. Link
  • Disney’s startup accelerator enters its sophomore year with a new batch of companies. Link
  • Italy’s Quattrocento joins the race to become the Warby Parker of Europe. Link

International:

  • DHL Express to widen delivery options for internet shoppers in Australia. Link
  • Moscow malls open half-empty as retailers struggle. Link
  • Alibaba boosts Singapore Post stake, invests in ecommerce unit. Link
  • Alibaba invests $100M in luxury-focused Mei.com. Link
  • Rakuten buys virtual fitting room startup Fits.me in fashion commerce play. Link
  • Apple building a new store in Hong Kong. Link
  • Barnes & Noble closes international Nook store. Link
  • Twitter eyes Latin American market from new Miami office. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Six futuristic retail displays that will change your idea of ‘ecommerce.’ Link
  • Jawbone sues Fitbit for third time in two months. Link
  • Google starts testing driverless cars in Austin. Link
  • Tablet sales have plateaued but there’s a future in business. Link
  • Virgin Hotels turns mobile into shoppable Gap closet for guests. Link
  • Android Wear reportedly getting watch-to-watch sharing features. Link
  • Comcast launches its own cable-free TV with Stream. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 6.1.2015

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Happy Monday and Happy June! Below is a recap of industry highlights over the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • Amazon expands same-day delivery to new markets, drops price to free for orders over $35. Link
  • Leaked site reveals more info on “Shipping Pass,” Walmart’s answer to Amazon Prime. Link
  • Kors and Tiffany hit by strong dollar. Link
  • Yelp and Shoptiques link for ecommerce. Link
  • Crew is alienating its most important customers. Link
  • Gap teams up with Spring on digital pop-up shop. Link
  • Apple is working with Postmates to offer same-day delivery. Link
  • At Amazon, a rush to make speedy delivery free. Link
  • Levi’s and Google partner on “smart fabric.” Link
  • Abercrombie posts wider loss as currency hampers turnaround. Link
  • Hot Topic bid to purchase Geeknet. Link
  • Amazon is planning to add its own line of food. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Snapchat invests in Spring to capitalize on social commerce growth. Link
  • Vox Media acquires ReCode. Link
  • New hotel concept promises socially-focused customizable spaces for global nomads. Link
  • Google says ‘buy’ button coming to online advertising service. Link
  • Bethany Mota redefines being a celebrity. Link
  • Millenials follow Uber with new fashion trading model. Link
  • Twitter opens up more user data to marketers. Link
  • Target links up with Shazam for ad scans that link to shopping. Link
  • Facebook’s instant articles speed up mobile content. Link
  • Why Instagram works better for fashion brands. Link

Start-ups:

  • Amazon puts the call out to NYC startups. Link
  • For London’s fashion start-ups, it’s being social that counts. Link
  • Snapchat CEO: we have a plan for an IPO. Link
  • George Simmer starts an Uber for Tailors. Link

International:

  • How Target’s demise in Canada could be a gain for Lowe’s. Link
  • Michael Kors to open state of the art distribution center in Europe. Link
  • Alibaba expands logistics network to power next-day grocery deliveries in more Chinese cities. Link
  • JD.com sets its sights on connected devices. Link
  • Yahoo Japan shares climb on ecommerce alliance with Alibaba. Link
  • Walmart app adds shopping options in China. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • New Nordstrom app lets customers text with sales reps. Link
  • Barney’s launches iphone app. Link
  • What marketers should know about Google’s mobile upgrades. Link
  • Android Pay now lets you buy things with your fingerprint. Link
  • Google Play store now lets developers A/B test their app listing pages, customize their catalog. Link
  • Swatch reaffirms plans to build smartwatch with payments features. Link
  • Target wants to offer Apple Pay but focus is on chip and pin. Link
  • Piper Jaffray names virtual reality the next mega tech theme. Link
  • Google’s other mobile payments service: hands-free at McDonald’s. Link
  • Apple buys German augmented reality company Metaio. Link
  • Facebook’s Oculus snaps up advanced virtual reality startup. Link

Misc.:

  • Mary Meeker’s internet report: user growth slowing but disruption full speed ahead. Link
  • Retailers turn to innovation labs for evolution. Link
  • Apple’s Jony Ive named chief designer, gives up day-to-day role. Link
  • Jawbone sues Fitbit citing theft of trade secrets. Link

Weekly Industry Brief: 5.26.2015

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Hope everyone in the US enjoyed a long weekend! Below is a recap of industry highlights over the last week.  Sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Brand/Retailer:

  • FAO Schwarz’s Manhattan store to close in July as rents rise. Link
  • Target to focus on fresh, healthy foods. Link
  • Etsy plunges 13% after reporting its first-quarter financial performance. Link
  • WordPress sets its sights on ecommerce. Link
  • Net-a-porter is still in the red but losing a lot less money. Link
  • eBay preps Amazon Prime competitor. Link
  • Kate Spade partners with startup Everpurse to sell iPhone-charging bags. Link
  • Amazon Prime Now adds local stores in Manhattan. Link
  • Gap’s brand revival may take a few more seasons. Link
  • Fast fashion has completely disrupted apparel retail. Link
  • Retailers digitize the fitting room experience. Link
  • Kohl’s to open off-price outlet. Link
  • Target goes upscale. Link
  • American Eagle launching new clothing brand to lure back teens. Link
  • Anthropologie’s dresses miss tests loyalty. Link
  • H&M to open biggest store yet in Herald Square. Link
  • Marissa Webb’s first designs for Banana Republic aren’t hitting the mark with shoppers. Link
  • Gap meets estimates as Old Navy helps prop up retailer. Link
  • Ann Inc. tops 1Q profit forecasts. Link

Marketing/Social:

  • Google adds tweets to mobile search results. Link
  • Pinterest unveils its first video-like ad and new ad pricing models. Link
  • Spotify launches video streaming. Link
  • Mondelez bets big on ecommerce with shoppable ads and ‘buy now’ buttons. Link
  • Bitly launches audience intel to give marketers more data on how content is shared. Link
  • Google’s mobile buy button is an Instant Articles for retailers. Link
  • Google wants YouTube viewers to shop while they watch. Link
  • Pinterest bolsters ads with cinematic pins. Link
  • Instagram’s cool questioned as it starts emailing users with ‘highlights.’ Link

Start-ups:

  • Flipkart is valued at $15B after latest funding. Link
  • Booze on-demand service Drizly lands $13M to expand. Link
  • Izberg marketplace turns any website into an ecommerce marketplace. Link
  • Mode Media (formerly Glam Media) raises $30M for lifestyle media publishing platform. Link
  • 6Tribes is a social networking app that wants to make tribes of ‘foodies’ and ‘coffee geeks.’ Link

International:

  • Singapore’s postal service reinvents itself for the digital age. Link
  • Expedia sells majority stake in Chinese partner eLong for $671M. Link
  • eBay plots European growth with click-and-collect expansion. Link
  • China cuts import tax on clothes and other goods. Link
  • Alibaba’s latest gambit in fighting fakes: foster local brands. Link

Mobile/Emerging Tech:

  • Messaging app Line is testing a music streaming service. Link
  • PayPal’s instant checkout now works with bigcommerce, no longer requires app. Link
  • Target will roll out RFID price tags to improve inventory management. Link
  • Fetch offers AI-powered Apple Watch app. Link
  • Apple’s new streaming service might cause delay in Apple TV launch. Link
  • Montblanc to Apple: Our Swiss smartwatch will outlast yours. Link

Misc.:

  • Conde Nast launches fellowship program in the wake of internships. Link
  • Disney’s research lab figures out how to put words in your mouth. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 4.20.2015

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Happy Monday! Below is a recap of industry news from the last week. Sources are in the hyperlinked text after each headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • How teens are spending money, what they like and where they shop. Link
  • Etsy completes its IPO, valuing the craft marketplace at over $3.5Billion. Link
  • Kit and Ace maps westward US expansion. Link
  • Shopify files for IPO. Link
  • Dick’s Sporting Goods forecasts $9B in sales by 2017. Link
  • Music services overtake CDs for the first time. Link
  • Yahoo in talks to buy Foursquare. Link
  • Michael Kors winning with teens. Link
  • The North Face looks to training gear to boost sales beyond winter. Link
  • Glossier CEO on building a skincare, cosmetic empire online. Link
  • Toys “R” Us playing customer experience to win against WalMart, Amazon. Link
  • Inside Moleskin’s plans to sell you more than just notebooks. Link
  • Urban Outfitters launches new sport menswear line, Halo. Link
  • Target has more web woes during debut of Lilly Pulitzer line. Link
  • Uniqlo to collaborate with Carine Roitfeld. Link
  • Men’s Wearhouse has a plan to make Joseph Abboud a $1B brand. Link
  • Khol’s flexing its New York fashion muscle to bolster comeback. Link
  • Lilly Pulitzer sells out at Target. Link
  • Outdoor Voices takes on Lululemon with $1.1M in funding. Link
  • Net-a-porter brings Chanel “digital pop-up” ecommerce. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Jay-Z to personally call select Tidal users. Link
  • Instagram takes another step toward ecommerce. Link
  • Why Facebook might emerge as the biggest Internet of Things company. Link
  • Twitter unveils new homepage for people who aren’t signed in. Link
  • How Old Navy is winning at YouTube. Link
  • Forrester analyst: Emotional campaigns will bypass ad-blocker in brains. Link
  • The rising power of social media influencers. Link
  • Burberry live streams on Periscope. Link
  • Snapchat signs a deal for second season of ‘Literally Can’t Even.’ Link
  • Is Facebook trying to edge out YouTube? Link
  • Chevy runs digital video ads in print. Link

Start-ups:

  • Vessel raises more cash to battle YouTube. Link
  • How a U.S.-made athleticwear brand raised $100K on Kickstarter. Link
  • The investors behind the next billion dollar startups. Link
  • Pharmacy startup PillPack could change the way America takes its medicine. Link
  • Snaps raises $6.5M to help brands take over emojis. Link
  • EyeEm raises $18M to expand its photo marketplace. Link
  • Spring closes $25M in funding. Link
  • Andreessen Horowitz hires former Facebook lawyer to help its startups. Link
  • Coin, the one credit card to rule them all, is finally shipping. Link

International:

  • [APAC]
    • China steps up economy. Link
    • New Hong Kong tourism restrictions to boost Japan, Korea. Link
    • Foreign companies at risk from proposed Chinese law. Link
  • [EU]
    • Ikea to invest up to 3Billion Euros in new shopping centers. Link  
  • [CA]
    • Major retail gains helping Canada economy turn around. Link
    • Loonie gains almost 2 cents as oil rises. Link
    • Apple planning Apple Pay launch in Canada for November. Link
  • [LATAM]
    • Ralph Lauren looks to Brazil as global growth accelerant. Link
    • How Macy’s found its fit in the Hispanic market. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • Whatsapp hits 800 Million users. Link
  • Instagram develops app for the Apple Watch. Link
  • Taco Bell to launch loyalty program via app. Link
  • For the fashion set, the jury is still out on the Apple Watch. Link
  • This new app wants to be the iTunes of smells. Link
  • New York Times makes Now App free, scrapping monthly fee to attract readers. Link
  • Epicurious brings cooking instructions to the Apple Watch with new smart timer app. Link

Other:

  • How your t-shirt can make you rich. Link
  • Netflix is now bigger than CBS. Link

WEEKLY INDUSTRY BRIEF: 2.10.2015

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Hello! Was taking a break in Vermont over the weekend, so apologies for the delay. Below is a recap I compiled of industry news over the last week.  All sources can be found in the hyper-linked text after the headline.

Retailer + Brand News:

  • Wallpaper Magazine dives into ecommerce. Link
  • Lululemon founder steps down from board. Link
  • Target to open 15 Target Express stores this year. Link
  • Macy’s buys Bluemercury. Link
  • Amazon opens brick-and-mortar campus store. Link
  • Madewell inks deal with Nordstrom. Link
  • Under Armour releases 2014 results, acquires two more fitness apps. Link
  • Ralph Lauren plans new global band management structure. Link
  • Kate Spade Saturday: A downmarket move goes bust. Link
  • Zulily to hit one billion dollars in sales in 2014. Link
  • Gap merges ecommerce and marketing in new executive position. Link
  • Macy’s program helps cultivate retail entrepreneurs. Link
  • Change for the better at Neiman Marcus. Link
  • Lucky Magazine launches shops, its new ecommerce venture. Link
  • Fab.com’s fire sale should close this month. Link
  • Lifestyle brands are acquiring their way to becoming tech companies. Link
  • Frank & Oak expands personal stylist feature. Link
  • Gap, Aeropostale raise outlook for holiday period. Link
  • Old Navy teams with Current Elliott. Link
  • BCBG gets $135M in cash infusion. Link
  • eBay’s innovation and new ventures group hit hard by layoffs in restructuring. Link

Social Media + Marketing:

  • Tinder shuts down Gap’s pants party campaign because it violated terms of service. Link
  • Imgur unleashes subscription-only pro editing tool for all users. Link
  • Burberry joins with Line to live stream show in Japan. Link
  • Four video startups looking to challenge YouTube’s dominance. Link
  • Twitter to sell ads on Flipboard and Yahoo Japan. Link
  • American Express Apple Pay ad turns out to be a fun trip through time. Link
  • Tumblr ad executive stepping down as Yahoo combines teams. Link
  • Revenue at Twitter rises but user growth slows. Link
  • Twitter and Google said to reach deal on Search. Link
  • Twitter user growth falls below Facebook’s for the first time. Link

Start-ups:

  • These companies are trying to disrupt Men’s Wearhouse. Link
  • Trellie is launching a smart jewelry starter kit this spring with dozens of accessories. Link
  • Andreessen Horowitz taps into thriving world of programmers. Link

International:

  • [APAC]
    • TopShop to close all Japanese stores. Link
    • FedEx express to increase ground fleet capacity in India. Link
    • Alibaba tries out drone delivery in China. Link
    • Line buys Stripe-like Japanese startup WebPay to boost its payments service. Link
    • Qualcomm fined $975M by China. Link
  • [CA]
    • Target and landlords in court battle over sale of leases. Link
  • [EU]
    • Hem acquires online design portal, Discipline.eu. Link

Mobile, Tablet, + Wearables:

  • ApplePay and JetBlue strike first airline deal. Link
  • Adidas gets ready for Kanye collaboration with new sneaker reservation app. Link
  • iOS 9 leak reveals Apple’s new focus. Link
  • Eight out of ten retailers increasing mobile budgets in 2015. Link
  • Michael Kors to join wearable tech movement. Link
  • Apple’s iOS9 pegged as a stability update, which is way better than a feature frenzy. Link
  • Apple grabs 93% of the handset industry’s profit. Link
  • Samsung to launch a new Galaxy smartphone on March 1st. Link

Other

  • Uber opening robotics research facility in Pittsburgh to build self-driving cars. Link
  • Apple to open giant data center in Arizona. Link
  • Q&A with Amazon Prime boss on the program’s 10th Link

Making Instagram Shoppable

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On every retailer’s to-do list this year is to monetizeInstagram.  The concept is a no-brainer as the visual social network gains more interaction than Twitter and Facebook.  Executing a sale from the platform, however, isn’t as easy as a quick like, specifically because there is no outbound linking from a photo.  Retailers have been struggling to figure out ways to monetize this content.  We’ve see tactics like using the product SKU as the location of the photo, using the entire product name for easier online search later, shortened URLs used in copy for easy memory, and the ever-present shop-able Instagram galleries on websites.

None of these are perfect, of course, as Instagram is after all a social platform not an ecommerce platform. But some retailers have put new solutions in place just in time for this holiday season, partnering with start-ups in an attempt to figure it out. With the insights they’ll gain this season, if not the sales, these retailers will have a solid start on their social commerce strategy.  Here are some examples:

Nordstrom:

Nordstrom Like2Buy Instagram Shopping

Innovator Nordstrom partnered with  Curalate to launch their Like2Buy service. The service is basically a shoppable web gallery (outside of Instagram) that the users have to click through from the Nordstrom profile page. The stronger selling point is the curated gallery aspect, in which you can shop only the selection of  photos you’ve liked previously.  Target and Charlotte Russe have also signed on as early launch partners.

Fox & Fawn:

Beverly Hames, an owner of Fox & Fawn, a vintage boutique in Brooklyn, says that sales arising from pictures she posts free on the store’s Instagram feed, now account for 20 to 40 percent of daily revenue.

Even boutiques and small businesses are leveraging shop-able Instagram solutions.  Vintage Brooklyn outpost Fox & Fawn utilizes vendor Soldsie to let users leave comments with a hashtag to reserve goods from a photo. Users then have to call to pay but with a more established retailer’s ecommerce site, the users could checkout online.

RewardStyle:

 

The uber popular affiliate blogger network launched LikeToKnowIt, a service that utilizes email bounce backs as the mode of shopping from a blogger’s outfit post on Instagram. Vogue was the first magazine to make its feed shoppable using this service.  They also just announced a partnership with BCBG for fashion week that will enable a shoppable runway.

 

Check out highlights from around the web:

Nordstrom Wants You to Shop on Instagram (Business Week)

Buy What You Like: You Can Now Shop Straight from Instagram (Forbes)

You Can Now Shop the Runway Just Minutes After a Show With These Chic New Apps (Glamour)

On Instagram, a Bazaar Where You Least Expect It (New York Times)

3 Startups Making Instagram Shoppable (Fashionista)

In a Snap: Target’s Image Recognition App

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In a mobile innovation and omni-channel play, Target introduced an image recognition app called In a Snap just in time for Back to School. The app is much like those we’ve seen before (as stand-alone  apps or as part of an of existing app) from brands like eBay Fashoin and startups like Toronto-based Slyce or London-based ASAP54.

The app allows users to snap a photo from Target’s ads in magazines like Real Simple or in their upcoming catalog.  Based on the image, the app then leads users to the website which allows them to add to their cart or try out Target’s new click and collect service.

The app comes just in time to compete with Amazon’s FireFly, an image recognition service that comes on its new Fire Phone. The visual search service can recognize over 100 million items from QR codes, bar codes, images and even song clips.

While Target’s app may be less “advanced,” it is still both buzz-worthy and useful, two important characteristics of a new app. The company reportedly built the app in 6-8 weeks in its Rapid Accelerated Development group and is currently collecting customer feedback and working on fixes.

My take: It’s awesome that Target is experimenting with mobile technology but it is even more awesome that they are investing in teams that can quickly develop customer-facing features. The continuous deliver, test and iterate model can make a huge impact at companies that are able to dedicate the resources (financial and human). By rapidly delivering this feature to customers, Target will have the quick feedback they need to improve the product and deliver even more value to their customers.  I don’t think visual search is going anywhere and anything to innovate print is pretty cool.

Target In a Snap App Target In a Snap App

Images from All Bullseye View

More coverage around the web:

The Target ‘In a Snap’ App Makes Shopping, Well, a Snap (Bustle)

New Target App Makes Shopping a Snap (PC Mag)

Target In A Snap Image Recognition App Aimed at Boosting Sales (International Business Times)

Target’s ‘In a Snap’ App Makes Catalogs, Ads Shoppable (ClickZ)