Despite the holiday countdown being truly underway, the past week’s top stories are less about the festivities and more to do with a look forward – whether it’s the launch of more tech-enabled stores or significant developments with the likes of drones and blockchain.
Also worth checking out is a view on fashion immediacy from Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger, some further uptake of chatbots and an overview on this year’s major fashion and beauty mergers.
TOP STORIES
- Blockchain is being adopted beyond Bitcoin, from fashion to finance [JWT Intelligence]
- Report: Few retailers are omnichannel ‘leaders’ [Retail Dive]
- Burberry and Tommy Hilfiger: Lessons in fashion immediacy [BoF]
- Why retailers stop selling online: the hidden cost of e-commerce [The Guardian]
- Move over Singles’ Day: Alipay’s ’12.12’ event breaks records [Jing Daily]
- Luxury and charity are like oil and water – they don’t mix well [LeanLuxe]
BUSINESS
- Harvey Nichols profits tumble on aggressive revamp [The Telegraph]
- Young, quick and very hip: Missguided and Pretty Little Thing hit the big time [The Guardian]
- The year in major fashion and beauty mergers [Glossy]
SOCIAL MEDIA
- Dove flips #MannequinChallenge in extension of Real Beauty campaign [The Drum]
- How Stuart Weitzman is using WeChat to expand its Asian footprint [Glossy]
- New Nordstrom mobile chatbot is ready to help shoppers find the perfect holiday gift [GeekWire]
RETAIL
- How sporting giants Nike and Adidas are pushing the future of retail [Fortune]
- L’Occitane ups technology in New York City flagship [Chain Store Age]
- Victoria’s Secret invaded China’s digital space but is moving cautiously on retail [AdAge]
TECHNOLOGY
- In major step for drone delivery, Amazon flies package to customer in England [NY Times]
- Why AR will be bigger than VR [Venture Beat]
- Bot until you drop: How artificial intelligence is changing the way we do our Christmas shopping [The Independent]
- Fashion’s future, printed to order [NY Times]
- Under Armour expands connected footwear line-up [Retail Dive]
START-UPS
- The inside story behind Pebble’s demise [Backchannel]
- How True & Co. modernised the bra shopping experience [Racked]
