Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon auctions off “Amazon’s Choice” badges, created new badges for Amazon fashion, introduced new donation program for vendors

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Nike introduces kid’s subscription box, Tory Burch ventures into beauty, Kroger partners with TikTok for back-to-school, Blue Apron breaks up with Jet.com.

Espresso,The Filter

Farfetch, New Guards Group, and the costs and risks of vertical integration  

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Microsoft bought PromoteIQ, Amazon launched an invitation only “Sold by Amazon” program, Amazon employees were caught stealing over $10 million in merchandise

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Le Tote plans to buy Lord & Taylor, Dick’s Sporting Goods ventures into activewear, Birkenstock opens second U.S. retail store, Cosmopolitan attempts to infuse content with commerce.

Espresso,The Filter

The size of Barneys’ stores, not the cost of rent, led to its demise

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon added “Personal Shopper” to its Prime Wardrobe Box, pressures vendors to use sustainable packaging, introduced AmazonCommercial; eBay sued Amazon for vendor recruitment, Whole Foods announced partnership with Packed Party

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Athleta competes with activewear giants, Westfield looks to virtual reality, Urban Outfitters ventures into apparel rental, Barneys files for bankruptcy but plans for expansion

Espresso,The Filter

Kylie Cosmetics, Kylie Skin and Coty’s shared quest to find their footing

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: eBay launches end-to-end fulfillment service to compete with Amazon; Amazon struggles to transition to one-day shipping, allegedly explores a new grocery concept, tests audio ads for its forthcoming music service

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Outdoor Voices launches editorial platform, Etsy prioritizes sellers that offer free shipping, Sephora incubates Instagram-famous brands, Costco launches digital membership card

Espresso,The Filter

Kanye, Kylie, Jordan and the complexity of “owning” a celebrity brand  

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Staples launches Staples Worklife newsletter and podcast, Toys “R” Us is back after liquidation, DSW is still addicted to discounts, Saks Fifth Avenue revamps the men’s shoe floor at its NYC flagship

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon exclusives drive Prime Day, Amazon is still courting direct-to-consumer brands, Large retailers also saw gains from Prime Day

Espresso,The Filter

Walmart isn’t the savior or the bailout fund that digitally-native brands expected

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon will invest in employee retraining, uses Prime Day to amplify its reputation as a grocery retailer, pushed brands to raise ad spend for Prime Day

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Sonder attempts to differentiate from Airbnb and traditional hotels, Westfield World Trade Center needs a new perspective, The Infatuation launches a membership, Quip expands into dental care

Espresso,The Filter

From Brandless to worthless with a lot of capital down the drain

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon wants brands to stream via Amazon Live and Twitch for Prime Day, seeks to build Whole Foods into a clean beauty mecca, will exclusively sell Lady Gaga’s forthcoming beauty brand; Prime Video strengthens its hold over sports fans

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Mars diversifies away from candy, Crate & Barrel wants to serve you dinner, Girlboss launches professional networking platform, Net-a-Porter debuts invite-only jewelry service

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon will stream an exclusive concert ahead of Prime Day, use Comic-Con as a marketing platform, expand its in-store pickup service, add “Live” tab to Fire TVs; Bic launches exclusive razor brand on Amazon

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Rent the Runway goes to Nordstrom, Costco sells more than groceries, Iris Nova grows its portfolio, Target courts college students

Espresso,The Filter

The common forces driving retail and entertainment’s structural shifts

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: YouTube debuts AR advertising tool, Lululemon retail unites men’s and women’s, Netflix will launch season 3 of “Stranger Things” with branded video game, Uber attempts to cultivate a B2B image

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon opens fifth 4-Star location, debuts the Amazon Professional Beauty Store, elongates Prime Day, unveils new AWS services

Espresso,The Filter

Is Verishop beating a dead horse?

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Peloton wants to book you a hotel, BuzzFeed expands its Tasty product line, Poshmark adds home decor to its social marketplace, Supermaker launches editorial site for entrepreneurs

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon shutters Amazon Spark, shrinks its video game developing division and children’s animated original programming, wants to sell alcohol via Prime Now, receives new Ring-related trademarks; select AmazonBasics products are bestsellers; Verishop launches as a potential Amazon competitor

Espresso,The Filter

Examining The RealReal’s quest to build an authentic and sustainable business

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: The Wing partners with “Big Little Lies,” IKEA brings its print catalog online, FitBit Pay joins Apple Pay and Google Pay to test contactless payments on NYC public transportation, Instagram allows brands to promote content directly from influencers’ accounts

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon launches StyleSnap, debuts its first influencer-created collection via The Drop, opens kiosks in UK train stations, adds another Amazon Go in NYC, launches Amazon Personalize, terminates Amazon Restaurants and Daily Dish; Barnes & Noble goes private, FedEx Express ditches Amazon

Espresso,The Filter

Instagram’s @shop and the perils of living in its ecosystem

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Merch by Amazon wins over brands; Amazon debuts Clicks and Mortar in the UK, launches Prime Video Channels for Canada, sells branded meal kits at Whole Foods, partners with L’Oréal on an AR extension; Vendors hire third-party companies to combat counterfeit sales; Blackstone Group purchases warehouse space in the age of Amazon; Amazon Studios builds experiential exhibits

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Celebrities open theme parks, Target wants its men’s private label to become a “lifestyle,” Hearst connects its magazine audiences with product samples, Great Jones launches a cooking advice hotline

Espresso,The Filter

Kylie Skin and the push to exfoliate her operational foundation

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Nike plays Fortnite, Airbnb and 23andMe take a trip, Highsnobiety launches ecommerce, Wine stores have a buffer against online retail

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon begins selling BarkBox subscriptions, attempts to gamify warehouse work, debuts The Drop, rebrands (and relaunches) its mall kiosks; Amazon investors support selling facial recognition tech to government agencies

Espresso,The Filter

Can Apple Stores thrive in a post-iPhone world?

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Goop attempts to win over men, American Express buys Resy, OGX sponsors Governors Ball, Rent the Runway creates a mobile pop-up

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon invests in Deliveroo, offers same-day delivery to Orlando, may acquire Ad Server, announces partnership with Adobe Commerce Cloud, limits unauthorized sellers, expands its air cargo hubs

Espresso,The Filter

Why H&M shouldn’t bury the lead on its print catalog

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon courts its own employees to expedite delivery, launches the security service Alexa Guard, offers returns at UK and Italian retailers; Prime Video secures its second distribution deal in the U.S. with Cox, Amazon’s ad revenue slows

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Counterfeit products take on the beauty industry, Trader Joe’s debuts a YouTube channel, CAMP launches a membership program, Unilever may acquire Drunk Elephant

Espresso,The Filter

Harry’s acquisition and the limits of direct-to-consumer independence

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon Go opens in New York, Facebook’s Portal to include Prime Video and Alexa, Amazon Key expands, Amazon’s Middle East ecommerce site goes live, Alexa is the newest employee at some fulfillment centers

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Planet Fitness scoops up Toys R Us and Sears’ real estate leftovers, Brands capitalize on the esports industry, The Wing branches into design, Advertisers buy out billboards on the road to Coachella

Espresso,The Filter

Will influencer-driven private labels give Revolve the ammunition it needs?

Espresso,PrimeTime

PrimeTime: Amazon invests in one-day delivery, sees growth from AWS, launches Amazon Key and PillPack prescription drug service, adds Amazon Lockers to the French retailer Casino Group’s grocery stores

Espresso,The Grinds

The Grinds: Lululemon won’t discount, SmileDirectClub and CVS have something to smile about, Warehouse real estate company GLP plans IPO, Professional baseball looks to the subscription economy

Espresso,The Filter

Everlane aims to find its footing with a sneaky sneaker launch