Daily Links

1. In trademark squatting cases, the burden shifts to companies to make their case: Companies that contend someone else has applied for a trademark inappropriately have a window during the examination process to register their opposition. Ottawa added a new criterion for challenges: that the application was made in “bad faith.” – Read More on Globe & Mail

2. Over a century since launching its famed boots, L.L.Bean sued over a ‘waterproof’ claim: L.L.Bean Inc., the famed Freeport retailer that got its start 111 years ago selling boots for wet weather, has been sued for false advertising. – Read More on Press Herald

3. Why fashion houses are getting into video games: The younger generation don’t think about it as ‘my physical life’ and ‘my digital life’. It’s just all the same. – Read More on the Guardian

4. E-commerce continues to grow in the EU. In 2022, 91% of people aged 16 to 74 in the EU had used the internet, 75% of whom had bought or ordered goods or services for private use. The proportion of e-shoppers grew from 55% in 2012 to 75% in 2022. – Read More on EuroStat

5. From condoms to cosmetics, China sales grow as lockdowns end: The world’s top consumer and luxury goods companies have seen sales grow in China since Beijing ended strict COVID-19 curbs, another sign that the world’s No. 2 economy is reviving after the pandemic. – Read More on Reuters

6. The RealReal Looks to Consign Its Way to Near-Term Profitability: With its stock trading at about $1.35 per share — after falling over 90% in the past two years — it could be argued there’s not a lot more downside for luxury resale marketplace The RealReal. – Read More on PYMNTS

1. Companies scramble to incorporate generative AI in products: Technologies like ChatGPT and image generators such as Dall-E 2 and Stable Diffusion have captured the imagination of the tech industry and beyond. – Read More on Axios

2. Can clothes ever be fully recycled? Just 1% of recycled clothes are turned back into new garments. While charity shops, textiles banks and retailer “take-back” schemes help to keep those donated clothes in wearable condition in circulation, the capabilities of recycling clothes at end-of-life are currently limited. – Read More on the BBC

3. Four Companies That May Show a Path for ‘Recession-Proof’ Fashion: Since November 2022, Bottega bags also boast a “certificate of craft,” meaning buyers are entitled to lifetime warranty and unlimited repairs. – Read More on the WSJ

4. Three pandemic retail tech trends that have lost their luster: Meta don’t seem to be that confident in livestreaming’s growth. The live shopping feature on Instagram was made widely available to businesses and creators in 2020 but was just recently axed. – Read More on Modern Retail

5. Balaan accounts for nearly half of all online luxury goods sales in Korea: Balaan said Tuesday it racked up 680 billion won ($513.4 million) in transactions last year, up sharply from 315 billion won in 2021, as more people purchased luxury bags and other high-end items through the online platform. – Read More on Korea Times

6. The SPAC Fad Is Ending in a Pile of Bankruptcies and Fire Sales: At least eight businesses that went public through mergers with “blank-check” companies have sought protection from creditors. – Read More on Bloomberg

1. Why Retailers Fail to Adopt Advanced Data Analytics: Advanced analytics have been available to businesses for years and are getting better all the time, but with a few big exceptions most retailers still use very basic tools. They do this even though they understand the advantages that analytics have given their competitors. – Read More on HBR

2. Chinese E-Commerce Flourishes on U.S. Soil: Chinese e-commerce apps are making a play for Americans shopping. Affordable prices and clever use of social media have worked wonders for growth. But profitability might be harder. And political risks are still lurking in the background. – Read More on the WSJ

3. Tradition & Innovation Collide at Decentraland’s Metaverse Fashion Week: Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, COACH, adidas, DKNY, Vogue Singapore, Monnier Paris, DUNDAS, Phygicode Dress in collaboration with Rubin Singer, and others lead an all-star lineup at Metaverse Fashion Week 2023. – Read More in Press Release

4. Adidas has $500 million worth of Kanye West sneakers and no good options: “What makes this so dramatic is how big it is,” said Wedbush analyst Tom Nikic, noting that the Yeezy brand was doing nearly $2 billion a year in revenue. “That’s really a big, substantial part of [Adidas’s] business — and the abruptness with which it happened” is also remarkable. – Read More on Washington Post

5. Farfetch Aims to be at Center of Luxury Brands’ Shift to Digital: The increased focus on its first-party customer data is of increasing value to brands “especially in light of increased privacy restrictions that have reduced the ability to attribute marketing performance in the overall marketing landscape.” – Read More on PYMNTS

6. Generative AI’s money game: It seems logical that if AI can conduct conversations and produce images, companies will figure out how to use it to build revenue and profits — but there’s no guarantee, and the technology could also become a money sink for early adopters. – Read More on Axios

1. From McDonald’s to Ralph Lauren, U.S. Companies Are Planning China Expansions: Many companies that are increasing their commitments to China are consumer-facing. They still view China’s enormous market as a promising long-term bet, even if sales took a hit during the zero-Covid era. – Read More on the WSJ

2. Alibaba shows limits of China’s reopening boon: Alibaba on Feb. 23 reported revenue of 248 billion yuan ($35.9 billion) in the three months to December, an increase of 2% year-on-year. Adjusted earnings rose 12% to 40 billion yuan. – Read More on Reuters

3. Malaysia to Introduce Taxes for Luxury Goods Starting This Year: Malaysia will introduce a Luxury Goods Tax starting this year for items of a certain value limit, Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim said in a budget speech to parliament. – Read More on Bloomberg

4. What Gucci and others learnt from the metaverse: Even stepping inside a Chanel or Hermès boutique is more than many people have the nerve to do. Compared with exclusive environments like these, the metaverse is a less intimidating setting, particularly for younger consumers used to interacting and spending money virtually. – Read More on the FT

5. How online buyers of luxury collectibles reshaped auctions in an economic slump: In December in a patchily performing online-only handbags sale, Christie’s sold a two-year-old Hermès Kelly 25 for $18,900, contributing to the $779m proceeds of its 2022 global luxury auctions, the main entry point for new clients at Christie’s. – Read More on the Art Newspaper

6. How ChatGPT’s AI Will Become Useful: Despite early glitches, useful things are coming. Search boxes aren’t very conversational. Using them is like grunting words to zero in on something you suspect exists. Now a more natural human interface can replace back-and-forth conversations. – Read More on the WSJ

1. Cartier is in the sights of LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, according to Swiss paper Finanz und Wirtschaft. There are “whispers” in the luxury industry of a potential takeover of Cartier-owner Cie Financiere Richemont SA by LVMH. – Read More on Bloomberg

2. German carmakers survive first round of climate lawsuits: German carmakers made it unscathed through a series of lawsuits led by environmental groups demanding they restrict their carbon emissions, with the final ruling issued on Friday – but the battle is not over, with all plaintiffs pledging to appeal. – Read More on Reuters

3. Amendments to China’s Trademark Law – Improving IP Use and Protection: New amendments to the China trademark law seek to improve the use and protection of trademarks by tackling anti-competitive behavior and simplifying some registration procedures. – Read More on China Briefing

4. OECD says global economic outlook ‘slightly better’ for 2023 but inflation risks linger: “Inflation is starting to tick down, but we are not on top of the inflation challenge yet. There is more work to be done to tackle inflation and that comes with risks.” – Read More on CNBC

5. TJX Sales Climb as Consumers Hunt for Bargains: The tightening in consumer spending is expected to be a boon for TJX and other off-price retailers as customers, wary of a potential recession on the horizon, become more sensitive to higher prices and hunt for more bargains. – Read More on the WSJ