1. Teen spending hits lowest point in nearly a decade as coronavirus concerns grow: Cosmetics spending among females slid to a 10-year low with a more than 26% year-on-year drop, while spending on handbags hit a new overall survey low. – Read More on Retail Dive

2. Brand Marketing Through the Coronavirus Crisis: People will remember brands for their acts of good in a time of crisis. Feel-good content that alleviates anxiety and promotes positive messaging will go a long way to enhancing the brand. However, companies need to show that their contributions are material and not solely for commercial benefit. Consumers recognize authenticity and true purpose. – Read More on HBR (via 2PM)

3. Covid-19 is going to make fashion’s discounting problem much worse: Middle-market designers and retailers, which were suffering most before the outbreak, “will be hit hardest, as cash-strapped shoppers trade down to the value segment for essentials and middle-class consumers turn more to heavily discounted affordable luxury and premium goods.” – Read More on Quartz

4. Outbreak Pushes Japan’s Shoppers to Finally Buy Things Online: Now that the government in Japan – where e-commerce rates have been among lowest of rich economies – is urging consumers and businesses to step up efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak, shoppers may finally have no excuse but to embrace e-commerce and wean themselves from brick-and-mortar stores. – Read More on Bloomberg

5. Start-up market is ‘stratified’ but it’s ‘the greatest time to start a company,’ PayPal co-founder says: “This is the very best time to be either a late-stage, well-funded start-up, because the competition is thinner … [or] even better perhaps, this is the time to hunker down, go 10,000 feet below ground and build something truly amazing.” – Read More on CNBC