1. Can Allbirds Live Up to its $1 Billion Valuation? Allbirds is part of the boom in direct-to-consumer brands. But now, more than half a decade after that initial enthusiasm, there are questions about how big these brands can get. Growth is often driven by massive spending on marketing that isn’t sustainable. And after success, copycats quickly emerge. – Read More on Bloomberg

2. Luxury pair earn their premium: Shares in Hermès and Moncler rose by more than 5%. Even in the hyper-exclusive luxury sector, some brands are more premium than others. – Read More on Reuters

3. Pandemic fuels buy online, pick up in store services as retailers aim at Amazon: U.S. sales for “click-and-collect” services are forecast to reach more than $100 billion in 2022, up from $83.47 billion in 2021 and $72.46 billion in 2020, according to the latest data from eMarketer. – Read More on S&P Global

4. Walmart ecommerce alum debuts delivery startup for luxury goods: The share of apparel and accessories bought online was increasing even before the pandemic and accelerated last year as shoppers swapped khakis for sweat pants and other comfortable athleisure items to wear around the house. Researcher eMarketer projects clothing and accessories will grow faster than any other category in 2021. – Read More on Digital Commerce 360

5. Online Speech Is Now an Existential Question for Tech: Just about every site that hosts user-generated content is carefully weighing the costs and benefits of updating their content moderation systems, using a mix of human professionals, algorithms and users. Some are even building rules into their services to pre-empt the need for increasingly costly moderation. – Read More on the WSJ

6. Biden’s Next Moves Could Be Costly for Luxury: Although luxury goods were minimally affected by the first phases of the trade sanctions — being predominantly manufactured in Europe or stateside — sweeping tariffs threaten to hike costs for the broader retail industry and reduce global competitiveness. – Read More on Jing