Daily LInks
1. Uniqlo Takes On H&M and Zara With Focus on Asian Stores: Uniqlo’s lineup is heavy on comfortable clothes for lounging around the house, compared with the more fashion-forward offerings of Zara and H&M. CEO Tadashi Yanai said Uniqlo’s functional take on apparel was far more advanced than those stores’, and he characterized his rivals as focused on copying hot trends. – Read More on the WSJ
2. How AR is Redefining Retail in the Pandemic: Augmented Reality (AR) applications have been on the rise with virtual “try-before-you-buy” experiences ranging from previewing furniture and products in your home with everyday brands like IKEA and Home Depot, to virtually trying on luxury fashion such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci. Once a nice-to-have feature, AR has quickly become an essential technology for retailers. – Read More on HBR
3. House of Representatives report accuses Amazon of abusing market power: A new 450-page report on tech companies from the House of Representatives’ subcommittee on antitrust accuses Amazon of wielding monopoly power in online retail to the detriment of third-party sellers that use its site as well as competitors and other stakeholders. – Read More on Retail Dive
4. RETRO READ: Jeff Bezos “Can’t Guarantee” that Amazon’s Policy Against Using Seller Data to Boost its Private Labels Has Not Been Violated. This is part of the equation that legal minds have pointed to in recent years in regards to potential claims of antitrust involving Amazon, particularly as the giant has continued to build troves of data on third-party products and sales, which it can use to “hone its own competitive pricing strategy, gain information about consumers to make its own marketing more effective, and give its own goods an advantage,” as the Journal put it. – Read More on TFL
5. Why the far right Proud Boys co-opted these polo shirts: it will be hard for Fred Perry to pursue legal action. If members of the Proud Boys are legally buying shirts with the brand’s trademark, there’s nothing they can do about it. “A brand owner can’t sell a shirt, generate revenue, then sue legitimate consumers of their product for trademark infringement.” – Read More on Fast Co.
6. With shoppable Instagram Reels, live selling may get a new life: Despite years of failed attempts, live video shopping may finally become bigger in the U.S. The concept, while niche stateside, has long been popular among Chinese influencers, or key opinion leaders (KOLs); the country’s shopping livestreams helped generate $63 billion in 2019 alone. – Read More on Modern Retail
7. RELATED READ: From Social Shopping to Entertainment-Centric E-Commerce, What Western Brands Can Learn from China’s Retail Giants. By adding entertainment into the mix of the traditional online buying experience, Chinese e-commerce giants are actively revamping the way that consumers shop. – Read More on TFL