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L’Oreal acquires Toronto-based AR company ModiFace (BETAKIT)
ModiFace develops AR applications for the beauty and medical industries.
DMS Recommends: What to expect in 2018: 4 marketing leaders explain (DMS)
“Mobile is rewriting the rules and consumer expectations are higher than ever. We spoke with four marketing leaders from major brands and agencies to learn what they expect to transpire in 2018. And we dug into how they’ll be tapping into new trends and technologies to help their brands succeed.”
Warby Parker, the eyewear seller, raises $75 million (NYTIMES)
Warby Parker, which opened its website eight years ago and quickly became one of the inspirations for a generation of e-commerce brands aiming at a younger, hipper customer base, raised the funding from T. Rowe Price.
Walmart to expand grocery delivery from 6 markets to over 100 by year-end(TECHCRUNCH)
Walmart announced that it will expand its online grocery delivery service to more than 40 percent of U.S. households by year-end, growing from its current availability in just six markets to over 100 metro areas during that time. That means it will be making deliveries from 800 stores in total.
IKEA puts TaskRabbit to work assembling your FLOTTEBO and FÄRLÖV (ENGADGET)
Customers in select US markets will be able to schedule a worker to assemble their furniture.
Nordstrom acquires 2 digital retail start-ups(CNBC)
Nordstrom has acquired BevyUp, a platform that allows sales associates to communicate with each other on the back end, and MessageYes, which offers brands the opportunity to text their customers, leveragingAI and integrated payments.
Alipay now accepted at retailers across Canada through Motion Pay partnership (BETAKIT)
Alipay’s over 520 million active users in China will be able to use their Alipay Mobile Wallet with Canadian retailers.
Artland closes $1M seed for its social art marketplace (TECHCRUNCH)
Artland, a social art marketplace app that aims to connect galleries and professional buyers, raised the seed round from professional handball player, Mikkel Hansen; Olympic dressage champion Andreas Helgstrand; musician and songwriter Shaka Loveless; and Airhelp founders, Nicolas Michaelsen and Poul Oddershede.
Toys ‘R’ Us is a how-not-to guide for the retail business
(BLOOMBERG)
It’s a cautionary tale about LBOs and strategic shortsightedness.
Outdoor Voices raises $34M in Series C funding (FINSMES)
Outdoor Voices, a digital active brand which specializes in activewear for doing things daily, raised the funding from GV.
GrokStyle’s visual search tech makes it into IKEA’s Place AR app (TECHCRUNCH)
GrokStyle’s point-and-search functionality is being added to the IKEA Place AR app.
Ryan Caldbeck: why everyone is trying to figure out emerging CPG (TWITTER)
Every public CPG company, every retailer, every consumer VC and PE firm, every meaningful public investor. CircleUp’s CEO and co-founder explains why.