Amazon Prime Day Nears And Tariff Wars Threaten Retailers

AMAZON PRIME DAY IS UPON US

Amazon's "Prime Day" is back - this time with an extra six hours of offerings and discounts at Whole Foods. The cyber frenzy is positioned to become one of e-commerce's top shopping days of the year.

Retailers have noticed, taking counter measures of their own leading up to the artificial cyber holiday. How have you prepped for the global debut of millions of deals? Here are nine things you should watch for next week.

SNAPCHAT TO INTRODUCE VISUAL SEARCH

Snapchat is cooking up an in-app visual search that enables shoppers to locate products with their smartphone camera. As the social app becomes more innovative in determining how users utilize the platform, the search capabilities will transform Snap into a retail navigation tool.
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TARIFF WARS CONTINUE TO HURT RETAILERS

In the biggest trade war of economic history, retailers and consumers are likely to feel the pinch if things continue to escalate. The latest round of potential tariffs is scheduled to go into effect in September, targeting furniture, handbags, and beauty products, amongst other goods.
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ZALANDO: "THE SPOTIFY OF FASHION"

Zalando, one of the world’s largest fashion e-tailers, is building an operating system for fashion. The company aims to provide logistics, technology and marketing solutions to brand partners alongside its wholesale business - and ward off Amazon.

Similar to the music streaming app Spotify, Zalando will create an interface that harbors a massive catalog for shoppers with various preference levels. "Make everything accessible and let the consumer decide by taste and not by product availability in a physical store, " says Co-founder David Schneider.

J.CREW LAUNCHES PLUS SIZE

J.Crew is on a mission to make "great style available to everyone." The company began offering extended sizing in denim earlier this year and recently debuted a size-inclusive collaboration with Universal Standard. Its 37-piece collection will be available in sizes XXS through 5X.
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THIS WEEK'S BRIGHT SPOT

According to Forbes, Kylie Jenner is on track to be the youngest female "self-made" billionaire. From the millions, she's earned from TV programs, endorsements from products like Puma shoes, and the after-tax dividends from Kylie Cosmetics, she's built a modest $900 million fortune in a mere three years. Whew!
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