Daily LInks
1. EU says Amazon breached antitrust rules, opens second investigation into its e-commerce business: The European Commission is challenging Amazon, saying it used independent sellers’ data to benefit its own retail business. Amazon said it disagreed with the commission’s assertions and “will continue to make every effort to ensure it has an accurate understanding of the facts.” – Read More on CNBC
2. How Allbirds Became Silicon Valley’s Favorite Sneaker: While Allbirds’s restrained design turns off those who default to splashy Nike s (or even a pair of logoed New Balances), it drew in many. “They were so minimalist, with no logo, no flashy colors, very minimal branding.” – Read More on the WSJ
3. China luxury goods demand rising dramatically: Cartier CEO. “Money that doesn’t [get spent] on travel comes back to some products,” said Vigneron, who says that brick-and-mortar stores will “become less transactional and more social, more experiential.” – Read More on Nikkei
4. How social media platforms gave multi-level marketing a coronavirus surge. A social media blitz from the nail polish multi-level marketing company Color Street urged potential sellers to “invest some of that stimulus check in yourself and start making money instantly.” – Read More on Modern Retail
5. RETRO READ: Multi-Level Marketing is Being Likened to an Illegal Pyramid Scheme & Backlash is Growing. From LuLaRoe to Young Living, MLMs currently amount to a $36 billon industry in the U.S., and critics say that many have a business model that focuses on recruiting “downline” and getting new distributors to buy the product, rather than on actual sales to consumers, making them akin to pyramid schemes. – Read More on TFL
6. What a vaccine could mean for retail: “The positive news this morning as it relates to the development of a vaccine is clearly a win for retail, but in our view, should disproportionately benefit fundamentals and stocks of the off-price space, even as near-term fundamentals will likely experience less robust improvement vs. others.” – Read More on Retail Dive