How Athleta Is Keeping Gap Inc. In Shape, Plus QR Codes' Retail Comeback And Under Armour's Smart Feet.
 
 
 
 
 
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January 10, 2018
 
 
 
 
  ShopTalk®
 
 
 
How Athleta Went From A Clever Hedge To Gap’s Growth Engine
 
When Gap bought Athleta a decade ago for $150 million, the move was noted as little more than a clever hedge against an apparel marketplace that was increasingly geared toward athleisure. But, while the rest of the Gap brand has struggled on and off for the last 10 years, Athleta has notched double-digit growth — and better than 25 percent growth for the last five. The secret is good timing, but chief marketing officer Andréa Mallard noted that a willingness to offer clothes for “everybody” was also a big help.
 
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  SMB Spotlight
 
 
 
SMB Spotlight: A Little Love From Mastercard For More To Love Yoga
 

Boston-based More to Love Yoga started out as a personal project. Today, founder and CEO Rachel Estapa is inspiring plus-sized women around the world to be their best selves and love their bodies in a way that is not reflected in mainstream fitness culture. As such, Mastercard and Bank of America have chosen More to Love as the winner of their annual “Grow Your Biz” competition. The industry giants will provide investments and guidance — here’s how Estapa says she’ll use it to grow.  Read More...

 
  Connected Car
 
 
 
The Connected Car Race Kicks Into High Gear At CES
 

The opening laps are over, everyone is done warming up and the race to be the driving force in the emerging connected and autonomous car ecosystem is now very seriously underway. There were plenty of big plays on offer at the annual CES tech show — from both traditional automotive players like Ford and Toyota, and from Silicon Valley’s titan division Amazon and Google. By the numbers, consumers are ready for these advancement and eager to adopt them, but have mostly held off so far. Will the things they saw at CES convince consumers that the long-awaited connected car future is officially the connected car present?  Read More...

 
  Voice Commerce
 
 
 
Grooming Alexa (And Users) For The Future Of Voice Commerce
 

Voice commerce isn’t just about buying things — or, if it is now, it doesn’t have to be. It’s also about returning things, exchanging them, tracking orders, reordering and improving the customer experience by answering questions whenever, wherever and however they’re asked. For brands to do all this, though, they must first persuade customers to opt in to the cross-channel experience. In a recent interview with PYMNTS' Karen Webster, Linc Global vice president Luke Starbuck outlined how voice commerce will evolve in the coming years, the role developers must play as they build new skills for voice assistants like Alexa — and how brands can take their customers along for the rideRead More...

 
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