Executive Summary

• Signs are pointing to a disappointing holiday season for apparel retailers due to unusually warm temperatures on both sides of the Atlantic, which has significantly reduced demand for winterwear, such as knitwear, jackets, coats and boots.
•   Amazon.com increased its share of US online spending during the holiday season, taking 39.3% of e-commerce spending from November 1 through December 6, up from 37.9% during the same period last year.
•   Hard discount grocery retailer, Lidl, has started renovating its German stores, with new design unveiled last week. The new formula will have more glass and aluminum as part of its structural design to give it a fresh look and a spacious feel.
• Alibaba is buying Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post and other affiliated media assets, paying HK$2.06 billion ($266 million) for the century-old newspaper, outdoor advertising, digital assets and magazines.