Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses the recent spate of top management departures from department stores and brands.
• Walmart recently announced that it has increased its stake in Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com to 12.1%, worth roughly $4.87 billion, up from the 10.8% stake it had in October and the 5.9% stake it had in June of last year.
• French luxury brand LVMH announced that it has set up LVMH Luxury Ventures, a special investment vehicle that will identify and invest in small, emerging brands in the fashion, beauty and accessories categories. The vehicle will begin with a funding pool of €50 million (US$53.3 million).
• China’s Alibaba Group will lead a $200 million round of investment in newly established Indian online retailer Paytm E-commerce. The deal will deepen Alibaba’s investment in a burgeoning e-commerce market now dominated by Amazon and Flipkart.