Executive Summary

• Jet.com made a splash with its public launch this week, offering free six-month trial memberships and prices it claims are 10–15% cheaper than those from other e-commerce companies
• The National Retail Federation reduced its forecast for US retail growth this year to 3.5% from 4.1%, due to unfavorable weather, labor issues at West-Coast ports, and the stronger dollar, among other issues in the first half of the year
• Unilever announced a partnership with Alibaba Group to help its products reach more Chinese consumers
• Retail e-commerce in Latin America is expected to grow 23.9% this year to reach nearly US $50 billion