Executive Summary

• In this week’s From Deborah’s Desk, we discuss how social media, more affordable apparel and e-commerce are making fashion faster in Western markets.
• Wal-Mart has partnered with WeChat, a popular mobile-based social network, to deliver an expedited check-out process when consumers show a bar code within the app to the cashier. Additionally, a digital gift card feature allows users to send and receive virtual gift cards. The new omni-channel feature has increased shopper interaction.
• Online giant Amazon has announced plans to invest €500 million in the construction of a major logistics center near Rome, Italy. This comes after the Italian government passed a new policy to aid the promotion of e-commerce in Italy in order to bring it closer to the level of other major European economies.
• The last batch of 100,000 new tickets for the Olympic Games went on sale last Thursday and sold out within five hours of their release. The batch included tickets for swimming and tennis events (both of which were previously marked as sold out) as well as tickets for the Opening Ceremony.