Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses German hard discounter Lidl’s preparations to enter the US market and what shoppers should expect.
• At New York Fashion Week, a number of designers grabbed attention as they adapted to the shifting fashion calendar; Tommy Hilfiger’s carnival runway, Tom Ford’s cocktail dinner show and Rebecca Minkoff’s shutdown of a street in SoHo all garnered headlines. However, not everyone in the fashion industry is embracing the see-now, buy-now strategy.
• Shop Direct’s premium e-commerce banner, VeryExclusive.co.uk, unveiled its first menswear offering on September 20. The offering currently has 25 brands, including Kenzo, Whistles, PS by Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood, and the company plans to increase the list to about 35 by summer 2017.
• Japan’s Prodrone has unveiled a dual robot-arm drone, which is able to carry heavy items; grasp objects of varying shape and size; and cut cables, turn dials and flick switches. The drone is also designed to perform tasks in perilous environments. For example, it can retrieve hazardous materials or objects at high altitudes.