Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” looks at the growing importance of Internet of Things technology in retail.
• Fashion accessories retailer Charming Charlie will shutter all its 261 stores after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a casualty of intense competition in its core product line.
• UK supermarket chain Waitrose will extend the trial of a home delivery service that lets delivery people enter customers’ homes using a temporary access code to put away groceries.
• Alibaba hopes to extend the reach of its annual televised 11.11 Shopping Festival Countdown Gala Celebration to 10 cable networks in China, Southeast Asia, Africa and North America. The live variety show supports the shopping festival.