Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses the launch of British grocer Tesco’s new discount format, Jack’s, which aims to compete with Aldi and Lidl.
• As the 2018 holiday shopping season approaches, most Americans are feeling pretty good about their finances. The majority of consumers believe that the US economy has improved since last year, and 75% expect that trend will continue in 2019.
• Beijing-based YCloset, a garment-sharing platform that allows users to rent clothes and accessories for a monthly subscription fee, secured an undisclosed amount of funding from Alibaba to expand its data analysis functions and physical operations centers.
• In Brazil, Uber has launched Uber Cash, a digital wallet aimed at the unbanked that allows users to add credit to their wallet in advance by purchasing prepaid cards at high-street retailers nationwide.