Bits & Bytes | Google's Retail Strategy, the Digital Future of Merchandising

How Will Google Bust into Brick and Mortar? (Retail Dive)
"Last week, unnamed sources told The Chicago Tribune that the tech giant was mulling a two-level 14,000 square foot space in the city's meatpacking district. A commitment to a physical store of its own will make a brick-and-mortar strategy critical."

How Analytics and Digital Will Drive Next-Generation Retail Merchandising (McKinsey & Company)
"Many of the core merchandising responsibilities at leading retailers could be almost entirely automated in the near future. A seamless, customer-centric, omnichannel approach will be key to engaging customers across multiple formats. There is a critical need for digital-talent management."

How a Makeup Mogul Built a $1 Billion Business on Instagram (Bloomberg)
"Last year, Huda Kattan sold a minority stake in her brand to TSG Consumer Partners LLC, a company known for investing early in hit beauty products. That makes her the first social media beauty influencer to attract private equity money."

AR Tops List of Future Shopping Experiences (Retail Dive)
"Future retail technology trends will focus on customers' ease of shopping while transforming the shopping experience. The technology will also help to bolster retailer's brick-and-mortar efforts with the growth of online channels."

Read My Lips: The Rise and Rise of Photo-Editing (1843 Magazine)
"FaceTune launched in 2013 and counts 40m daily active users, a majority of them female. FaceTune says its most frequently used tools are teeth whitening, skin smoothing and reshaping the face or facial features, such as slimming a jawline or nose."