RT @RangaEunny: Until recently the Amazon and Shopify systems were separate and distinct groups of entrepreneurs. But they have started to…
1.India bans popular app Tik-Tok The Indian Government has ordered Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores as it seeks to ban the short-video app. While the ban would not hamper the experience for current users, India accounts for almost 39% of the app’s 500 million user-base. ByteDance, the Chinese company behind the popular app, has appealed against the ban arguing TikTok was like any other social media platform and the ban was discriminatory and arbitrary.
2.Walmart partners with Kidbox Walmart is getting into subscription-based fashion with today’s announcement of a partnership with Kidbox — a sort of “StitchFix for kids” where parents receive a personalized, curated box of children’s clothing on a seasonal basis. The deal will see Kidbox offered to Walmart.com’s online shoppers, where they can fill out a short style quiz, then receive their box of four to five fashion items. The startup raised a Series B funding of $15.3 million last year and competes with Stitch Fix, Amazon Prime Wardrobe and Rockets of Awesome.
3.Amazon buys Canvas technology Amazon has acquired Colorado-based warehouse robotics startup Canvas Technology, TechCrunch reported. The deal adds another important piece to Amazon Robotics’ growing portfolio of fulfillment center machines, after Kiva and Balyo. Canvas specializes in autonomous carts and has raised $15 million in Series A.
4.Target partners with Cooklist Target has partnered with shopping mobile app startup Cooklist to get into the game of meal prep. Customers of the app can find over one million recipes, build shopping lists and opt for same-day delivery of ingredients via Target.com. Shoppable recipes are catching on quickly, and Target and Cooklist face a lot of competition from the likes of Amazon Fresh, and ShopRite.
5.China debuts shareable makeup booths After shareable bikes and karaoke rooms, China is now debuting shareable make-up. Shareable make-up booths can now be found in shopping centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Wuhan under the name “17 Beauty Box”. The introduction of these booths, however, has sparked off questions around the hygiene and civility in the use of cosmetic products.
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