Bits & Bytes | Amazon Launches Storefronts, the Rise of CGI Models

Amazon Launches 'Storefronts' for Small and Medium Sellers (Retail Dive)
"The company launched Amazon Storefronts, which employs videos and 'stories' to help customers to shop from nearly 20,000 small and medium-sized businesses that sell exclusively on its site. Amazon said that small and medium-sized businesses selling on Amazon have created more than 900,000 jobs worldwide."

From Instagram to Balmain: The Rise of CGI Models (BBC)
"Boosted by huge Instagram followings, CGI models have become more and more popular. Balmain worked with British photographer Cameron James-Wilson, who created digital supermodel Shudu last year. A big criticism of Shudu has been that the black CGI model is taking up space which could be filled by a real black model."

How 24 Sevres Is Competing on Exclusives in a Crowded Luxury E-Commerce Landscape (Digiday)
"24 Sèvres has a major advantage. Its status as LVMH's premier online retailer means it has access to exclusive pieces and collections from the group's most popular brands."

The RealReal Treats Your Wardrobe as a Portfolio of Investments to Buy and Sell (Quartzy)
"High-end luxury was once about scarcity and price-tags that made designer items rare investments. The RealReal, the leader in the the $6 billion global luxury resale market, turns that paradigm on its head by encouraging shoppers to buy pre-owned goods at a discount."

How Facebook AI May Help to Change the Way We Shop Online in the Future (CNBC)
"What if Facebook sold you things before you even knew you wanted to buy them? As of 2017, Facebook had more than 150 people working in AI and is currently sitting on yottabytes of information about behavior and preferences."

The Most Interesting Things Apple Makes Now Are Not Phones (Quartz)
"Although growing in popularity, the watch only represents a fraction of a fraction of the company's sales. Even so, it appears to be where Apple is currently focusing a good bit of attention."