Weekly Round Off With HTE 🎉

 👋 Hey there, my dear readers!

It's that time of the week when we gather around to catch up on the latest and greatest Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) world news and updates. 📰🌎

🎉 So, let's get this party started! 🎉

💔 Walmart decides to ditch Moosejaw after 6 years of hiking together

🚗 Mercedes-Benz joins forces with Google to give cars their own 'supercomputers' and even a TikTok account

🎯 Target to invest $100 million to amp up Next-Day Delivery and give Amazon and Walmart a run for their money!

🍎 Apple's E5 Project Puts the 'Ouch' in 'ouch-less' Blood Glucose Monitoring for the Watch

Walmart decides to ditch Moosejaw after 6 years of hiking together

🏕️ Dick's Sporting Goods has decided to take a hike and acquire Moosejaw from Walmart! Walmart is ready to say goodbye to their DTC brand after six years of trying to make it work. The price tag is unknown, but the deal is expected to close in March, giving Moosejaw a new home.

🎉 Moosejaw, known for its quirky marketing style, operates both online and in 13 brick-and-mortar stores, mostly in Michigan, with a new addition in Bentonville, Arkansas. The CEO, Eoin Comerford, stated in 2020 that if they needed Walmart's approval for their marketing style, then it's all over.

💰 Walmart purchased Moosejaw in 2017 for $51 million to boost their outdoor and e-commerce offerings but struggled to integrate the brand. This isn't the first time Walmart has tried to acquire and then sell a DTC brand, with ModCloth being sold in 2019, two years after Walmart's acquisition. Integrating DTC brands can be tricky for big companies, with even Coca-Cola struggling to incorporate upstart beverage brands.

Mercedes-Benz joins forces with Google to give cars their own 'supercomputers' and even a TikTok account

Mercedes-Benz wants to give Tesla a run for its money, so they're teaming up with Google to give their cars 'super computer-like performance' and even a TikTok account. And to save some cash on high-powered semiconductors, they're splitting the bill with their BFFs over at Nvidia.

Plus, customers can opt for Lidar sensor technology and gear for automatic driving, but it'll cost 'em a pretty penny. Oh, and Mercedes also made a tiny investment in a self-driving sensor manufacturer called Luminar Technologies. They're basically collecting new car toys like it's nobody's business.

Mercedes and Google Join Forces to Bring TikTok to Your Car

Get ready to take your driving experience to the next level, because Mercedes-Benz has teamed up with Google to bring you automatic rerouting and traffic intelligence, as well as access to YouTube on the entertainment system when your car is parked or in Level 3 automated driving mode. But that's not all – TikTok is also making its way to Mercedes cars, starting with the new E-Class model set to launch in 2023.

With an upgraded version of the MBUX entertainment system, Mercedes is introducing its custom-built operating system, MB.OS, and including TikTok to appeal to younger drivers, particularly in the Asian market. But don't worry, the popular social media platform will be available in other countries too, including the US.

Passengers will also be able to participate in the TikTok craze with access to a section of the superscreen, while a driver monitoring device keeps an eye on the driver. And if TikTok isn't your thing, the upgraded MBUX system offers a full suite of Google services, including Google Maps and Google Assistant. So buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life.

Target to invest $100 million to amp up Next-Day Delivery and give Amazon and Walmart a run for their money

Target is taking on Amazon and Walmart in the delivery game, with a $100 million investment in its supply chain sortation network.

The retail giant plans to build six new sortation centers, where orders are sorted for local deliveries, by the end of 2026.

Target is also expanding its delivery business, as more customers shift towards online sales, by projecting to double the 26 million packages delivered in 2022.

But while Target is making moves, it still lags behind Amazon, which has hundreds of warehouses and fulfillment centers, and reportedly has a delivery fleet that includes 70 airplanes, 40,000 semi-trailers and 30,000 vans.

Looks like Target has some catching up to do, but hey, at least they're trying!

Apple's E5 Project Puts the 'Ouch' in 'ouch-less' Blood Glucose Monitoring for the Watch

Apple Inc. has a super secret project underway, codenamed E5, and it's all about measuring your blood sugar levels without having to prick your skin for a blood sample. Yup, you heard that right! This breakthrough technology could be a game changer for the multibillion-dollar diabetes industry.

Apple has been working on this project for over a decade now and has hit some major milestones recently. If they perfect this technology, they could add it to their Apple Watch, making it an essential item for millions of diabetics worldwide. Imagine being able to monitor your glucose levels without having to prick your finger every time? Say goodbye to those pesky little needles!

The project is so top secret that only a handful of people are working on it, making it even more covert than Apple's self-driving car project or their mixed-reality headset.

The company is using chip technology known as silicon photonics and a measurement process called optical absorption spectroscopy to monitor glucose levels.

It uses lasers to emit specific wavelengths of light into an area below the skin where interstitial fluid can be absorbed by glucose. An algorithm then determines your blood glucose level. How cool is that?

Apple has already tested this technology on hundreds of people, including those with prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. They're currently working on developing a prototype device about the size of an iPhone that can be strapped to your bicep, making it more practical for everyday use.

One of Apple's goals for this technology is to create a preventative measure that warns people if they're prediabetic. This could potentially help people make lifestyle changes to avoid developing Type 2 diabetes altogether.

Although it's still in the proof-of-concept stage, Apple believes this technology is viable and is working hard to shrink it down to a more practical size. They've even had early discussions with regulatory teams about getting government approval for the system.

This news has sent shockwaves through the diabetes technology industry, with shares of companies like Dexcom and Abbott falling before eventually recovering. It looks like Apple might just shake things up with this one. So, keep your eyes peeled for more updates on this super secret project!

Uh oh, brace yourselves! Monday is coming! 😱🙈

Let's not feel discouraged by Monday blues, instead, let's take this day to recharge and prepare ourselves to conquer the upcoming week! 💪

Do you have any burning questions or interesting topics you'd like us to cover in our next edition? We'd love to hear your suggestions! 🤔💭

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