Out to launch:

FedEx expands SenseAware service within Asia Pacific region. FedEx Express increases coverage of its healthcare delivery service catering for South Korean shipments. The carrier seeks to tap into logistics for clinical trials as spending is expected to reach $3.4bn by 2020.  Logistics Business Review

eBay releases two visual search tools. Online marketplace eBay launches tools allowing shopping from phone or web from photographs consumers take. Its new features, Image Search and Find It on eBay is powered by artificial intelligence (AI), computer vision and deep learning. TechCrunch

Sainsbury’s tunes into vinyl revival. Big four grocer Sainsbury’s further maximises the success of its record sales by launching its own range. Partnering with Universal and Warner Music, exclusive records will be sold across 160 Sainsbury’s superstores from November 3 with its Own Label imprint. Retail Gazette

Target releases new mobile app myCheckout for in-store purchases. Target seeks to further align brick and mortar and eCommerce enabling staff to purchase local items, process online transactions, including taking payments from the store floor on the customers behalf when not available in-store.  Chain Store Age

Delivery drivers now able to unlock customer’s doors with Amazon Key. A new service Amazon Key due to launch this month will allow couriers and drivers to gain access to properties watched by homeowners on a mobile app. The Guardian

Latch beats Amazon Key to market. Smart door devices maker Latch edges out Amazon Key to launch secure in-home deliveries months after partnering with online retailer jet. Latch becomes the first to make New York in-home deliveries as Amazon Key readies launch. Retail Dive

Industry Skinny:

eCommerce superpowers set sites on global domination. Alibaba and Amazon gear up to take on international markets and are poised for head-to-head competition as attention moves from home territories to overseas. The Economist

Urban logistics space a necessity to manage eCommerce-drive parcel volumes. A new report from Cushman and Wakeman forecasts a 69% increase in European parcel volume by 2021 creating the need to urban logistics space. Post & Parcel

Sportswear label Clandestina First Cuban brand to embrace eCommerce. Havana-based Clandestina smashes through economic and political woes and embraces online retail reaching US and global consumers. WWD

Cross border attitudes are changing says cross-border eCommerce report. Fifty percent of respondents agree and 31% strongly agreeing cross-border eCommerce is profitable reveals Payvision and Juniper Cross-Border E-commerce Trends in 2017 research. Cross Border

Capgemini 3PL study highlights technology strategy and implementation challenge. Capgemini’s third-party logistics study (3PL) study shows understanding technologies raises concerns for the logistics industry including who will fund and implement change. Cutting fuels costs tops the eight-point list. Logistics Management

Retail affect: Bank of England issues first rise in interest rates in a decade. In an attempt to steady inflation, the Bank of England raising interest to 0.5% receives analysis from analysts and leading retailers. Retail Week (subscription).

Tech Space:

Amazon AR enables shoppers to view before purchase. Apple’s ARkit powers new shopping augmented reality (AR) app from Amazon presenting style conscious consumers visualise purchases in homes before they buy items. tamebay

Peering into the window of visual search of etail.  Asos, eBay and John Lewis amongst eCommerce and retail to adopt visual search technology to serve relevant eye candy to shoppers.  Retail Week (subscription).

Creating success with marketing technology. Embracing the right digital strategies and tools to integrate CRM, eCommerce, in-store and social approaches. Essential Retail

Technology behind retail jobs fall in the third quarter of 2017. The British Retail Consortium figures reveal working hours in retail fell by 4.2% in the third quarter year-on-year. ComputerWeekly.com

Fitbit enters contactless foray. Fitbit Pay touches down in the UK allowing shoppers to purchase items using contactless technology on its iconic smartwatch. InternetRetailing

Customer experience to spur retail Internet of Things (IoT) growth. New research by Global Market Insights forecasts IoT in retail is set to exceed $30 billion by 2024. Growth comes as retailers adopt evolving technologies creating efficiencies as shopper insights and understanding behaviour becomes increasingly important. Supply Chain Demand

Food for Thought:

Can US retailers capitalise on cross border opportunities? Pitney Bowes research claims 52.7% of US retailers in cross-border eCommerce and another 39.7% plan to in the next 12 months.  RetailWire

Four killer eCommerce holiday plays to increase sales. Learn how retailers can tune into marketing approaches for peak during busiest time of year to connect with customers and maximise sales. Forbes

Scaling the cloud to adopt secure IoT. Making the Internet of Things (IoT) work securely, ensuring adoption and why Russell Moore, Director of Innovation at TSYS thinks it all about people, products and payments. PYMNTS

Zero to hero. How Jack Ma started Alibaba and is creating history. How Jack Ma created Chinese eCommerce monolith Alibaba and continues to define the next evolution of online retail. CNBC