LSN : News : Need to Know 16 : 11 : 17

1. Glossier opens new store dedicated to the brand’s debut fragrance

Glossier You, New York

New York – The new space, which focuses on the brand’s signature Glossier You fragrance, takes visitors on an ‘olfactory journey’, and is designed to stimulate each of the five senses. The opulent interior features mirrored surfaces, dusky pink carpets and crimson curtains, and visitors can only buy the product at the end of the experience.

‘I was really inspired by theatre, performance art and magic shows,’ says Emily Weiss, founder and CEO of Glossier. ‘We’re excited to bring Glossier You to life offline in a totally weird and unexpectedly luxurious way.’

In line with this idea of escapism, travel and hospitality brands are increasingly offering immersive experiences with a sense of theatre.

2. Activist hotel aims to foster community spirit in US capital

Eaton Workshop, Washington, DC

Washington, DC – Eaton Workshop founder Katherine Lo’s Eaton Hotel concept aims to bring activism to the hospitality sector with an extensive ‘content and programming agenda underscoring its core advocacy values’, which include climate change and race relations. Scheduled to open in April 2018, the hotel will host ‘activist artists in residence’, and feature exhibitions by artists including AJ Schnack, whose video installation exploring the presidential elections of 2012 and 2016 will feature at the hotel entrance.

Lo is planning to open new Eaton Hotel locations in Hong Kong, San Francisco and Seattle within the next two years. In August 2017, The Standard Hotel in New York adopted a similar Brandstanding approach, installing a public telephone booth with a direct line to the US Capitol switchboard at its New York location.

3. Walmart offers in-store discounts to rival Amazon prices

US – Walmart has launched a price differentiation strategy to encourage consumers to spend more in-store. The initiative highlights the savings consumers can make when shopping in its bricks-and-mortar stores.

In a display of transparency, the supermarket chain has opted to list both the online and offline prices of its products on its website. A box of Kraft Thick n’ Creamy Macaroni & Cheese costs £1.12 ($1.48, €1.25) on Walmart.com – the same price listed on Amazon – and the website also displays its in-store price of £0.97 ($1.28, €1.08).

The move is part of Walmart’s efforts to weaken Amazon’s influence online as the former seeks to retain its position as the world’s largest retailer. Read our Backlash Brands macrotrend for more on this subject.

Walmart, US

4. Roman opens up the conversation on erectile dysfunction

Roman, US

US – The launch of medical subscription platform Roman could signal a new era for men’s health. In a bid to address the problem of erectile dysfunction, Roman invites users to engage in a dynamic online visit, which collects their medical history and and other medicinal preferences, before issuing a prescription from a trained physician. The medication is delivered directly to the customer at no extra cost once a monthly or quarterly subscription has been paid.

Traditionally, issues such as erectile dysfunction have been considered mainly applicable to an older demographic, but a new wave of online Post-pharmacy Brands such as Roman and Hims are opening up a dialogue with younger consumers who are also affected by the condition but are often unwilling to seek help for fear of embarrassment.

5. Singapore to overtake London as a global tourist destination

New research by Euromonitor indicates that Singapore will become a more popular tourist destination than London, driven by outbound tourism from China. At present, Hong Kong and Bangkok are the two most visited cities, with London ranked third. See our Emerging Youth Travel Market for more on the countries whose young, affluent consumers are set to disrupt the travel sector.

6. Thought-starter: Are beauty aisles set for extinction?

Cassie Powney, beauty editor of Cosmopolitan, asks whether new technologies will replace in-store beauty shopping.

Brands are experimenting with augmented reality (AR) across all sectors but in a space as intimate as beauty, where augmenting tends towards changing a person’s physical appearance, AR can be a tricky realm to navigate.

James Intriligator, professor of consumer psychology and innovation at Bangor University, believes that the narcissism of modern-day culture makes us susceptible to new augmented-reality sales tactics: ‘With the rise of selfies and social media, our image is becoming massively meaningful to others and, more importantly, to ourselves.’

L’Oréal Paris clearly realised the power of self-image when it paved the way with its Makeup Genius app, enabling users to ‘wear the looks’ without any of the clunky and inaccurate facial scanning associated with earlier versions of the technology. But is this sophisticated sofa shopping set to send tumbleweed floating down the beauty aisles?

Read the full Opinion here.