Need to Know

Los Angeles – The nascent massage chain aims to make treatments more accessible, personalised and convenient.

Launched by the founders of Drybar, new brand Squeeze offers flexible monthly memberships and pay-as-you-go pricing for massages, supported by an app-based booking and payment platform. Treatments start at £30 ($39, €35) for a 20-minute drop in treatment or £61 ($79, €70) for a monthly massage membership, while extras such as deep tissue, aromatherapy or heat treatment are available for no additional charge.

Customers can book, pay, tip and rate their therapist online or via the Squeeze app, which allows guests to personalise every aspect of their experience, such as preferred pressure and massage products, and areas to focus on or avoid. Prior to treatment, customers can also adjust the temperature, music, and lighting to their liking via an in-room iPad, with preferences then saved to customers’ profiles.

Driven by a similar quest for convenience and affordability, wellness start-up WTHN has recently launched acupuncture services in a salon setting.

Los Angeles – The food-tech brand has expanded into the nutrition bar category with Soylent Squared.

Containing 5g of plant protein, 36 essential nutrients and probiotics for digestive health, the 100-calorie mini meal bar is available in flavours including Chocolate Brownie, Salted Caramel and Citrus Berry. It follows the recent launch of its in-between-meals drink Soylent Bridge, demonstrating that the brand is serious about expanding its portfolio with new, convenience-led products.

‘There are a lot of bars out there, but most are high in sugar, use less sustainable animal-derived protein and often lack the nutrients that your body needs to thrive,’ says Bryan Crowley, Soylent CEO. ‘We developed Soylent Squared to allow our customers to portion out the nutrition they need when they need it; you can enjoy 1-2 for a healthy snack or 3-4 for a complete meal.’

Marketing for Soylent Squared also reflects the product’s target customers, such as gamers and gig-economy workers. For more on foods that pack a convenient, nutritional punch explore our eSports Nutrition microtrend.

Multitasking while shopping can make consumers buy items they didn’t intend to, according to new research by Fairfield University. For the study, the team analysed data from shoppers in mass merchandise stores such as Target and Costco across the US, questioning them on what they intended to buy when entering the store, and what they actually bought – and how they used their phone in-store – on their way out.

The findings showed that when shoppers used their phone in ways unrelated to shopping – such as listening to a podcast or talking to friends – they were 9% more likely to make impulse purchases. According to the study, these results align with previous consumer research that suggests that ‘when people are overtaxed mentally, they tend to lose self-control’.

In line with our macrotrend The Focus Filter, in an era of non-stop digital distraction retailers are challenged to create spaces that are inspiring without being overwhelming.