News 30.04.2021

News

H&M ensures first impressions count, Lululemon launches a trade-in programme for unwanted athleisure, and young Britons get the home improvement bug.

H&M’s free suit rental boosts job prospects

One/Second/Suit by H&M

Global – Fashion retailer H&M is launching a free suit rental model to bolster people’s prospects at job interviews.

Recognising that it takes just one second for a potential employer to assess a job candidate, the One/Second/Suit scheme allows people to rent an H&M Man suit free for 24 hours. In this way, H&M hopes to boost applicants’ confidence by helping them to make a positive first impression.

Launching in the UK in April and the US in May, the scheme is supported by a campaign film shot by director Mark Romanek that captures the nerves people feel before interviews and the small gestures that bring reassurance. ‘Job interviews can be a nerve-wracking experience, but we believe nothing should hold you back, least of all what you wear,' explains Sara Spännar, head of marketing and communications at H&M. 'The One/Second/Suit is ready-to-wear confidence.'

As a global company with local reach, H&M is taking the role of a Civic Brand by offering beneficial Fast Fashion Rental to consumers without the need to make a purchase.

Elevating gum from streets to skateboard wheels

Chewing Gum Wheels by Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer, France Chewing Gum Wheels by Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer, France
Chewing Gum Wheels by Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer, France Chewing Gum Wheels by Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer, France

France – Two students are proposing a future in which chewing gum is given a new lease of life – and our city streets are tidier – by turning the sticky stuff into skateboard wheels.

Design students Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer of L'École de Design Nantes Atlantique put forward the idea as an imagined partnership between skate brand Vans and gum company Mentos. The duo propose collecting chewing gum through gum boards affixed to lampposts, after which the gum would be cleaned and mixed with a secret ingredient to stabilise it. After being stained with natural dye to form the base of the wheels, they suggest the material is machined into skateboard wheels and stamped with the brands' logos.

‘Our initiative is supposed to clean the streets in a sustainable way,’ reads a statement from the designers. ‘We invented a system that will transform used wheels and turn them into new ones. No more waste is created, and the material stays in use.'

In a similar vein, circular economy company Pentatonic last year introduced The Pebble, a re-usable cutlery and dining set made from recycled CDs.

Lululemon’s trade-in scheme for Like New athleisure

Vancouver – Athleisure brand Lululemon has created a re-commerce programme allowing customers to trade in and resell its products to boost circularity.

Created to allow people to ‘rethink, revive and rediscover Lululemon’, the Like New scheme will launch with a trade-in programme for gently used brand products in the US states of California and Texas, before rolling out a resale programme in June this year. Through Like New, Lululemon will directly re-invest profits to support additional sustainability initiatives, including circular product design, renew and recycle programmes, and store environmental programmes.

To ensure traded in items are eligible, the brand is working with re-commerce experts at Trove to offer support with resale technology and operations. Items that do not meet quality standards will be recycled through Lululemon’s long-standing partnership with Debrand.

Through this scheme, the company is demonstrating Second-hand Brands in action, taking back control of pre-owned stock while launching a platform where its community can engage with pre-owned products.

Like New by Lululemon, US

Stat: Young people get hooked on home decor

Net-A-Porter Lifestyle Edit Net-A-Porter Lifestyle Edit

New research from Mintel reveals that young people are driving growth in the UK’s home improvement market.

According to the market research company, spending on the home in the UK is forecast to increase by 5.3% to reach £70.6bn ($98.2bn, €81.2bn) in 2021. Over a third (34%) of British consumers expect to increase spending in 2021 as a result of the pandemic, rising to 40% of 16–34-year-olds. Millennials aged 24–39 in particular are indulging in home improvements, with 51% splashing out on decorating.

Marco Amasanti, a retail analyst at Mintel, notes: ‘Given their greater transience, younger consumers, especially first-time home buyers, will spearhead purchasing [in 2021]. Amid ongoing financial pressures, many of these shoppers continue to turn to lower-value sectors, such as decorative accessories and garden products, as a means of personalising their living spaces.’

In our recent Premium Homeware Market, we explored the high-low brand collaborations and luxury ‘objets’ attracting the attention and spending of young people seeking to transform rented or temporary living spaces.

Previous News Articles
Nike and NorBlack NorWhite combine women’s sportswear with Indian craftsmanship

News

Nike and NorBlack NorWhite combine women’s sportswear with Indian craftsmanship

Nike has teamed up with Indian design studio NorBlack NorWhite to launch a bold women’s collection that blends sport, style and culture.
Fashion : Health & Wellness : Identities
Soho House taps into Formula 1 with the launch of House 44

News

Soho House taps into Formula 1 with the launch of House 44

Soho House is entering the world of Formula 1 through a strategic partnership with Lewis Hamilton and the F1 Paddock Club.
House44 : F1 : Gamechangers
Stat: Consumer confidence recovers as British shoppers prioritise experience-led spending

News

Stat: Consumer confidence recovers as British shoppers prioritise experience-led spending

According to Bauer Media Outdoor’s Audiences in Focus report, 38% of Britons say they’re spending more of their disposable income now than a year ago.
Cost Of Living : Economy : Shopping
Stat: US consumers slow down on EV adoption

News

Stat: US consumers slow down on EV adoption

 AAA’s latest survey finds that only 16% of US drivers are likely to make an EV their next car – the lowest figure since 2019.
Stat : Statistic : Electric Vehicles
Rimowa and Vitra unite for aluminium storage collection

News

Rimowa and Vitra unite for aluminium storage collection

German luggage brand Rimowa and Swiss design house Vitra have launched a collaborative collection of anodised aluminium objects, including a wheele...
Rimowa : Vitra : Luggage
Tesco taps into 90s nostalgia with Clubcard-themed nightclub

News

Tesco taps into 90s nostalgia with Clubcard-themed nightclub

Tesco is transporting customers back to 1995 with Club Card, a pop-up nightclub celebrating 30 years of the supermarket’s loyalty scheme.
Tesco : Tesco Clubcard : Tesco Nightclub
Cannes Lions 2025: Harnessing the power of K-pop and why laughter is a KPI

News

Cannes Lions 2025: Harnessing the power of K-pop and why laughter is a KPI

On the penultimate day of Cannes Lions, a panel comprising Korean experts from music label Starship Entertainment, Publicis and Pepsico dived into ...
Global Events : Pop Culture & Media : Cannes Lions 2025
Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Foresight Friday : Ice Cream : Ice-cream
Stat: Consumers shift loyalty to brands that absorb tariff costs

News

Stat: Consumers shift loyalty to brands that absorb tariff costs

As new tariffs drive up import costs, a wave of price sensitivity is forcing retail leaders to rethink their strategies. 
Stat : Statistic : US Economy
 Cannes Lions 2025: Elf Beauty’s recipe for co-creation and Unilever wants to make marketing sassy

News

Cannes Lions 2025: Elf Beauty’s recipe for co-creation and Unilever wants to make marketing sassy

Day three of Cannes Lions 2025 featured panels on everything from Chinese social media to late-night tv and YouTube’s 20th anniversary.
Global Events : Pop Culture & Media : Beauty
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN