News 20.05.2021

Need To Know

Kosas’ beauty samples for touch-conscious consumers, Kabo launches snack bars for travelling dogs and why Millennials are learning to drive.

Gucci’s Roblox garden makes art accessible to all

Gucci Garden Archetypes on Roblox Gucci Garden Archetypes on Roblox
Gucci Garden Archetypes, Florence. Photography by Agnese Bedini, Italy Gucci Garden Archetypes, Florence. Photography by Agnese Bedini, Italy
Gucci Garden Archetypes, Florence. Photography by Agnese Bedini, Italy Gucci Garden Archetypes, Florence. Photography by Agnese Bedini, Italy
Gucci Garden Archetypes on Roblox Gucci Garden Archetypes on Roblox

Global – Luxury house Gucci is opening its virtual doors to all with the creation of a digital garden experience on metaverse play platform Roblox.

The Gucci Garden is a virtual complement to the brand’s real-life Gucci Garden Archetypes multimedia exhibition, hosted in Florence, Italy. In an interactive gallery with various rooms inspired by Gucci’s advertising campaigns, visitors to the Gucci Garden take the form of ageless, gender-neutral digital mannequins, which, as they navigate the space, transform into digital artworks in their own right.

Virtual visitors will also be able to shop for limited-edition digital Gucci items for their avatar, created solely for the experience in the Roblox space. ‘While fashion and art may feel out of reach, the metaverse is bringing them closer and making them more accessible for millions of people, building on Gucci’s quest to empower individuals and expanding self-expression to new virtual territories,’ reads a Roblox statement.

As explored in our macrotrend, Omnilux Lifestyles, Gucci is showing how brands are developing digital experiences to become as central to their storytelling as physical spaces and events.

Postable beauty samples for safer brand discovery

Kosas Tryouts, US Kosas Tryouts, US
Kosas Tryouts, US Kosas Tryouts, US

US – Clean cosmetics brand Kosas is launching accessibly priced, postable samples of its products allowing curious consumers to try before they buy.

Tapping into the rise of beauty e-commerce over the past year and people wanting to experience brands from the comfort of their own homes, Kosas Try Outs are samples of lipsticks, foundations, highlighters and mascaras priced at £3 ($4.25, €3.45) and £5 ($7, €5.80).

The brand is offering 10 types of Try Outs, presented as sample cards or miniature products. Encouraging shoppers to give its products a go, Kosas also offers ‘site credits’ for each sample purchased – for example, a spend of £3 equals £3 towards future products, which can be redeemed online against full-size versions of its cosmetics.

As explored in our beauty and wellness macrotrend, Recuperative Living, brands are finding new ways to engage beauty shoppers cautious about touch or product sample contamination but still wanting to experience the brand. In this way, Kosas has created a simple solution to engage shoppers safely and drive future sales.

Travel snack bars designed for dogs on the go

Toronto – A boom in domestic travel has inspired dog food delivery brand Kabo to launch the all-natural Monch Bars.

The Canadian brand, which delivers fresh meals for dogs, is expanding into the premium treat market with the launch of the grab-and-go dog snack. The bars have been developed by canine nutrition scientists, who chose locally sourced, allergy-friendly protein options, including salmon and duck, as well as ingredients such as oatmeal and turmeric to reduce join inflammation and aid digestion.

The on-the-go snack bars were created in response to the rise in domestic travel sweeping the world, which in turn led to more consumers travelling with their pets. ‘Monch Bars make it that much easier to travel with your dog, says Vino Jeyapalan, co-founder of Kabo. I kept wondering why I could pick up an RXBar or Clif Bar for a healthy snack on the go, but nothing quite like that for my dog.

As nutrition and functionality drive the Snacking Market, innovators such as Kabo are applying the same formula to the pet food sector, which has been slow to adapt to the rise in on-the-go lifestyles for pets.

Monch Bar, Toronto Monch Bar, Toronto

Stat: Half of London’s learner drivers are over 30

Photosynthetic clothing collection  by Post Carbon Lab, EgonLab and DS Automobiles Photosynthetic clothing collection by Post Carbon Lab, EgonLab and DS Automobiles

The rite-of-passage of learning to drive is no longer associated with teenagers. In the city of London, it’s people in their 30s – and even at pension age – who are learning to drive.

According to a new report by Quotezone, just under half (47.6%) of all learner drivers in London are over 30 years old, with 27% having held a provisional licence for over 10 years. While learners in their 30s are likely to be considering starting families and therefore requiring a car, the report found that over 300 of the learners surveyed could qualify for a UK pension, making them over 66 years of age.

While the age of learners is older, demand for learner driver insurance policies is booming. ‘Perhaps safety concerns about using public transport have played a part in this surge, and with many services reduced, commuters are returning to the idea of having a car,’ explains Greg Wilson, CEO of Quotezone.

While learning to drive and buying a car are traditionally considered initiations into adulthood, modern urban consumers are eschewing these rituals and adulting on their own terms. But with the pandemic hitting the use of public transport, we can expect car ownership to thrive among older consumers, as Quotezone forecasts.

Previous News Articles
Future Days 2025: Urban life in 2050 and queer design futures

News

Future Days 2025: Urban life in 2050 and queer design futures

The second day of Future Days 2025 kicked off at the Estufa Fria botanical garden in Lisbon.
Future Days 2025 : Sustainability : Urban Design
Foresight Friday: Alice Crossley, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Alice Crossley, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, senior foresight ana...
Foresight Friday : London Marathon : Sports
Stat: Circular fashion is gaining momentum in US luxury e-commerce

News

Stat: Circular fashion is gaining momentum in US luxury e-commerce

Americans who purchase luxury apparel online are increasingly turning to circular fashion, according to new data from the Mastercard Economics Inst...
Sustainability : Fashion : Luxury
Arabian Travel Market 2025: Connected transport and cruise tourism

News

Arabian Travel Market 2025: Connected transport and cruise tourism

Day three of Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 cast a spotlight on the evolving role of connected transport and the booming cruise sector in shaping...
Travel : Middle East Travel : Global Events
Stat: Kenya and Egypt lead Africa’s accelerating AI investment race

News

Stat: Kenya and Egypt lead Africa’s accelerating AI investment race

New research from cybersecurity company Fortinet reveals that 85% of African businesses across five key markets plan to invest in AI within the nex...
Statistic : Stat : Egypt
Future Days 2025: How TimeOut turned a magazine into a destination food market

News

Future Days 2025: How TimeOut turned a magazine into a destination food market

Just days after a climate-induced power outage plunged Portugal into darkness, Lisbon emerged as a beacon of resilience and innovation with the ope...
Global Events : Sustainability : Placemaking
Arabian Travel Market 2025: The power of human and spiritual connection

News

Arabian Travel Market 2025: The power of human and spiritual connection

Day two of the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025 continued to spotlight the future of global tourism with a strong focus on human, cultural and spir...
Travel : Travel & Hospitality : Global Events
ChatGPT expands into e-commerce

News

ChatGPT expands into e-commerce

OpenAI has announced the launch of new shopping features within ChatGPT.
Technology : Retail : AI
Stat: American Gen Z are more optimistic about finances than their elders

News

Stat: American Gen Z are more optimistic about finances than their elders

Young people are surprisingly optimistic about their personal finances, reveals new data from the NBC News Stay Tuned Poll, powered by SurveyMonkey.
Politics : Finance : Economy
Arabian Travel Market 2025: AI and accessible tourism

News

Arabian Travel Market 2025: AI and accessible tourism

LS:N Global reviews the most innovative discussions, impactful presentations and new product showcases seen at The Arabian Travel Market 2025 ...
Travel : Travel & Hospitality : Global Events
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