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Ikea’s latest designer partnership is inspired by warm lighting

Varmblixt collection by Ikea in collaboration with Sabine Marcelis, Sweden and Rotterdam

Sweden – Furniture giant Ikea has continued its designer collaboration strategy and teamed up with The Netherlands-based designer Sabine Marcelis to create the homewares collection, Varmblixt, a Swedish term meaning 'warm lighting'.

At the heart of the collaboration are four sculptural lamps that will remain a part of Ikea’s core product line in the long term. These are a pendant lamp, a circular wall lamp, a lamp that doubles as a mirror, and an orange-glass doughnut-shaped table lamp (doughnuts are a frequent motif of Marcelis’s work). Ikea hopes Marcelis's designs will encourage customers to think differently about how light can transform the look, feel and atmosphere of their homes, tapping into Marcelis's view inspired by 'objects that serve more than their functional needs but add to the artistic value of home'.

The remainder of the 19-piece collection is limited edition and includes champagne coupes, glass drink stirrers, carafes, doughnut-shaped glass bowls and rugs inspired by sunsets. Varmblixt will be available in all Ikea markets from February 2023. As consumers have spent more time at home and embraced multi-domesticity over the past couple of years, they need products that remind them that the domestic space is about more than how it functions, but also a place for relaxation, beauty and joy.

Strategic opportunity

Homeware feels luxurious to consumers when it goes beyond utility. Offer consumers products that prioritise creativity and encourage them to experiment in their living spaces

Papara bank creates debit card for visually impaired

Turkey – Bank Papara has launched the world’s first debit card for the visually impaired.

The Voice Card is linked to a smartphone app, so when inserted in a point-of-sale payment terminal the user will hear the amount due to be paid on their phone. This lets visually impaired customers listen to the details of their spending in real time.

Papara’s card was developed in partnership with BlindLook, an organisation that builds freedom technologies for blind consumers and advocates widely for their use. Global payments company Mastercard and French multinational Thales Group also supported the Turkish bank in creating the Voice Card. Papara hopes the card’s technology will allow the estimated 285m visually impaired people worldwide (World Health Organization) greater access to financial services, letting them spend independently and giving them autonomy over their finances.

When brands recognise the distinctive needs of people with disabilities then they can think innovatively about how they cater for them.

Papara Voice Card by Papara in collaboration with BlindLook, Mastercard and Thales Group, Turkey

Strategic opportunity

Consumers expect technology to be full of solutions. They look to it to disrupt, transform, re-invent and make the world more accessible for everyone

Stat: Why spending on snacking remains high despite inflation

Behave, US

Global – How are snacking habits affected by trying times? Mondelēz has found that despite rising food prices and tighter grocery budgets, consumers are not skipping their snacks.

The annual State of Snacking report, conducted by Mondelēz and The Harris Poll, examined the snacking decisions of more than 3,500 adults across 12 markets. The study reveals that snacks are considered an affordable and necessary indulgence and a pantry staple; 71% of consumers snack at least twice a day and 78% of consumers report being mindful with nibbling, taking time to savour indulgent snacks.

As well as enjoying snacks as a treat, consumers are increasingly choosing them as a cheap and convenient meal replacement, with 55% reporting having a snack as a meal at least once a week. Sustainability is also top-of-mind, with seven in 10 consumers prioritising snacking options with less plastic packaging and 64% saying they would pay a premium for an environmentally friendly product.

In our Adaptive Appetites macrotrend, we further explore how the cost of living crisis is prompting consumers to reframe frugality and indulgence, and other emerging food behaviours you should know about.

Strategic opportunity

Be aware of consumers’ sensitivity to price changes and what they prioritise when budgeting. Offerings considered to be essentials or an affordable indulgence will be more resilient amid inflationary pressures