News 14.03.2025

Need to Know

Access our new macrotrend report New Codes of Value, Seyi Oduwole’s Foresight Friday and why US consumers double down on health.

The Future Laboratory releases New Codes of Value macrotrend report

UK – Amid rising financial strain and a growing dissatisfaction with consumerism, The Future Laboratory’s latest report New Codes of Value uncovers the shifting priorities reshaping brand-consumer relationships.

With 82% of Britons saying prices are outpacing their incomes and the second-hand market growing seven times faster than overall fashion retail, consumers are embracing resourcefulness, care and connection over traditional notions of luxury. The report highlights how savvy spending, underconsumption mindsets and a rejection of ‘enshittification’ – when brands degrade services in pursuit of profit – are leading to a new relational economy.

Brands must rethink their approach, moving beyond transactional relationships to deliver genuine value, fair pricing and meaningful experiences. As individuals prioritise time, transformation and personal empowerment, only those who align with these emerging value codes will thrive.

Become a member of LS:N Global today to access the report. Non-members can buy the report from The Future Laboratory’s shop for £475.

Imprudence’s climatic drop imagines adaptive futures for a warmer world

The Climatic Drop by Imprudence, France The Climatic Drop by Imprudence, France
The Climatic Drop by Imprudence, France The Climatic Drop by Imprudence, France

France – To mark its 10th anniversary, Paris-based design studio Imprudence is launching a series of speculative drops exploring possible futures. The first, Climatic Drop, envisions how people might adapt to a world heading towards 5°C of global warming by 2035.

The collection includes future-focused essentials such as a bacteria-woven puffer jacket that insulates, cools and filters pollutants, and a floating cabin designed for flood-prone environments. Also featured is the Meta-WasterWear jacket, made from recycled NFT servers, decommissioned Wi-Fi routers and other e-waste, highlighting the environmental impact of digital consumption.

‘These artifacts are adaptive solutions, each embodying and prefiguring technologies, techniques and solutions for a more sustainable world (biomaterials, waterlessness, energy autonomy),’ states the brand. ‘Above all, they are there to highlight the changes to come, and bring them just as clearly within our immediate field of vision.’

Read more about Imprudence’s vision for the future in our The Synthocene Era: Merging Human and Machine Intelligence which includes exclusive insights from the French design studio.

Strategic opportunity

As temperatures go up, consider developing adaptive, multifunctional products that respond to extreme weather, such as self-cooling fabrics and flood-proof architecture

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, we wrap up the topics, issues, ideas and viral moments everyone’s been discussing. This week, foresight analyst Seyi Oduwole discusses tailor-made travel, fashion’s fixation on dollcore and mass-market retail chains diving into the beauty sector.  

Target has recently expanded its beauty selection by introducing over 2,000 new products from nearly 50 brands. This move aims to attract price-conscious beauty consumers amid the cost of living crisis, as shoppers reassess their spending priorities. Notably, 90% of the new products are priced under £15.50 ($20, €18.60), with some starting as low as £1 ($1.29, €1.18). We previously analysed the strategy behind mass market retailers’ dive into beauty in our Brand Innovation Debrief: Walmart report. 

: Fashion Month saw an influx of new trends, including protectionist styles like medievalcore and girly gorpcore. However, the one that stands out most to me is dollcore. The globally loved Barbie film served as a catalyst for this aesthetic, aligning with Pinterest’s 2025 prediction of a ‘dolled up’ trend. From Conner Ives’ t-shirt urging ‘protect the dolls’ to Lisa Says Gah’s Polly Pocket collaboration with Mattel, we’re about to witness a modern Valley of the Dolls viral moment. Whether it’s about playing with them or becoming one yourself, the kidult craze is well and truly underway. 

 : In travel and hospitality news – my speciality – Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam has unveiled a spa and wellness centre, where treatments honour local traditions and are rooted in traditional Vietnamese medicine principles. For a very limited number of White Lotus fans, Four Seasons has introduced a £145,607 ($188,000, €179,529) package inspired by the show, spanning eight of the company's properties. Explore our Glow Up Getaways microtrend report to understand people’s growing interest in longevity and delve into our Future Forecast 2025: Travel & Hospitality macrotrend report for insights into niche travel experiences.

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Quote of the week

‘For India, the world is becoming an oyster and the future belongs to the brands that are prepared’

Yogeesh Chandra, chief strategy officer, RateGain, on stage at ITB Berlin

Stat: US consumers double down on health

Photography by Oleg Ivanov, Kyiv, Ukraine Photography by Oleg Ivanov, Kyiv, Ukraine

US – A new report highlights that health is now a top priority for individuals in the US. The findings from The New Consumer and Coefficient Capital show that 72% of Gen Z, 73% of Gen X and 76% of Millennials are prioritising health and wellness, reflecting a growing cultural focus on wellbeing.

Wealth and age strongly influence this trend. Nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials (47%) consider themselves highly informed about health, while 82% of those earning £77k–£116k ($100k–$150k, €92k–€138k) prioritise their wellbeing, compared to just 70% of those earning under £39k ($50k, €46k).

Just under half (47%) of Americans want to eat less sugar in 2025, and weight, sleep and stress are key concerns that are driving shifts in food choices. This is mirrored in a rising interest in functional ingredients, with Instacart seeing significant growth in searches for colostrum (+248%), tallow (+226%) and mushroom coffee (+146%).

Our Functional Feasting macrotrend report explores how food and beverage brands are responding to demand for products that bring flavour and fun back into nutrition.  

Strategic opportunity

Balance nostalgia with nutrition by reformulating classic food and drink products with functional, low-sugar and fibre-rich ingredients, appealing to health-conscious consumers

Previous News Articles
MAD//Fest 2025: Culture, collaborations and creating a new identity for women’s football

News

MAD//Fest 2025: Culture, collaborations and creating a new identity for women’s football

On day two of MAD//Fest 2025, Ruth Hooper, chief marketing officer at the Women’s Super League (WSL), set out a vision for reshaping the visual ide...
Global Events : Advertising & Marketing : Football
Stat: US Gen Alpha favour consoles over mobiles for game play

News

Stat: US Gen Alpha favour consoles over mobiles for game play

Despite assumptions that mobile gaming dominates among young people, a new US report reveals that Generation Alpha are leading the charge in consol...
Statistic : Gaming : Media
Together Group and The Future Laboratory unveil New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation report

News

Together Group and The Future Laboratory unveil New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation report

In their latest report, New Codes of Luxury: Immersive Technologies for Transformation, The Future Laboratory and Together Group explore how immers...
Luxury : Technology : Design
MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

News

MAD//Fest 2025: Delayed adulthood, algorithmic segregation and Gen Z hippies

MAD//Fest returned to Shoreditch on 1 July 2025, with this year’s theme Be Less Boring challenging brands to rethink how to engage with new audiences.
Global Events : Advertising & Marketing : Gen Z
Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

News

Habitat and Pinterest unveil immersive campaign putting emotion into home design

Habitat has teamed up with Pinterest for an immersive storytelling campaign that repositions homeware as a tool for emotional re-invention and shop...
Retail : Design : Technology
Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

News

Stat: Young adults are redefining romantic relationships on their terms

As romantic norms fragment, 20% of people are now unknowingly practising ‘relationship anarchy’, according to the latest State of Dating repor...
Statistic : Stat : Dating
AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

News

AI billboard visualises real-time sun damage in UV awareness campaign

A new study by the British Skin Foundation reveals that 38% of Britons have already been sunburnt in 2025 – with Gen Z (35%) and Millennials (30%) ...
Advertising : Health And Wellness : Beauty
Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

News

Wimbledon elevates fan engagement with AI-powered digital experiences

The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have unveiled an AI-powered experience designed to deepen audience engagement and enhance match under...
Wimbledon : Sports : Entertainment
Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

News

Stat: Gen Alpha lead the charge in back-to-school shopping

Children and teenagers are now the primary decision-makers in back-to-school shopping, according to a new global study by SuperAwesome.
Retail : Gen Alpha : Statistic
The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

News

The Fashion Innovation Agency debuts 3D garment volumetric capture service

The Fashion Innovation Agency at London College of Fashion has launched Reskinning Reality, the UK’s first 3D garment volumetric capture service ai...
Fashion : Technology : Virtual Fashion
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