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How Norway’s Consumer Council is fighting back against enshittification

A Day in the Life of an Ensh*ttificator by Norwegian Consumer Council, Norway

Norway – The Norwegian Consumer Council has launched a satirical campaign film to accompany its new report on the deterioration of the products and services available online.

The film follows a fictional character whose job – as an ensh*ttificator – is to make everything worse, whether posing as a deliberately useless handyman or an infuriating chatbot. The campaign draws on the concept of enshittification, a term coined by journalist and technologist Cory Doctorow to describe how online products and services are declining in quality.

The Future Laboratory has been tracking the evolution of this shift since the launch of our New Codes of Value report. What’s significant now is how the concept is becoming formalised as a legitimate policy concern. The Norwegian Consumer Council’s report examines the structural mechanics driving this deterioration – from dark patterns and hidden fees to algorithmic manipulation – and proposes regulatory and consumer-led solutions to combat it. It calls on policymakers in the EU/EEA, UK and US, alongside 70 consumer organisations, to take coordinated action.

Strategic opportunity

As digital quality erodes and consumer frustration mounts, brands that resist the race to the bottom by prioritising transparency, genuine utility and long-term trust over short-term extraction stand to become the default choice for disillusioned consumers

Is fashiontainment the future of retail loyalty?

Gap Encore, US

US – Fashion retailer Gap Inc has launched Encore, a loyalty programme designed to connect fashion, entertainment and cultural experiences across its brands – Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic and Athleta.

Rather than focusing solely on points and discounts, Encore introduces exclusive drops, early product access and entertainment-led experiences shaped by partnerships with companies including Disney, NBCUniversal and AMC Theatres.

‘Fashion is entertainment, and today’s customers aren’t just buying apparel, they’re buying into brands that shape culture and tell compelling stories,’ said Richard Dickson, president and CEO of Gap Inc.

Encore has three tiers – Core, Premier and All-Access – and combines traditional rewards with access to limited-run products, content and partner experiences.

This move reflects a wider shift identified in LS:N Global’s Neo-community Market which tracks how loyalty programmes are evolving into fan clubs. These spaces are uniting members through shared values that extend beyond transactions. In this context, brands are no longer simply selling products or points, but insider access, engagement and deeper connection.

Strategic opportunity

Rethink loyalty as culture: blend retail with entertainment, partner across industries and replace discounts with early access, limited drops and experiences that treat customers like fans

Stat: Gen Z faces a widening gender divide

Photography by RDNE Stock project, US

Global – A survey of 23,000 people in 29 countries suggests that Gen Z men hold more traditional views on gender roles than older generations, revealing a complex shift in attitudes towards equality.

According to research by Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership at King’s College London, 33% of Gen Z men believe a husband should have the final say in important household decisions. The same percentage of Gen Z men think that a wife should obey her husband; in comparison, 13% of Baby Boomer men (born 1946–1964) agree with this statement.

Attitudes towards independence and sexuality also diverge. Nearly a quarter (24%) of Gen Z men say women should not appear to be too independent, double the number of male Boomers. Meanwhile, 21% believe a ‘real woman’ should never initiate sex.

The survey also highlighted that 59% of Gen Z males say men are expected to do too much to support equality. In addition, the proportion of people who believe women’s rights have gone far enough in their country has risen from 42% in 2019 to 52% today (source: The Guardian).

In The Synthocene Era: Far Futures report we explore how emerging technologies risk deepening this gender fracture, particularly as algorithmic systems and AI-driven media can reinforce and scale harmful gender stereotypes.

Discover more emerging generational attitudes in our Gen Z: Global Youth Atlas report.

Strategic opportunity

Develop campaigns, communities and role models that present broader expressions of masculinity and that frame equality as shared progress rather than a loss in order to counter this rising generational backlash