Need to Know
22 : 01 : 20

Blackpool – Showtown, the British seaside town’s first museum, will celebrate its history and future in delivering joy and whimsy to visitors.

Set to open in 2021, the museum will celebrate the comedians, dancers, circuses and characters that have brought Blackpool to life throughout its history. The project aims to be a hybrid museum space and visitor attraction – a fully immersive, family-friendly experience featuring artefacts and visitor experiences. Among the exhibitions planned for the museum are Beside the Seaside, which will explore Britons’ love for the beach, and Everybody Dance Now, a celebration of the town as the spiritual home of ballroom dancing.

To build intrigue around Showtown, Manchester-based studio True North has created playful, flexible branding for the museum that draws on beach-inspired motifs such as ice creams. In a similar vein, museum spaces are also being uplifted to transform novel experiences into platforms for people and brands to engage in discussions about the future. We explore this in our Post-modern Museums microtrend.

US – Bevel is becoming a one-stop grooming emporium for black men, adding skincare and haircare products to its existing shaving range.

The company has released 11 new products across two new categories with the development of Bevel Hair and Bevel Body. Aiming to be the go-to brand for men's head-to-toe grooming, Bevel has expanded its range with the aim of increasing its presence in bricks-and-mortar stores.

Launched in early 2019, the company specialises in products specifically designed for coarser, curly hair and black skin, which are often ignored by the grooming industry. In a bid to be a breath of fresh air in the men’s grooming sector, its expanded range includes a deodorant created to penetrate through thick hair and a beard softener that detangles and nourishes.

Recognising the importance of inclusivity, brands such as Bevel and Ceylon are innovating with products that cater for men of colour’s specific skincare and haircare needs.

A study released by the housing charity Shelter together with YouGov reveals UK renters are facing dramatic – and often negative – health impacts due to worries about renting.

With factors including financial stress, poor living conditions and the threat of eviction laying heavily on the minds of UK tenants, Shelter's reveals that 45% of private renters – about 3.8m adults – have experienced stress and anxiety as a direct result of housing concerns. Andrea Deakin, Shelter's emergency helpline manager, notes: ‘This time of year [winter] can be especially stressful and difficult for families who are struggling to cope with big rent bills or things like cold and mouldy homes.’

With consumers increasingly aware of the importance of financial wellness, there is an opportunity for housing developers as well as financial brands to step in and provide services and advice for those in need.