Need to Know
14 : 05 : 20

US – Mens wellness brand Asystem has launched a new system for natural recovery and pain relief that works from the inside out.

Radical Relief features two innovative products: a gel roll-on to be used topically, and turmeric-based anti-inflammatory support pills. Created with natural ingredients, the Radical Relief system avoids harsh chemicals and provides both external rejuvenation and internal healing.

Designed as an innovative, inside-out system that helps minimise the impact of muscular, joint and bone pain, Asystem is engineered to boost energy and focus, as well as fight against the impact of daily stressors. The products are equally effective on ailments such as tech neck and post-workout recovery.

With male consumers recognising the importance of rest and rejuvenation, brands are stepping in to provide wellness solutions for Active Recovery.

US – Brianne Kimmel, the founder of Worklife, has created the virtual shared environment Stay at Home Valley in collaboration with online design tool Figma.

Designed as a virtual reflection of Silicon Valley’s real-world haunts, Stay at Home Valley was created to digitally reproduce the serendipitous connections that more commonly occur in physical situations. Allowing users to engage in collaborative, real-time working, dining and recreation opportunities, this virtual world enables interaction and creative cross-pollination.

‘The vision for Stay at Home Valley in particular was essentially to add a few points – create a few offices – and then hand it over to the Twitter design community to actually build on top of it,’ explains Kimmel, who recalls her own programming experience beginning with computer-aided design software. ‘I really wanted to create a space for more serendipitous interaction.’

As we explore in our Pleasure Revolution macrotrend, a push for more serendipitous living is becoming a key driver for consumers as many employees continue to work independently and remotely.

A recent study by McKinsey & Co has revealed that between 20% and 30% of Chinese shoppers are continuing to be cautious post-Covid-19.

As lockdown restrictions begin to ease in China, many individuals noted that they would either consume slightly less than before or, in some cases, choose to consume drastically less. A significant majority of respondents lack confidence in the future, suggesting that brands will need to work hard to regain consumer trust. Meanwhile, in higher tier cities, some 55% of respondents feel optimistic about the economy, while only 40% feel this way in lower tier cities.

While Chinese consumers are gradually regaining their confidence as the Covid-19 crisis subsides, many are still holding back on their spending power and displaying behaviours discussed in our macrotrend Uneasy Affluence.