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A visual refresh to preserve Mexican bulk markets

Tierra Dulce, Mexico. Branding by Shift

Mexico – Tierra Dulce, a bulk food store in the Mexican city of Monterrey, is encouraging sustainable and local consumption among young generations with a refreshed visual identity. Created by design studio Shift, the redesign includes a simple and adaptable food labelling system that can be applied to a variety of refillable bags and containers. A vibrant colour palette, bold hand-written typefaces and repeated layouts have been applied as a nod to the familiar chants of Mexican market sellers.

Taking an eco-conscious approach throughout, signage is created using materials such as glass and recycled paper. Through this identity refresh, Tierra Dulce combines the long-standing tradition of shopping at bulk food markets with the interests of local communities. ‘Our main goal was to re-interpret the bulk market as a smaller and more modern version,’ says Shift in conversation with LS:N Global. ‘The use of coloured cardboard paper and the custom-designed hand-written typography are inspired by the hand-made signage in the bulk market’s product displays.’

To discover more about the shift to localism and celebrating traditional approaches to grocery retail and supply chains, join us for our Food and Drink Futures online event on 28 October.

Strategic opportunity

As conventional food supply chains become increasingly under threat, suppliers should encourage audiences to shop locally and sustainability. To reach new and younger consumers, take inspiration from lifestyle retailers to boost adoption

Mass Index is a shame-free space for skin solidarity

Mass Index by Soft Services, US

US – Mass Index is an educational platform and online community dedicated to answering netizens’ questions about skin conditions, founded in response to the lack of available information about common dermatological disorders such as psoriasis and fungal acne.

Drawing on their experience working at brands such as Glossier, founders Annie Kreighbaum and Rebecca Zhou set up Mass Index after realising that many people use platforms such as Reddit to crowdsource basic information about common skin concerns. Mass Index is an open-access website that offers expert-vetted medical opinions and a growing visual library of user-submitted photographs. To bolster Mass Index’s offer, its founders have also developed Soft Services, a range of skincare products created with performance ingredients and bespoke formulas for conditions including keratosis pilaris and hyperpigmentation.

The launch of Mass Index is symbolic of the growing number of people congregating online in search of more personable Radical Relief platforms that fill the knowledge gap left by the skin and healthcare sectors. By creating an educational platform that doubles as a community space and digital storefront, the company can in turn forge deeper relationships with its audience.

Strategic opportunity

With skincare consumers becoming more open and aware of the products they use, companies should amplify niche health concerns through community-centric spaces that empower and celebrate body diversity

A one-stop travel agency for green globetrotters

Portland – Wild Nectar Collection is a luxury travel agency specialising in sustainable holiday packages that help travellers to better understand and quantify the carbon emissions, energy use and local community impact of their holidays.

Catering for luxury consumers concerned about the environmental impact of travelling abroad, Wild Nectar Collection gives each trip an eco-score, based on more than 10 categories, such as energy efficiency, impact on conservation and betterment of the local community. Travellers can also browse trips based on why they want to travel; for example, access to nature, culture or wellness.

Joy Martinello, founder and CEO of Wild Nectar Collection, explains: ‘Travel is a privilege and I’ve long felt the industry wasn’t doing enough to monitor the carbon footprint of an activity that is an honour to experience.'

The company points to the growth in customers Revisiting Travel Agents to delegate the planning of their holidays amid Covid-19 restrictions and growing awareness of travel impacts. By offering its clients a range of appealing and sustainable travel options, Wild Nectar Collection points to a future of luxury services for eco-conscious jetsetters.

Six Senses Ibiza

Strategic opportunity

Companies can offer a complete breakdown of a holiday's eco-impact – from the moment a customer sets foot on a plane to when they check out of their hotel – as a powerful way to attract eco-conscious travellers

Stat: Global citizens are prioritising calm lifestyles

Wellness platform, Open, connects your internal and external bodies in a new meditative experience, creative by Some days, photography by Emman Montalvan

Across the world, people are increasingly prioritising having a calm life over an exciting one, according to research by the Wellbeing for Planet Earth Foundation (WPE), which found a significant preference for mindful ways of living.

The recent study – conducted across 116 countries and territories – shows that a majority (72%) of people globally would rather live a calm life than an exciting life, while only 16% said the opposite. The report also reveals various cultural nuances; for example, people in East Asia (85%) are considerably more likely to say they would prefer a calm life than those in Southeast Asia (68%). Meanwhile, people in Latin America are significantly more likely than those in the US and Canada to respond this way, although the gap is smaller at 82% versus 75%.

While the research may largely reflect people’s mindsets during Covid-19, it indicates an ongoing preference for stress-free lifestyles. To discover more about inter-Covid consumer mentalities, read our opinion piece by Dr Marc Schumacher.

Strategic opportunity

Across sectors, brands and businesses can support consumers in achieving more mindful ways of living. Design environments and services that provide a sense of calm and act as a sanctuary from daily global stressors