Need to Know 08 : 08 : 17

Africa – Coffee producers across Africa are benefiting from the growing Western interest in good coffee, which has resulted in premium prices for African beans. Traditionally, Ethiopia has been heralded as an important source of good-quality coffee, but this accolade has now extended to countries such as Kenya and Rwanda, and consumers are now willing to pay up to £3 ($4, €3.40) for a cup.

Coffee-growing across Africa has suffered in recent times from the rise of growing markets such as Vietnam, which is able to produce the beans at a much lower cost price, but the increasing demand for single-origin brews is set to help revive the African market.

For more on changes in coffee consumption, see the Cool Caffeine Focus section of our Food and Drink Futures Report 2016.

Seattle – The mattress start-up, which reportedly gets 25% of its sales through Amazon, will open its first physical store in the mega-system’s home town later this year.

The space will feature tablets that enable visitors to read Amazon reviews, Amazon Echo devices to answer customers’ questions and QR codes on products to enable seamless payments through the Amazon app.

‘We focus on what we are good at,’ says Tuft & Needle co-founder Daehee Park. ‘Then we plug in Amazon technology for the rest.’ As brands such as Walmart develop new systems to limit Amazon’s sphere of influence, brands such as Tuft & Needle highlight the potential of tapping into mega-systems to provide a more comprehensive, seamless service. For more examples of brands that are transforming their physical stores into showrooms, download our free Future of Service Report 2017.

As workers face longer commutes, hospitality spaces are emerging that are designed to enable workers to make better use of the time spent travelling between the home and office.

Third spaces have commonly been associated with coffee shops, an extension of the home where customers could settle down with their laptops and while away a few hours. But as employees’ commutes become longer hospitality spaces are prioritising people’s rest and rejuvenation.

Hotels, which traditionally operate on a strict check-in, check-out schedule, face pressure to become more flexible. Brands are struggling to fill vacant rooms and remain relevant in an industry suffering from the disruption of Airbnb, which is driving a shift towards pay-as-you-go pricing strategies that enable guests to book a room to freshen up, shower or nap.

Rather than seeking physical rejuvenation, some consumers are looking for third spaces that promise heightened mental clarity. As the open-plan office proves itself inefficient, workers are seeking on-demand private spaces to foster productivity free of distractions.

To read more on how on-the-go consumers are seeking new sanctuaries, read our microtrend Downtime On Demand.