News 25.11.2021

Need to Know

Aesthetic Scarcity to combat food overconsumption, e-commerce embraces the Focus Filter and US men are seeking emotional connection through dating.

A degrowth manifesto for food over-consumption

The Beauty of Scarcity by Francesca Sarti for Dezeen 15, UK
The Beauty of Scarcity by Francesca Sarti for Dezeen 15, UK
The Beauty of Scarcity by Francesca Sarti for Dezeen 15, UK

Italy – Reframing the notion of food scarcity as a remedy for over-consumption, The Beauty of Scarcity manifesto proposes a new retail model that celebrates frugality and resourcefulness. Written by food designer Francesca Sarti, the text challenges the long-standing belief that abundance is a good thing, championing the de-growth mindsets that we have seen in other industries.

As part of the manifesto, Sarti proposes five conceptual kiosks that advance her theory of 'aesthetic scarcity.' The Poetic Bakery, for example, draws from the Japanese ideologies of sessei (moderation), setsudo (restraint) and wa (harmony) to position rationing as a way to reduce over-consumption. Tapping into the ancient preservation systems of the Pilgrims and Berbers, Sarti's Nomadic Hut takes inspiration from the resourceful design of indigenous groups. The Ascetic Deli, meanwhile, takes design cues from mujin hanbaijos – unmanned shops in the Japanese countryside offering few products and an honesty box for payments.

As supply chain issues continue to put a strain on the global food market, and the link between diets and environmental destruction becomes more pronounced, Uprooted Diets are emerging to address the vulnerabilities of the food system.

Strategic opportunity

Consumer mindsets are shifting where waste and consumption are concerned. To attract eco-conscious consumers, consider how scarcity can align with self-reward, celebrations or pleasure

Acne spotlights global issues in revived magazine

Acne Paper, Sweden Acne Paper, Sweden
Acne Paper, Sweden Acne Paper, Sweden

Sweden – In a bid to stand out from oversaturated online spaces, the apparel brand is relaunching its print magazine, Acne Paper, after a seven-year hiatus. To continue its existing credibility as a stand-alone magazine rather than a brand catalogue, it will focus on global affairs and political content. Priced at £33.50 ($44.80, €40), the title will be sold in Acne Studios stores and selected magazine retailers globally.

By creating a high-quality publication, the brand shows how slower, lifestyle-led forms of marketing can establish long-term interest with audiences. It also creates engagement with customers beyond new garments or social media shares. ‘In this day and age when everything is pretty much commercialised in one way or another, it’s actually a great liberty and privilege for us to be able to do this product and not have a solid thought through a business case, but actually just do a product that we really, really love,’ explains Mattias Magnusson, CEO of Acne.

Such printed, physical marketing can act as an entry point into a brand universe, while maintaining ongoing relationships with loyal customers.

Strategic opportunity

Luxury and fashion brands can find tangible and meaningful ways to connect with audiences beyond their product lines. Consider items like board games, print publications or podcasts

Linktree’s focus filter tool to boost users’ reach

US – Shopify and social media navigation tool Linktree are teaming up to help creators to increase their sales and reach during the 2021 holiday.

As part of an improved omni-channel experience Linktree will launch a Shopify integration, helping smaller businesses and services to directly promote their products, while connecting to global audiences.

Among the tools provided by the partnership, users can promote new arrivals on Linktree, while any updates on Shopify will automatically be included in a user's biography. They can also highlight the most frequently purchased items on Shopify via the Linktree menu.

By combining these two services, this partnership aims to improve the omni-channel user experience for customers buying products through social media vendors.

Taking immediate effect, this partnership ties into the rise of Feedback Frontiers that are helping businesses to forge more intimate relationships with online shoppers. As the holiday season approaches, companies looking to reach online shoppers can maximise sales by making use of this new feature.

Shopify stores on Linktree, Australia and US

Strategic opportunity

While social media platforms have become secondary storefronts for shoppers and brands alike, consider how such tools allow greater focus and filtering, directing people to key items, information or booking systems

Stat: Male daters feel connections faster than women

Klarna Culture Calendar by Snask Studio’ Klarna Culture Calendar by Snask Studio’

Dating platform Match has released its annual Singles in America study, which this year finds that men (24%) are feeling more social pressure to find a relationship than women (17%). 'There’s always talk of women’s biological clocks pressurising them to settle down. And while men don’t exactly face this same challenge, they do feel more social pressure to find a relationship these days,' reads the Match report.

Meanwhile, the study also shows that, once they are dating, men tend to feel an emotional connection faster than women. Some 53% of men can feel it by the second date, compared to 38% of women. Interestingly, while men are often seen as more eager to enter the bedroom, 81% say they now find sex less important than they did pre-pandemic.

These figures provide a marked contrast to familiar stereotypes, ushering in an era of New Masculinity when men no longer need to rely on interactive media platforms to forge emotional connections.

Strategic opportunity

When targeting men, avoid using hyper-masculine tropes and instead focus on facilitating emotional connections. Beyond romantic relationships, such an approach can be used for male friendships and family relations

Previous News Articles
World Retail Congress 2024 daily recap: Elections anxiety and the 'world’s coolest stores'

News

World Retail Congress 2024 daily recap: Elections anxiety and the 'world’s coolest stores'

On the closing day of World Retail Congress 2024, retailers looked ahead to a year of global elections, readying themselves to navigate potential p...
Retail : Sustainability : Design
The Emory begins longevity and wellness members' club Surrenne

News

The Emory begins longevity and wellness members' club Surrenne

Opening in April 2024, Surrenne at The Emory promises a holistic approach to wellness and longevity in a luxurious setting.
Health : Wellness : Luxury
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, deputy foresight editor D...
Foresight Friday : Health : Wellness
Stat: Extreme tourism market set to soar in coming years

News

Stat: Extreme tourism market set to soar in coming years

A new report by Allied Market Research forecasts a remarkable surge in the extreme tourism market, projecting it to soar to £72.96bn ($91bn, €85.28...
Travel : Hospitality : Tourism
World Retail Congress 2024 daily recap: Redefining retail, The Zalpha Reckoning and engaging UHNWIs

News

World Retail Congress 2024 daily recap: Redefining retail, The Zalpha Reckoning and engaging UHNWIs

On its second day, World Retail Congress 2024 in Paris explored everything consumer – strategy, content and community.
Retail : Youth : Luxury
The Hear My Last Wish initiative transforms organ donation culture

News

The Hear My Last Wish initiative transforms organ donation culture

Publicis Groupe and Leo Burnett Taiwan have introduced Hear My Last Wish, a project addressing the reluctance of families to consent to organ donat...
Health : Medical : Wellness
New research reveals attitudes to robosexuality

News

New research reveals attitudes to robosexuality

New research looks further into attitudes to sexual relations with robots, highlighting social parameters affecting how people feel about this divi...
Technology : Sexual Wellness : Health
Stat: Gen Z are exercising less than their elders did at the same age

News

Stat: Gen Z are exercising less than their elders did at the same age

Asics Corp’s latest Global State of Mind Study underlines the enduring connection between physical activity and mental health.
Health : Wellness : Fitness
World Retail Congress 2024 daily recap: Olympic fever, emotioneering and engaging Gen Z

News

World Retail Congress 2024 daily recap: Olympic fever, emotioneering and engaging Gen Z

World Retail Congress 2024 opened in Paris on 16 April, focusing on the theme of High-Performance Retail.
Retail : Beauty : Youth
Nike House of Innovation transformed into breath-focused experience

News

Nike House of Innovation transformed into breath-focused experience

Random Studio, in collaboration with Nike House of Innovation, has re-imagined the Paris-based store as an embodiment of the brand’s Holistic Fitne...
Retail : Wellness : Design
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN

What do we use cookies for?

We use cookies to enable the use of our platform’s paid features and to analyse our traffic. No personal data, including your IP address, is stored and we do not sell data to third parties.

Learn more