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.
Preview: Sort by Serendipity
Europe – Brands are creating new sorting systems that foster discovery over obvious organisation.
- Old taxonomies are being replaced by more emotional methods of categorisation
- Sort by Serendipity encourages mind-wandering over products on demand
Dessú, Paris/London
Dessú, Paris/London
Libreria by Second Home, London. Photography by Iwan Baan
Black Rock, London
Retailers can often be set in their ways when it comes to how their products are merchandised. Booksellers organise books by genre and author; bars organise hard liquor by category and provenance.
But some are choosing to thwart consumer expectations by creating new ways of categorising products that encourage discovery and education. Bookstore Libreria in London, for instance, organises its books by themes such as the sky and the sea.
‘This is not about being an on-demand service, and not about serving an instrumental need,’ says Sally Davies, director of Libreria. ‘Instead, this is about providing a space that enables you to get an overview of the intellectual landscape and immerse yourself in the experience of being in the store.’
The Big Picture
For more examples of retailers and brands moving away from prescriptive taxonomy, read our latest microtrend, Sort by Serendipity.
Most Recent
1
The destinations betting on digital nomad futures:
With the pandemic showing people that they no longer need to work in an...
2
How football can kick luxury brands into shape:
False 9 is on a mission to elevate and promote the modern football player...
3
The hyper-local services levelling up logistics:
From ride-sharing retail to community collection points, third-party...
4
Webinar: Future Forecast 2021:
Watch our 60-minute webinar hosted by co-founder Chris Sanderson, exploring...
5
Club Psora’s network is destigmatising skin conditions:
Miriam Thom, founder of Club Psora, is building a community to reframe...
6
Why brands must learn from the film and gaming universe:
Brands must offer consumers the escapism they crave as routine fatigue sets...
7
Climate-adaptive Wineries:
As the wine industry adapts to extreme weather and wildfires, threatened...
8
Metaverse Market:
Expanding far beyond its gaming roots, the metaverse is becoming a youth hub...
9
Digital Fandom Market:
Fandom in the digital age is booming, with live-streaming, tokenisation and...
10
Augmenting Automotive Retail:
In the pandemic age, luxury car retail is driving in a new direction,...
11
Why hospitality’s success lies in small cities:
Mario Tricoci, co-founder of Aparium, explains why business is booming at...
12
Dematerialising fashion:
Marjorie Hernandez de Vogelsteller, co-founder of The Dematerialised,...
13
Enhanced Natural Beauty:
Beauty consumers are shifting their focus from cosmetic fads to more natural...
14
Five evolutions of the future nightclub:
With nightlife at risk, these young innovators are optimising a time of...
15