Need to know
04 : 09 : 17

US – Created by Femsplain founder Amber Discko, Aloe sends simple notifications to users, reminding them to complete tasks that are often overlooked in times of stress. Inspired by her work as a creative strategist for Hillary Clinton during the US election campaign, when she frequently forgot to brush her teeth and drink enough water, Aloe enables users to track their personal care habits and identify areas for improvement.

Although open to all, the highly navigable, emoji-centric app is primarily aimed at people suffering from mental health issues, including digitally native Gen Viz consumers. According to The American College Health Association, 84% of US students feel unable to cope with life.

US – The media company has worked with a California-based cannabis dispensary to launch 10 new strains of medical marijuana. Themed around Netflix shows such as Orange is the New Black, Grace and Frankie, and Arrested Development, the collaboration offers a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that in mainstream culture the brand is already intrinsically linked with cannabis consumption, through the idea of Netflix and chill.

The move follows the recent legalisation of marijuana for recreational use in California, bringing the total number of US states to have passed such legislation to seven, with a further 23 having legalised it for medical purposes. Sold in glass jars with a bold coloured label and a wooden lid, the collection’s branding resembles that of a premium cooking spice, marking a move away from the substance’s illicit underground roots. For more on this shift towards the mainstream, see our Cannabusiness Market report.

Global – In a bid to promote transparency, the H&M Group’s recently launched clothing label, Arket, lists all of the names and locations of its factories and suppliers on its company website. The move marks a continuation of the shift towards greater brand transparency first seen with the launch of Everlane in 2010.

But as Dorothée Baumann-Pauly, research director for New York University’s Stern Center for Business and Human Rights, points out, providing a name does not in itself ensure either fair pay or safe working conditions. To assist consumers in making an informed ethical decision, Baumann-Pauly calls on Arket to provide access to independent third-party data, such as that provided by the Fair Labor Association, to verify conditions in the factories. For more on moves in the retail industry towards Extreme Brandsparency, buy our Retail Futures Report 2017.

Generation Z is fuelling mobile spending in China, with 70% of the country’s 18–22-year-olds now interested in buying items directly through social media, according to Accenture. This shift towards m-commerce means members of Generation Z are also much more likely to succumb to impulse-buying than older Millennials. In Shanghai, Wheelys is tapping into this desire by allowing customers to use a smartphone app to book their mobile grocery store, The Moby Mart, for their neighbourhood.

For more on the increasing popularity of geo-aided delivery as a means of speeding up the last mile, download our free Service Summit Report here.