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Gentle Monster releases a series of sci-fi chapters

The Unexpected world of 13, Undecember by Gentle Monster in collaboration Ugo Bienvenu

South Korea – The luxury eyewear brand is exploring a future in which reality and fantasy coincide.

The campaign, entitled 13, comprises a series of chapters that will be released during the year. For its first chapter, which was released in January 2019, digital artist Frederik Heyman created provocative dystopian scenes featuring 3D rendered characters. For its latest release, Gentle Monster worked with artist Ugo Bienvenu to create a series of animated episodes.

Each chapter expands on a sci-fi narrative imagined by the brand, which explores ideas such as what our world might look like if the moon became disconnected from the planet and a 13th month, dubbed Undecember, was added to the calendar year. The films show the environmental changes the event would cause, including a loss of gravity, meaning that people would be forced into extreme survival.

Luxury brands are increasingly stepping away from heritage-themed marketing and are instead exploring themes associated with science fiction and dystopia.

Perennial promotes gut, brain and bone health in older consumers

Perennial, US

California – The new plant-based brand has been launched a non-dairy drink that targets healthy ageing.

Designed to improve gut, brain and bone health in consumers over the age of 50, Perennial’s debut product combines a proprietary blend of prebiotic fibre, vitamins and four plant proteins, which together create a complete protein. As a result, the brand claims it boasts the same nutrient levels as 2% dairy milk, joining the ranks of other plant-based beverages fortified to compete with their animal product counterparts.

The brand, which was co-founded by one of the founders of plant-based innovator Beyond Meat, aims to cater specifically for the burgeoning over-50s demographic. Citing figures from the UN that predict that the world’s population over-65s will grow by 13% by 2030, Perennial is carving out new territory for age-specific food innovation.

As The Flat Age Society expands and healthy food and drink become a priority for older consumers, brands from the sector are evolving to meet their demands.

Landsec creates more inclusive shopping experiences

London – The property firm has announced a number of initiatives to improve the shopping experience for people with autism across its retail developments.

Landsec is introducing weekly quiet hours throughout its UK properties in a bid to deliver a more inclusive retail experience, with dimmed lighting and reduced music in central areas. People will also be able to download guides ahead of their visit to familiarise themselves with the destinations. To allow staff to offer assistance and support guests on-site, hidden disability lanyards will be made available, while front of house staff will receive relevant training.

‘We recognise that retail destinations don’t traditionally cater for neurodiversity, and, as a result, trips can be stressful and difficult,’ says Ailish Christian-West, head of property at Landsec. ‘We’re confident that the measures we’ve introduced today are a step in the right direction, and will make our destinations more welcoming for people with autism and their carers.’

With shopping centres closing at a rapid rate, retailers must deploy new strategies to cater for specific communities and keep shoppers engaged.

Volt Berlin concept for a new mall by J Mayer H

A subscription service for derma-cosmetics procedures

The Esho Skin Lab, UK

UK – Esho Skin Lab is the first clinical subscription service to be launched in the UK’s non-surgical cosmetics market.

Launched by the Esho Clinic, an expert in derma-cosmetics, the subscription service gives consumers access to a variety of premium high-tech skin treatments such as micro-needling, Dermapen procedures and chemical peels at a reduced cost.

When signing up, patients are invited to take part in a detailed skin consultation and analysis using a digital skin scanner with 3D mapping technology. The customer’s 12-month programme is then tailored to their individual skin needs, for a monthly fee that starts at £150 ($197, €176). According to Esho, the Skin Lab allows patients ‘to offset the financial burden in monthly instalments and gain access to member-only prices, while placing a focus on the foundations of skin health’.

Read our macrotrend Algorithmic Beauty to discover more on the rise of non-surgical cosmetics procedures and how this is shaping a new beauty ideal.

Stat: Spending in mobile apps to grow rapidly

Mobile spending in apps is set to increase rapidly as developing markets enter the smartphone era. According to an estimate from app analytics firm Sensor Tower, App Store spending is expected to rise by 16% a year to £73bn ($96bn,€85.5bn) in four years. During the same period, Google Play spending will increase by 19% annually to £45.6bn ($60bn, €53.4). Between the two, spending in mobile apps will total £118.7bn ($156bn, €139bn) by 2023.

Emerging markets will be key to driving this growth, with Latin America and Africa leading the way. To tap into this regional growth and appeal to culturally diverse audiences, marketers and app developers will need to create localised versions of apps.

In our African E-commerce Market, we explore how increased internet access and a booming youth population are boosting online retail across the continent.

Thought-starter: Is it time for retail to slow down?

Slow retail expert Rebekah Matheny on how physical stores need to nurture consumer relationships to create a socially sustainable retail culture.

Matheny is the assistant professor of interior design in the Department of Design at The Ohio State University and specialises in sustainable retail design. ‘My work builds on the research of slow fashion and product lifecycles, and extends into the design of the physical retail environment to establish what I call slow retail experience design.’

‘Retail is an inherently social activity; although technology enables us to make purchases from our sofa or buy anything anywhere, people want to have emotional human connections,’ continues Matheny. ‘Retail needs to be more than just a space to sell products. It needs to cultivate community, and nurture the relationship between consumer, producer and the planet.’

She goes on to explain that brands must rethink how the retail space is used, rather than evaluating its success in terms of product sales. ‘If success is determined on how well a community is cultivated within the space, how well the customers are educated and engaged, then stronger relationships can be established – and with that comes brand loyalty.’

Look out for the full Q&A.