Need to Know
31 : 05 : 19

Hong Kong – In an age of e-commerce and convenience, the cosmetics retailer and pharmacy is focused on discovery.

Online brand Harmay first entered the bricks-and-mortar market with a store in Shanghai in 2017. Its second branch in Hong Kong is inspired by old-school chemists and focuses on experience, with visitors invited to browse unmarked stainless steel drawers in order to discover the hidden products inside.

Designed by AIM Architecture, the apothecary aims to re-introduce a sense of serendipity to the shopping experience. On the store’s second floor the walls have been left as exposed brickwork and the stock is largely hidden from view in stainless steel mirrored cabinets suspended from the ceiling, immersing visitors in the tactile experience of physical shopping without being overwhelmed by products.

As more retailers embrace the notion of Inspiration per Square Foot, healthcare brands are injecting a sense of playfulness into the traditionally clinical pharmacy experience.

Hong Kong – The robotics and apparel company creates on-demand customised jeans for each customer.

Using 3D body scanning and weaving technology, Unspun creates the perfect fit of jeans for customers, which means it holds zero inventory. The company has recently announced that it aims to become a zero-waste operation by early 2020 and is developing a 3D weaving machine that would get rid of sizing and completely eliminate fabric waste. The jeans are made from a mixture of recycled fibres and organic cotton.

‘The best way to think about it is like a 3D printer for clothes,’ said Walden Lam, co-founder of Unspun. ‘But when people think of 3D-printed clothing, they think it’s plastic-y, not something people would want to wear. What we are actually doing is using yarn that goes into everyday clothing and manipulating it into the final product.’

By eliminating the inventory entirely, Unspun is dramatically reducing the waste created by fashion production methods. For more, read our microtrend Demand-led Design.

Clarkston, Georgia – The development is hoping to disrupt the urban sprawl that has created housing inequality over the years.

In an experiment in smaller living, the suburb of Clarkston will build eight tiny homes that cost up to $125,000 (£99,000, €112,000), less than half of the average home in the area. By working with MicroLife Institute, the developers were able to change the local zoning code.

‘We recognize that the past 50 years of urban sprawl has segregated communities, contributed to global warming, and exacerbated housing inequality,’ says Ted Terry, Clarkston’s mayor.

The houses, which each range from 250 to 492 square feet, will sit on a half-acre that once held one single family home. The size has further economic advantages, such as the amount of energy required for heating and a lack of storage space, which could result in a decrease in consumption.

As explored in our Uncoupled Living macrotrend, there is an opportunity for cities to create smaller dwellings to accommodate the increasingly single population.

New research by think tank Autonomy suggests that a shorter working week could combat climate change. According to the report, titled The Ecological Limits of Work, a 1% decrease in working hours could lead to a 1.46% decrease in carbon footprint. The study recommends that UK employees reduce their hours to just nine a week.

While shortening the work week to just nine hours may not be feasible for many businesses, the study suggests that implementing other policies such as shifting jobs from sectors such as manufacturing towards greener jobs such as reforestation is also important in decreasing carbon emissions.

Explore our Workplace Far Futures vertical for more on how your business and employees can prepare for the future of work.