Need to Know
27 : 01 : 20

UK – Sotheby’s auction house has joined forces with Highsnobiety for a seven-piece clothing collection that combines art with streetwear.

As Sotheby’s explores the place of fine art and rarities in an increasingly digital world, it has partnered with the hype platform on a clothing collection that will initially be available via the Highsnobiety Shop and in The Co.lab at Selfridges in London, an innovative and ever-changing retail concept.

The collection of ready-to-wear garments and accessories bring together an eclectic mix of rich portraiture, 16th-century opulence and streetwear designs, with oversized t-shirts, caps and hoodies priced from £40 ($52, €47). Part of Highsnobiety’s quest to redefine luxury in the modern age, the collaboration embraces a future in which the physical and digital worlds of art will be brought together.

As we uncover in our Next-generation Auction Houses microtrend, attitudes to luxury and acquisition are evolving, creating an opportunity for auction houses to retain relevance and attract a new breed of young, moneyed consumers.

US – Starbucks and Nestlé are introducing a series of new innovations to their at-home coffee offering, embracing the multiple benefits of pairing coffee with health-focused ingredients.

With the range being launched in 2020, Starbucks is working to make coffee more convenient and beneficial for drinkers. A cold brew concentrate will allow sippers to concoct their own daily cold brew with water at home. Other new products include a ground coffee imbued with essential vitamins, and a golden turmeric coffee. Created to enhance the average cup of coffee, the vitamin-activated drink includes five B vitamins to bolster body function, while the turmeric, ginger and cinnamon-infused product aims to provide a morning boost.

With consumers displaying growing concern around the negative effects of high-sugar and high-caffeine energy drinks, there is an increasing demand for more functional and less harmful alternatives. We explore this further in our Alternative Energy Drinks microtrend.

According to a report from the World Economic Forum, the demand for urban, last-mile delivery will have grown 78% by 2030.

With the shift from physical to digital commerce putting pressure on transport systems and urban networks, cities are having to innovate to avoid serious environmental impacts. The report also predicts that, without serious and effective change, delivery-related carbon emissions will increase by 32% in the world’s top 100 cities in the next 10 years.

Clemens Beckmann, head of smart cities and last-mile solutions at Deutsche Post DHL Group, says: ‘The ever-increasing growth of e-commerce is imposing two major challenges for dense cities: pollution and traffic congestion caused by the rising number of delivery vehicles if the status quo remains.’

As we examine in Eco-logistics, retailers are rethinking their logistics with the hope of developing new sustainable initiatives for both delivery and return of purchases.