Need to Know
27 : 08 : 20

London – Watch House’s new roastery aims to elevate the brew to the same level as fine wine and whisky.

The experimental coffee laboratory and shop in London's Bermondsey takes visitors on a journey, diving into the sourcing, craftsmanship and stories behind its coffee. Central to the roastery are three pillars – rituals, ventures and rarities – focusing on coffee as a daily routine, more adventurous or unusual flavours, and finally unique and rare coffees, such as flat white priced at £14 ($18, €15), to be experienced and savoured.

The space, designed within a railway arch by architecture studio Kirkwood McCarthy, targets a new breed of coffee aficionado, allowing customers who want to deepen their knowledge of coffee brewing the chance to see behind the scenes, both through on-site workshops and supporting online guides.

The rise in coffee connoisseurship is creating new opportunities in a competitive market, with brands’ new bean-to-brew experiences. For more, explore the Craft Coffee Market.

Global – The Nike Offline mule subverts the brand’s iconic ‘Just Do It’ slogan in favour of active deceleration.

With an experimental design aesthetic that builds on the popularity of casual slip-on shoes, the Nike mules feature two unique sensory drop-in midsoles, which are interchangeable based on the wearer's mood, as well as nubs that offer a massage-like experience for the wearer.

Inspired by the mental health benefits of taking time to unplug and disconnect, the Nike Offline shoe has been designed for moments of doing nothing. The antithesis of its typically motivational messaging and activewear, the anti-sneaker silhouette caters for our new normal lifestyle amid the Covid-19 pandemic, in which personal recharging is essential.

With consumers embracing a slower, demotivated way of living, brands such as Nike are rethinking their communications to reflect the forthcoming Pleasure Revolution.

As China’s luxury retail market recovers from the outbreak of the pandemic, latest research from Mintel has found that consumers are eager to support Chinese brands to fast-track the recovery of the economy.

According to Mintel’s Covid-19 China tracker between 25 March and 1 April 2020, which looks at the growth of the prestige beauty industry, 77% of consumers would like to buy more Chinese brands to show support after the pandemic. Furthermore, 45% disagree with the statement that ‘domestic skin brands do not have many prestige products’, showing the potential for high-end domestic skincare.

‘Consumer support for domestic products has further increased due to the pandemic, and niche domestic brands are indeed expected to develop high-end product lines and gain market share,’ explains Amy Jin, beauty analyst at Mintel.

As shoppers prioritise the health of the economy, domestic brands are a key opportunity in China’s Beauty Market.