Need to Know
21 : 12 : 20

UK – Dating app Bumble is exploring the trials and tribulations of dating during 2020 as part of its new campaign by The Brooklyn Brothers.

Featuring Bafta-winning actress Helena Bonham-Carter as the narrator and ‘godmother of dating’, the advert touches on the common relationship pressures felt during the holiday season. In the campaign, Bonham-Carter reflects on the dating barriers people have faced in a year of social distancing.

With Bumble’s recent research finding that 71% of its app users felt their dating life had been significantly affected in 2020, the ad hopes to connect with the shared experience of daters, especially over the festive period. ‘There was an opportunity to do something that showed we understood – something that feels as if it’s for women, by women – and to celebrate this imperfect dating journey that so many people have been on,' says Cali Oliver, creative director of The Brooklyn Brothers.

The dating landscape has faced new challenges this year, leading to innovation in the sector through tools and platforms that encourage socially distant dating.

Italy – Outsole manufacturer Vibram is launching Vibram Component, a customisation tool that enables consumers to build their own shoe.

The Component tool is a package that includes the brand’s first ever sole, the Carramato, along with pieces of leather, laces and fabric. Customers can choose their colour preference for the shoe sole – black, brown or white – and will be able to manually put together their own shoes without glue or adhesives.

Through a simple stitching technique, customers can assemble the shoes with several options for personalisation; through the colour or pattern of the laces and stitching. ‘Vibram Component is a concept that aims to return to a hands-on/do-it-yourself attitude, using low-tech personalisation,’ said Gianmarco Ricci, connection lab director at Vibram.

As more brands tap into the DIY Dressing Market, the launch could further evolve for the brand, ushering in new opportunities for collaborations that enhance the personalisation element of the shoe.

With French citizens making the most of their rural holiday homes amid the pandemic, remote stores have experienced significant sales growth.

According to research by Nielsen, stores in small villages with more than 50% of second homes recorded FMCG sales growth of 58% during France’s first lockdown period. As Parisians in particular chose to flock to second homes, sales in stores in seaside resorts rose by 60% – despite the lack of tourism.

Anne Haine, senior vice-president Europe, Intelligent Analytics, said: ‘The FMCG industry has been a lifeline for people during the pandemic, and as we look to the future retailers should rethink their current store formats and locations, as well as future construction and expansion plans, to take into consideration the moves French shoppers are making, both at home and away.’

This shift in demand for local stores is prompting the digital evolution of independent retailers, boosting access and efficiency for remote shoppers.