Need to Know
21 : 10 : 21

Paris and UK – The daytime hotel booking site is reframing staid perceptions of its services through a vibrant redesign that posits pleasure and hedonism over functional work bookings. Delivered by creative agency DesignStudio, the branding centres on a vibrant yellow and orange colour palette, while graphic illustrations mimic the layout of comic books – positioning the idea of daytime hotel booking as leisure pursuit.

While travel booking is largely formulaic and functional in its presentation, Dayuse is injecting design and fun back into the booking process, using its focus on daytime hotel use to do so. ‘In a world of hotel aggregator sites and black and white booking forms, Dayuse as a business, and now brand, is a burst of something different,’ says DesignStudio.

Already, we’ve been tracking the rise of Downtime on Demand, considering ongoing opportunities for the hospitality sector to position its services and rooms for public use any time. Now, as the travel and tourism industry rebuilds in the inter-Covid period, businesses can capitalise on consumers’ growing demands for safe and convenient escapism.

UK – Continuing its move into functional fragrances, The Nue Co's latest perfume, Mind Energy, also functions as a mental wellbeing supplement by provoking the senses to combat stress and fatigue. To do this, each ingredient in the perfume has been selected for its healing properties, with a formula designed to enhance mental sharpness and acuity.

According to The Nue Co, Mind Energy is a bright and zesty fragrance best suited to offset sluggishness and environmental stressors. The formula draws from neuroscience to increase mental energy and boost focus, and the brand recommends it as a remedy for brain fog after a long day at work or as a pick-me-up following a long-haul flight.

This product demonstrates the increasing alignment of the fragrance sector with the wellness industry, showing how Psychoactive Scents have become powerful anti-stress supplements. ‘The way we view, use and benefit from supplements is ever-evolving. Whether it’s through our fragrance supplements, topical supplements or ingestibles, what matters most is that we’re solving a problem,' explains Jules Miller, founder and CEO of The Nue Co.

Sweden – Research conducted by financial company Klarna has revealed multiple differences in perception between retailers and customers. Most notably, 75% of retailers believe that their omnichannel strategies are robust, while 50% of shoppers disagree.

According to the Owning Omnichannel report, nine in 10 (89%) Klarna customers use omnichannel services to shop. Yet it seems many businesses are not yet conscious of what their customers expect from online shopping experiences; Klarna reports that a single negative incident can deter 60% of customers from shopping with a brand again. The report also reveals that physical retail is still an important channel for customers, with 51% of respondents still preferring to buy in bricks-and-mortar stores.

In the contemporary consumer landscape, every micro-interaction is a chance for retailers to create meaningful relationships with their customers. To better understand how to make the online and physical shopping experience more consistent, consult the Feedback Frontiers macrotrend.