Need to Know
08 : 02 : 22

London – Plant marketplace Sproutl has been given an animated rebranding, with a platform and logo that grow and evolve like its product range.

Tuning into the Sproutl's ambition to make the experience of purchasing plants more accessible, while modernising the gardening sector, design consultancy OMSE has created a visual identity that ‘grows'. The company’s logo features twisting vines, flowers and leaves – including Millennial favourite, the monstera plant.

With bursting floral motifs and bright colours, the identity is a celebration of gardening that is meant to feel playful and joyous rather than factual. ‘We felt Sproutl needed an identity that could grow, just like its plants. Taking inspiration from the name, the core symbol can grow into many of the products Sproutl offers – from flowers and houseplants to shrubs and trees,’ explains OMSE.

With an algorithm that caters for users' specific plant preferences and goals, Sproutl is also taking a data-driven approach to gardening. To learn more about regenerative gardening technologies, readers should consult our Nature-hacking Market.

London – The British department store group is launching Superself, a wellbeing initiative designed to help clients rest and rejuvenate while shopping. With a range of events, experiences and activations, the project offers customers a chance to merge their self-care routines with their shopping ones.

Launching this February, the project will combine online and offline wellbeing activations. Customers in-store will have the chance to unwind in calming sensory pods designed by immersive reality company Sensiks, equipped with virtual reality headsets, soothing voice activation and climate control. The pods aim to improve moods, reduce stress and benefit physical health.

Expanding the definition of retail therapy, the store is also partnering with London-based women's charity The Stack World to offer customers breath work workshops, confidence coaching and sex therapy sessions. Offline, clients will have a chance to listen to a new wellbeing podcast as well as shop for a range of mood-boosting vitamins and incense sticks.

Taking a fresh approach to Contemplative Stores, Selfridges is prioritising customer wellbeing by offering educational resources and workshops that will help people with mental health solutions on the go.

Once a defining factor of purchasing decisions, brand loyalty is becoming a rare resource in retail. According to a study by digital transformation consultancy Edit and Kin + Carta, only 6% of UK and US consumers feel loyal to e-commerce brands, compared to 9% for finance and 21.5% for offline food and drink retail.

A new set of drivers are influencing the ‘habit’ generation, who are more likely to shop according to incentives rather than emotions. The report finds that even habitual shoppers do not necessarily consider themselves loyal, suggesting that companies must reconsider emotional marketing strategies. ‘Brand affinity through emotional connection has weakened to be replaced by habitual ties based on lived and related experience with brands and retailers,’ explains Rob McGowan, joint managing director at Edit.

To increase brand loyalty, e-tailers must appeal to consumers in the earliest stages of shopping. A third of Gen Z respondents, for example, would sign up for brand communications in exchange for exclusive products. To explore other loyalty incentives, readers can revisit the Loyalty Market.