News 09.02.2022

Need to Know

LS:N Global unveils insightful new features, augmented reality reaches the fine jewellery market and why consumers respond to plant-based menus.

Discover LS:N Global’s new member benefits

London – Here at LS:N Global, we want our members to think of us as an extended member of their team, which is why we’ve been busy updating our platform with a range of new benefits and features for 2022.

Our team of strategic foresight experts at LS:N Global are your eyes and ears in over 50 countries. We assemble unique teams of journalists, writers, visual researchers and innovation analysts to document the new and the next across global industry sectors so you don’t have to.

'The new benefits and features coming to the platform in Q1 are designed to inspire fresh thinking, spark innovation and help you to connect, share, interact and engage with the LS:N Global community and experts from The Future Laboratory,' explains Kathryn Bishop, foresight editor, The Future Laboratory.

Among the new member benefits:

: Exclusive early access to The Future Laboratory’s new online Community

: Free access to all of our 2022 Online Events

: Two new research series: Metaverse and the Future of Education

: Futures 100 Innovators, spotlighting 10 innovators each month

: Coming soon: LS:N Global podcast hub

Learn more

To discover the new benefits, features and exclusive research available to members of LS:N Global, download our latest What’s New on LS:N Global PDF

Ries creates refillable beauty for eco-travellers

Ries, US Ries, US
Ries, US Ries, US

US – Travel beauty brand Ries seeks to redefine consumers’ on the-go-routine with its debut product – an empty bottle. The first in a collection of refillable beauty toiletry packaging, Ries offers consumers a stylish, multi-use alternative to wasteful inconvenient containers and unsuitable hotel products.

Each bottle is made from recycled plastic and comes with seven label options for skin, hair or bodycare products, all in Transportation Security Administration-compliant sizes. Founder Megan Graham explains she was inspired to start Ries after having difficulty adapting her curly hair routine to her travel schedule. After years of single-use plastics and leaky bottles, Graham created a brand that is sustainable, stylish and steadfast.

‘I want to redefine the relationship between beauty and travel,’ she tells Beauty Independent. ‘And give people the freedom of having your unique beauty routine while you’re travelling.’

Ries merges the microtrends of Redefined Refillables and Wanderlust Beauty, offering ways for the beauty-conscious traveller to continue their at-home routine while in transit.

Strategic opportunity

As beauty consumers grow ever more knowledgeable, one-size-fits-all travel beauty is no longer an option. Consider how your brand can offer design-led and sustainably minded solutions for beauty on the go

AR-powered fittings reach the fine jewellery industry

New York – Mixed reality company Perfect Corp is moving from beauty and fashion into the fine jewellery industry. With its new augmented reality (AR) ring and bracelet try-on settings, the company is boosting consumer confidence when purchasing quality items of jewellery online.

Building on its proprietary AgileHand technology – which allows consumers to experience hyper-realistic virtual fittings from the comfort of their own homes – Perfect Corp is continuing to develop its asset digitisation solutions. Helping customers feel more confident when making important purchases online, the new features include virtual engagement ring try-on capabilities. It also comes with automatic wrist- and finger-size detection, offering consumers valuable insight into which products are most suitable for their body type.

As the jewellery industry enjoys a post-pandemic recovery and Pop Culture Jewels continue to gain prominence, AR fittings will bolster the market. ‘In today’s luxury and fashion retail environment, personalised shopping experiences have become essential to build both brand loyalty and consumer purchasing confidence,’ explains Alice Chang, CEO and founder of Perfect Corp.

Perfect Corp, US

Strategic opportunity

As digital purchases of fine jewellery become more common, companies must equip consumers with the tools necessary to feel confident when purchasing items online

Stat: The power of the plant-based menu

Misfit Foods Misfit Foods

UK – Research from the University of Oxford shows that adding more plant-based menu options is a simple and effective way to reduce meat consumption. Of the three experiments that were conducted in physical and digital environments, the online study found that 48% of diners will opt for a vegetarian meal if they are given the option of three or four dishes. By contrast, when three or four menu options were meat-based, only 12% of diners chose a vegetarian option.

These findings hold across genders and income levels, showing that plant-based menus are a powerful tool for reducing reliance on meat. Rachel Pechey, the lead researcher, highlights how including more plant-based menu options may be more palatable than unpopular meat taxes or dictatorial bans on meat consumption on certain days of the week.

The findings show how workplaces, schools and hospitality brands can appeal to the growing influence of Low-impact Eaters, consumers who make dietary choices with environmental impact in mind.

Strategic opportunity

From food and drink to fashion, adding additional sustainable options to consumer offerings is a simple way to encourage more environmentally friendly behaviours

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