Need to Know
02 : 06 : 22

US – Artist and sister duo Laila Gohar and Nadia Gohar are channelling their creative flair into a collection of abstract tableware. Launched under the eponymous brand name Gohar World, the brand’s initial release includes a collection of surrealist linen, candles and table accessories.

Flipping the script on conventional dining products, the collection features unusual items, from a satin bag for storing baguettes to a chandelier that displays eggs. In a bid to preserve the familial craftsmanship associated with traditional homeware, Gohar World also draws on creative techniques such as mouth-blown glass, intricate needlework and hand-dipped candles.

Through this collection, the brand aims to elevate at-home dining experiences, while promoting playful and unconventional eating rituals. ‘No object or piece of furniture has been as meaningful to family and community as the dining table, where simple acts of hospitality – laying out a tablecloth, opening a bottle of wine, cutting a cake – become rituals,’ says a brand statement. By focusing on the community and connection that can be found in setting a table, the brand is embracing the tenets of Home Eatertainment.

Denmark – For years, the independent Reddit community IKEAhacks has been chronicling how the multinational company’s furniture is repurposed by its owners. Now, Ikea is developing its own in-house platform dedicated to extending and improving the lifecycle of its products.

Rather than discarding furniture that no longer meets one’s tastes and needs, the Updatables project empowers owners to tinker with their items and adapt them to their modern-day needs. The project consists of an app and furniture collection that shows users how objects can be repaired or improved using augmented reality (AR) technology. According to a press release: ‘Instead of sitting silently in the corner, the application would allow your furniture to tell you how it could be improved or customised.’

By encouraging consumers to update outgrown items instead of throwing them away, this initiative aims to reduce waste and promote circularity. Redrawing the traditional boundaries between company and consumer, this project is similar to Google's recent investigation into the nature of notifications.

Cost is becoming one of the most significant concerns for restaurant-goers as rising inflation causes diner priorities to shift. When faced with a financial squeeze, however, research by sales and marketing agency Acosta reveals that one-third of US consumers are choosing to trade down rather than forego dining out entirely.

Although food inflation is at its highest level in 40 years, and many consumers are cutting back the number of times they dine out as a result, many consumers are still keen to visit restaurants. According to the survey, food quality is still the top priority (53%) when dining out, but meal price is quickly becoming more important, with 41% of respondents citing it as their primary concern.

While consumers are visiting less expensive restaurants, looking for discounts, or ordering fewer items, the fact that they are not altogether abandoning dining out is encouraging for the food industry. But the research suggests there will be more pressure than ever for restaurants to figure out their Retail-flation Response to ensure customers that their services are good value for money.