News 02.06.2022

Need to Know

Abstract tableware elevates at-home dining, NoMo hotel introduces NFT reservation packages and the restaurant industry feels the pinch of inflation.

Gohar World brings surrealism to the table

Gohar World. Photography by Roe Ethridge, US
Gohar World, US
Gohar World, US

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.

Strategic opportunity

Hospitality brands should capitalise on the growth of elevated at-home dining by offering tableware and decor collections for guests to invest in and use with friends and family

Ikea encourages customers to hack its furniture

Updatables by Ikea and Space10's Everyday Experiments, Denmark Updatables by Ikea and Space10's Everyday Experiments, Denmark
Updatables by Ikea and Space10's Everyday Experiments, Denmark Updatables by Ikea and Space10's Everyday Experiments, Denmark

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.

Strategic opportunity

How can the fashion industry take a page from Ikea and use QR codes to give their clients tips and tricks about how to upcycle and update clothing?

This hotel accepts bookings via NFT

New York – The NoMo SoHo hotel is targeting alternet investors with the introduction of non-fungible token (NFT) reservations. Launching with a range of curated NFT packages, guests can choose between booking three- and six-night stays. It will initially be releasing 300 NFTs, starting at 0.41 ETH (£375, $456, 434), before potentially expanding into other digital assets.

Here, booking via an NFT package is similar to using a promotion code, benefitting guests by offering them the chance to secure a competitive room rate. At the same time, such bookings benefit the hotel by allowing it to fill rooms in advance. ‘Our NFT offerings will provide NoMo SoHo a competitive edge and more importantly, flexibility for each of our discerning guests,’ explains Alex Sapir, chairman of Sapir Corp Ltd, the owners of NoMo SoHo hotel.

This initiative points to a future when more leisure and travel services will seize the opportunity to provide a tangible experience in return for virtual assets. Already, we’ve seen hospitality group CitizenM enticing NFT holders with the chance to fund a real, physical hotel.

NoMo SoHo, US

Strategic opportunity

Brands working in the hospitality sector should take cues from this initiative and similarly find ways of benefitting NFT holders. Consider offering curated food or drinks menus specifically for customers paying with NFTs

Stat: Diners prioritise affordable meals amid inflation

The Community Spirit, Casa Lumbre, by Wieden + Kennedy, Mexico
The Community Spirit, Casa Lumbre, by Wieden + Kennedy, Mexico

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.

Strategic opportunity

In addition to food quality and portion size, how can restaurants ensure that their businesses is good value for money? Don’t underestimate the role of interiors and surroundings in offering a sense of escape during turbulent times

Previous News Articles
Mastercard launches AI-powered stories for commuters

News

Mastercard launches AI-powered stories for commuters

Mastercard has launched its Transit Tales campaign, which tailors classic stories to the length of commuters’ journeys.
Audiobooks : Australian : Commuters
Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

News

Foresight Friday: Rose Coffey, senior foresight analyst

Every Friday, The Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, ...
Soft Sports : Digital Detox : Asics
Stat: Tech-savvy Gen Z interns see AI as a career tool, not a threat

News

Stat: Tech-savvy Gen Z interns see AI as a career tool, not a threat

Gen Z is entering the workforce with a pragmatic view of artificial intelligence and enthusiasm for in-person mentorship. 
Work : Technology : AI
Irn-Bru revives Made in Scotland from Girders slogan

News

Irn-Bru revives Made in Scotland from Girders slogan

Irn-Bru is reviving its iconic Made in Scotland from Girders slogan in a campaign led by advertising agency Lucky Generals.
Food And Drink : Brand Humour : Advertising
Busan International Film Festival to host singalong screening of KPop Demon Hunters

News

Busan International Film Festival to host singalong screening of KPop Demon Hunters

A singalong screening of Netflix’s breakout show, KPop Demon Hunters, will take place at the Busan International Film Festival in September 2025.
Kpop : Streaming : Cinema
Stat: Australians turn to podcasts and radio for regular entertainment

News

Stat: Australians turn to podcasts and radio for regular entertainment

More than half of Australians aged 10 and over (52%) listen to or watch podcasts each month, according to new data published in The Infinite D...
Statistic : Podast : Media
Selena Gomez taps Tajín for Rare Beauty’s first collaboration

News

Selena Gomez taps Tajín for Rare Beauty’s first collaboration

Rare Beauty has unveiled its first-ever collaboration, teaming up with Mexican seasoning brand Tajín on a limited-edition lip and cheek set.
Beauty : Food : Collaboration
Single mothers in China are moving in together to ease the financial burden of child-rearing

News

Single mothers in China are moving in together to ease the financial burden of child-rearing

An increasing number of single mothers in China are moving in together to ease the financial, emotional and practical challenges of raising childre...
Single Parents : China : Only Child
Stat: Cannabis-infused drinks reshape America’s after-work rituals

News

Stat: Cannabis-infused drinks reshape America’s after-work rituals

A growing number of young American professionals are swapping post-work alcoholic beverages for cannabis-infused alternatives, signalling a cultura...
Statistic : Cannabis : Alcohol
Gap and Katseye tap into new-nostalgia for autumn 2025 denim campaign

News

Gap and Katseye tap into new-nostalgia for autumn 2025 denim campaign

Gap has unveiled its autumn 2025 Better in Denim campaign, fronted by global girl group Katseye.
Fashion : Nostalgia : Pop Culture
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN