Need to Know
26 : 01 : 23

Sweden – Furniture giant Ikea has continued its designer collaboration strategy and teamed up with The Netherlands-based designer Sabine Marcelis to create the homewares collection, Varmblixt, a Swedish term meaning 'warm lighting'.

At the heart of the collaboration are four sculptural lamps that will remain a part of Ikea’s core product line in the long term. These are a pendant lamp, a circular wall lamp, a lamp that doubles as a mirror, and an orange-glass doughnut-shaped table lamp (doughnuts are a frequent motif of Marcelis’s work). Ikea hopes Marcelis's designs will encourage customers to think differently about how light can transform the look, feel and atmosphere of their homes, tapping into Marcelis's view inspired by 'objects that serve more than their functional needs but add to the artistic value of home'.

The remainder of the 19-piece collection is limited edition and includes champagne coupes, glass drink stirrers, carafes, doughnut-shaped glass bowls and rugs inspired by sunsets. Varmblixt will be available in all Ikea markets from February 2023. As consumers have spent more time at home and embraced multi-domesticity over the past couple of years, they need products that remind them that the domestic space is about more than how it functions, but also a place for relaxation, beauty and joy.

Global – How are snacking habits affected by trying times? Mondelēz has found that despite rising food prices and tighter grocery budgets, consumers are not skipping their snacks.

The annual State of Snacking report, conducted by Mondelēz and The Harris Poll, examined the snacking decisions of more than 3,500 adults across 12 markets. The study reveals that snacks are considered an affordable and necessary indulgence and a pantry staple; 71% of consumers snack at least twice a day and 78% of consumers report being mindful with nibbling, taking time to savour indulgent snacks.

As well as enjoying snacks as a treat, consumers are increasingly choosing them as a cheap and convenient meal replacement, with 55% reporting having a snack as a meal at least once a week. Sustainability is also top-of-mind, with seven in 10 consumers prioritising snacking options with less plastic packaging and 64% saying they would pay a premium for an environmentally friendly product.

In our Adaptive Appetites macrotrend, we further explore how the cost of living crisis is prompting consumers to reframe frugality and indulgence, and other emerging food behaviours you should know about.