News 26.01.2023

Need to Know

Ikea creates homeware with Sabine Marcelis, Papara launches debit card for the visually impaired and why spending on snacking remains high despite inflation.

Ikea’s latest designer partnership is inspired by warm lighting

Varmblixt collection by Ikea in collaboration with Sabine Marcelis, Sweden and Rotterdam
Varmblixt collection by Ikea in collaboration with Sabine Marcelis, Sweden and Rotterdam
Varmblixt collection by Ikea in collaboration with Sabine Marcelis, Sweden and Rotterdam

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.

Strategic opportunity

Homeware feels luxurious to consumers when it goes beyond utility. Offer consumers products that prioritise creativity and encourage them to experiment in their living spaces

Papara bank creates debit card for visually impaired

Turkey – Bank Papara has launched the world’s first debit card for the visually impaired.

The Voice Card is linked to a smartphone app, so when inserted in a point-of-sale payment terminal the user will hear the amount due to be paid on their phone. This lets visually impaired customers listen to the details of their spending in real time.

Papara’s card was developed in partnership with BlindLook, an organisation that builds freedom technologies for blind consumers and advocates widely for their use. Global payments company Mastercard and French multinational Thales Group also supported the Turkish bank in creating the Voice Card. Papara hopes the card’s technology will allow the estimated 285m visually impaired people worldwide (World Health Organization) greater access to financial services, letting them spend independently and giving them autonomy over their finances.

When brands recognise the distinctive needs of people with disabilities then they can think innovatively about how they cater for them.

Papara Voice Card by Papara in collaboration with BlindLook, Mastercard and Thales Group, Turkey

Strategic opportunity

Consumers expect technology to be full of solutions. They look to it to disrupt, transform, re-invent and make the world more accessible for everyone

Stat: Why spending on snacking remains high despite inflation

Behave, US Behave, US

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.

Strategic opportunity

Be aware of consumers’ sensitivity to price changes and what they prioritise when budgeting. Offerings considered to be essentials or an affordable indulgence will be more resilient amid inflationary pressures

Previous News Articles
Project Yellow Canteen uses yellow paint to repel flies

News

Project Yellow Canteen uses yellow paint to repel flies

If colour in living spaces can positively affect mental health, Project Yellow Canteen in Indonesia shows that savvy use of colour can improve phys...
Design : Health : Youth
Thai spa launches Blue Zone-inspired longevity retreat

News

Thai spa launches Blue Zone-inspired longevity retreat

Kamalaya, a holistic spa and wellness sanctuary on Koh Samui in Thailand, is launching a Blue Zone group wellness retreat for guests to discover th...
Travel : Hospitality : Longevity
KIKI World creates NFC-embedded press-on nails

News

KIKI World creates NFC-embedded press-on nails

KIKI World, a beauty brand embracing crowdsourced product development, has introduced Chipped, a range of NFC-embedded press-on nails.
Beauty : Technology : Press On Nails
Stat: UK and US adults admit using cannabis or alcohol to sleep better

News

Stat: UK and US adults admit using cannabis or alcohol to sleep better

In its Snooze Report released in October 2023, meditation and sleep app Calm suggests that US and UK consumers struggle to get a good night’s sleep...
Health : Wellness
Meet Rocco, a smart minibar designed for the living room

News

Meet Rocco, a smart minibar designed for the living room

Unlike most appliances, Rocco’s Super Smart Fridge is not destined to be hidden away in the kitchen, but rather to take centre stage in living spac...
Drink : Food : Sustainanility
CarePods show the future of tech-centric medical care

News

CarePods show the future of tech-centric medical care

Arian Aoun, CEO and co-founder of Forward Health, is continuing his mission to reshape healthcare through technology.
Health : Wellness : Technology
Funq’ begins superfruit syrup in conscious packaging

News

Funq’ begins superfruit syrup in conscious packaging

Former Coca-Cola executives Michael Schwarz, Sebastian Kroth and Fabian Roschig are leading a soft drinks revolution in Germany with Funq’, the nat...
Drink : Sustainability : Packaging
Stat: Despite financial barriers, US consumers want to travel more

News

Stat: Despite financial barriers, US consumers want to travel more

As we move into the 2023 holiday season, meta-search travel platform VacationRenter conducted an online survey of 1,000 US consumers aged 25 and ab...
Finance : Travel : Hospitality
Landor turns to sonic and AI-powered services with new rebranding

News

Landor turns to sonic and AI-powered services with new rebranding

Branding agency Landor & Fitch, a WPP subsidiary, has undergone a comprehensive rebranding, unveiling its new identity as Landor in November 2023.
Design : Sustainability : Drink
New tampon line designed to minimise gender dysphoria in trans men

News

New tampon line designed to minimise gender dysphoria in trans men

Hygiene brand Vuokkoset has collaborated with advertising agency TBWA/Helsinki on tampons designed for transgender men.
Society : Health : Design
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

What do we use cookies for?

We use cookies to enable the use of our platform’s paid features and to analyse our traffic. No personal data, including your IP address, is stored and we do not sell data to third parties.

Learn more