Need to Know
29 : 06 : 23

UK – Danish circular and subscription-based furnishing service Nornorm was launched in the UK in May 2023 with a mission to help businesses significantly reduce their environmental impact by replacing single-use office furniture. The Ikea-backed firm aims to help businesses improve flexibility, cost-efficiency and achieve environmental benefits.

Nornorm was co-founded with Inter Ikea Development in 2020. In two years, it has sold over 250,000 square metres of office furniture subscriptions and expects to see further growth across progressive commercial property markets in Europe, which are increasingly seeking sustainable solutions. In London, UK, the brand has already secured commercial partnerships with Sustainable Ventures, where Nornorm will provide furniture for its new 14,000-square-feet office, and is collaborating with Miro on its new office.

Nornorm’s mission aligns with the trends we identified in our Work States Futures macrotrend report. Businesses are collaborating with architects, designers and behaviourists to create physical realms that align with shifting employee values.

France – Pilo, a new-generation youth hostel in Lyon, France, has collaborated with Parisian design studio 5.5 to create a unique brand identity that blends comfort and luxury. The hostel, set in a former 19th-century college, caters for a young demographic looking for a quick place to rest their heads, but comes in the form of a luxury hotel.

The design team drew inspiration from hotel comforts, incorporating elements like good beds, soft sheets and fluffy pillows into the identity. ‘We designed fluffy typography inspired by folding bolster pillows, we sewed a slipper on a t-shirt, wrote messages on sheets, and we made embroidered badges to indicate the rooms,’ 5.5 co-founder and partner Vincent Baranger told Creative Review.

A customised typeface, Pilo, features rounded letterforms resembling folded bolster pillows, symbolising the merging of hostel energy with boutique elegance. The brand identity is designed to create a comfortable and fun experience for guests, capturing the carefree spirit of youth hostels while introducing elements of luxury.

In our exclusive Viewpoint report with strategic design agency AboundStudio's founder James Huntly we highlighted how innovative designs play a critical role in creating meaningful brand narratives that reflect travellers’ changing values and desires.

US – A June 2023 report by food and drink insight and research consultancy CGA reveals that more than two-thirds (70%) of American consumers are more likely to opt for a vodka-based ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage over any other spirit. A popular and successful alcohol beverage category, RTDs are favoured by younger consumers, with only 16% of RTD drinkers aged over 55, and by those earning an average of £65k ($83k, €76k) per year – slightly wealthier than the average American household income.

When they don’t choose a vodka-based RTD beverage, more than half of Americans tend to go for a tequila-based drink. Rum-based drinks ranked third, with 42% of drinkers claiming them as their first choice, while gin was named the least appealing white spirit base (30%). The report says that manufacturers should pay close attention to their recipes and flavouring given that one-third of consumers choose RTDs based on the type of base alcohol used. Some 28% also say they are primarily motivated by the variety of flavours offered.

In Tinned Tipples, we previously highlighted how the wine industry is turning to the ready-to-drink market with the emergence of tinned wine. Players in the drink and retail industry should keep a close eye on consumers’ interest in flavourful yet convenient alcoholic drinks ready to be enjoyed on the go or on-premise.