LSN : Daily Signals : Stat: An average of 50 pubs close each month in England and Wales

Volkswagen offers beloved ketchup to US consumers for the first time

Volkswagen's Gewürz Ketchup, Germany and US

US – German automaker Volkswagen has distributed its beloved Gewürz Ketchup brand to the US public for the first time. Available for free through its merchandise portal, DriveGear, the condiment quickly sold out as part of Volkswagen’s 75th-anniversary celebrations. The ketchup has been a staple in its German factories, where it is used to dress currywurst sausage served to employees. Packaged in a 20-ounce glass bottle (500ml), it is even listed in the company’s parts catalogue under part number 00010 ZDK-259-101.

Volkswagen is spotlighting owner and fan stories on its website to commemorate this milestone, including one from an enthusiast who regularly brings a few bottles of the ketchup as souvenirs from Germany, inspiring the brand to make it available to people in the US.

‘We are celebrating stories, memories, passion and all the fun and unexpected things that make Volkswagen the brand we are today,’ said Volkswagen executive Rachael Zaluzec.

The ketchup will also be available at the ChainFest gourmet food festival in Los Angeles on 5 October 2024. For more insights on merging nostalgia and food activations, check out our Functional Feasting macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Celebrate significant milestones, such as anniversaries, by offering limited-edition products or exclusive collectables. Unique, nostalgic items tied to your brand’s heritage can strengthen consumer engagement and lasting loyalty

Overdrive launches fentanyl test kits to tackle drug safety among Gen Z

Overdrive Defense, US

US – Brian Bordainick, co-founder of Starface and Julie, is launching Overdrive to destigmatise drug testing and promote harm reduction. Overdrive’s mission is to address drug safety in a way that resonates with Gen Z, starting with its debut product: a £9.91 ($12.99, €11.76) fentanyl testing kit. Packaged in neon orange, the kits are designed to be eye-catching and approachable, making them suitable for parties rather than clinical settings.

Beyond the product, Overdrive focuses on building a content-first lifestyle brand that spotlights authentic voices, aiming to foster community and trust while encouraging safer drug use and partying. ‘We want the first time someone encounters Overdrive to be a moment where we’re giving them something cool, not hard-selling,’ Ryan Weaver, Overdrive’s creative lead, said in a statement.

Overdose deaths continue to devastate the US, with over 112,000 recorded in 2023 alone, and fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of drug-related deaths. Bordainick emphasises the urgency: ‘Overdrive aims to normalise harm reduction practices and reach more young consumers.’

For more insights into how your brand can adopt a more civic-minded approach, check out our Civic Brands macrotrend report, where we analysed how brands are stepping in where governments are falling short.

Strategic opportunity

Identify overlooked or stigmatised markets such as mental health or addiction recovery. Develop educational content and products that reimagine historically outdated and clinical products and embrace bold, lifestyle-centric designs to make them feel approachable

Foresight Friday: Gabriela Białkowska, creative foresight analyst

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, creative foresight analyst Gabriela Białkowska dives into the latest from Poland: vodka served in juice boxes, an AI-enabled chapel and a brain drink.

: In Poland, a storm is brewing after alcohol pouches disguised as children’s juice drinks made their way onto store shelves. These bright, playful packets, loaded with vodka or fruit liqueurs with 15–40% alcohol content, have sparked a debate: just how far will brands go to get people drinking? While we’ve tracked the rise of sober lifestyles and of alcohol as a culinary flavour, gimmicks like this risk undoing the strides made toward more responsible drinking habits.

: One of the world’s first AI-enabled nano chapels has just opened its doors in Poznań, Poland, offering 24/7 on-demand spiritual guidance. With a dedicated app, parishioners can drop in anytime to pray, chat over coffee or even engage in faith-filled conversations with a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant. This move highlights the growing battle for new believers as religious institutions embrace instant, personalised spirituality to meet the needs of a digital-first generation – a trend we forecast in our AI Believers report.

: On a lighter note in the drinks sector, Brainer, a new brain-boosting beverage from Cukier, has just hit the Polish market, promising sharper thinking and mental clarity. As we’ve been tracking, consumers are no longer satisfied with drinks that just quench thirst, they want tangible emotional boosts too. As seen in our Emotional Support Sips report, people now seek functional products that give their minds and moods a much-needed lift.

Quote of the Week

‘We’re not searching for anything except people. We don’t need other worlds. We need mirrors’

Stanisław Lem, the renowned Polish sci-fi author and futurist, in his 1961 book Solaris

Stat: An average of 50 pubs close each month in England and Wales

Pub Museums by LePub and Publicis Dublin for Heineken, Ireland

UK – An average of 50 pubs a month were forced to shut down permanently across England and Wales in the first half of 2024, according to an analysis by real estate intelligence company Altus Group. By the end of June, the total number of pubs had fallen to just over 39,000, a figure that includes pubs that are vacant and being offered to let. This would make the number of operational pubs even lower.

Inflationary pressures and the withdrawal of business rates relief are expected to drive further closures in 2025, Alex Probyn, president of property tax at Altus Group, told The Guardian.

The British Beer and Pub Association highlighted the ‘priceless’ contribution of pubs to society and the billions of pounds they generate for the UK economy, emphasising the ‘devastating’ impact of these closures.

The current rate of closures is lower than in the first half of 2023, when an average of 64 pubs shut down every month. In our Cost of Living Crisis topic, we explore how people’s eroded spending power is pushing the hospitality sector as a whole to innovate in order to survive.

Strategic opportunity

With the rise in remote working and sober lifestyles, pubs could be repurposed as flexible workspaces during the day and traditional venues in the evening to maximise space usage