News 27.06.2022

Need to Know

Hypebeast’s grand foray into bricks-and-mortar, John Lewis injects Botox into its list of services, and adults represent a significant slice of the toy market.

Hypebeast unveils a seven-storey streetwear universe

HBX flagship store by Hypebeast, US
Hypebeans café at the HBX flagship store by Hypebeast, US
Hypebeans café at the HBX flagship store by Hypebeast, US

New York – Continuing its success as a key mediator in the streetwear scene, Hypebeast has embarked on its biggest venture yet: opening a new headquarters with public-facing elements. The destination, in New York’s Chinatown, will house a flagship HBX store and a company-run Hypebeans coffee shop. With the aim of creating a sense of community, the seven-storey bricks-and-mortar HQ will also feature event and office spaces.

While other direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands have made similar moves into the physical trading space in recent years, this destination reflects the growing trend of digital-first brands cementing their status beyond social media outlets. ‘Evolving with the dynamic perspective of HBX, the two-storey space is meant to be fluid and ever-changing,’ says the brand in a press release. ‘On the ground floor, the space can seamlessly transform from a neighbourhood courtyard into an event space, an exhibition or a pop-up.’

In this way, the HQ tunes in to the tenets of Hyperphysical Stores, where bricks-and-mortar spaces are evolving to be more engaging, sensorial and memorable.

Strategic opportunity

Digital-first businesses should experiment with physical destinations, initially partnering with hospitality venues or large retailers to test community-centric concepts

Designer Adam Naccarato is queering typography

Queering by Adam Naccarato, US Queering by Adam Naccarato, US
Queering by Adam Naccarato, US Queering by Adam Naccarato, US

New York – With his Queering typeface, graphic designer Adam Naccarato is preserving the legacy of the queer lexicon, as well as signalling its capacity for continual evolution. The open-source font is free to download with the option to donate to the Ali Forney LGBTQ+ Center in Harlem, which offers housing and other services for queer adolescents.

Drawing inspiration from vintage queer publications and protest posters from the 1970s and 1980s, the typeface is bold and direct. It includes a wide variety of queer unicode emojis, as well as additional images and terms like ENBY, which is shorthand for non-binary. ‘There’s a storied tradition of shorthand in the queer community where language wasn’t always as inclusive as it is now,’ explains Naccarato.

Once considered a neutral medium, designers have been trying to dismantle the gender tropes that pervade fonts and typography. By preserving the movement’s past while fundraising for critical resources for the queer community, Naccarato is honouring queer history while ushering it into the future.

Strategic opportunity

For Pride month, how can companies release open-source products that can act as fundraisers for queer charities and communities?

John Lewis welcomes Botox into its stores

UK – The retailer is expanding its existing beauty and aesthetic services to include Botox treatments as part of its growing partnership with medical aesthetics company Cavendish Clinic. With treatments including CoolSculpting and EmSculpt, HydraFacial and Botox injections, the retailer’s offer reflects an ongoing shift towards democratised aesthetic treatments.

Launching in six stores, including Milton Keynes, Southampton, Cambridge, Kingston and Peter Jones in Sloane Square, the introduction of Botox treatments points to a future when such services will be increasingly normalised in retail destinations. The move also comes following John Lewis’s boom in home beauty technology. ‘There’s headroom to open more stores and [ask] what does wellness look like? It’s an area that’s still developing,’ says Jason Wilary-Attew, head of beauty at John Lewis.

By offering such an expert-led service in its store environments, John Lewis tunes in to the demand for Accredited Beauty – a shift that explores how consumers are seeking proof points on product quality, efficacy and sustainability.

John Lewis, UK

Strategic opportunity

In future, more retailers are likely to expand their beauty services to include aesthetic treatments. Begin scouting for potential partnerships with accredited beauty clinics to ensure efficacy in your services

Stat: Adults are driving toy sales in the US

X11 global flagship store by BloomDesign, Shanghai X11 global flagship store by BloomDesign, Shanghai

An unexpected consumer group is driving growth in the US toy market: grown-ups. And adults aren’t just buying toys for their children, they’re playing with them, too. According to research by data tracker NPD, a consumer group dubbed ‘kidults’ by industry insiders has helped US toy sales soar by 37% over the past two years, reaching £23.3bn ($28.6bn, €27.1bn) in 2021.

The research suggests that adults are turning to board games, arts and crafts, and building sets to bolster their mental wellbeing and mindfulness. In response, companies are launching toys that have been designed specifically for adults, tweaking existing products to fit this age group, and rolling out more targeted marketing campaigns.

And while we have previously seen adult consumers purchasing collectable toys, as in the case of the X11 flagship store in Shanghai, this development suggests that adults are actively using toys as a means of relaxation, something we have explored in the Pleasure Revolution.

Strategic opportunity

While there is so much focus on digital gaming, how can companies take a step back and create physical games designed to instil mindfulness and attention?

Previous News Articles
The Palladium Hotel Group reframes luxury as logging off in new holiday campaign

News

The Palladium Hotel Group reframes luxury as logging off in new holiday campaign

The Palladium Hotel Group is positioning digital disconnection as a modern luxury in its latest in-house campaign.
Advertising : Travel & Hospitality : Digital Detox
Lululemon taps into civic fandom with Lewis Hamilton partnership

News

Lululemon taps into civic fandom with Lewis Hamilton partnership

Lululemon has unveiled Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton as its latest global brand ambassador, marking a strategic evolution in the brand’s approa...
Fashion : Sports : Social Impact
Stat: Vibe-based budgeting is shaping young consumers’ spending habits

News

Stat: Vibe-based budgeting is shaping young consumers’ spending habits

Amid economic uncertainty, Gen Z and Millennials are turning to vibe-based budgeting – adjusting spending based on how the economy feels rather tha...
Gen Z : Millennials : Finance
Asahi Super Dry spotlights style and culture in campaign for Women’s Rugby World Cup

News

Asahi Super Dry spotlights style and culture in campaign for Women’s Rugby World Cup

Asahi Super Dry has launched a bold new campaign film starring English rugby union player Ellie Kildunne, spotlighting the confidence, creativity a...
Sports : Food And Drink : Advertising
Meta eyes smart glasses market with reported EssilorLuxottica stake

News

Meta eyes smart glasses market with reported EssilorLuxottica stake

Meta is reportedly taking a £2.6bn ($3.5bn, €3bn) stake in EssilorLuxottica, emphasising the tech giant’s growing commitment to smart eyewear as a ...
Technology : Fashion : Smart Glasses
Stat: Culture-driven fandom is reshaping Formula 1

News

Stat: Culture-driven fandom is reshaping Formula 1

Formula 1’s global fandom is entering a new era, fuelled by Gen Z, women and culturally captivated audiences.
Sports : Formula One : Streaming
Immersive design is reshaping the future of luxury spaces

News

Immersive design is reshaping the future of luxury spaces

Immersive technologies are redefining how luxury brands design and deliver physical spaces, from real estate to retail and hospitality.
Luxury : Technology : Design
Polaroid champions an analogue way of living amid AI hype

News

Polaroid champions an analogue way of living amid AI hype

Polaroid has launched The Camera for an Analog Life, a campaign designed to push back against screen fatigue and AI overload. The initiative celebr...
Technology : Design : Advertising
Zalando shifts from algorithm discovery to beauty expert authority with Insider’s Edit

News

Zalando shifts from algorithm discovery to beauty expert authority with Insider’s Edit

Zalando is rethinking how it sells beauty with the launch of Insider’s Edit, a new shoppable content series that blends expert advice with curated ...
Beauty : Retail : Fashion
Stat: AI’s impact on traditional search is already impacting ad spend

News

Stat: AI’s impact on traditional search is already impacting ad spend

As AI agents begin making purchases on behalf of consumers, retailers must redesign websites and rethink advertising strategies to remain visible a...
Technology : Retail
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