Retail

Retail Industry Trends : From groceries to placemaking, retail is becoming more immersive, expressive, dramatic and hyper-personalised.

News 05.01.2023

Need to Know

Kohler’s shower infusion system brings the spa home, LG introduces upgradeable home appliances at CES and the Chinese make-up market will see strong growth to 2026.

CES 2023: Kohler’s shower infusion system brings the spa home

Sprig by Kohler, US
Sprig by Kohler, US
Sprig by Kohler, US

US – In the run-up to CES 2023, fittings brand Kohler Studios has revealed a bathroom upgrade that promises to elevate showers through aromatherapy for an affordable, spa-like experience at home.

Consisting of a shower head attachment and shower pods, Kohler’s Sprig Shower Infusion System offers a multi-sensory upgrade to any bathroom. The pods come in different scents, such as eucalyptus, chamomile and lavender, and come with added skin-enhancing active ingredients, like hyaluronic acid or sodium. Sprig Shower Pods are designed to infuse and enrich the water stream for the duration of a single shower, giving users the possibility to mix up the scent and ingredient combinations depending on their mood and skin concerns.

Priced at £115 ($119, €131), Kohler’s at-home shower infusion solution will cater for wellness-driven consumers by providing a convenient and accessible sensory spa-like experience at an affordable cost. In addition, the launch of this wellness gadget stresses the growing importance of water quality, and the crucial role of the clean water market for the beauty and wellness rituals of tomorrow.

Strategic opportunity

Kohler’s addition of sensory and wellbeing-boosting features to the humble shower head shows how small upgrades can elevate daily routines and create moments of escapism inside the home haven

CES 2023: LG introduces upgradeable back-to-basics home appliances

US – Stripped down from countless and often unnecessary features, buttons and accessories, LG’s new line of minimalistic appliances embraces a back-to-basics approach to home electronics.

Boasting a clean and simple design, the home appliances range, to be unveiled by LG Electronics at CES 2023, aims to deliver essential value to customers with better energy efficiency and simple controls for a streamlined and effortless user experience.

To extend the lifecycle and personalise products, LG has created an innovative software upgrade system. The downloadable Laundry Saver Mode, for instance, can keep clothes tumbling for a set time after the washing cycle to prevent wrinkles and odours. ‘We want customers to experience the feeling of getting a new washer or refrigerator throughout the entire lifecycle,’ adds Lyu Jae-cheol, president of home appliances at LG.

In parallel, LG is also launching an ultra-premium appliance line, with cutting-edge technology and more sophisticated design, taking the same principles of convenience and efficiency adapted for the affluent consumer.

In our Home and Family series, we further explore the ideas, innovations and disruptors that are reshaping the future of home environments and structures.

ThinQ UP by LG, US

Strategic opportunity

Take inspiration from LG’s buildable approach to product design – a simplified but upgradeable product can deliver higher value and efficiency by better catering for each consumer’s unique needs

Stat: Chinese make-up market will see strong growth to 2026

Ms MIN, China Ms MIN, China

China – According to data and analytics business, GlobalData, the Chinese make-up market will grow strongly despite the country’s disrupted retail market due to extended Covid-19 lockdowns. It is predicted that the market will expand to £9bn (Rmb74.6bn, $10.8bn, €10.2bn) by 2026, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.4% from 2021 to 2026.

The eye make-up category will see the strongest growth, closely followed by the lip make-up category. The growth is being attributed to the relaxation of stringent Zero Covid policies in the country towards the end of 2022, combined with popularity for make-up that is visible above face masks.

The GlobalData report also reveals that online retailers were the leading distribution channel in the Chinese make-up market in 2021, followed by department stores, and hypermarkets and supermarkets. L’Oréal, Carslan and The Estée Lauder Companies were the top three companies in the market in value terms, with Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris the leading brands in 2021.

Consumer analyst Bobby Verghese adds: ‘With consumer footfall and impulse purchases accelerating at beauty retailers, China’s PCE (per capita expenditure) on make-up is projected to increase to £3.40 ($4.10, €3.86) by 2026. New product launches with natural and safe formulations, improved functionality and sustainable packaging will attract consumers. In addition, the adoption of virtual make-up apps and e-commerce portals will surge in the post-pandemic years.’

You can uncover more insights in our China Beauty Market report.

Strategic opportunity

GlobalData also predicts that the ‘guachao’ or China Chic trend will accelerate popularity of Chinese beauty brands; multinationals will have to appeal to this nationalism trend to ride the market’s growth

The Future Laboratory Events Calendar 2023

The Future Laboratory's Trend Briefing 2023 at the Royal Academy of Arts, UK The Future Laboratory's Trend Briefing 2023 at the Royal Academy of Arts, UK

Join us in 2023 for a series of inspiring video presentations, guest speaker panels and live Q&A sessions as well as our industry-renowned Trend Briefing in London.

Members of LS:N Global get free access to our full programme of online events in 2023. You can RSVP to these events via The Future Laboratory Community. Not yet a member? Get in contact with your account manager to set up your free account.

Join us online or in person this year and get inspired to make a better future happen with trends from Beta Boardrooms, Deep Work Dens and Polywork Campuses to embracing longevity as a core pillar in selling and synthesising tomorrow’s category innovations.

We hope to see you there.

Archi-tainment

Micro Trends

Archi-tainment

A new generation of transformative structures focused on next-level entertainment experiences are set to influence commercial, public and third spa...
Design : Architecture : Spatial Design
Five Champagne and Wine Brands Exploring Provenance Retail

Big Ideas

Five Champagne and Wine Brands Exploring Provenance Retail

Moving away from the traditional store experience, champagne and wine brands are using authentic storytelling to disrupt how and where consumers vi...
Wine : Retail : Champagne
Curated Clutter

Micro Trends

Curated Clutter

Culture is experiencing a move from clean to cluttered, but this consumer shift is not just about aesthetics.
Fashion : Pop Culture : Marketing
Retail Staff Futures

Big Ideas

Retail Staff Futures

There is a new chapter ahead for the retail workforce amid post-pandemic challenges, AI integration and consumers’ thirst for human connection.
Future Of Work : Retail : Technology
The Rise of the C-Store

Micro Trends

The Rise of the C-Store

Brands are re-appraising the convenience store sector, viewing this once low-key retail channel as a valuable, authentic backdrop for launches, bra...
Retail : Food & Drink : Fashion
Autonomous Retail Futures

Viewpoints

Autonomous Retail Futures

Lisbon-based start-up Sensei’s just-walk-out technology places convenience and intuition at the heart of the retail experience, says co-founder Joa...
Artificial Intelligence : Future Of Retail : Autonomous Retail
Five Must-See Hyperphysical Stores in New York

Big Ideas

Five Must-See Hyperphysical Stores in New York

From appointment abodes to new third spaces designed for meditative browsing, these new stores have turned the Big Apple into a hyperphysical shopp...
Retail : Fashion : Luxury
Five Luxury Leisure Pop-Ups

Big Ideas

Five Luxury Leisure Pop-Ups

As the personal luxury goods market rebounds and consumers continue to seek out experiences across travel, leisure and dining, luxury brands are di...
Luxury : Travel & Hospitality : Retail
NRF 2024 Retail’s Big Show: Community, Luxury and Loyalty

Big Ideas

NRF 2024 Retail’s Big Show: Community, Luxury and Loyalty

At the biggest retail conference in the US, all eyes were on experiential retail, the evolution of the luxury consumer and the critical role of loy...
Retail : Events : Luxury
CES 2024: Smart Living Futures

Big Ideas

CES 2024: Smart Living Futures

The 100th edition of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) peeled back the curtain on life in the 2030s, where flying electric vehicles, intelligent ...
Technology : CES 2024 : Automotive
Destination Debrief: Hainan

Big Ideas

Destination Debrief: Hainan

China’s Hawaii has turned its tropical forests and pristine beaches into a destination for both local and global luxury consumers seeking an authen...
China : Hainan Island : Hainan
Future Forecast 2024: Retail

Micro Trends

Future Forecast 2024: Retail

Retail is settling into a post-Covid landscape in which consumers frequently welcome brands into their homes, exploring products, consuming content...
Retail : Luxury : Fashion
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