Focus: Latest

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Leftover profits: Rubies in the Rubble

Each year, almost half of the world's food is thrown away. Putting the wasted food to wider social and commercial use, start-up Rubies in the Rubble makes gourmet chutneys from surplus fruit and veg.

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Target brings Facebook users in-store

As e-commerce expands, brands are rethinking their business models to cater to shifting consumer habits. Cartwheel is a collaboration between US retail titan Target and Facebook that bridges the gap between real-world shopping and social media.

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Le Labo: luxury without snobbery

In light of mass production and the rise of the celebrity scent, even perfume has lost some of its traditional values. Le Labo offers an insight into the heritage of the fragrance industry and provides authentic products that rekindle the romance.

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How The Hunt makes social media shoppable

The internet has become a sprawling hub of images often featuring desirable content – but no place to buy it. California-based start-up The Hunt has set out to tackle the problem by providing a new and interactive online shopping experience.

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How Tictail is bringing niche boutiques to the global marketplace

UK high street shops are shutting down at the rate of 32 a day, but new business Tictail has managed to open 10,000 boutiques across Europe in just ten months, with very little cost. There’s a bright future for retail, and increasingly it’s online.

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Squeezing more from fans: One Direction's booming pop-ups

Under pressure from digitisation, music labels are seeking alternative sources of revenue. One Direction has transformed merchandising into a multi-channel branding operation that covers everything from phone covers to fake nails.

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What Women Want: how Gillette is normalising 'below-the-neck' shaving

In America, it's rapidly becoming the norm for men to shave 'below-the-neck'. As men of all ages become more open to grooming products, Gillette's 'What Women Want' campaign is encouraging men and women to spark a dialogue about beauty routines.

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How H&M is getting down with Tumblr's teens (& Other Stories)

As 'remix' culture becomes increasingly popular, people are placing a greater value on self-expression than ever before. & Other Stories is a mid-range conceptual clothing brand that encourages customers to build their own 'stories'.

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Shopkick: rewarding shoppers on the high street

In the smartphone era, 'traditional' card-based loyalty schemes are evolving. How does Shopkick, an app that rewards people for shopping, inject new life into the high street?

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We Are What We Do: tools to change behaviour

Environmental change begins with behavioural change, but simply telling people to 'be better' isn't enough. A new kind of pragmatic environmentalism is emerging – and the 'incidental change' pioneered by We Are What We Do is leading the charge.

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How Drink, Shop & Do brings community back to the high street

A cosy mishmash of vintage furniture, crafts and homeware alongside parties, festivals and workshops, London's Drink, Shop & Do presents a compelling retail concept to revive declining high streets.

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Cheaper if it rains: Qcue’s dynamic pricing

With fewer people going to sporting events in the US, how is software company Qcue helping some of the world's biggest leisure venues sell every ticket and fill every seat? Simple: pricing algorithms that change like the weather, literally.

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How Patagonia is encouraging sustainable behaviour

In an age of fluctuating fashion trends and disposable clothing, apparel maker Patagonia is on a mission to change how people think about clothes. So what exactly are they selling?

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House of Cards: a revolution in programming

Political drama House of Cards premiered in February 2013, exclusively through Netflix. The streaming giant's first purpose-made series, it reflects the growing power of digital channels and points towards new kinds of viewing behaviour.

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Denim Spa: hybrid fashion

Denim Spa by Wrangler is a new range of moisturising, cellulite-reducing jeans. Does this herald the onset of a new age of hybrid fashion? And just what makes jeans so desirable anyway?

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Reassuring parents at Jessica Alba’s Honest Company

Jessica Alba's start-up The Honest Company captures a growing demand for socially-conscious baby brands. As competitors try to balance quality, affordability, convenience and safety, it delivers them all through an innovative e-commerce model.

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Why did The xx only tell one fan about their new album?

As legal music sharing becomes ever more integrated with social networks, are experimental releases like The xx’s viral freebie a sign of an industry loosening its shackles and welcoming new ways to deliver content to the web generation?

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Polaroid Fotobar: maintaining relevance in the digital age

In the digital age where complacency is fatal and innovation is paramount, Polaroid are demonstrating their ability to remain relevant with the Fotobar – a concept store hoping to persuade America to print photos directly from their smartphones.

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How Selfridges made noise about being quiet

A new project at Selfridges is the latest experiment in the power of silence. A quiet oasis in the midst of a hectic shopping environment in central London, it testifies to a growing interest in the benefits of quiet introspection.

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Chemical concerns: why Greenpeace detoxed fashion

As consumers become more aware of the health effects of everyday objects, they are reconsidering what they consume. An investigation into toxic chemicals in clothes has sparked a widespread call for fashion brands to ‘detox’ their supply chains.