For those who want the satisfaction of retail therapy without sacrificing closet space, there are resale sites such as 

 that help discerning buyers both buy and sell luxury goods. But some people want to do away with the hassle of buying and selling altogether, turning to subscription services to ensure they’re always carrying this season’s handbag or driving the latest whip. 

 helps shoppers stay on-trend without committing to a hefty price tag, giving them the freedom to experiment with haute couture rather than pressuring them into more conservative ‘investment pieces’. Meanwhile, 

 delivers a different car to subscribers whenever they want, so they can take a sporty coupe on a joyride or have a bigger sedan for a weekend trip.

With eight million fewer people in the US shopping at a store for fine jewellery since 2008, 

 jewellery is seeing a 6% year-on-year increase in sales, while 

 – a ‘diamond dupe’ – provides a cheaper alternative to traditional rings for younger consumers. While 54% of Gen Yers still prefer real diamonds, 

 of 27- to 36-year-olds say they wouldn't spend the same amounts Gen Xers would have on engagement rings – signalling how they don’t think it’s necessary to break the bank to make an earnest statement.

The resale market for streetwear has expanded from niche online communities to form a sizeable part of the $18 billion apparel resale industry. But who are the key players in this world? And what drives people to spend small fortunes to secure particular sneakers, t-shirts and hoodies?

How hype and rarity fuel the streetwear resale market

While 78% of affluent shoppers in the Middle East like to keep up with the latest trends, that’s not always an option when it comes to couture. Designer-24 is giving people a more affordable option by letting them hire high-end fashion, aiming to change consumption habits in the process.

Designer-24: a rental service for runway fashion

Xydrobe has announced Harrods as the first retail partner for its multi-sensory VR cinema, providing a diverse program of tactile, immersive experiences. With audience expectations around experiential shopping increasing, digital integrations can enhance storytelling and community engagement.

Harrods to offer multisensory VR experience for shoppers

Michelin has introduced a new ranking system for luxury hotels to combat broad standardisation in the industry. The Michelin Keys reflect a renewed emphasis on uniqueness and local culture in luxury, offering smaller hotels an opportunity to stand out in a crowded market.

Michelin Keys revolutionise luxury hotels ranking

Timepieces have evolved from utility to self-expression, fuelling major growth in the luxury watch market led by younger consumers. The industry is being reshaped by Gen Z and Y buyers who prioritise individuality and sustainability. How can watchmakers merge tradition with consumer demands?

How will consumer trends affect timepieces in 2024?

A growing number of young Chinese people are investing in gold charms and jewellery in an effort to safely store their money amid economic volatility. As people grapple with uncertainty and a lack of trust, many are searching for decentralised approaches outside the mainstream to feel secure.

Chinese Gen Z turn to gold investments for security

In an ageing country with fewer kids per capita than ever, South Korean adults are willing to spend money on the kids that do exist in their lives, driving a booming childrenswear industry. What’s shaping Gen Alpha’s fashion choices in their formative years, and what should brands watch out for?

Why are so many South Korean Gen Alphas wearing luxury clothes?

Lab-diamond fine jewellery brand Kimai has seen waves of success – from being spotted on Megan Markle to winning a £250,000 investment on the BBC’s Dragons Den. Even as a newcomer, its ethically conscious jewellery paired with a stylish aesthetic has made it a leading brand in the sector.

How Kimai makes fine jewellery guilt-free

India’s discerning high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are increasingly reviving traditions and connecting past and present in their fashion. Many now place high value on timelessness, especially among well-heeled urban globetrotters. What can others learn from this shift back to roots?

Why India's HNWIs are bringing back traditional designs

The number of millionaires and billionaires is rising in Southeast Asia, marking the region as a centre for wealth creation and economic boom for locals and international visitors alike. What trends and behaviours are unfolding with the influx into this new high-earning market?

Why are HNWIs flocking to Southeast Asia?

Barbour, the iconic British brand, leverages its 130-year heritage to connect with modern consumers across generations. But in an increasingly saturated market, how have new collaborations and a sustainability focus propelled the brand to new heights with trendsetting Gen Zers and beyond?

How Barbour remains a beacon of British multi-age luxury

High-net-worth Indians are bearing witness to a unique convergence of spirituality and luxury, as affluent individuals prioritise spiritual fulfilment over materialistic pursuits. This reflects a changing priority among the affluent class seeking a deeper connection to personal growth and wellbeing.

How is spirituality influencing luxury travel among high-net-worth Indians?

Coach is expanding its offering in Southeast Asia with the launch of a restaurant and coffee shop in Jakarta. Both dining experiences will feature New York-inspired twists and flavours on its menu offerings at a time when young people are looking for unique and immersive food experiences.

Coach offers New York dining experience in Jakarta

In a first for the brand, MCM has launched a Ramadan-themed capsule collection. While Eid and Ramadan will continue to be important moments for luxury brands to show up, the growing buying power of Muslim shoppers means they’ll be expecting localisation to be the norm rather than a novelty.

MCM debuts Ramadan capsule collection 

While budget concerns are seeing luxury buyers turn to pre-owned items, challenges persist as they seek foolproof authentication to verify the hidden gems they’ve discovered. Canvas8 spoke to seven Britons to explore their affinity towards resale platforms for high-end goods.

Why are Britons buying pre-owned luxury?

Resale platforms are a staple of the contemporary shopping experience, but do people trust them enough to splurge on luxury goods? Canvas8 spoke to five Americans about the pros and cons of buying high-end items second-hand, and whether they’d ever switch back to buying new from a brand.

Why are Americans buying pre-owned luxury?

Despite changes in principles, traditions are still a living part of Indian culture, especially through material memory. This is why the jewellery brand Aurus crafts artisanal pieces that appeal to family-oriented and autonomous women, preserving Indian tradition through highly visual storytelling.

Why Aurus crafts visual heirlooms for modern Indian women

Is luxury really recession-proof? What’s behind the success of luxury collaborations? How did quiet luxury give rise to the new look of sustainable upmarket goods? How are the fine jewellery and Swiss watch markets being disrupted? And what drives people to luxury resale?

Luxury Sector Snapshot: March 2024

Luxury has long transcended the boundaries of simply buying goods; now, it's a lifestyle that permeates multiple sectors and spheres of life. Due to the cost of living crisis, luxury is expanding to areas previously seen as too ‘everyman’ in search of a broader audience and a way to appeal to younger generations.

Creative Collabs

Although the luxury sector has long been more about excess and exclusivity than ethics and the environment, there’s an increasing movement towards more sustainable behaviour. As prices rise and purchases become more considered, consumers pay more attention to quality, durability, craftsmanship, and how brands treat the planet.

Sustainable Splendour

Jewellery has long been associated with old-fashioned ideas of luxury, but people are embracing a refreshed, more disruptive aesthetic and novel ways to own it. Against the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, a diverse range of buying incentives is emerging, with many looking at jewellery as an investment.

Jewellery Reset 

A culture of reselling and second-hand shopping is challenging established luxury norms. Once immune to the allure of bargain-hunting and budget-pleasing purchases, resale platforms are changing how people interact with luxury brands and make purchasing decisions.

Pre-owned Priorities

New York pet brand LUNGE transforms everyday pet accessories into playful and stylish designs, capturing the aesthetics of NY dog walkers. The luxury pet economy is booming, while birth rates are declining – instead of spoiling their kids, young Americans are splurging on pets.

LUNGE makes pet ownership high fashion in NYC

SSENSE has grown into one of the biggest names in fashion retail and a favoured destination for Gen Y and Z designer label enthusiasts. As young consumers enter the world of luxury shopping, how does the brand’s cultural appeal align with their shopping needs and desires?

How SSENSE improves young people’s access to luxe fashion

In India's thriving luxury beauty sector, Bollywood biggie Deepika Padukone's skincare venture, 82°E, aims to seize attention. Despite facing pricing and communication challenges, star power and a focus on sustainability have boosted visibility, but the question remains – is it enough for success?

How 82°E associates Indian skincare with celebrity status

Despite being the largest producer of milk in the world, India has traditionally never been associated with cheese production. But things are rapidly changing, with a slew of artisanal cheese companies mushrooming around the country due to a rising economy and a desire for novelty and globalisation.

Experience-hunting audiences are driving a dairy boom in India

Gen Y and Gen Z are discovering watch-collecting as a way to signal and flex status, and they’re elevating their game to take advantage. Against this backdrop, British watchmaker Christopher Ward has catapulted to the top of the mid-range pile, winning admirers from across the globe – but how?

How Christopher Ward bucked watch-collector expectations

Jil Sander, the sleek, sophisticated brand with a storied history, is often lauded for its minimalism, but its creative efforts demonstrate how luxury can be so much more than quiet. In doing so, it is attracting younger consumers who are looking to add individualism into the mix.

How Jil Sander’s anti-nostalgia approach taps Gen Zers

The market for engagement rings for men is booming as people look to more expansive models of masculinity. This trend speaks to a wider challenge to the traditionally gendered roles assigned within heterosexual partnerships, as well as eroding expectations of rigidly masculine style choices.

The sales of men-focused engagement rings are booming

Festival season is a buyer’s market for fashion-forward Indian consumers, with much of the spending on textiles, garments, and jewellry. International brands are taking notice of the growing appetite of India’s affluent classes for luxury and responding with collections to satisfy their tastes.

For affluent Indians, festival season is an excuse to spend more on luxury

Clothing brand PH5 is turning heads with its experimental knitwear designs and commitment to ethical fashion. In a world increasingly seeking luxury and sustainability in equal measure, that might be just the ticket to set it apart and elevate China’s worldwide fashion profile.

How PH5 stitches lasting luxury into ‘Made in China’ labels

Paris 2024 and Chaumet have unveiled medals for the Olympic and Paralympic games, featuring metal taken from the Eiffel Tower replaced during refurbishments. Luxury brands are increasingly entering the sports arena, with both sectors finding opportunities to reach new audiences.

Chaumet brings Paris 2024 Olympics into the luxury world

Fashion brand Pipatchara has a dream – to be a fashion brand that empowers local artisans and entices fashionistas into sustainability. As Thai consumers seek out local brands to support, Pipatchara steps up, offering elegance and modernity, making it one of Thailand’s most promising brands.

Why Pipatchara makes Thai eco-weaving a fashion must-have

Canada Goose has partnered with New York-based streetwear brand KidSuper for a collection spotlighting the innocence of childlike wonder and artistic value. The capsule collection merges functionality and art, giving maximalism meaning – all while showcasing the importance of hyper-local narratives.

Canada Goose champions cultural heritage expression

Disneyland Paris has reopened a hotel after a two-year transformation with a focus on providing guests with an immersive Disney experience. As people look to TV and film for travel inspiration, there is an opportunity for brands to offer fans real-life experiences of their favourite storylines.

Disneyland Hotel offers fans an immersive royal stay

Chanel is leading the efforts to enhance traceability across the beauty industry. As consumers increasingly demand transparent and genuine action when it comes to supply chain sustainability, brands that show leadership in transparency efforts will gain trust among eco-shoppers.

Chanel initiates beauty industry traceability efforts

Italian luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana spotlights the value of artisanry 'fatto a mano' in a unique exhibition in Milan that spotlights the life of its creators. As prices continue to rise, luxury brands that lead with exceptional craftsmanship and heritage could help convince cautious consumers.

Dolce & Gabbana spotlights uniqueness of its artisans

A human rights-focused report has warned that luxury fashion is falling behind in the fight against forced labour. As consumers prioritize transparency, luxury brands must provide supply chain transparency and openly address allegations to appeal to increasingly ethically conscious customers.

Luxury fashion can't commit to ethical supply chains

Prada has released a Chinese New Year campaign that harks back to the olden days of Shanghai. With visual references to Wong Kar-wai, the ad is capitalising on people’s renewed interest in Shanghainese history while also speaking to luxury brands' growing efforts to court cinephiles.

Prada revives Old Shanghai in Chinese New Year campaign

Cocktail maker Barsys has linked up with premium alcohol e-commerce platform ReserveBar to launch an AI-powered cocktail subscription service. With interest in home drinking going strong, brands can lean into tech to automate and replicate indulgent experiences in the comfort of people’s homes.

Barsys enhances home drinking experiences with AI

Compared to its beauty industry counterparts, the oral care industry has fallen behind in innovation and transformation. But a renewed laser focus on dental wellbeing means the sector is full of potential, with luxury brands like Selahatin looking to capitalise by elevating everyday routines.

Why Selahatin brings artisanal oral care to luxe consumers

Following efforts to champion Chinese ceramics, Loewe's Lunar New Year 2024 campaign pays homage to the ancient art of jade carving. Tapping into 'guochao' sentiments, it demonstrates how to nail cultural appreciation at a time when people have grown tired of trite attempts at localising luxury.

Loewe spotlights Chinese jade carvers for Lunar New Year

Veuve Clicquot and Belmond have teamed up to curate a selection of exclusive train journeys across three continents aimed at HNWIs. Amid an economic crisis, the collaboration highlights how brands are catering to a subset of the luxury demographic via unique and sustainable travel experiences.

Veuve Clicquot and Belmond cater to luxury eco-travel

NB44 is expanding its invite-only, $12,000-per-year clothing subscription service to a broader audience. Luxury consumers are increasingly looking for hyper-personalized services and greater exclusivity, signaling their identity and status by consuming carefully curated offerings.

NB44 expands personalised luxury clothing subscriptions

When HNWIs have the wealth to enjoy all earthly delights available on the planet, the only next logical step is to look beyond it. Why are the ultra-wealthy taking extreme risks to travel to the final frontiers, and how can brands tap into this appetite for exploring the limits of human experience?

How HNWIs are taking extreme tourism to the next level

Thailand's T-Wave, driven by BL series and T-pop, has pushed far beyond the walls of the country and Southeast Asia into hearts across the globe. Transnational fandoms amplify Thailand's global impact, offering luxury brands a lucrative market among its superfans by exploring localised branding.

Everything you need to know about Thailand's T-Wave

Fendi has unveiled a collaboration with Hiroshi Fujiwara’s streetwear label Fragment and Pokémon to celebrate the upcoming Year of the Dragon. These limited-edition, NFT-accompanied collabs offer consumers ever-expanding ways to signal status and exclusivity while remaining culturally relevant.




Fendi drops Pokémon collab for the Year of the Dragon

The story of Indian Gen Y and Gen Z changing the face of weddings is also a story of self-awareness, finding a voice, and clarity of thought. All stakeholders of India’s multibillion-dollar wedding industry have realised that they can’t take young brides for granted and must cater to their desires.

How are Gen Z and Y Indian brides reshaping the wedding industry?

Why do Korean young adults spend on luxury items and experiences they can’t afford? How does their desire for personal freedom – including their disinterest in marriage and children – reconcile with the country’s traditional collectivist culture? This Cultural Snapshot uses local stats to explore the behavioural norms shared by people in South Korea in 2024.

A Cultural Snapshot of South Korea: 2024

Indian-based Ayurveda brands have been transcending beyond their traditional medical sphere and venturing into beauty and personal care. With a growing appetite for Ayurvedic beauty, Kama Ayurveda has been positioning itself as the luxury brand to go to both inside and outside India.

How Kama Ayurveda makes luxury beauty from Indian roots

Global travel drives fashion shopping trends, with 80% of tourists shopping while travelling – something set to continue in 2024. Brands like Chanel and Louis Vuitton are opening pop-ups in novel destinations, reflecting a post-pandemic desire for unique, personalised travel and luxury experiences.

Luxury shopping increasingly determines travel choices

Chanel hosted its Métiers d'Art fashion show in Manchester's Northern Quarter, celebrating the city's rich arts and cultural history. The event signifies a shift towards hyper-local activations, which allow brands to connect with consumers and instil a sense of local pride.

Chanel fuses global and local in Manchester fashion show

From scoring partnerships with Dyson and Aveeno to being featured in British Vogue and The Times, Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe has cornered the luxury influencer market – a space that rarely puts Black creators front and centre. What is it about her personality that keeps her fans and brands engaged?

How Melissa Holdbrook-Akposoe bolsters Black luxury

KAI's premium confinement hotel offers a blend of hospitality and wellness for new parents looking for curated care for their newborns and themselves. It leans into the increasing push for maternal care support and the ways people are prioritising luxury wellness experiences.

KAI brings luxury postpartum stays to Singaporeans

A downturn in the luxury watch market reflects broader shifts in consumer priorities. Post-pandemic over-consumption is giving way to demand for authentic, sustainable purchases in the luxury sector. This trend signifies a move towards more meaningful consumption, asking for more from brands.

Luxury watch market downturn signals shifting priorities

L'Oreal and the Perfume Shop have joined forces to introduce the UK's first multi-brand fragrance refill station. With fragrances high in demand, the innovation seeks to build brand loyalty by offering cost savings for repeat buyers and prioritising sustainable shopping options.

L'Oréal x Perfume Shop courts sustainable scent shoppers

Luxury watches have been a globally appreciated status symbol for decades. Amid advances in smartwatch technology, the rise of Gen Z, and macroeconomic conditions, what are the challenges and hopes for the future of the market? We spoke to luxury watch expert Ariel Adams to find out.

Ariel Adams on the future of the luxury watch market

Research has revealed that most APAC luxury consumers would reduce their support for brands that neglect environmental sustainability. These findings emphasise the need for brands to prioritise communicating their sustainability efforts to meet the expectations of APAC luxury consumers.

APAC luxury shoppers are boycotting unethical brands

Demi-fine jewellery brands have increased in popularity over recent years by offering quality and innovative designs at affordable prices. By combining in-store services such as piercing and welding with effective loyalty and sustainability schemes, Astrid & Miyu has acquired an engaged audience.

How Astrid & Miyu courts demi-fine jewellery fans

Thanks to social media trends and pop culture moments, ‘quiet luxury’ and ‘stealth wealth’ aesthetics are making a fashionable comeback. Brands such as Rowing Blazers are reimagining these style codes for younger, nostalgic Gen Zers, making aspirational wealth more accessible in fashion.

Why Rowing Blazers is rethinking luxury shopping

Silversea is using hyper-personalisation to enhance immersive experiences grounded in local culture. As appetite swells for hyper-customised escapism that supports communities and the planet, Silversea demonstrates how niche offerings can attract travellers seeking engaged and responsible discovery.

Silversea brings immersive travel to HNWI cruisers

Ralph Lauren has announced a limited-edition collab with one of China’s most influential online fashion figures, Mr.Bags. The global luxury brand is aiming to build long-lasting connections with Chinese consumers by adapting to the market nuances and partnering with a local influencer.

Ralph Lauren x Mr.Bags launches local-focused collab

A WWF sustainability study revealed that brands Patek Philippe, Rolex, Audemars Piguet, and Chopard lag behind the luxury watch and jewellery industry for sustainability. With some consumers targeting watches for investment, sustainability could be a long-term play for companies.

Swiss watchmakers lagging in transparent sustainability

An image of Diptyque candles, candle holders and glassware on a table

It isn’t easy to capture both the mass and niche market within the fragrance sector, but Diptyque has done so while upholding its luxury brand codes. A conceptual scent offering and innovation – combined with heritage – have made the brand a go-to choice for cross-generational scent enthusiasts.

How Diptyque caters to niche scent enthusiasts 

Luxury brand Stella McCartney has partnered with The Chopra Foundation, a leading mental health organisation, to redefine wellbeing by harnessing the healing power of horses. The collaboration highlights how companies can show leadership in mental health while being true to core values.

Stella McCartney spotlights the power of horse therapy

‘Subway fits’ have emerged as the latest fashion trend on TikTok as users post videos of their daily outfits from the subway. As culture is driven away from conspicuous consumption by the rising cost of living, relatable fashion and ways of elevating the mundane remain popular forms of escapism.

‘Subway fits’ speak to a desire for relatable fashion

In contemporary South Korea, most women aspire to own at least one luxury item by the age of 30. Tapping into the Asia Pacific region's desire for sustainable luxury, Marhen.J has carved a profitable niche and found significant success in a highly competitive, legacy-driven market.

How Marhen.J turns eco-consciousness into Korean luxury

Luxury

In an oversaturated K-pop industry and global media market, fourth-generation girl group NewJeans enjoys a rare dominating success. Through Phoning, a NewJeans-specific, Y2K-branded app, the girl group grants superfans the illusion of hyper-personalised inside scoops into the lives of group members.

Why Phoning recalls the flip-phone experience for Gen Zers

Humane Inc. has launched Ai Pin, a screenless device designed to replace the smartphone by allowing people to focus more on the world around them than their screens. Although it appears to cater to the desires behind the ‘dumb’ phone renaissance, its interface may not suit most people’s needs.

Ai Pin brings smart tech to the digitally fatigued

Reports of young men being targeted with sextortion – online blackmail scams involving the threat of leaking nudes – are increasing in Canada. The shame associated with this crime makes victims reluctant to seek help, but ALERT has rolled out their 'Butt Out, Creeps' initiative to provide support.

Canadian men are falling victim to sextortion crimes

Maybelline collaborated with Microsoft to produce an AI filter that people can apply during virtual meetings to appear as though they're wearing makeup. Even though this appeals to some people's desire for quick glam, there has also been a backlash against digital solutions that alter appearances. 

Maybelline launches AI makeup filter for Microsoft Teams

Berlin-based start-up Charles is bringing conversational commerce to Europe via messaging platforms like WhatsApp. By embedding shopping journeys into conversations, the start-up is making purchasing more convenient while forging stronger personal connections between brands and customers.

Charles fosters communities between brands and buyers

Ferrari has announced its first EV, alongside plans to expand its hybrid and electric range throughout the 2020’s, a novel move for the performance-based brand. Luxury drivers are using their cars to signal status and values, as sustainability concerns have become synonymous with luxury among HNWIs.

Ferrari's new EV meets desire for sustainable hedonism

As people in the UK adapt to hybrid working, many have found that they're most productive when operating from home. Towns outside of the commuter belt have, in turn, become remote working hotbeds, drawing in those who view the possibility of going back to the office full time as unappealing.

'Zoom towns' rise as Britons prioritise flexible working

A Balenciaga campaign featuring severely damaged footwear has created waves online among people shocked at the idea of paying $1,850 for virtually unwearable sneakers. Yet the stunt may appeal to wealthy individuals looking to signal their insider knowledge of fashion trends with subtler choices.

Trashed Balenciaga shoes provide low-key status symbol

With options in the alcohol category ever-expanding, people are looking for new ways to signal luxury status. Jack Daniel's is tapping into this with a premium line of aged whiskey, using heritage marketing and brand appeal to offer alcohol drinkers a taste of luxury at an affordable price.

Jack Daniel's heritage line lures luxury drinkers

Research has found that when people engage in overt displays of luxury status signalling, others may believe they're uncooperative and care more about their self-interest. This goes some way to explaining the negativity surrounding influencers' social media activity during the pandemic.

Luxe status signalling makes people seem uncooperative

Mercedes-Benz India is betting on a new generation of luxury shoppers to drive car sales. While the peak of pandemic lockdowns saw a renaissance of 'stealth wealth', luxe shoppers in the new normal are engaging in conspicuous consumption and splashing cash to make up for lost time. 

Status-signalling Indian HNWIs drive car sales

The luxury goods market is going from strength to strength as the global economy recovers from its pandemic low. Despite rising everyday prices, some people are lusting after luxe goods – a phenomenon explained by the Veblen effect, whereby they use high prices and exclusivity to signal high status.

HENRYS are attracted to luxury goods high price tags

To keep up with skyrocketing demand, Hermès is opening up additional factories to produce their iconic bags. As younger generations are always on the lookout for the next cult item to signal their status, making designer products more widely accessible is a savvy move from luxury brands.

Hermès opens new factories to meet skyrocketing demand

As the age-old marketing motto 'sex sells' begins to lose its appeal amid more equitable and modern mindsets, the banning of Boohoo's sexualised ad by The Advertising Standards Agency signals the increasing importance of context and nuance in how brands handle gendered marketing. 

Watchdog bans Boohoo ad for objectifying women 

As people invest more time and energy into their at-home self-care rituals, they want products that signal their insider status. With young cohorts looking for exclusivity and status symbols in little luxuries, hyper-regionalised scents offer cool cultural cachet in inconspicuous ways.

Micro geo-references offer subtle cultural cachet

On the 49th anniversary of Roe v Wade and as a Texas ruling reignites the debate surrounding abortion rights, OkCupid's unapologetically pro-choice stance is an example of how, in an age where silence speaks for itself, brands are getting political and sticking their head above the parapet.

OkCupid signals allegiance with pro-choice ad 

With hype about the metaverse persisting, a couple has made headlines for tying the knot in a hybrid virtual-physical ceremony. Although such rituals aren't yet legally binding, they signal people’s continued curiosity for creative, fun, and meaningful remote interactions.

Metaverse wedding signals appetite for phygital events

As social interaction moves online and people are bombarded with phone notifications, Gen Yers are feeling more text anxious – which stems partly from information overload and the 'negativity dominance effect' – and are choosing to hide their phones over responding to numerous messages.

Online interactions induce text anxiety in Gen Yers

In mid-October 2021, Asda hosted a pop-up restaurant, presenting its ready meal range in fine-dining style. The event challenges perceptions on ready meals and signals a shift in food and eating behaviours, giving brands an opportunity to reframe expectations with innovative presentation.

Ready meals get a makeover amid changing tastes

Remote workers are repurposing their gardens and sheds into mini offices, creating a refuge from the distractions of busy households. The instinct reflects people's desire to make their home environments multi-purpose as they anticipate a permanent shift towards home working.

Remote workers repurpose their gardens as office space

With record-breaking losses and store closures around the world, American heritage brand Gap hasn't been doing well. But its fall 2021 campaign signals a shift in direction and hope for recovery as it targets new and younger audiences by tapping into their love of all things nostalgic.

Gap draws Gen Zers in with modern take on nostalgia

Modelled after a toolbox, Balenciaga's sturdy iPhone 12 case is keeping people’s phones damage-free. As environmental pressures mount, people are looking for accessories that last in a bid to overcome throwaway culture. Balenciaga’s case caters to this and lets luxe consumers signal eco values.

Toolbox iPhone case is an eco-exhibition for luxe fans

Social media is evolving into a space for open-minded exchange of ideas and information. Within that shift, an emerging crop of influencers are gaining traction – the genuinfluencers. With less of a profit-driven mindset, these influencers are focusing on substance over superficial form.

Genuinfluencers prioritise education over advertising

Privacy is a compelling USP for tech brands, but Whatsapp has been struggling to demonstrate its commitment to privacy after it made a confusing update. To dispel confusion and to showcase how highly it values user privacy, Whatsapp has launched a ‘Message Privately’ campaign.

Whatsapp campaign wants to bust privacy myths

As budgets tighten, people are buying luxury branded packaging to give the illusion of wealth without spending a fortune. From that iconic Hermès orange to Tiffany’s duck-egg-blue boxes, aesthetically pleasing packaging has become a covetable must-have and entry-level marker of luxury.

Clout-chasers signal status through luxury packaging

With successful vaccine rollouts putting the end of the pandemic in sight, people are eagerly anticipating the end of social restrictions. But how will a return to physical intimacy play out? Will people approach touching with trepidation or will they revert to pre-COVID-19 interactions?

Who’s ready for a hot vax summer?

From slacker bears to boba-slurping cats, WeChat stickers have become integral to self-expression in China. They sit in their own category of digital communication, separate from GIFs, emojis, or plain text – opening up possibilities for sentiment analysis and brand collaboration.

WeChat stickers capture hard-to-express emotions

Luxury is no longer exclusively available to wealthy adults; more and more brands are leaning into childrenswear. At a time when Gen Y parents are normalizing the act of posting about their families online, they’re investing in high-end kidswear to signal a happy and successful lifestyle.

'Sharenting' boosts luxury childrenswear market

Luxury brands have been increasing their online presence to capture the attention of the increasingly tech-focused consumer, but as watchmakers turn their attention to Clubhouse, people are divided as to whether the look and feel of luxury will translate well to an audio-only platform.

Luxury watch brands join the convo on Clubhouse

Messaging and calling

People want status without the investment

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