News 09.02.2023

Need to Know

Katchin is a new marketplace for luxury accessories, Alo Yoga’s NFT loyalty programme and the changing supplement and vitamin routines of US consumers.

Katchin is a new curated platform for luxury watches and jewellery

Katchin, Switzerland

UK – Katchin is a new global marketplace that sells watches and jewellery, and offers curated content to consumers who want a deeper understanding of luxury accessories and brands.

The e-commerce platform will feature brand origin stories, an evolving range of style edits, inspiration, how-to and gift guides. Built by marketplace technology company Mirakl and backed by the Fossil Group, Katchin was launched in the UK with more than 70 up-and-coming brands and well-known designers, including Emporio Armani, Michael Kors, Issey Miyake, as well as jewellery and watch specialists Otazu, Ania Haie, Rotary and Festina.

According to Katchin, the jewellery and watch market in Western Europe is expected to grow by 5–7% in 2023, representing about £11.5bn (€13bn, $14bn) in consumer spending. Luxury brands must rethink traditional barriers to entry to appeal to new consumers. We’ve seen how watch brands are putting effort into democratising and gender-neutralising their products to entice non-traditional and especially younger consumers.

Strategic opportunities

Meet your consumers where they feel most comfortable even if that is an unconventional space for your business to be.

Alo Yoga offers customers NFTs to match purchases

US – In an attempt to digitise its loyalty programme, Los Angeles-based athleisure brand Alo Yoga has created non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for customers who purchased clothing from Aspen’s 2022 skiwear collection.

Aspen is the street-to-studio brand’s most expensive collection to date, priced between £535 ($650, €604) and £1,235 ($1,500, €1,394). Any customer who purchased an item from the 17-piece line of suits, puffer jackets and cashmere sweaters will be offered its digital match. The rotating 3D digital renderings of Alo Yoga’s clothing, created in partnership with digital creative agency Digital Twin Studios, unlock real-life rewards and experiences for Alo Yoga’s premium customers, including personal training sessions at Alo Wellness Clubs, week-long events at Alo Houses and access to private client managers for personal shopping and styling advice.

Consumers remain flexible in their attitudes to physical and digital retail. They expect businesses to also be malleable and create seamless experiences that allow them to go back and forth between both spaces.

The Aspen Collection by Alo Yoga, US

Strategic opportunity

Embrace new phygital realities with creativity, invent playful ways to connect with customers and build loyalty through fun.

Stat: Supplement and vitamin routines of US consumers are evolving

MTHK, UK MTHK, UK

US – What do consumers want from vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements (VMS)? New research has revealed the changing preferences set to shape the future of this increasingly saturated market.

Mintel’s study of Americans’ supplement habits shows that, overall, a third (34%) have increased their usage since the start of the pandemic, but what they want from their VMS products is changing. While physical health (66%) and immune system (62%) support remain top-of-mind, mental wellbeing benefits are increasingly sought-after, pushing demand for brain-boosting and mood-regulating formulas, such as magnesium, vitamin D, curcumin and L-theanine.

The research also highlights that consumers want à la carte VMS offerings, gradually shunning multi-vitamins in favour of single-letter vitamins and mineral supplements. This shift comes as consumers, who are more health-conscious and educated, reject the idea of a one-size-fits-all miracle solution. Expect the health and wellness sectors to become a lot more attentive to targeted and unique concerns, focusing equally on physical and mental wellbeing through bespoke and science-backed routines.

Strategic opportunity

Health concerns no longer hold seasonal significance – consumers focus on all-year-round physical and mental wellbeing. Brands need to factor in this shift and adopt a bespoke approach, prioritising ingredient transparency and educating consumers on how products can work for them

Previous News Articles
Web Summit 2024: Thirsty brands, Trump vs Hollywood and designing for sustainability

News

Web Summit 2024: Thirsty brands, Trump vs Hollywood and designing for sustainability

On day two of Web Summit, attendees spread their attention across start-up pitches, the exhibition floor and a series of talks and panels covering ...
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Society
Shiseido celebrates Japanese craft in award-winning holiday display

News

Shiseido celebrates Japanese craft in award-winning holiday display

Shiseido’s holiday window display, Beauty From Within, at the Shiseido Parlour in Ginza, Tokyo, has won Window Display of the Year at the Frame Awa...
Retail : Beauty : Design
Meta expands VR education with global university partnerships

News

Meta expands VR education with global university partnerships

Meta is advancing its mission to integrate virtual reality (VR) in education, partnering with 13 universities across the US and the UK to beta-test...
Youth : Technology : Design
Stat: The fashion industry braces for another stormy year

News

Stat: The fashion industry braces for another stormy year

According to McKinsey & Co’s and The Business of Fashion’s annual State of Fashion report, the global fashion industry faces steep challenges i...
Fashion : Sustainability : Society
Web Summit 2024: Pharrell Williams, industrial forests and immersive influencing

News

Web Summit 2024: Pharrell Williams, industrial forests and immersive influencing

Lisbon, the European Capital of Innovation since 2023, is once again hosting Web Summit, a four-day event that draws over 70,000 attendees and the ...
Technology : Pop-culture & Media : Events
PIX Moving launches AI-enhanced Robo-EV

News

PIX Moving launches AI-enhanced Robo-EV

Robotics company PIX Moving has introduced Robo-EV, a 3D-printed micro-metal car featuring an AI-powered personal assistant designed to assess and ...
Design : Technology : Mobility
British skincare brand Haeckels relaunched with a new identity

News

British skincare brand Haeckels relaunched with a new identity

Haeckels, the British skincare and fragrance brand, is rebranding as Formerly Known As Haeckels (FKAH), distancing itself from the controversial Ge...
Beauty : Advertising & Branding : Retail
Stat: UK study shows sharp decline in reading for pleasure among children

News

Stat: UK study shows sharp decline in reading for pleasure among children

A new UK survey by the National Literacy Trust (NLT) reveals a shocking decline in children’s enjoyment of reading.
Youth : Education : Society
Lava Genie re-invents the guitar for a new generation of players

News

Lava Genie re-invents the guitar for a new generation of players

Lava Genie, a revolutionary stringless sampler guitar, is transforming how musicians interact with the instrument.
Technology : Artificial Intelligence : Design
Adventure-based immersive zoological park to open in Singapore

News

Adventure-based immersive zoological park to open in Singapore

In March 2025, Rainforest Wild Asia, Singapore’s latest 13-hectare zoological park, will open at Mandai Wildlife Reserve.
Design : Travel & Hospitality : Sustainability
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