LSN : News : 03 : 01 : 20

The flagship perfume store stocking just one fragrance

Avestan, London

London – A new Avestan store has opened on Beak Street, offering a physical location for a single unnamed fragrance.

Created as part of a tribute to the late Deciem founder Brandon Truaxe, the store marks the brand’s first move into experiential touchpoints. By offering a single product, the brand is setting out its reputation for having a humble and refined take on scent, without a high price point.

Avestan is offering the fragrance for £38 ($50, €45) for 50ml, and providing a product and experience more commonly associated with luxury design. With richly detailed fragrant notes, the product design is simple and appealing – presented in corrugated cardboard and a brown paper bag. The space itself is also a manifestation of the brand’s vision and values, taking a beautifully minimalist and raw approach with bare wooden tables, fragmented blue tiles and untreated walls.

The decision to offer a single fragrance also eliminates decision fatigue from the retail experience, allowing shoppers and store employees to develop a brand connection. For more insights on slow retail opportunities, read how physical retail is becoming the key to conscious consumption.

Action Bronson and Morgenstern’s collaborate on ice cream for fine dining

Morgenstern’s and Fuck, That’s Delicious by Action Bronson, New York

New York – The rapper and ice cream parlour have released a collection of ice cream flavours and sandwiches called the Fuck, That’s Delicious Holiday Package.

The pair have previously created one-off flavours specifically for events, but off the back of the Action Bronson’s latest EP release, Lamb on Rice, the duo have worked together to create more experimental tastes. Back in 2017, the rapper starred in a Munchies video where he claimed to have created ‘the greatest ice cream treat ever’ with charred marshmallows, chocolate-covered graham crackers, and vanilla ice cream. But with ingredients like charred chocolate, aubergine and fried brazil nuts, this new collection of seven flavours takes the star’s food designs up a notch.

Taking inspiration from fine dining, the Fuck, That’s Delicious collection merges the indulgence market with the hype market. With a limited edition run of 500 packs, each one costs £178 ($233, €209), positioning it as a premium product. As consumer palates continue to change, restaurants are having to rethink dessert, as explored in our Indulgence Market.

Study finds that ‘exercise required’ food labels could reduce obesity

UK – According to research by the Royal Society for Public Health, labelling food with the amount of exercise required to burn it off is more effective than listing calories.

The charity has made these claims on the back of a study by researchers at Loughborough University that showed physical activity calorie equivalent or expenditure (PACE) reduced the amount of calories consumed by study participants. They even predicted that the system could reduce the average person’s calorie intake by up to 200 calories if applied on a wide scale.

Professor Amanda Daley from Loughborough University said: ‘The evidence shows that even a relatively small reduction in daily calorie intake (100 calories) combined with a sustained increase in physical activity is likely to be good for health and could help curb obesity at the population level.’

As the demand for more positive action from food brands continues to grow, companies are innovating to offer helpful solutions. For more, read our macrotrend on Uprooted Diets.

Black Out Track by UNIT9 and Edelman Deportivo for Asics, London

Stat: Young Britons opt for sustainability over fashion trends

According to research by Love the Sales, British shoppers are increasingly opting for sustainable garments over what’s on trend. In fact, nearly one in 10 Britons have decided to shun fast fashion and instead opt for longer-lasting garments. This trend is particularly important for young people, with 7% of 16–29-year-olds avoiding fast fashion brands altogether.

And with 13% of participants saying they care more about sustainability than they did at the beginning of the decade, brands are stepping in to offer solutions like rental services. An interest in the eco-value of clothing is also being reflected online, with searches for sustainable fashion having increased by 662% in the past decade.

With sustainability continuing to be a primary driver for purchasing decisions, how can brands encourage better industry practices? Dr Daniel Benkendorf, professor of psychology at the Fashion Institute of Technology, discusses this in our Big Idea: Are We Too Selfish To Be Sustainable?