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X11 is a toy shop for China’s Generation Z parents

X11 Global Flagship Store by BloomDesign, Shanghai

X11 global flagship store by BloomDesign, Shanghai

Shanghai – X11, a retail concept that boasts the largest toy collection in China, aims to attract a new demographic of Generation Z parents. The space, set over two floors, exhibits toys from around the world in a similar vein to artworks, using photogenic backdrops in order to tap into this generation’s passion for documenting retail spaces on social media.

By tapping into the region’s long-standing experiential retail trend and marketing this towards a new generation of parents, X11 is using maximalist design to elevate the traditional toy shop. With the store, BloomDesign, the architects behind the project, aim to promote discovery, playfulness and exploration – values that complement the toy market and appeal to a youthful Chinese demographic who are keen to shop for home-grown brands.

With newly imposed policies allowing parents in China to have three children for the first time in 42 years, X11 is well positioned to capture the burgeoning market of Gen Z parents. With the shop appealing to both children and adult collectors, it represents a shift in China’s Emerging Youth Market, as consumers who were once considered youth become parents themselves.

Strategic opportunity

All eyes are on China as it relaxes its strict family policies. Companies should adopt retail concepts associated with creative Gen Zs to reach this new lucrative market of young Chinese parents

Emma Lewisham raises the sustainable beauty bar

Emma Lewisham, New Zealand

New Zealand – The natural beauty brand is pushing industry standards with the announcement of its fully circular product range and carbon-positive status. Showcasing a holistic approach to the environment, the brand is introducing refillable packaging and a convenient take-back scheme in partnership with waste management company TerraCycle.

Together with environmental certification agency Toitū Envirocare, Emma Lewisham is also measuring and positively offsetting emissions throughout its entire supply chain – including the harvesting of raw ingredients, transport, product packaging and end-of-life for each product. The brand is recognising the importance of providing open-source sustainability for the wider industry to learn from, by publishing its circularity guidelines. ‘If we are to ensure packaging is recycled, brands must take ownership of their materials and work with customers to take back all packaging globally to be recycled through specialised recycling partners who ensure this happens,’ explains Lewisham.

Through this fully circular and sustainable approach, the beauty brand is setting a positive example to similar businesses that are contributing to the rise of Bio-positive Beauty.

Strategic opportunity

FMCG brands should take inspiration from Emma Lewisham and design zero-waste solutions into each of their strategies. For a start, launch take-back packaging schemes to boost convenience for customers

This Tokyo pop-up spotlights Arctic-made spirits

Japan – Drinks importer King Barrel is courting Japanese audiences with an Arctic-themed pop-up shop in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district. Capitalising on Japanese consumers' fascination with the Northern Lights, the pop-up will showcase spirits distilled in the Arctic Circle – including those made by Aurora Spirit, the world’s northernmost distillery.

Open until December 2021, one focus of the retail space will be on aquavit, a spirit that has recently gained traction in the region. This will sit alongside a range of Arctic whiskies, gins and herbal liqueurs. By tapping into local tourism desires in this way, King Barrel joins a growing number of distillers that are transporting drinkers to unexpected territories through elevated spirits.

As travel experiences remain largely restricted in Japan, food and drink brands should explore ways of generating excitement over international flavours. Elsewhere, we’ve previously identified the ways that marketers are selling the sensorial nature of travel to create intrigue among audiences.

Aurora Spirit Distillery, Norway

Strategic opportunity

Food and drink brands should focus on hyper-local nuances to market new products as de facto travel experiences, using these experiences to tap into all five senses

Stat: Hollywood falls behind in Latino representation

Ceremonia

The media and entertainment industries continue to lack representation of people of the global majority, especially when it comes to Latinx and Hispanic communities. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative at the University of Southern California recently released a study that found that just 5% of all 51,158 speaking characters identified across a sample of 1,300 Hollywood films were Hispanic or Latino.

The representation of women from these backgrounds was found to be particularly low, accounting for just 1.9% of all leads or co-leads, and 43.6% of the most popular films of the past 13 years didn’t feature even one Hispanic or Latino character. Ariana Case, the study’s lead author, highlights the role of the industry in represents modern America, as well as the highly diverse city of Los Angeles, in which many of these films are set: ‘This community represents nearly 20% of the US population and nearly half of Los Angeles residents and yet remains almost invisible on screen.’

While these communities have long faced a lack of portrayals in mainstream media, Hispanic youth are taking it upon themselves to boost their representation through activism, music and beauty.

Strategic opportunity

Media, entertainment and advertising companies have a responsibility to accurately represent diverse groups. As well as including Latinx folk in front of the camera, work to embed them behind the scenes too