News 03.03.2020

Need to Know

Easy-access AR brings luxury to life, local data powers new Sainsbury’s convenience concept and 2019 was the biggest year for vinyl records since 1988.

Burberry and Google launch instant luxury AR

Burberry AR shopping tool through Google Image Search

London – The British luxury brand has introduced an augmented reality (AR) shopping tool that uses Google Search technology.

When consumers search for Burberry items using Google Search on their smartphone, they will now have the option to view them using AR against their immediate surroundings. At present, the AR tool is available when searching for the Burberry Black TB bag or Arthur Check. A tap of 'view in 3D' in Google Search results instantly displays the luxury goods in 3D in the viewers’ own environment, simulating the physical shopping experience without the need for an app.

Shoppers are showing an appetite for more exciting and tech-enabled approaches to product discovery, according to Burberry. Although the AR tool is only available in the UK and the US for now, the brand plans a global roll-out for a variety of products over the coming months and will continue to experiment with new applications of AR in luxury commerce.

By allowing shoppers to simulate the experience of products in their own environment, Burberry is embracing digitisation as a new route for consumers to engage with fashion brands.

Amazon is making reality tv shoppable

Making the Cut on Amazon Making the Cut on Amazon
Making the Cut on Amazon Making the Cut on Amazon

US – Making the Cut is a Prime Video show that makes fashion items instantly shoppable.

Launched by Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn, previously known as hosts of Project Runway, the Amazon Original series will follow 12 aspiring fashion designers and entrepreneurs who compete in design and business challenges. In the finale stage, the winner of the reality show will secure an opportunity to create an exclusive apparel line with Amazon Fashion.

The partnership with Amazon allows Making the Cut to become instantly shoppable, with limited editions of the winning look from each episode available to buy immediately on Amazon Fashion. ‘For the first time, finally, our audience can shop,’ says Klum. ‘You see something, you want it, but you can’t have it. So here, you have a winning look every week and people can buy it around the world.’

While this is not the first shoppable series to hit screens, Making the Cut shows how the Amazon mega-system can intertwine its retail, manufacturing and entertainment divisions to create a more streamlined – and scalable – retail-tainment offering.

This grab-and-go store format taps local data

London – Sainsbury’s has unveiled its new convenience store concept, which uses data to meet the needs of local shoppers in city centres.

Combining fresh and prepared food and drink with convenient ways to shop, the Sainsbury’s Mansion House store is the retailer’s first On The Go format. Almost 90% of the store’s products are stocked using local data and analytics, and have been curated especially for Mansion House customers.

The On The Go concept marks the evolution of the retailer’s neighbourhood convenience stores. A range of digital services, such as the ability to make till-free purchases using the SmartShop mobile app, also help customers shop quickly and easily.

‘Convenience is a growing part of our business and we have greater capability than ever to truly tailor Local stores to local needs – across our products, formats, services and operations,’ says Graham Biggart, Sainsbury’s director of commercial operations. With this responsive approach to inventory and streamlined purchasing processes, Sainsbury’s highlights how the frictionless future of grocery retail will rely on consumer data profiles.

Sainsbury's, On the Go Sainsbury's, On the Go

Stat: Vinyl experiences its biggest year since 1988

Vinyl records have experienced their biggest year for revenue since 1988, according to a recent US study by the RIAA.

The annual report found that – although its sales make up just 4.5% of all music revenue in the US – the vinyl LP market rose 19% between 2018 and 2019, with a total revenue worth £389.3m ($504m, €446.5m).

Although vinyl sales have seen 14 years of consistent growth, the report also highlights the continuing rise in paid subscriptions to on-demand streaming services, which increased by 29% over the past year to reach a total of 60.4m subscriptions.

While digital music services are growing at an exponential rate, brands should not forget the vinyl renaissance, however. As more people engage with audio as a way to decelerate from the pace of life, they are turning to spaces such as Listening Clubs to access music in new, more thoughtful ways.

Previous News Articles
Kia Europe turns road trips into sound journeys for visually impaired people

News

Kia Europe turns road trips into sound journeys for visually impaired people

Automobile manufacturer, Kia Europe and creative agency Innocean Berlin have launched Soundscapes, a creative experiment that transforms the tradit...
Soundscapes : Mobility : Pimp My Ride
Diriyah gets its own Pantone colour as part of cultural revival

News

Diriyah gets its own Pantone colour as part of cultural revival

The historic Saudi city of Diriyah now has a shade to call its own: Diriyah Tan.
Saudi Arabia : Diriyah : Diriyah Biennale
Stat: Consumers sacrifice dining and takeout amid inflation

News

Stat: Consumers sacrifice dining and takeout amid inflation

Amid growing economic uncertainty and inflation concerns, consumers in the US and UK are scaling back on discretionary spending, with 63% cutting b...
Stat : Stats : Spending
O Boticário launches sensual guide for female pleasure

News

O Boticário launches sensual guide for female pleasure

Brazilian cosmetics brand O Boticário has launched Her Touch, a digital book that aims to dismantle taboos around female pleasure by reframing the ...
Beauty : Wellness : Brazil
Trendmood translates online clout into physical retail

News

Trendmood translates online clout into physical retail

Instagram beauty scoop account @trendmood1 is making its first foray into physical retail with a Los Angeles pop-up set to open this summer.
Retail : Beauty : Pop Culture & Media
Stat: UK gym market hits record as Gen Z fuel sign-ups

News

Stat: UK gym market hits record as Gen Z fuel sign-ups

The UK gym market reached a record valuation of £5.7bn ($7.6bn, €6.6bn) in 2024, up 8.8% year on year, according to UKactive’s latest report.
Sports : Health : Wellness
Zendaya wears spacesuits by On to champion movement for all

News

Zendaya wears spacesuits by On to champion movement for all

Zendaya and Swiss sportswear brand On have launched Zone Dreamers, a fictional film trailer turned campaign spotlighting the emotional power of mov...
Fashion : Advertising : On
Stat: AI news fails to win over US audiences

News

Stat: AI news fails to win over US audiences

Despite growing industry interest in AI-generated journalism, a new poll from Poynter and the University of Minnesota reveals widespread public sce...
Technology : Media : AI
Glastonbury’s Shangri-La swaps social for soil in analogue relaunch

News

Glastonbury’s Shangri-La swaps social for soil in analogue relaunch

For 2025, Glastonbury’s Shangri-La is stepping away from digital channels and towards analogue connection, as the late-night area undergoes a thema...
Sustainability : Culture : Design
Corona constructs world’s first sun reserve in Brazil

News

Corona constructs world’s first sun reserve in Brazil

To mark its centenary, beach-born beer brand Corona has unveiled the world’s first sun reserve at Piedade Beach in Pernambuco, Brazil.
Sustainability : Drink : Advertising
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