LSN : News : Customers still desire human service

A bridal collection for non-binary couples

Die For Love by Dilara Findikoglu

London – Designer Dilara Findikoglu has entered the bridalwear market with a collection that breaks away from traditional gendered garments.

Entitled Die for Love, the bridal range is designed with gay men, lesbians and non-binary couples in mind, but shies away from the typical white wedding dress, creating red, pink and black alternatives. Findikoglu has also created an option for the single woman; an all-black dress for women to demonstrate self-love.

‘There haven’t been any other brands that consider same-sex marriages when designing wedding lines,’ she tells Dazed magazine. ‘I wanted to change how limited wedding traditions have been in the past and be more inclusive.’

To support the collection, Findikoglu partnered with Nowness to create a film featuring real couples discussing their views on love and marriage. With the bridal industry slow to embrace shifting attitudes around gender and identity, the collection emphasises how it should change to fit with the Post-family mindset.

WeWork opens an in-office retail space

WeMRKT by WeWork, New York

New York – After branching into various industries, from fitness to education, WeWork has entered the retail sector with WeMRKT. Based in the brand’s Tribeca co-working space, the store only sells items created by members from its database – from healthy snacks and stationery to branded apparel.

The concept, which is set to roll-out across WeWork’s US locations, is a reimagined version of the brand’s original Honesty Market, offering a rotating selection of products. Members who wish to have their products featured and bypass the expensive overheads of bricks-and-mortar retail will have the option to compete with other brands in a quarterly pitch night held by WeWork.

Companies such as WeWork and Bodega are creating a new category of retail space that infiltrates the place consumers spend much of their day – the workplace.

Avon creates a podcast for recruitment

New York – The stalwart beauty brand has launched its first ever podcast series called Make It Happen.

After more than a century of Avon representatives selling beauty products door-to-door, the company is now transferring its business expertise to podcasts, using them as both a recruitment and marketing tool.

Through the podcasts, Avon plans to integrate itself into consumers’ daily routines. Its series will feature provocative discussions between Avon Representatives and recognised businesspersons, covering work and entrepreneurialism. Not only does it hope to boost the brand’s credibility among listeners, the podcasts will also work as recruitment tools for new representatives who may have been misinformed about the brand’s direct-selling model.

By using podcasts as a tool to express the brand’s internal culture, Avon is finding innovative ways to continue its legacy and involve consumers, both loyal and new, in its community. For more, read our Brand Culture 2020 report.

AI curated careers, Aleksandra Szymanska, The Future Laboratory

Bose enters the sleep market

Sleepbuds by Bose, US

US – Electronics brand Bose has launched its wireless Sleepbuds – its first product designed to mask noise and improve sleep.

The earbuds are Bose’s smallest-ever product and come with ‘sleeptracks’ that mimic the frequencies of noises such as snoring, dogs and traffic, concealing them beneath a layer of sleep-inducing audio. With these features, the Sleepbuds can optimise the wearer’s sleep for up to 16 hours.

‘Noise-masking is a science,’ says Daniel Lee, systems engineer for Bose Sleepbuds. ‘It’s more than ambient sound or white noise. You can’t achieve it by simply turning up the volume on calming songs.’

With sleep deprivation costing the US economy $411 billion a year, the market for products that optimise sleep is booming and motivating companies such as Bose to reconsider how they design audio technology.

Customers still desire human service

According to a recent study by analytics software firm Calabrio, customers are placing greater importance on human service than the digital tools companies have been investing in, such as chatbots and self-service machines.

However, customers appreciate the choice that both types of service offer. Of those surveyed, 74% said they would be more loyal to a business that gives them the option to speak to a human rather than businesses that rely solely on digital channels.

As more retailers roll out digital services to automate their stores, the future is undoubtedly heading towards ultra-convenience. However, with human touch still key to any business, there lies an opportunity to reposition this level of service as a luxury.

Thought-starter: Can apps revolutionise fast fashion?

With convenience often outweighing consciousness, deputy foresight editor Kathryn Bishop reveals the new apps integrating sustainable fashion choices into consumers’ busy lifestyles.

Convenience has become a major driver in fashion retail, especially for time-pressed consumers unable – or unwilling – to hit the high street. Launching initially in Spain, Ethical Time hopes to change things. The free app will connect conscious consumers directly with the country’s 500 sustainable fashion labels through a single, convenient platform.

Elsewhere, modern consumers are demonstrating a desire to support fashion’s circular economy, driving a resale market that is tipped to grow by 15% a year in the next four years. British department store chain John Lewis has introduced a buy-back app that enables customers to return unwanted clothes in exchange for a John Lewis gift card.

For more on how fashion can help consumers break free from unsustainable consumption, read our micro trend Fast (Conscious) Fashion.