Signals

US – Lab-grown chicken, produced entirely from animal cells, made its debut at a San Francisco restaurant in July 2023. Manufactured by Upside Foods and Good Meat, which received recent approval from the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture, the cultivated chicken was served to winners of a social media contest at Bar Crenn. The chicken was prepared in a tempura batter, accompanied by a burnt chilli aioli, greens and edible flowers, all presented in a black ceramic dish.

Lab-grown meat producers aim to reduce the environmental impact of the traditional meat industry and provide an alternative for individuals concerned about the ethical treatment and killing of animals. But the cultivated meat is not technically vegetarian or vegan.

‘It’s the first time meat has made it back on my menu since 2018, because Upside chicken is the first meat that I feel good about serving,’ said Michelin-starred chef Dominique Crenn. She called Upside a ‘significant step towards a more sustainable and compassionate food system’.

The cultivated chicken has yet to become a regular menu item at Bar Crenn, but it will be featured in other monthly events throughout the year.

In our Adaptive Appetites macrotrend, we previously analysed how, as inflation and supply chain fragility send food and drink prices soaring, consumers and companies are adapting rapidly and embracing frugality, innovation and indulgence.

Global – A November 2022 report by direct-to-consumer platform ESW, formerly known as eShopWorld, suggests shoppers buying luxury outside of their own country are more prone to FOMO (fear of missing out).

Surveying over 16,000 consumers across 16 countries, the Global Voices 2023 study found that 47% of cross-border luxury shoppers are more willing to pay full price for an item that they want to be among the first to own – compared to 19% of non-luxury apparel shoppers.

Gen Z and Millennial shoppers are leading this trend, given one in four say they buy luxury while travelling. ‘With luxury, it’s not simply fast shipping and delivery [that] motivate Gen Z and Millennials to purchase luxury products online,’ says Martim Avillez Oliveira, CEO of ESW Europe. ‘They are also more incentivised by scarcity and exclusivity than Gen X and Baby Boomers and, in fact, are two to three times more willing to pay full price for luxury goods if they are one of the first – or only – people to have an item.’

The research shows that younger consumers eye exclusivity to stand out on social media and feel unique, while their elders are usually more willing to pay the total price to get the exact item they want, even if scarcity or exclusivity is not a factor.

In Heating Up Luxury Fashion For Gen Z, we previously sat down with Futures 100 Innovators nominees Joe Wilkinson and Mario Maher from Heat, who proved that their go-to mystery box featuring luxury fashion items was designed for Gen Z luxury shoppers’ preferences for uniqueness and excitement.