The Goods UK – 21 March 2025
Welcome back to The Goods UK. This week we’re chatting how St Patrick’s Day is permeating global culture, why recessions impact our hair colour choices and what’s driving the launch of one ingredient cornflakes.
Stats of the week
- 100 million pints were sold in the UK over St Patrick’s Day weekend, 12 million of which were Guinness. (Daily Mail)
- 12 million people engage with home décor content on Pinterest, with rising searches for terms like ‘cosy cottage bedroom’ (+170%) and ‘whimsical bedroom’(+130%). (Retail Gazette)
What’s in: this week’s trends
- Destination, Oxford Street: As Sadiq Khan pushes ahead with the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, the resurgence of the iconic shopping destination has seen a flurry of leading brands announce their return. (Financial Times) Businesses including Nike, Ikea, Puma and Space NK have announced the opening of flagship stores as the once dominant retail hub looks to regain its former glory. (Time Out) Not only would the pedestrianisation of Oxford Street increase the dwell time of visitors and improve overall atmosphere for shoppers, but industry commentators believe it would also create more space to introduce brand activations, creating the UK’s answer to Times Square. (Retail Sector)
- Not just for St Paddy’s Day: This week, thousands of Brits donned shamrocks and Leprechaun costumes to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. However, Irish culture is seeing something of a wider renaissance, influencing a variety of sectors including fashion, cinema, food and drinks. Guinness saw record 2024 sales in the US, with 3.5 million pints sold per day. Elsewhere, leading luxury fashion brands such as LVMH-backed Polène and Loewe have released Irish-inspired collections to meet the growing interest in ‘Irish-chic.’ (The Guardian)
- A brand New Day: AO World’s snubbing of the Frasers Plus credit-solution in favour of New Day marks an ongoing focus by retailers to offer flexible payment options for their customers. (The Times) Businesses including THG, Marks Electrical and Hornby have incorporated Frasers’ offering, while Debenhams Group launched its own credit payment option alongside the Debenhams+ credit card. (Retail Gazette) The growing demand for such solutions has also seen Klarna announce its long-awaited IPO, proving that flexible payment options are set to grow as modern retail continues to evolve. (Bloomberg)
Cash or card: shopper behaviour
What’s in and out of our baskets right now? This week, we’re talking the basket of goods, fruity beers and “recession blondes”.
- A very modern basket: The ONS’ ‘basket of goods’ has long been a valuable measure of UK inflation. The basket consists of over 750 typical consumer goods and services, providing insight into in-demand items of shoppers. While the removal of in-store café meals from the list reflects the ongoing closure of café’s in many department stores, the inclusion of items such as yoga mats, VR headsets, pulled pork and instant noodles highlights the evolving priorities of consumer spending. (The Standard)
- A fruity thirst trap: People, particularly those in their 20s and 30s, are driving a significant increase in demand for fruit-flavoured beer, with sales of these brews at Tesco increasing 250% over the past year. (The Times) As younger beer drinkers look for lighter, sweeter and lower-alcohol options, the sale of these “Instagrammable drinks” has resulted in the biggest drinks trend since the craft beer boom 15 years ago. (Retail Gazette)
- Blondes not having fun: Forget interest and employment rates, it turns out that fashion and beauty trends may provide an indication of a forthcoming recession. In a bid to save money, more people are skipping the salon and letting their natural hair grow out – a trend also noted following the 2008 recession. Some people are also opting for lower-maintenance highlights, rather than an expensive dye job, resulting in a “mousy” colour that has also been coined “recession blonde”. (Vogue)
Making moves: industry changes & innovation
ICYMI, industry icons are reinvigorating their brand through unique and creative ways. Here are some movers and shakers that you should know about:
- No more nasties: Ultra-processed food is the current health hot topic, reflecting the rise of interest in gut health. In response to growing demands for ‘cleaner’ food, M&S has shaken up the cereal aisle with the launch of its one ingredient cornflakes. (Retail Week) With the upcoming HFSS ad ban including cereals, and many brands like Kellogg’s reformulating its product to slash sugar and salt content, M&S is raising the game for ingredient transparency. (The Grocer)
- A very unhappy birthday: As the UK marks five years since we were told to “stay home” . Retail Week takes a look at how lockdown changed the way Brits shop. (Retail Week) While online shopping, frictionless self-checkout tech and rapid delivery has stuck five years on, retail analyst Natalie Berg says the future of retail has to become more immersive. Many retailers are embracing this trend: Holland & Barrett and New Look launched experience stores this week, (Retail Technology Innovation Hub, Fashion United) with Vinted’s first ever luxury pop-up also launching later this month. (Time Out)
- From pins to purchase: Pinterest is a goldmine for inspiration and Primark’s new collaboration with the platform takes this one step further. Inspired by real-time data on Pinterest, the retailer is launching three new ranges – ‘Cosy Cottage’, ‘Minamaluxe’, and ‘Dainty Décor’ – inspired by trending searches. (Retail Gazette) With 1 in 5 social media users making weekly purchases online, the collaboration shows the power of combining digital and physical shopping experiences, leveraging inspiration into actionable purchasing. (Home of Direct Commerce)
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