The Goods UK – 28 August 2024
Welcome back to The Goods UK. This week, we’re chatting pyjama parties, why Saturday night’s alright for Marmite and whether brands should be ‘very demure, very mindful’.
Did you know that bank holidays have been around since 1871? At first, it was just banks and financial buildings that closed, but business, shops, schools and the government soon joined in on the fun. There are typically eight bank holidays every year in England and Wales. (There’s usually nine in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland).
What’s in: this week’s trends
- And just like that: Forget Brat summer. Demure is the new word of the season. Some brands such as Anthropologie and Maybelline have hopped on the latest trend, taking over our social feeds and email inboxes impressively quickly. However, while embedding pop culture into marketing is nothing new, some have questioned whether these “extremely online” moments resonate with more broader, passerby audiences. In fact, one chief creative officer has said “by the time a brand catches wind of a trend, it may very well be on its way out of the cultural zeitgeist.”
- Just for the halibut: Animal rights organisation Peta has urged high-end decorating brand Farrow & Ball to update the names of its colours that “normalise exploiting animals” to ones that are more vegan-friendly. Rebranding colours such as “Dead Salmon” and “Potted Shrimp would make the products appeal to more people, according to Peta.
- Wish you were here: Three million fewer overseas tourists are coming to our shores each year than before the pandemic, according to the Centre for Economics and Business Research. Spending is also down, creating a shortfall of £2.8 billion. The think tank blamed poor economic conditions but also the end of Britain’s tax-free shopping scheme for deterring visitors. According to the chairman of the South West Business Council, this week’s bank holiday was an important opportunity to boost tourism in the region after a relatively quiet 12 months.
- Pens and pencils at the ready: Aldi has launched a back-to-school fund to help parents with the cost of everyday essentials. The discount supermarket will give away £100 vouchers throughout September and is also donating £20k to good causes supporting children. The initiative comes as 73% of parents say they worry about costs associated with each new academic year.
Cash or card: shopper behaviour
What’s in and out of our baskets right now? With only a few brands seemingly bucking the slowdown in spending trend, 2024 continues to be a rollercoaster ride for retailers.
- Taste over waist: It’s all happening in the beer aisle. Firstly, Heineken Silver and Strongbow Ultra were pulled from UK shelves, after customers made it clear they’ve lost their thirst for these lower calorie products. Then, beer lovers were left “stunned” after discovering the much-loved Madri is not the authentic Spanish pint everyone thought it was. The self-proclaimed ‘Spirit of Madrid’ was actually invented in the far less sunny… Burton-on-Trent. Competitors have claimed the brand’s marketing isn’t “very honest”, but owner Molson Coors has said brewing in the UK allows it to respond efficiently to demand.
- In Charlotte Tilbury we trust: Sales of “prestige” make-up, perfume and skincare are booming in the UK. So much so, if this growth continues, Britain will soon eclipse France which has dominated the beauty industry for decades. The British Beauty Council says the growth is due to the ever growing impact of UK beauty influencers, exciting innovations from the likes of Charlotte Tilbury, Victoria Beckham and Rita Ora, plus the global push for more sustainable beauty practices.
- He’s making a list: It may be over 100 sleeps to the “big day”, but that hasn’t stopped John Lewis from revealing its top ten Christmas toys. Barbie, Play-Doh and Connetix are expected to be high on children’s wish lists. Apparently there were over 1,000 searches for “Christmas” on the retailer’s website in August, as thoughts move on from the summer holidays.
- Bad weather makes for deflation: UK shop prices have fallen into deflation for the first time in almost three years. According to the British Retail Consortium, the change is largely because non-food prices pulled the overall index down. While the news will be welcomed by shoppers, the finer details suggest it’s because retailers had to discount summer stock on the back of poor sales and bad weather.
Making moves: industry changes & innovation
ICYMI, even industry icons need to reinvigorate their brand presence through unique and creative ways. Here are some movers and shakers that you should know about:
- Saturday night’s alright for Marmite: Adding a famous face to a product launch is typically a sure-fire way to grab brand attention. While there’s been no shortage of celeb partnerships this August, the authenticity of the collabs have been refreshing. Beyonce has partnered with Moët Hennessy to launch a new American-made whisky, which is finished, blended and bottled in the singer’s home state. Elton John has teamed up with Marmite for a limited edition jar to spread the “vital message” about the impact of Aids and the singer’s non-profit foundation’s efforts to tackle it. And Olympic medallist Tom Daley has teamed up with Malibu to raise awareness about the dangers of drinking alcohol in and around water. Piggybacking off Daley’s famous love for knitting, the campaign featured a range of knitted goods.
- Ikea’s big PJam-boree: Following a prolonged period of decline for the high street, cheaper rents have triggered a ‘renaissance’ for bricks-and-mortar. However, with the riots leading to a 8% decline in footfall in recent weeks, getting people back in-store has been increasingly difficult. Enter Ikea who’s rounding up pyjama fans to take part in a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest gathering of people wearing two-piece pyjamas today. The stunt is part of the home furnishing brand’s year-long focus on sleep.
- Did somebody say… Card Factory?: Speedy delivery has been an expectation, rather than a luxury, for some time now. Which is likely why Card Factory has teamed up with Just Eat to offer rapid delivery for 200+ cards and celebration essentials. The service will be available across 40 stores by the end of 2024. Elsewhere, this wider trend isn’t showing any signs of slowing down with Morrisons also announcing an extension to its Deliveroo partnership, offering groceries to your door in minutes.
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