The Goods UK – 28 February 2025
Welcome back to The Goods UK. This week, we’re chatting counterfeit dupes, vitamin recovery IV drips, and lazy Gen Z travellers reviving high-street travel agents.
Stats of the week
- 1 in 20: The amount of dollars spent on counterfeit goods globally. (The Telegraph)
- £65 million: The total amount Aldi is set to invest into store upgrades in 2025 ( Retail Week)
- 49%: The surge in searches for flights to London in June 2025 (The Independent)
What’s in: this week’s trends
- Good enough to eat: The fusion of food and fashion is reaching new heights. Luxury boutiques are now offering gourmet experiences, with Yves Saint Laurent opening a branch of Sushi Park at its Paris store. ( Spaces ) The beauty industry is also getting stuck in with collaborations such as Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze campaign with Krispy Kreme, sending Rhode’s limited-edition lip treatment viral, while her Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie at Erewhon became a TikTok sensation. (Harper’s Bazaar)
- The rise of the dupe: Demand for dupes and counterfeits is surging. According to Google Trends, online searches for fake football shirts skyrocketed 514% between UEFA Euro 2020 and 2024. The global counterfeit market is now valued at a staggering £365 billion. ( The Telegraph) TikTok has become a hotspot for ‘dupe culture,’ with influencers racking up hundreds of thousands of followers by showcasing affordable alternatives to premium products. (Istituto Marangoni)
Cash or card: shopper behaviour
What’s in and out of our baskets right now? This week, it’s all about selling clothes through social and buying holidays on the high street.
- Scrolling and spending: If brands aren’t selling directly through social media, they’re missing out. Research commissioned by Retail Economics found that 76% of UK shoppers plan to make purchases through social in 2025 ( The Times), with TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping leading the way (WPP). Content from influencers and micro-influencers are helping brands connect directly with buyers through social. Jean Wilk, Head of TikTok shop, claims that to stay competitive, brands need to embrace seamless, shoppable experiences and build real connections with customers ( BBC).
- Authenticity over algorithms: Gen Z is reviving the high street travel agent, with TUI CEO Sebastian Ebel revealing that younger people are opting for the personal touch over time-consuming online searches ( TTG). This ‘lazy’ generation is choosing to hand over the task to someone who can decide for them and are seeking authenticity when booking. Although TikTok is still their go-to for travel inspo, Gen Z trust agents for expert advice on everything from hotels to yoga classes, saving time and ensuring they book with confidence. Half of TUI’s UK bookings now come through agents (The Telegraph).
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:
Hell’s Angels? Nah, Health’s Angels: Going beyond business, Tesco is offering free blood pressure checks at its pharmacies, promoting preventative measures to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes (Retail Gazette). Meanwhile, ahead of prostate cancer awareness month, Harley-Davidson is rolling out free blood tests with every 500-mile bike service for its riders, helping remove the stigma surrounding the disease ( Little Black Book ). M&S has also collaborated with Prostate Cancer UK and Sir Chris Hoy, donating £4 per pack for all men’s Autograph underwear sold to Prostate Cancer UK until the end of March, and encouraging men to use its online Risk Checker (Marketing Beat).
You’re so vein: Building on the trillion dollar wellness tourism market, some London hotels have started to offer “vitamin recovery IV drips”, offering guests a direct injection of goodness. Establishments such as the South Place Hotel, The Standard and The Dorchester are the latest to employ a smart team of nurses, where a mix of B vitamins, vitamin C, potassium, calcium, sodium chloride and glucose are designed to bypass the gut and help guests “detox” after one too many drinks (The Independent).
Feeling overwhelmed?: As inclusivity becomes a top priority for brands, London’s Westfield shopping centre has opened a permanent sensory room to provide a calm and accessible environment for people with processing disorders, autism, ADHD and other disabilities (Retail Week). It may be timely too, as experts this week warned that younger people might be more exposed to developing conditions due to the rise of noise cancelling headphones, which could hinder the bran’s ability to process sounds effectively ( The Guardian).
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