The Goods UK – 6 June 2025
Welcome back to The Goods UK. This week we’re chatting drone deliveries, dessert parlours and Dads saving their pennies this Father’s Day.
Fun stats of the week
- 57%: The percentage of fathers who said they have no strong opinion towards Father’s Day (YouGov)
- 0.5%: Drop in Oxford Street shop vacancies in the first quarter of 2025 (Retail Sector)
- 30,000: The number of Nintendo Switch 2’s that Currys sold when the devices released worldwide, in its “biggest gaming pre-order ever” (BBC)
What’s in: this week’s trends
- Coolinary delights: Cook’s frozen meals are so good people are passing them off as homemade, only to panic when guests ask for the recipe. “It doesn’t just happen occasionally, it happens weekly,” laughs co-founder Ed Perry (The Telegraph). With Iceland forecasting 2025 as a year of transformative growth and 64% of Brits eager to explore its benefits, Cook might just be perfectly placed to lead the charge (Retail Gazette).
- Spotlight on Shoptalk: Shoptalk Europe 2025 put sustainability centre stage, with a focus on the recommerce market, which is projected to grow five times faster than retail. Industry leaders from Amazon, Ocado, and eBay shared insights on scaling sustainable practices across both digital and physical retail (Shoptalk Europe). This momentum carried into World Environment Day, where this year’s theme, ‘Beat Plastic Pollution,’ underscored the urgent need for action (Sustainability Magazine).
- In-store encore: Oxford Street is back in business as new figures reveal shop vacancies have dropped 0.5% in Q1 – reaching the lowest since pre-pandemic. The revival reflects retailers mixing online convenience with physical stores to give shoppers the best of both worlds (City AM). Big names such as IKEA, Nike, and revamped icons like Debenhams are leading the charge, while Soho and Carnaby Street are buzzing with fresh fashion and beauty launches from TALA and PURESEOUL (Retail Times).
Cash or card: shopper behaviour
What’s in and out of our baskets right now? This week, we’re talking Father’s Day, dessert parlours and travel spending.
- Father’s Day frenzy: A recent poll from YouGov found that 5% of those surveyed do not plan to spend any money on Father’s Day gifts and 55% intend to spend less than £30. 22% said they would be purchasing clothing, while 21% said they would choose chocolate or sweets (YouGov).
- Sweet dreams are made of these: As Gen-Z continues to find alternatives to traditional pub trips and meals out, dessert parlours have risen in popularity as a social destination. The market for dessert cafes and ice-cream parlours is said to be c.£500m and with over 700 opening in the UK over the last 10 years, these venues offer a space to socialise while meeting the needs of an increasing number of non-drinkers and families alike (The Guardian).
- Vibes over viability: While UK consumer confidence remains in negative territory, recent data from Barclays suggests that consumers are continuing to prioritise discretionary spending. Travel and beauty are two areas which have seen sustained growth in recent years, with consumers choosing fun and joy over functional purchases (Barclays).
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:
- Grocery gambit: Forget writing a list, the way we do grocery shopping may be forever changed thanks to a ChatGPT update where users can ask for meal suggestions and filter results by price, ingredients, nutritional value and where to buy. “Brands need to adapt”, says Vineta Bajaj, CFO for pan-European online grocer Rohlik Group, who adds that visibility online now means “being part of the answer when someone asks AI what to buy” (The Grocer).
- Race-cation: With ‘run and yap’ seemingly the socialising trend of the year it is no surprise that marathon-related travel is now a key pillar of the wellness tourism phenomenon. As more fitness fanatics are setting their sights on race routes around the world, coupled with Sydney being crowned the world’s seventh major marathon this year, traveller numbers continue to soar. Wizz Air is one of the front runners already making the most of this, rewarding a year-long ‘All You Can Fly’ subscription to runners who participate in the most marathons across its European Run Series (TimeOut).
- Drone delivery: Deliveroo has announced it is conducting a test phase of deliveries by drone in Dublin from this week, with delivery times of as little as three minutes. The drones will be operated from a local delivery hub and fly at speeds of 50mph. Deliveroo said that by skipping road traffic drone deliveries would also reduce emissions and be particularly suited to suburban locations, where it is looking to increase its presence (The Times).
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