Trends
Global branding, design and consumer trend observations from In-a-Nutshell
The future of retail
Another report from PSFK: Future of Retail.
The free 80-page report features 10 key trends that will impact the retail sector in the next 3 to 5 years.
PSFK suggests, “We should think less about real estate, staff, footfall and online stores and start thinking about the entire world as a store; one in which we can easily make instant purchases regardless of time and place. Driven by technology, the web, community and the search for ever-richer experiences, the world of shopping is undergoing a sweeping transformation. The report seeks to understand the forces of change and provide a framework in which we can envision this new future.
Beyond an evolving decentralised shopping experience, retailers must begin to contemplate the impact of digital media and the effects it is having on purchase decisions. Connected devices, whether a mobile phone or a web-enabled in-store kiosk, are making what was once a solitary trip to the store a socially connected event. As shoppers go through the process of discovering new products, testing them, and reflecting on their purchases, they are sharing these thoughts with their social networks and influencing perception amongst their peer group. Retailers must embrace and facilitate this sharing of information, and retail outlets need to evolve to create experiences that drive sales both in-store and within online social networks.
Wednesday, 09 June 2010 12:07
Good brands report
PSFK’s Good Brands 2010 report was published in April.
PSFK says, “Being a genuinely good brand in 2010 takes more than a widely used product and a ubiquitous global presence. Though there is no precise formula, what the ten good brands on our list have in common is a penchant for imagination, innovation, environmental responsibility and social consciousness.
Their products and services don’t just serve a basic need, but instead help as a tool to improve people’s lives. Several companies have stayed strong, maintaining their positions from last year with continued innovation, while others on the list have jumped into prominence through offering creative solutions and ground breaking new business models.
We started our search for the Good Brands of 2010 by looking at the companies we were writing about on PSFK.com over the last six months. We then asked a panel of cross-industry global experts from the Purple List to tell us which of the common brands on PSFK were considered ‘Good’.”
Profiles of each of the ten brands is scored on innovation, responsibility, community and imagination and include a “lessons for business” section.
Wednesday, 09 June 2010 11:29
A step in the right direction for shoe packaging
German sports brand, Puma, has come up with a solution to reduce waste from shoe packaging.
The company worked with industrial designer, Yves Behar, to create the "Clever Little Bag", which replaces the cardboard shoe box with a box-and-bag hybrid. The bag uses 65% less cardboard than a standard shoebox, uses no laminated paints, no tissue paper, is physically smaller and lighter and replaces plastic bags given out at the checkout, saving almost 275 tons of plastic!
Monday, 17 May 2010 15:09
New library design
Having recently completed a project looking at construction opportunities in a number of sectors including libraries, an article on PSFK's website caught my eye: it looks at how a library in the Netherlands was taking a new approach to re-establishing itself as an information destination and community hub.
Public libraries are facing increasing competition from other information sources, as well as dwindling public interest. In the UK, they are low on the political agenda and are vulnerable to the public spending cuts expected following the general election.
The new library in Almere takes design inspiration from the best pratices of book shops, dividing its space into zones, borrowing ideas for displaying books to make them more browser-friendly, and creating of displays targetted at their frequent visitors.
Monday, 17 May 2010 14:42
Page 3 of 57