8 Oct

Trendswatch | New Business Insight From The Past Week

Just when we thought we’d left the madness of 2020 behind, we are now in the midst of a fuel crisis! From news stories of mile long traffic queues, people trading cars for horses and the BBC sending ‘Phil MCCann’ to cover the story, it really has been one hell of a week! In happier news, Bond is out! So, make sure you go get your tickets to see Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as 007!  

But what about the Trends? Well, this week we shall be discussing the subscription economy, green stores, and the new age of gaming!  

Subscription economy 

The subscription economy is accelerating at lightning speed, driven by (yes you guessed it!) … the pandemic. From stores closing due to lockdowns, our love of subscriptions has truly been taken to the next level.  

From meal kits to Spotify, Netflix to beauty brands, we simply cannot get enough! Even the unexpected brands are getting involved with car services such as Onto! 

But what’s the reason for this? Well, it’s a mixture of things. The pandemic has made it so that home delivery is now the norm, and subscriptions can take company’s delivery services to the next level. Likewise, consumers are also demanding products that fit into their busy lives, and subscriptions can offer flexible packages that enable this.  

So, what does the future of the subscription economy look like? Well, I predict that even more brands will start to implement subscription services and loyalty schemes, and that we will also start to see payment services such as Klarna integrate with brand’s subscription services to create all round flexible packages for all! 

Green Stores 

Sustainability is one the biggest topics of the moment due to climate change being (next to the pandemic!) the biggest crisis of our time! And now brands are starting to realise they need to do more than just celebrate earth day in order to help out.  

One brand stepping up to the plate is Starbucks, having this week announced that it is launching its first ‘Green Store’ in Asia, creating a blueprint I expect many brands will follow in the coming months/years.  

The Starbucks Greener Store will be the first to use recycled and lower impact building materials such as wood and will have the staff sporting its signature green aprons made from recycled Starbucks cups.  

It will also host ‘Sustainable coffee classrooms’, which will have coffee masters from across the globe covering different sustainability practices! This is a world first for Starbucks, but will they start to implement it in other countries and really take their sustainability initiatives to the next level? Only time will tell!  

The new age of gaming 

For months now there has been talk of Netflix moving into gaming and this week it was finally confirmed. With the news that Netflix has acquired Night School Studio! 

The co-founder of Night School has come out and said that the pairing is natural and will support diverse storytellers. This is a significant move from Netflix, as it means the company is looking to push beyond film and TV and transform into an all-round visceral experience.  

There are many theories by analysts and reporters as to what Netflix gaming will look like. But my prediction is that in the next ten years we will start to see films and games intertwine, so you can select a game off a film, or maybe even play a game within a film! If one thing is for certain though, it is that a Netflix Games is on the horizon and all you gamers better be ready as gaming is about to be taken to a whole new level!  

Come back next week for further trends and insights 😊