17 May, 2014

Guest post: Experiencing the Fragrance Lab at Selfridges

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DRG contributor ALISON BISHOP reports on FRAGRANCE LAB: a searching personality profiling experience that distills your creative preferences into a scent

Someone said to me recently this is the decade of personalization, and that’s so true, especially when it comes to retail. Brands are looking to create ever more personalised experiences in stores to counteract the lure of convenience from online shopping. The appeal of a shopping experience that is not only personalized to you, but one that is tactile and sensory wins in my book hands down. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 2 Comments Beauty, Retail concepts, Trends Alison Bishop, Ask Alison, beauty, experiential retail, fragrance, long read, personalisation, retail concepts, Selfridges, The Future Laboratory

10 November, 2013

Beauty futures: What’s new and next in beauty?

And-Other-Stories-Beauty-Polly-Braden

As you might have gathered, I love knowing what’s new and next when it comes to brands and retail and one of my favourite information resources is LS:N Global. The trends and insight network from The Future Laboratory covers global innovation from design, retail and lifestyle sectors and has a free blog called Seed *. Even better than the online content are the regular insight forums held at The Future Laboratory HQ in Shoreditch. Recently, I was invited to cover Beauty Futures, a jam-packed forum that focused on the beauty industry. Over six hours the LS:N Global team unpacked the emerging trends that will affect the way we shop for beauty over the coming years. Here’s my breakdown: (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 4 Comments Beauty, Brands, Business of fashion, Retail concepts, Trends Aesop, And Other Stories, beauty, Bite, Concoction, Fisix, long read, LSN Global, mens grooming, millennials, retail, Sepai, The Future Laboratory, trends

8 March, 2013

Guest post: The newly-launched ‘& Other Stories’ celebrates individual (street) style

No-one does the high street better than the Brits, except possibly the Swedes! Well, H&M in particular. Launching today is H&M’s new brand, & Other Stories. Here’s the verdict from guest contributor, LSN Global retail editor, ALISON BISHOP

So, the new retail concept & Other Stories by H&M has finally launched (in London first, natch), and it seems there is room for another fashion retail concept on the high street. & Other Stories lives up to its premium product pitch in terms of ‘style over fast-fashion’. (more…)

Disneyrollergirl 4 Comments Beauty, Brands, Business of fashion, Design, Designers, Events, Online shopping, Retail concepts, Trends & Other Stories, Alison Bishop, beauty, Bill Cunningham, guest blog, H&M, high street, long read, LSN Global, retail concepts, retail news, street style, The Future Laboratory

11 October, 2011

On Hermes saris and localised luxury

Hermes is opening stores left, right and centre, proving that there’s no shortage of demand for Constance handbags and playful-luxe knick knacks. Last month saw the opening of a new men’s flagship in Rome but I’m more interested in the recently opened Hermes standalone store in Bombay. Built at 15a Horniman Circle, (the point zero from where all meeting points in the city are measured), it’s the first luxury store to open in a standalone location rather than in a hotel or luxury mall as is the norm for India. (more…)