Signals

Spain – Aesop’s new store on Avinguda Diagonal in Barcelona, imagined by Spanish creative studio Mesura, showcases an innovative design approach called creative anastylosis. This concept, developed during the store’s creation, involves repurposing discarded materials rather than constructing something entirely new.

Drawing inspiration from the architectural conservation method of anastylosis, where ancient monuments are meticulously re-assembled, the designers flipped the process – starting with salvaged stone fragments and envisaging how they could be transformed.

Collaborating with the Barbany family, renowned local stonemasons with more than 130 years of experience, the team sourced Montjuïc stone remnants from demolished 19th-century buildings. These remnants, discovered in a disused quarry, included pieces from Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, ancient fountains and arcades. Seventy-eight carefully catalogued fragments now form the core of Aesop’s striking interior. 

The store’s design juxtaposes the warmth of creamy Montjuïc stone with the cool precision of stainless steel fixtures. Customers are invited to explore Aesop’s unique formulations at basins carved from these historic stones and to relax on a custom-made sofa that embodies the harmonious blend of past and future.

In our World Retail Congress: Let’s Get Hyperphysical report we examined how brands are tapping into hyper-locality to create destination-worthy stores.

US – Economic and technological changes are driving a resurgence in demand for blue-collar jobs, according to research in the US. A recent report by Resume Coach highlights the growing importance of these roles, and predicts 1.7m new blue-collar jobs in the US by 2032, accounting for over a third (35%) of the fastest-growing job sectors.

As industries face upheaval due to AI and automation, blue-collar work offers rare stability. Union worker salaries have risen by 6.3% in the past year, underlining the financial benefits of these roles. By contrast, in white-collar sectors like technology there were nearly 300,000 layoffs from 2023 to early 2024 due to automation-driven changes.

The resilience of blue-collar jobs lies in their essential nature – roles such as electricians, plumbers and construction workers remain critical to infrastructure and daily life. These positions, requiring highly skilled manual labour, are not easily replaced by AI, ensuring job security for the foreseeable future.

In an era when automation threatens many traditional jobs, blue-collar work stands out as a stable and financially rewarding career path, proving its enduring value in a rapidly changing world. This is particularly relevant for younger generations, including Gen Z, who are increasingly questioning the cost of higher education and looking towards more vocational careers.