LSN : News : 14 : 03 : 25

The Future Laboratory releases New Codes of Value macrotrend report

Amid rising financial strain and a growing dissatisfaction with consumerism, The Future Laboratory’s latest report New Codes of Value uncovers the shifting priorities reshaping brand-consumer relationships.

With 82% of Britons saying prices are outpacing their incomes and the second-hand market growing seven times faster than overall fashion retail, consumers are embracing resourcefulness, care and connection over traditional notions of luxury. The report highlights how savvy spending, underconsumption mindsets and a rejection of ‘enshittification’ – when brands degrade services in pursuit of profit – are leading to a new relational economy.

Brands must rethink their approach, moving beyond transactional relationships to deliver genuine value, fair pricing and meaningful experiences. As individuals prioritise time, transformation and personal empowerment, only those who align with these emerging value codes will thrive.

Become a member of LS:N Global today to access the report. Non-members can buy the report from The Future Laboratory’s shop for £475.

Imprudence’s climatic drop imagines adaptive futures for a warmer world

The Climatic Drop by Imprudence, France

France – To mark its 10th anniversary, Paris-based design studio Imprudence is launching a series of speculative drops exploring possible futures. The first, Climatic Drop, envisions how people might adapt to a world heading towards 5°C of global warming by 2035.

The collection includes future-focused essentials such as a bacteria-woven puffer jacket that insulates, cools and filters pollutants, and a floating cabin designed for flood-prone environments. Also featured is the Meta-WasterWear jacket, made from recycled NFT servers, decommissioned Wi-Fi routers and other e-waste, highlighting the environmental impact of digital consumption.

‘These artifacts are adaptive solutions, each embodying and prefiguring technologies, techniques and solutions for a more sustainable world (biomaterials, waterlessness, energy autonomy),’ states the brand. ‘Above all, they are there to highlight the changes to come, and bring them just as clearly within our immediate field of vision.’

Read more about Imprudence’s vision for the future in our The Synthocene Era: Merging Human and Machine Intelligence which includes exclusive insights from the French design studio.

Strategic opportunity

As temperatures go up, consider developing adaptive, multifunctional products that respond to extreme weather, such as self-cooling fabrics and flood-proof architecture

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, we wrap up the topics, issues, ideas and viral moments everyone’s been discussing. This week, foresight analyst Seyi Oduwole discusses tailor-made travel, fashion’s fixation on dollcore and mass-market retail chains diving into the beauty sector.

: Target has recently expanded its beauty selection by introducing over 2,000 new products from nearly 50 brands. This move aims to attract price-conscious beauty consumers amid the cost of living crisis, as shoppers reassess their spending priorities. Notably, 90% of the new products are priced under £15.50 ($20, €18.60), with some starting as low as £1 ($1.29, €1.18). We previously analysed the strategy behind mass market retailers’ dive into beauty in our Brand Innovation Debrief: Walmart report.

: Fashion Month saw an influx of new trends, including protectionist styles like medievalcore and girly gorpcore. However, the one that stands out most to me is dollcore. The globally loved Barbie film served as a catalyst for this aesthetic, aligning with Pinterest’s 2025 prediction of a ‘dolled up’ trend. From Conner Ives’ t-shirt urging ‘protect the dolls’ to Lisa Says Gah’s Polly Pocket collaboration with Mattel, we’re about to witness a modern Valley of the Dolls viral moment. Whether it’s about playing with them or becoming one yourself, the kidult craze is well and truly underway.

: In travel and hospitality news – my speciality – Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam has unveiled a spa and wellness centre, where treatments honour local traditions and are rooted in traditional Vietnamese medicine principles. For a very limited number of White Lotus fans, Four Seasons has introduced a £145,607 ($188,000, €179,529) package inspired by the show, spanning eight of the company's properties. Explore our Glow Up Getaways microtrend report to understand people’s growing interest in longevity and delve into our Future Forecast 2025: Travel & Hospitality macrotrend report for insights into niche travel experiences.

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Quote of the week

‘For India, the world is becoming an oyster and the future belongs to the brands that are prepared’

Yogeesh Chandra, chief strategy officer, RateGain, on stage at ITB Berlin

Stat: US consumers double down on health

Photography by Oleg Ivanov, Kyiv, Ukraine

US – A new report highlights that health is now a top priority for individuals in the US. The findings from The New Consumer and Coefficient Capital show that 72% of Gen Z, 73% of Gen X and 76% of Millennials are prioritising health and wellness, reflecting a growing cultural focus on wellbeing.

Wealth and age strongly influence this trend. Nearly half of Gen Z and Millennials (47%) consider themselves highly informed about health, while 82% of those earning £77k–£116k ($100k–$150k, €92k–€138k) prioritise their wellbeing, compared to just 70% of those earning under £39k ($50k, €46k).

Just under half (47%) of Americans want to eat less sugar in 2025, and weight, sleep and stress are key concerns that are driving shifts in food choices. This is mirrored in a rising interest in functional ingredients, with Instacart seeing significant growth in searches for colostrum (+248%), tallow (+226%) and mushroom coffee (+146%).

Our Functional Feasting macrotrend report explores how food and beverage brands are responding to demand for products that bring flavour and fun back into nutrition.  

Strategic opportunity

Balance nostalgia with nutrition by reformulating classic food and drink products with functional, low-sugar and fibre-rich ingredients, appealing to health-conscious consumers