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Future Château launches mid-strength wines at Selfridges

Future Château, UK

UK – Future Château, the new wine brand from author Tom Benn, is launching at Selfridges in October 2025 with a debut range of premium 5% ABV wines designed to bring the full flavour of wine into everyday life with less alcohol and fewer calories.

The range includes a Syrah Grenache red, a Sauvignon Vermentino white and a sparkling Chardonnay-led cuvée, each created with 100% premium grapes and traditional winemaking methods. Despite being two-thirds lighter in alcohol, the wines are crafted to deliver the same aroma, structure and mouthfeel as full-strength bottle – making them suitable for weekday dinners, long lunches or casual celebrations.

Each bottle carries an iridescent label that merges the gothic aesthetic of grand château wines with 1980s-inspired futurism, reflecting the brand’s balance of tradition and reinvention. Benn’s vision is to make wine more adaptable to modern lifestyles without compromising on taste.

Find more insights on consumer attitudes to alcohol in our Functional Feasting macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Explore the ‘in-between’ alcohol space as a distinct category, bridging soft drinks and full-strength wines

OpenArea reframes nature as cultural canvas with new London festival

UK – OpenArea, the brainchild of cultural strategist Ollie Olanipekun, transformed Camley Street Nature Reserve in King’s Cross into a vibrant hub of art, music, food and critical thought during its debut event at the urban green space.

Rooted in Olanipekun’s ‘new nature’ philosophy, OpenArea challenges conventional ideas of nature as providing passive retreat. ‘Nature has never been the problem. The problem is how we’ve been taught to see it,’ he states. The platform invites audiences to see nature not as escape, but as creative fuel for identity, energy and community.

The immersive programme at Camley Street featured installations and performances by artists including ATT, Rachy McEwan and Charlotte Werth, alongside musical acts such as Lord Tusk, Joviale, Coby Sey and Roxanne.

Powered by Salomon and supported by partners including The Singleton, Levi’s Exploration Unit and London Wildlife Trust, OpenArea builds on Olanipekun’s previous work with Flock Together to create a new, inclusive narrative for the outdoors.

This echoes our Rebranding Nature report, which explores how brands are reframing natural spaces to attract Gen Z and so that it resonates with their values and to encourage engagement with conservation and climate action.

OpenArea, UK

Strategic opportunity

Develop campaigns, products or experiences that position nature as an active partner in innovation, creativity and identity – not just a passive place of retreat

Stat: Americans push back against tipflation

Poppi, US

US – Tipping fatigue is intensifying across the US, with 65% of consumers saying they are tired of tipping – up from 53% in 2023, according to Popmenu’s annual survey of 1,000 adults. 

On average, Americans report being prompted to tip 10 times a month, pushing 43% to tip less this year. Digital payment screens are a flashpoint, with 66% of respondents feeling pressured to tip when gratuity options are suggested and 64% tipping even after poor service. Guilt remains a driver: 52% tip out of sympathy for workers and 45% to avoid looking cheap.

Restaurants remain the strongest tipping ground, with 94% of customers giving tips. Almost half (45%) add 20% or more to the bill – the highest amount since 2022. However, delivery drivers have seen generosity slide: only 23% of customers tip 20% or more, down from a 2022 peak of 32%. Notably, 61% would prefer higher menu prices over tipping altogether.

In our New Codes of Value report, we highlighted how consumers are getting wise to ‘enshittification’ and the brands that focus on profit rather than providing value to customers.

Strategic opportunity

Reframe value exchange beyond tipping prompts – consider reviewing pricing, reward schemes and service models to ensure they feel transparent and fair