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Rapha opens Shanghai Clubhouse for cycling and design enthusiasts

Rapha Clubhouse, China

China – Cycling apparel brand Rapha has opened its first mainland China Clubhouse in Shanghai, signalling a strategic push into one of the world’s fastest-growing cycling markets.

Created with design agency Seen Studios, the space introduces Rapha’s Clubhouse concept – a blend of retail, café culture and event programming first launched in London in 2012 and now spread across Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.

Housed in a restored 1925 mansion, the Shanghai Clubhouse draws on Italian café elegance and mid-century modern cues, mixing walnut, white oak, stainless steel and Rapha’s signature pink detailing. Purpose-built for riders, it features touches like helmet hooks and café tiles inspired by Roubaix patterns, while honouring the building’s heritage.

The launch reflects Rapha’s growing Chinese community; the Rapha Cycling Club now counts more than 400 members in Shanghai and Beijing, and over 1,000 riders in mainland China took part in this year’s Women’s 100 (a global celebration of women’s cycling).

Rapha’s Clubhouse model also exemplifies insights from our Third Space Retail report, which explores how stores are evolving into multi-purpose destinations that nurture community and wellbeing.

Strategic opportunity

Treat physical retail as a membership-driven community hub – designing spaces that host activities, clubs and cultural programming – to deepen loyalty and create recurring engagement beyond transactions

The Future Laboratory presents New Codes of Value at Lewis Silkin’s 2025 xCHANGE event

UK – On 18 November 2025, Lewis Silkin’s xCHANGE 2025 event at 180 Studios in London brought together lawyers, business leaders and founders to explore how organisations can remain resilient amid geopolitical uncertainty, regulatory complexity and evolving consumer mindsets.

Historian and The Rest Is History podcast co-host Dominic Sandbrook opened the event, highlighting how lessons from the past can guide future decision-making. Jo Farmer, joint managing partner of Lewis Silkin, and Debbie Wosskow OBE, entrepreneur and business leader, debated whether the UK can maintain its position as a global hub for innovation and investment, concluding that it can.

Panels including Innovation – Do It or Die and Navigating a Fragmented World featured leaders from Peloto, Bacardi and Airalo, exploring growth strategies, adaptability and the role of generative AI.

The event concluded with The Future Laboratory presenting its New Codes of Value macrotrend, which outlines how sociocultural, economic and technological forces are reshaping what businesses must prioritise to earn trust and long-term relevance.

Jo Farmer recently joined Martin Raymond on The Future Laboratory podcast to discuss what makes someone a great strategic foresight thinker and leader. Listen now.

ThredUp, US

Find out more

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Stat: AI search converts to AI shopping for over half of users

Reskinning Reality, FIA, UK

US – Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how consumers discover and buy fashion, according to The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Co’s State of Fashion 2026 report. What began as a discovery tool is now evolving into an autonomous decision-maker: AI shopping agents are poised to monitor prices, surface products and even complete purchases on behalf of consumers.

This shift is already taking hold. The report found that in the US, 53% of consumers who used AI for search in Q2 2025 also relied on it to help them shop – signalling a decisive move towards AI-mediated retail journeys. As these agents become more sophisticated, they will increasingly determine which brands and products are surfaced, recommended and purchased.

As explored in our Mood-matching Fashion report, consumers already expect AI systems to interpret emotional cues and tailor recommendations in real time.

To succeed in this eco-system, the report urges brands to rebuild their digital foundations, ensuring product data is semantically rich, structured and API-accessible so AI can accurately interpret, prioritise and present their collections.

Strategic opportunity

Re-imagine discoverability for an AI-first retail era. Upgrade product data, metadata and APIs so autonomous agents and affective interfaces can accurately interpret, surface and prioritise your offer across new AI-driven paths to purchase