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Lotte turns chewing gum into a productivity tool with Shu-Chew Beats

Shu-Chew Beats by Lotte, Japan

Japan – In response to rising digital distractions and a survey reporting that nearly 80% of Japanese office workers struggle to concentrate, Lotte is repositioning chewing gum as a productivity aid. Framed as a ‘brain warm-up exercise’, Shu-Chew Beats synchronises musical beats with rhythmic chewing to improve focus and cognitive readiness.

Pairing metronomic chewing rhythms with three customised soundtracks, the brand has collaborated with Japanese electronic artists to create three tracks tuned to a specific BPM. The various modes are designed to activate different states of focus, ranging from calm concentration to rapid cognitive processing. By chewing Lotte gum to the beat, consumers can unlock new levels of concentration.

Blurring the lines between wellness and entertainment, Lotte provides a subtle intervention to restore clarity. As explored in our Functional Feasting report, the future of snacking lies in products that offer both emotional and cognitive benefits.

Strategic opportunity

As demand for non-invasive, accessible performance aids continues to rise, consider tapping into the ever-growing self-optimisation economy by positioning everyday snacking moments as functional rituals that enhance cognitive performance and emotional wellbeing

Rare Beauty joins Substack

Global – Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is joining a growing cohort of brands turning to Substack to strengthen consumer relationships through long-form storytelling. Launched on 1 April 2025, the Rare Beauty Secrets newsletter offers behind-the-scenes insights into product development, brand culture and the Rare Impact Fund’s mental health work – content that doesn’t fit the bite-sized mould of TikTok and Instagram.

MacKenzie Kassab, Rare Beauty’s director of creative strategy and author of the newsletter, told Modern Retail that the move was inspired by the team’s own Substack habits and the need for a platform to share untold stories. Early success came from a post on its Soft Pinch Bouncy Blush, sparking demand for more product back stories.

While Rare Beauty’s Substack remains informal and agile, it signals a shift in how brands are adopting creator behaviours and positioning newsletters as community-first, editorial experiences rather than sales tools.

In Three Key Takeaways From NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show, we unpacked how retail is entering a new era of post-omnichannel brand eco-systems to build authentic communities and engaged audiences. Rare Beauty and Refy are two brands leading the industry with impressive community-driven marketing strategies.

Courtesy of Rare Beauty, Photography by Valentina Vee

Strategic opportunity

Reclaim narrative control and build deeper community loyalty by adopting a creator-led, editorial approach on platforms like Substack – offering transparency, intimate storytelling and real-time audience-led content strategy beyond social feeds

Stat: Workers under 24 years old drive return to the office

CoLab by Pearson Lloyd, UK

Global – Five years after lockdown reshaped hybrid working, younger employees are unexpectedly driving the return to the office. A global JLL survey of more than 12,000 workers found that under-24s spend an average of 3.1 days a week in the office, more than any other age group, with the average for other age groups being 2.5–2.7 days.

Yet these younger workers say their ideal is just 2.6 days in the office, highlighting a desire for balance. In contrast, 35–44-year-olds prefer only 2.1 days at the office. While Gen Z seek in-person connection and mentorship, they also prioritise flexibility and wellbeing.

‘Covid-19 lockdowns shaped a whole generation… we’re now seeing a big reaction from that generation’, says Sue Asprey Price, EMEA CEO at JLL.

Workers aged 55 and older remain more sensitive to office conditions like noise, temperature and air quality. With return-to-office mandates proving hard to enforce, JLL urges companies to tailor environments that work for all generations.

Read our Work States Futures macrotrend report to explore how businesses are rethinking the workplace to meet diverse employee needs, redesigning offices as wellness and social hubs to entice teams back and foster meaningful in-person experiences.

Strategic opportunity

Redesign office environments as multi-generational social and wellness hubs, with flexible, mentorship-focused spaces that attract younger workers while accommodating the sensory needs of older employees