LSN : News : Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Wyld launches UK’s first floating public sauna in Liverpool

Wyld Sauna. Photography by Alexander Barlow, UK

UK – The UK’s first floating public sauna, Wyld Sauna, has opened at Princes Dock, Liverpool.

Blending Nordic traditions with urban vibrancy, the facility features a Finnish-style coal sauna accommodating 30 guests, four ice baths, and steam and cold showers.

It has been built with antimicrobial thermo alder wood – a grade A sauna timber that goes through a chemical-free thermal modification process – and designed to integrate with the local environment. Guests can make use of the dock’s clean, lifeguarded waters for post-sauna dips.

Wyld Sauna aims to create a relaxing community hub for socialisation and rejuvenation in Liverpool. ‘We’ve always believed in the power of saunas — not just for physical health, but for building community and creating moments of calm in our busy lives. Wyld is our way of making that experience accessible to as many people as possible,’ says co-founder Jon Miller.

In our Urban Bathing report, we unpacked the rise of bathhouses and thermal spas opening in urban areas in response to consumer demand for communal wellness and noted an uptick in interest in longevity practises such as saunas and cold water swimming.

Strategic opportunity

What role can your brand play in bringing blue spaces to grey places — a growing imperative for those living in dense population zones?

Timbaland and Myndstream redefine wellness through sound

Global – American record producer and rapper Timbaland has collaborated with spa soundscape production company Myndstream to launch Yellow, an album merging his signature sound with scientifically informed wellness principles.

Inspired by his experience with addiction, synaesthesia and the healing power of music, the album explores how sound frequencies can promote mental and physical wellbeing. For Timbaland, the colour yellow (which he vividly experiences when immersed in the sounds of the record) represents vitality, confidence, optimism and mental clarity, qualities he hopes to evoke in others.

Available on major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Fitness+ and Apple Music, Yellow aims to revolutionise the wellness music genre and demonstrate music’s transformative powers.

On LS:N Global we’ve been tracking Music as Medicine from 2019 up to our recent Global Wellness Summit 2024 event coverage. Timbaland’s expertise and influence as a record producer will introduce new audiences and credibility to the emerging wellness field, bridging entertainment and health to redefine how music enhances wellbeing.

Yellow by Timbaland and Myndstream, US

Strategic opportunity

Health and wellness spaces should look to collaborate with brands such as Myndstream to integrate curated music into their offerings, enhancing the member experience and establishing themselves as pioneers in the music as medicine space

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

AI imagery by The Future Laboratory, UK

Every Friday, the Future Laboratory team offers an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, foresight analyst Seyi Oduwole dives into live shopping, political division and the comfort economy.

: The annual Black Friday mayhem proved successful for TikTok Shop, driving £79m ($100m, €95m) worth of sales in the US for the social media app. With TikTok Shop having only launched in the US one year ago, live shopping is proving a very profitable avenue. As Claire Tassin, a retail analyst at Morning Consult, says: ‘It’s very Home Shopping Network. It’s very QVC. It’s just on your phone.’ For more insights on this growing market head to Live Commerce Opportunities and X-tended Retail.

: Consumers are increasingly seeking comfort through soothing, nostalgic experiences that the blend digital and physical worlds. From cosy gaming setups to ASMR spas, this trend emphasises relaxation, soft textures and immersive environments, addressing the loneliness epidemic and rise in mental health conditions. I’m interested to see the innovative ways in which brands can create escapism but also a sense of safety.

: A recent Financial Times article highlighted that Americans are increasingly relocating to politically aligned states, driven by values, taxes, governance and Covid-19 policies. This aligns with our The Power of Precision Micro-Influencing report in which we discussed the growing trend of citizens living in an echo chamber, trusting the voices within their local communities and becoming more politically divided.

Strategic opportunity

‘Let’s romanticise even the most insular, habitual things that we do. We can still make it enjoyable and aesthetically pleasing and comfortable’

Stef Kight, journalist, in The New Yorker

Stat: Gen Z swipes left on dating apps

Photography by Shingi Rice

UK – Dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr are losing their appeal among younger audiences as Gen Z increasingly seeks more authentic, real-life connections, according to Ofcom’s latest Online Nation report.

The UK’s top four dating platforms have seen a significant drop in users since 2023, with Tinder losing 600,000 users, Bumble shedding 368,000, Hinge declining by 131,000 and Grindr dropping by 11,000. While nearly 5m adults – roughly one in 10 – used a dating service in May 2024, overall usage remains steady compared to last year. However, the data highlights a growing shift in how Gen Z approaches dating.

Tinder’s parent company Match Group has acknowledged the challenge of engaging younger users, noting their preference for ‘lower-pressure, more authentic’ interactions. Analysts suggest the novelty of dating apps is fading for Gen Z, which is pushing brands to rethink how they create meaningful connections in the digital age – a topic we explore in Gen Z Dating Futures.

Strategic opportunity

Position your brand as a champion of authentic connections by hosting pop-up events, wellness workshops or experiential gatherings for Gen Z consumers. Focus on using digital platforms to foster meaningful IRL connections to help young people attain a healthier relationship to tech