News 06.01.2025

Need to Know

Dior opens Gold House in Bangkok, Lifesum’s 2025 nutrition trends and why women are driving US wealth shift.

Dior strikes gold with new concept store in Bangkok

Dior Gold House. Photography by Goose Studio, Bangkok, Thailand
Dior Gold House. Photography by Goose Studio, Bangkok, Thailand
Dior Gold House. Photography by Goose Studio, Bangkok, Thailand

Thailand – In December 2024, Dior unveiled its opulent Gold House concept store in Bangkok, marking a bold entry into Thailand’s thriving luxury market. Located in front of Central Embassy Mall and the Park Hyatt, the store’s exterior replicates Dior’s iconic Paris headquarters, re-imagined in golden tiles – a colour deeply significant in Thai culture.

This launch aligns with luxury brands’ shift towards high-growth regions, as Thailand’s personal luxury goods market was valued at £1.9bn ($2.4bn, €2.3bn) in 2024 (source: The Business of Fashion).

Designed by visual merchandiser Luca Albero, the store features 6,700 square feet of lush gardens and 860 square feet of interior space. The opening event on 8 December drew Blackpink’s Jisoo and Thai stars Tontawan Tantivejakul and Nattawin Wattanagitiphat.

Visitors can explore Dior’s latest collections, Thai-exclusive pieces such as the Lady D-Joy bag and works by local artists. A Dior Café headed by chef Mauro Colagreco rounds off the immersive experience.

For deeper insights into the evolving landscape of luxury, read our Luxury States: New Codes of Luxury 2024–2025 report.

Strategic opportunity

Ensure your retail space aligns with local cultural aesthetics, traditions and cuisine to enhance brand relevance in regional markets

Depop and CashApp team up with Sha’Carri Richardson

Cash App and Depop, US Cash App and Depop, US
Cash App and Depop, US Cash App and Depop, US

US – Depop and Cash App have partnered with Olympic medallist Sha’Carri Richardson for Your POV, Your Power, a digital campaign showcasing how creativity fuels entrepreneurial success.

The social media series will see host Sha’Carri Richardson interview the Depop sellers turning personal passions into thriving businesses, offering practical tips on curation, branding and achieving financial independence through second-hand fashion.

As part of the campaign, Cash App rewarded up to 3,000 Depop sellers with £80 ($100, €96.60) for using its direct deposit feature in December 2024, highlighting second-hand fashion as both an economic and sustainable opportunity.

‘Through this campaign, we want to amplify the voices of Depop sellers who are using second-hand fashion as an opportunity for self-expression and financial progress,’ said Depop chief marketing officer Peter Semple in a statement.

Our Resale Redux report explores the evolution of the second-hand market and how platforms such as Depop have tapped into Gen Z’s thrift-focused mindset to change the fashion landscape for the better.

Strategic opportunity

Collaborate with creators to shift perceptions of pre-loved clothing, elevating it as a symbol of resourcefulness, style and entrepreneurial innovation

Lifesum reveals top nutrition trends for 2025

UK – As health-conscious consumers reshape the food and beverage landscape, Lifesum, a leading nutrition app with more than 65m users, has unveiled its top five healthy eating trends for 2025. These trends highlight the growing demand for functional foods that blend nutrition with purpose, reflecting what Lifesum CEO Markus Falk describes as ‘a desire for foods and drinks that nourish the body and empower individuals to live healthier, more balanced lives’. 

One key trend is the rise of GLP-1 enhancing foods inspired by weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Brands like Nestlé and Hims & Hers are introducing products such as protein-enriched energy drinks and green tea blends designed to boost natural GLP-1 secretion or complement these medications. Gut health is also in focus, with fermented foods like cashew cheese and kimchi blends gaining in popularity. Supergut, a leader in prebiotic foods, has expanded its offerings to health retailers. 

Nootropic beverages are emerging as a favourite for mental health support, with cacao tonics and matcha blends offering cognitive benefits. Odyssey, a brand specialising in nootropic drinks, has already secured significant investment. Meanwhile, fibre-rich foods, such as sparkling waters infused with prebiotics, are becoming essential for appetite regulation. Brands like Vibi+ are driving this growth. Protein remains a staple, particularly among women focused on strength training and metabolic health, with innovations like protein doughnuts and Rise311’s clean protein powders leading the way. 

These trends illustrate a growing emphasis on functional, personalised nutrition that caters for modern wellness goals, a topic we discussed in our New Era Nutrition interview with Lifesum co-founder Marcus Gners. 

For more insights, explore our Future Forecast 2025: Food & Drink report to understand the key trends defining the food and drink landscape in 2025.  

Lifesum, Sweden

Strategic opportunity

Tap into the functional food trend by researching and developing probiotic and prebiotic food, protein-enriched foods or nootropic beverages tailored to consumers’ health needs

Stat: Women drive US wealth shift

Sporty & Rich and The Carlyle, US Sporty & Rich and The Carlyle, US

US – A seismic shift in wealth is under way as women gain financial control through career success and inheritance. By 2030, women in the US are projected to control £27.2 trillion ($34 trillion, €32.7 trillion) in assets, nearly double the total in 2022, according to McKinsey & Co.

A key driver is evolving demographics: Baby Boomer women outlive men by five years on average and high-net-worth husbands are increasingly leaving their wives in control of family fortunes. At the same time, many women are pursuing lucrative careers.

Despite this wealth transfer, challenges remain. Women earn 84% of men’s income, hold 12% of C-suite roles in public companies and face lower investment participation (sources: Institute for Women’s Policy Research, S&P Global).

But, as more women join the ranks of the world’s richest, the wealth management industry must adapt to attract and retain new clients. In our FemFin: Female-forward Finance report, we unpacked how women are pioneering a financial system change and why financial service providers should take note.

To find out more about the fast-changing future of wealth and how it is set to change the world, head to our The Great Wealth Transfer macrotrend report.

Strategic opportunity

Financial services companies should rethink messaging, tools and services with women consumers in mind. Recruit and train more female wealth managers and prioritise transparency and empathetic communication to align with women’s financial preferences and build trust

Previous News Articles
Hinge teams up with writers on Substack to tell ‘real love stories’

News

Hinge teams up with writers on Substack to tell ‘real love stories’

Dating app Hinge is expanding its storytelling strategy with the second instalment of its No Ordinary Love campaign.
Dating : Substack : Pop Culture And Media
Stat: US consumers expect brands to lead on climate and DEI

News

Stat: US consumers expect brands to lead on climate and DEI

As some businesses have been quietly rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes, new data shows consumers want brands to step up...
Stat : Statistic : Dei
Students win national award with DIY loom tackling fast fashion

News

Students win national award with DIY loom tackling fast fashion

A team of students from Cambourne Village College in Cambridgeshire has won the Design Museum’s Design Ventura 2025 competition with Loopy Loom, a ...
Design : Sustainability : Circularity
Industry insights from the Walpole British Luxury Summit 2025

News

Industry insights from the Walpole British Luxury Summit 2025

The Walpole British Luxury Summit 2025 gathered leaders from across the global luxury sector for a day of expert talks, reports and panel discussio...
Luxury : Global Events : Walpole British Luxury Summit
Foresight Friday: Fiona Harkin, director of foresight

News

Foresight Friday: Fiona Harkin, director of foresight

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, director of foresigh...
Foresight : Foresight Friday : Ff
Stat: Connected tech boosts loyalty as consumers seek smarter brand interactions

News

Stat: Connected tech boosts loyalty as consumers seek smarter brand interactions

More than a quarter of consumers are willing to pay more for a product that offers a connected experience such as a QR code, visual search, AR or N...
Stats : Stat : Technology
World Retail Congress 2025 daily recap: Emerging consumer mindsets and luxury storefronts

News

World Retail Congress 2025 daily recap: Emerging consumer mindsets and luxury storefronts

On the closing day of World Retail Congress 2025, retailers looked to the future, examining emerging consumer mindsets, sustainability pressur...
Luxury : Retail : World Retail Congress
Pinterest rolls out enhanced AI-powered visual search tools

News

Pinterest rolls out enhanced AI-powered visual search tools

Pinterest has launched a suite of generative AI-powered visual search features for women’s fashion content in the US, the UK and Canada.
Pinterest : Artificial Intelligence : Search Tool
Stat: Teens balance connection and concern in the age of social media

News

Stat: Teens balance connection and concern in the age of social media

Nearly half of US teenagers (48%) now say social media negatively affects people their age, a sharp rise from 32% in 2022, according to a report fr...
Stats : Stat : Teens And Tech
World Retail Congress 2025: Why trust is retail’s strongest currency

News

World Retail Congress 2025: Why trust is retail’s strongest currency

The first day of World Retail Congress 2025 in London revolved around the theme Faster, Bolder, Smarter.
Retail : Global Events : World Retail Congress
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN