Sausage roll vendors and PR masters Greggs have unveiled their latest stunt – a high-end bistro situated within a department store. Before you scoff, think on this: owners of Jimmy Choo, Pandora, and Calvin Klein products are all more likely to eat at the bakery chain than people from its native North East England.
Scroll down to read about athleisure, the Hallmark Channel, and the immortal Gene Simmons.
Stats to power your week
🤖 With our latest wave of research, we can do something unique: look at which groups of people are picking up ChatGPT the fastest. Notable is the quick adoption among people working in beauty and fashion, including beauty therapists (+135% since the last wave), make-up artists (+127%), and fashion designers (+105%). With Dall-E now baked into the tool, we might see more AI-inspired pieces next season. GWI Core
🎬 It’s been a big ol’ year for films, and now Wonka has its premiere this week. In case you were wondering, 28% of chocolate buyers are excited to watch it, but that melts away in comparison to the 45% of recreational swimmers who want to check it out. Fingers crossed they avoid sharing Augustus Gloop’s fate. GWI Custom
🏃 Athleisure has become a staple in more wardrobes in recent years. But the emphasis is on the “leisure” more than the “ath” – owners of these products are about level with the rest of the population for taking part in sport. Lounging in those designer leggings seems to be the way forward. GWI Luxury
🎵 So Taylor Swift has taken her throne as the most-streamed global artist this year. But who exactly are the biggest Swifties around? Buyers of Lululemon products are up there, as are progressives. But the biggest fans of the “Style” singer are, appropriately enough, social fashionistas. GWI Custom
🎄 December is here, the Christmas music has started, and we can hear those sleigh bells jingling ring tingle tingling too. The biggest fans of holiday tunes are exactly who you’d expect, with 51% of Hallmark Channel viewers eager for some festive cheer. Spare a thought for the retail workers though – only 17% of them are keen on hearing Mariah & co. GWI USA
What’s on our radar
Miu Miu has become the world’s hottest brand for the second year in a row in the Lyst index. Anyone buying presents for the fashionista in their life – it’s the micro skirt they want.
Yet more is happening with AI-generated video: Pika has turned heads with its impressive teaser video, while Stability AI’s new model can make a video of any still image (obviously, it’s been extensively tested on memes).
Acceptance of AI-generated content is increasing, but there are still camps that react vocally if they think it’s coming into content on the sly. In the last week alone, Sports Illustrated magazine, a Silent Hill game, and a Naruto title, have all come under fire for the perceived use of generative AI.
On the other hand, Christmas cards might be a great case study for where AI is accepted – ChatGPT can craft a thoughtful message in double quick time, while Midjourney will let you come up with your own designs.
One surprising group that might have their job market disrupted by AI is influencers. Emily Pelligrini is one of the latest batch of fake creators to draw attention, while Animate Anyone could bring them to life even more.
Kiss are joining ABBA as the latest band to unveil virtual avatars, able to play their music long after the original members can’t. Can you get enough of them?
A feeling that TV subscriptions are too expensive has been one of the single biggest trends in our data in the last few years, so it’s little wonder some companies are thinking about bundling their packages.
Chart of the week
Stress gets to us all. But we’ve seen a huge increase in US millennials experiencing this over the last couple of years. There’s been a 31% increase in the number of them experiencing stress in the last two years alone, and they’ve actually overtaken Gen Z as the most stressed generation.
It could be due to millennials taking on more work and family responsibilities, it could be the climate, healthcare, gun violence, or any and all of those. For their part, the American Psychological Association suggests the country is experiencing collective trauma.
Local lowdown
Glühwein & good cheer
Christmas markets have popped up all over the globe in the last couple of weeks and are roaring back to life after Covid, whether that’s more traditional ones like in Salzburg, or a modern version like Winter Wonderland in London. But, like many Christmas traditions, they have their roots in Germany.
53% in Germany usually go to one as part of their winter holiday celebrations, and are over twice as likely to visit them than the average global consumer.
Germany is home to an abundance of Christmas markets – Berlin alone hosts around 80. And while many other countries have since borrowed the tradition, they’re a more recent import than you might think. The UK didn’t get its first German-style Christmas market (in Lincoln) until 1982.
