The competitive landscape of the eyewear industry is undergoing a string of changes. The merger of two eyewear giants, Essilor and Luxottica, will create an industry behemoth that may prove either boon or bane to smaller players. Meanwhile, there is reassessment of corporate strategy in the eyewear licensing business as luxury conglomerate LVMH follows in the footsteps of rival Kering. In this podcast, we assess the winners, losers, white spaces, and challenges created in these latest shifts....
Mar 01, 2017•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast India's Union Budget 2017 continued its focus on the rural sector and infrastructural activity striving to enhance overall competitiveness, increasing job growth through investment and boosting consumption levels. Furthermore, it focused on increasing the quality of life by empowering several segments of the society and imposing reforms to make the economy more transparent and develop the financial as well as services sector. In addition to this, there was a special focus on youth developme...
Feb 22, 2017•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast When looking at health & wellness food, we often think of food that we have traditionally considered to explicitly fall into this category, for example foods that are fortified with vitamins, reduced sugar, salt or fat products, organic products, free from gluten or free from dairy foods, and naturally healthy products such as olive oil or honey. But, what we see consumers perceiving as healthy is sometimes a much broader field....
Feb 21, 2017•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast The apparel and footwear industry as a whole has moved into a continuous stream of products. Fast fashion has disrupted traditional buying cycles, while consumer behaviour has shifted to prioritise technology and experience over consumption. Retailing strategies are increasingly being reviewed as fashion companies’ work hard to capture consumers’ attention. In this podcast Euromonitor International and WWD discuss latest retailing trends within fashion, highlight innovative concepts and touch up...
Feb 20, 2017•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Although India’s population is young and growing, the share of the population aged 65+ in total population is projected to rise significantly through to 2030. Population ageing in India is the result of increasing life expectancy, lower fertility and declining birth rates on the back of social changes. It puts strains on social welfare and public healthcare as well as having important implications in terms of labour productivity, consumption patterns, and private savings....
Feb 20, 2017•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Despite the fact that the average wages in Romania are still notably smaller than in developed countries, private label’s penetration in Home Care and Tissue and Hygiene industries remains significantly low. This could be mainly explained by dominating share of multinational players that historically preserve confident leadership in this country. However, over the next five years leading retailers are going to benefit both from introduce of their products within most dynamic and less matured cat...
Feb 16, 2017•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Treating oneself to indulgent or greasy dishes will always have its appeal. Nevertheless, Western European consumers are increasingly health conscious. This megatrend permeates itself within foodservice on menus in the form of a growing number of low fat/salt/sugar/calorie/carbs, vegan/vegetarian, free from lactose/gluten/nuts dishes. In 2016, not only do we see an expansion in the number of brands increasing their healthy food options within casual dining and fast food, but also trial partnersh...
Feb 13, 2017•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast The newly elected US President Donald Trump issued an executive order on 27 January to temporarily suspend refugees and immigrants travelling from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen, from entering the US, which has led to an uproar across the globe but also triggered an immediate change of working practices for many travel operators, such as the airline players. Currently the executive order is facing legal difficulties, following a decision by a federal judge to stop the enforce...
Feb 07, 2017•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Click and collect has become a major trend in retailing, as operators seek to circumvent delivery costs and convert online purchases into brick-and-mortar visits. Meanwhile, restaurant chains are experimenting with maximising convenience and bringing on-demand immediacy into restaurants. In this podcast, Strategy Analyst Elizabeth Friend will interview Retailing Analyst Michelle Mallison about what operators can learn from retailers who have already found success with click and collect.
Jan 25, 2017•12 min•Transcript available on Metacast More consumers are basing purchasing decisions on wellness priorities, giving greater attention to the functional aspect of a product formulation. Probiotic-based beauty leverages this trend, exhibited in a recent wave of innovative start-ups focused on probiotics. This development, however, comes with challenges attributed to technical barriers in making probiotic-based beauty viable, and rivals claiming to use probiotics, but formulate with dead bacteria that render the product less effective....
Jan 23, 2017•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast The world is experiencing two contrasting trends - on one hand households are getting smaller in terms of spacial territory, but on the other they are also getting larger. This shift is dependent on the households' location and level of development. In the latest edition of Households Trends, we analyse where and how these changes are occurring.
Jan 20, 2017•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast From early 2017, Finland is planning two legislative changes in the alcohol and confectionery markets. The country will remove the so-called sweet tax for confectionery and ice cream, and the Finnish government is planning a wider renewal of alcohol legislation including several changes in the drinking laws. Research analyst Salla Korpivaara discusses what impact this will have on the market.
Jan 17, 2017•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The economic crisis in Brazil directly effected the luxury industry in Brazil making even the most resilient consumers become more conservative with their purchases. As a result, the luxury industry had its weakest growth performance of the last 10 years. In the same period, many international brands that have entered the market recently shut down their stores and have left the country.
Jan 16, 2017•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Antipollution ingredients are not just a fashion trend but are likely here to stay. In fact, pollution protection is becoming as essential as UV protection, especially in highly polluted megacities. Consumer’s needs around the world are driving the demand for urban cosmetics specially designed for city life. This opens up worldwide opportunities to market new ingredients able to clean, protect and repair our natural barrier against pollutants. However, Eastern and Western consumers demand antipo...
Jan 09, 2017•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Romanian retailing showed a 12% growth in current value terms in 2016, becoming the top performer not only in Eastern Europe but in Europe overall. Research analyst Cosmin Dan explains the impressive growth as well as a forecast for Romanian retailing for the upcoming five years...
Jan 04, 2017•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast In September Kofola Cesko Slovensko purchased Studenac from Croatian company Podravka. With this action Kofola continues its plans to establish a strong presence in Non-Alcoholic drinks market in the Adria region of South-East Europe. Research analyst Gordan Stanic provides his opinion about the reasons behind this acquisition and its impact on the market....
Dec 22, 2016•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The holidays are in full swing in both the Middle East and Asia Pacific, and brands and retailers have come u p with innovative and competitive ways to draw in consumers. While luxury gift giving remains stable in the Middle East, efforts in fighting corruption in Asia Pacific has brought luxury gift-giving into a downswing....
Dec 19, 2016•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sustainability is a narrative that transcends specific markets, regions and industries. It is a truly global movement that is driven by the ever increasing importance of corporate social responsibility, demand for transparent business structures, and the deeply concerning questions around food and water security and carbon footprint, resulting in unprecedented emphasis being placed on companies to address these core issues. In this podcast we will discuss what this means for manufacturers and th...
Dec 19, 2016•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Consumers in Western Europe continue to be highly health- and appearance-conscious. Reflecting this was a health and fitness presence across many consumer goods markets, such as packaged food, consumer electronics and fashion (with the rise of athleisure in clothing and footwear). The use of specialised sports nutrition products as a means to achieve optimum health and fitness has taken the sports nutrition category well into the mainstream domain. Over the next five years, women and ageing popu...
Dec 16, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sofia, Wuhan, Quito, Guayaquil and Buenos Aires are the top 5 cities with the most rapidly rising degree educated population. Cities analyst Fransua Razvadauskas discusses what implications this have on cities as well as what are the prospects and future challenges for higher education in emerging and developing countries.
Dec 16, 2016•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast Instant coffee is a growing segment of the global market, benefiting from the rapid growth of specialist coffee shops and the expansion of “coffee culture” in traditionally tea-drinking markets. Analysts Matt Barry and Virginia Lee talk about where instant coffee is consumed, the top five growth markets for instant coffee, and new product innovations that offer a premium or locally targeted coffee experience....
Dec 07, 2016•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a bid to reduce their dependence on the struggling carbonates segment, the three biggest players in US carbonates have recently made a number of acquisitions to expand into more premium soft drinks segments. On November 22, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group announced it was purchasing Bai Brands for US$1.7 billion. On the same day, PepsiCo stated it would be buying KeVita. These acquisitions as well as The Coca-Cola Co’s purchase of Aloe Gloe in June reflect the companies’ intentions to enter into nat...
Dec 02, 2016•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Discount brands have gained significant traction in Western Europe due to their lower price points and larger distribution networks. In addition, many brands that were previously limited to North America, such as Lululemon and Victoria's Secret, are now opening stores in Western Europe and bringing online shopping with them....
Dec 02, 2016•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast M-commerce is still relatively new, but it is a quickly growing channel. Retailers, especially those that are focused on achieving omnichannel proficiency, are looking to optimize the mobile shopping experience for their shoppers. Starbucks, a foodservice company, has been very successful in the M-commerce space. This podcast will discuss some key takeaways from the company’s success that retailers should be mindful of while building on their own mobile strategies.
Nov 28, 2016•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast 한국의 남성 라이프스타일 숍이 시장 침체에서도 불구하고 플러스 성장을 보이고 있습니다. 남성 라이프스타일 숍은 패션을 비롯한 라이프스타일에 신경을 쓰는 남성들이 즐길 수 있는 생활문화 공간입니다. Euromonitor International 의 미쉘 맬리슨 (Michelle Malison) 애널리스트가 한국에서 열풍을 일으키고 있는 남성 라이프스타일 숍의 현재와 향후 동향에 대하여 살펴보겠습니다....
Nov 16, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Less is more refers to the idea of consumers trying to limit or avoid certain ingredients in their food choices. In a way, it shows our growing desire for simplicity and naturalness. The primary drivers of this trend are health and value for money. On the manufacturing front, the concept manifests itself as “frugal innovation”, which is the idea of removing non-essential and often costly features from a product or service. More concretely, we see a surge in the launch of new food items with fewe...
Nov 16, 2016•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast The bottom of the pyramid – or the BOP – is gaining increasing recognition by large corporations as an important consumer group. Ever since the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, global businesses have been operating in an environment of slowing growth, weakening consumer expenditure, volatility and uncertainty. A new growth avenue beyond the much-talked-about middle class is therefore vital for the long-term survival and success of a business.
Nov 09, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast The smart home market is expanding rapidly. Major brands are entering the segment and providing cost-effective solutions to everyday household problems. However, smart home goods are still targeting a niche, tech-savvy audience. We take a look at what smart devices are actually breaking into the mainstream.
Nov 09, 2016•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Luxury retail is a globally important industry, and the Asia Pacific region has always been one of its core engines. Reviewing the context of Dana Thomas's book, Deluxe: How Luxury Lost its Luster, provides the backdrop for China's transformation into the most important Asian country for luxury retail. Using specific examples and interesting travel data adds even more modern evidence for how important the Chinese have become.
Nov 09, 2016•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Men-centric retail stores are on the rise in South Korea. A growing number of male consumers are becoming more conscious about their appearances and are also looking for more interesting ways to spend their leisure time. Retailers in South Korea are responding by creating men-centric lifestyle stores that cater to mostly to men in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Male consumers have high spending power and represent an under-tapped market potential, and if successfully implemented, these retail outlets a...
Nov 03, 2016•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
