18 Jan

Trendswatch | New Business Insight From The Past Week

As we get into the swing of 2021, one thing is clear: things are about to get more virtual than ever before!

This week came the news that online sales growth has hit a 13-year high off the back of the coronavirus. With almost everything moving online comes a whole host of new and exciting retail trends. From community-building social media experiences to game-based marketing, everything is now digital!

It will be interesting to see which retailers embrace this new ‘virtualised’ world and which ones will be left behind…

This week, we will be revisiting two of my favourite trends from 2020: skincare and takeaway delivery, but we’ll also be delving into the world of ride-hailing apps, as a new Uber rival is starting to make big moves…

Skincare

Remember when we were all obsessed with perfumes in the early 00s? Well, times have changed and now the focus has shifted towards other avenues in beauty. It began with makeup (namely the Kardashians), but skincare is increasingly becoming the cornerstone of the beauty industry.

As to why skincare is suddenly the big new celebrity trend, where once perfume or lipstick reigned supreme, the answer is simple: it’s what we’re buying. Beauty predictions for 2021 are all about skincare,  as we’re spending more time at home and dealing with the effects of stress and anxiety on our skin. Celebrities are simply following the money.

Takeaway Delivery

Over the last few months, all of us probably ordered way more takeaways than we need to – and it’s safe to say Deliveroo and JustEat are reaping the benefits.

In fact, Deliveroo is planning to expand to 100 more towns and cities across the UK this year, aiming to reach almost two-thirds of the population, following increasing demand in 2020.

And with all this opportunity comes no small amount of competition, which means restaurants, grocers and other food providers must stay alert to how the market is changing.

Based on data from field and forecasts by industry experts, there are six major trends that are shaping food delivery and will continue to do so for the next couple of years. These include increased third-party delivery, in-house restaurant delivery fleets, prioritising delivery data tracking, tech giants moving into food delivery, rapid online grocery growth and the rise of food delivery subscriptions.

Basically, takeaway delivery blew up in 2020 and now it is about to explode…

Ride Hailing Apps

Gone are the days of simply booking an Uber, as the choices are now endless. From Bolt to Lyft to Ola, there is plenty to choose from! There is now yet another new kid of the block called Gett. However, this particular ride-hailing app focuses exclusively on corporate ground travel.

Initially, it started as a more direct rival to the likes of Uber and Lyft, but it now focuses on ground transportation services for business clients in major global cities.

At present, Gett only works with fully licensed black cabs and Hackney carriages that are fully regulated by Transport for London and local councils in all other UK cities.

Gett has announced that it raised an £84m funding round as it continues to roll out its ground travel software platform for businesses worldwide. The investment will be used to further accelerate the development of the SaaS platform and its global expansion.

More insights and trends to be shared next week