Key Shifts in Everyday Luxury, parts 2 and 3: from Defined to playful & from Relationship-based to flexible

September 24, 2019
Canopy Views

Welcome back to Canopy's key shifts series! We're continuing our look into the key shifts in the world of Everyday Luxury, with shifts 2 and 3::

Everyday Luxury: Key Cultural Shifts 2 & 3

From Personalized & Defined to Playful & Indulgent

Right now, everyday luxury is associated with carefully planned and precisely executed products, services and experiences that are designed to meet the defined expectations of high-end consumers perfectly.

Key examples:

Function of Beauty offers bespoke, personalised shampoo and conditioner sets for specific individual consumer needs

Fashion retailer Nordstrom has opened ‘Local’ stores, without any inventory but instead featuring juice bars, nail salons, seamstresses and fitting rooms for online orders, providing the best of both online and in-store shopping

Emergently, though, everyday luxury is coded as less serious and less defined –  with consumers seeking fun, interactive, unpredictable experiences that allow for a sense of indulgence and play.

Key examples:

Otherworld in Haggerston, London, has turned VR into a luxury experience for all ages, with sensorially immersive experiences like‘Dance with light sabres in time to the beat’ and ‘Live life as a fisherman, puppet-master, and puppet’

The Cauldron cocktail bar offers a Harry Potter-style experience, encouraging visitors to mix their own cocktails in cauldrons and create "potions"

From Ongoing Relationships to Flexible & Contingent Engagements

Elsewhere, luxury in travel, health and wellness is (dominantly) ensured through long-standing relationship with brands and individuals (like concierges or beauticians). These relationships act as a guarantee of quality – tried, tested and trusted.

Key examples:

WeWork’s co-working model emphasises consistent quality all over the globe, with members receiving access to perks, having signed up within their specified locations

The Ministry of Waxing leverage their global franchise presence and heritage to promise a superior customer experience

Increasingly, though, everyday luxury experiences are framed as flexible and contingent, suitable for consumers whose lives are characterized by frequent movement and changeable schedules.

Key examples:

Roam co-living and co-working space is designed for digital nomads, with various destinations all over the world. Roam Flex lets consumers buy a certain number of credits that can be spent at any location, for however many nights they want.
Treatwell digital service allows consumers to easily choose and book beauty services based on location, time, price and flexibility– allowing them to choose the option that best suits their needs.
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