Euromonitor Podcasts

Disclaimer: Panel was recorded on 8 May 2025 before the US-China trade agreement on tariff rollbacks for a 90-day period was announced on 12 May 2025.Hear this panel to unpack the impact of Trump's tariffs on the global trade landscape. You'll gain insights that can help you operate in today's volatile economy as policy shifts continue at speed.Euromonitor experts discuss the ripple effects of evolving US tariffs, review the latest economic forecasts and outline market opportunities for your organisation.Supply chains, pricing strategies and investments face intense scrutiny amid this uncertainty. And business leaders are left with the impossible task of trying to predict what's ahead.Impulsive, reactive decisions could be detrimental to long-term success—especially when new exemptions or changes in tariffs are happening by the day. Case in point: just four days after we recorded this panel, the US and China announced an agreement to reduce tariffs for a 90-day period (bookmark our hub for updated analysis).Tune in to our lively talk that addresses some of the questions we're all asking right now.Find answers to your business concerns:· Are these tariffs hitting global economic projections?· What's the impact on companies and consumers?· How could pricing and inventory shift in the coming months?· Where do opportunities exist in this marketplace?· Which tactics or tools help you mitigate risks and build resilience?Companies can transform tariff shocks into a foundation for sustained competitive advantage with comprehensive market intelligence.Meet the Euromonitor experts:· Bill Carroll, manager – government & trade· Dr. Bolutife Onaneye, senior consultant· Lan Ha, head of insights – economies & consumers· Matt Tripodi, senior global territory director – government & trade· Quinton Walker, consulting project manager – financial services· Sowmya Ramaswami, consulting practice manager – global trade & exports

Segmenting your consumers is crucial for effectively targeting the right audience. Join our experts to learn how to connect with your customers more deeply or expand your audience.In this discussion, you'll hear about three consumer types—Wellness Enthusiasts, Brand Champions and Connected Shoppers—and the factors influencing their purchasing decisions, so you can cater to their preferences.Watch the video here

Join two of our sustainability experts, Inga and Jorge, to explore this fast-changing landscape and find solutions to improve your strategic initiatives. Businesses are under pressure to align with ambitious climate goals and ensure transparent, responsible corporate action. Europe is at the forefront of regulatory change, but companies often struggle to keep up with rapidly evolving policies and demands. And identifying the right sustainability approach to succeed in the region becomes an even bigger challenge.In this conversation, you'll gain strategies and insights that can help you uncover opportunities in sustainability. To view the full video, visit our websiteTo learn more about our sustainability solutions, click here

Join four of our leading experts as they delve into the evolving landscape of health and wellness, focusing on its expansion from a trend to a consumer lifestyle. Key topics include the Blurring of Wellness Concepts, Women's Health, Self-Care at Home and the Evolution of Health-Conscious Eating. Uncover the future of health and wellness as consumers increasingly take ownership of their health through holistic, long-term solutions. Our experts discuss the drivers behind this consumer behaviour and the manifestations of the wellness lifestyle across other industries. They also discuss the unique challenges and opportunities for brands both within and outside the health and wellness industry.    A must-listen for anyone interested in the future of health and wellness.  Featuring:Matthew Oster, Senior Head of Consumer HealthIrina Barbalova, Global Lead of Health and BeautyMaria Mascaraque, Industry Manager of Food and NurtitionNick Stene, Senior Industry Manager of Home and GardenHosted by:Jessica Ridenour, ProducerWant to dive deeper into our insights, or view this panel discussion as a video? Click here.

“We started focusing purely on water, sanitation, hygiene, education, because that's the starting point, but it's the starting point to so much more. It's the starting point to better health, more safety, better education, food security, gender equality, climate action; the impacts are significant right across the board.” -Fiona Jeffery   On World Water Day, join Caroline and Fiona Jeffery, the founder of Just a Drop, in this episode as they discuss the inspiration behind the charity. Fiona started Just a Drop after working in the travel and tourism industry, where she saw a lack of effort in protecting the environment and giving back to communities. Through her research, she discovered that a child was dying every 17 seconds from dirty water, leading her to create a grassroots charity that supports communities around the world with sustainable water solutions, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education.   Fiona and Caroline explore the connection between sustainable travel and Just a Drop's work. They share specific examples of the charity's programs in Cambodia, Nicaragua, Kenya, and Uganda, where they have provided appropriate low-tech and sustainable solutions to meet the communities' specific needs. Just a Drop aims to make a lasting difference in communities and give people the hope and belief that they can take ownership of their futures. Since 2016, Euromonitor International has been one of Just a Drop's headline charity partners. Our involvement has helped the charity's programs and projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, benefiting over 20,000 people. Millions of women walk for hours every day, just to collect water. But how far would you go? For World Water Day, Just a Drop are challenging people to scroll through one woman's 9km walk to the well and back – the longest Twitter thread ever made. Click here to take on the challenge: https://twitter.com/Just_a_Drop/status/1635366676932751392 For more info on The Walk to the Well, click here.  To learn more about how Euromonitor can help your business embrace sustainability, visit our website.  

After a booming summer for socializing, things are starting to cool off. Inflation and the cost-of-living crisis are catching up with consumers who might still have some pent-up desire to go out. These conflicting desires leave consumers dangling between spend and save, while still looking for ways to continue their social lives. So what are they doing? How are people getting together when money is tight? On the tail end of the holiday season and as the popular “dry January” ends, our expersts discuss what's next in this transitional time. Join Michael Shaefer, Spiros Malandrakis, and Zora Milenkovic as they discuss: Will financial pressures cause a decline in spending on social occasions? Or is there enough pent-up desire to outweigh the costs? Or will consumers simply find different, perhaps cheaper, ways of getting together? What opportunities exist for brands in this evolving landscape?   Want to learn more about the biggest consumer trends this year? Check out our new report Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2023, where you'l learn about Budgeteers, Here and Now, and Young and Disrupted. 

The fourth in a series exploring the impact of hybrid work on Western European industries, this episode explores the opportunities for destinations and brands in the growing "Bleisure Travel" market. Bleisure, the idea of combining business travel with leisure travel, is not new but it is booming. Instead of extending business travel to include a little leisure, hybrid workers are taking advantage of flexible work to extend their vacations by getting some work done. But what, if anything, are destinations and brands doing to cater to this growing crowd? Euromonitor's Alexander Göransson and Stephen Dutton talk us through some of their findings from their recent report, Bleisure and the Future of Travel and Work. Who are Bleisure travelers? What's different about them? What are they looking for in accommodations? What are the biggest opportunities for destinations and brands? And how big IS the market for Bleisure travel? Want to read more about Bleisure travel? Check out Stephen's recent article. Learn more about the effect of hybrid work on fashion, food, and home in our previous episodes. And find all the latest insights on travel on our insights page. 

With the holidays approaching and inflation surging, value is at top of mind for many consumers. But value is more than value for money, and the Pursuit of Value is here to stay as one of the 10 most influential megatrends identified by Euromonitor International as having far-reaching impact on industries, companies, and consumers. In this podcast, An Hodgson explains all about the Pursuit of Value – where it comes from, why businesses should pay attention, and how can they win with this megatrend. Find even more content on our Insights Pages!

You've got 3,344 unopened emails, a To-Do list that's a mile long, and guests coming in for the weekend. The anxiety kicks in- How am I going to get everething done? Heart pounding, sweaty, hands shaking, you reach for the most logical thing- a nice cup of chamomile tea to calm you down so that you can think clearly. Or... maybe not.  Anxiety is on the rise and yet, consumers can't get enough of their favorite stimulant: Caffeine. In this episode, Matt Barry talks us though "The Caffeine Paradox," one aspect of his recent report, in which anxious consumers counterintuitively refuse to give up their triple shot lattes despite their well understood negative side effects. Is it the ritual that keeps them coming back? Emotional attachment? Performance anxiety? A moment of self-care? The pressures of inflation? Or just trying to maintain a modicum of control in an increasingly chaotic world?  Find all of our content in one place on our insights pages, including reports, webinars, videos and podcasts. 

For consumers who have spent the last few years yearning for travel, it's an exciting time. Borders are open, the threat of lock downs seems to have passed, restrictions have lifted, and there are excellent travel deals to be had. But at what cost to the planet? Many travelers are seeking ways for their "revenge travel" to have less of a negative impact on the planet. How will the travel industry meet the demand for sustainable options? What should businesses be doing now to meet the demands of consumers and regulators? What brands are innovating in Ecotourism? In this episode, Caroline Bremner speaks with us ahead of her appearance at the World Travel Market, where she will be publishing her latest travel innovation report. Learn all about the latest trends in Ecotourism and what brands can do to stay relevant in an industry where sustainability is increasingly vital.

As the metaverse explodes to a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity, early comers will be the ones to reap the benefits. But how exactly can businesses get into the metaverse? Listen to Euromonitor's consumer expert, Jana Rude, lay out three potential paths for businesses on a scale of "cautious" to "all in." Metaverse, or the highly interactive three-dimensional virtual world, has emerged as a hype of 2021-2022. This movement blurs the boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds. It builds upon the consumers' strive for experiences, growing adoption of all-things-digital, and developing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tech capabilities. Sound exciting? Learn more about building a metaverse strategy for your business or how the metaverse fits into our Top 10 Global Consumer Trends of 2022.

Wellness has been identified by Euromonitor International as having the furthest-reaching impact on industries and consumers in the future. In this podcast, Euromonitor's Julia Illera, Rachel He, Amulya Pandit, and Herbert Yum discuss the key findings from their recent report, Wellness: Longevity and the Quest for Healthy Ageing in Asia Pacific. Hear insights on the link between rising longevity and consumers' search for a healthy life and learn the three key pillars to indentify the wellness opportunities in the APAC region. For a more in-depth look at these growing opportunities, check out our recent article or download the full report today.

Adeife Onwuzulike, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Euromonitor International, knows the true value of working in an inclusive and diverse company. She recently joined Euromonitor from The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) - where she was also Head of Diversity and Inclusion. At the CBI Adeife worked on embedding DEI into the business culture and strategy and created and managed a number of employee networks and worked with their clients on their DEI journey. She worked tirelessly to ensure that the organization was not only diverse but also a place where all employees felt like they can be their true authentic selves. After almost three years of a global pandemic and political and racial tensions increasing across the globe, issues around DEI have become even more critical for luxury and fashion businesses to address than ever before. The long list of new diversity and inclusion recruits witnessed across the luxury and fashion sector over the last 12 months shows that the needle is indeed moving. However, there is still a long way to go. In this podcast Adeife Onwuzulike shares her expertise and knowledge in this area with Marguerite LeRolland, Head of Fashion and Fflur Robert, Head of Luxury at Euromonitor International and addresses questions around what's here now and what's to come next. Passport subscribers can access the full report here. Not a Passport subscriber but still want to learn more? Contact us or check out this article on Five Trends Shaping the Global Luxury Goods Landscape.

The third in a series that explores how hybrid working has impacted several industries across Western Europe. In this episode we turn our attention to what it means for industries like consumer electronics and appliances, home improvement & gardening, toys & video games, and hygiene. Euromonitor's Alexandre Loeur is joined by Veronika Kandusova, Per Brandberg and Miles Agbanrin. They discuss how the music and sports industry turned to gaming to engage with consumers, how people transformed their homes into workspaces, gyms or entertainment hubs and assess if these changes are here to stay. Want to check out the other episodes in this series? Find them here: Hybrid Working: Impact on Fashion Hybrid Working: Impact on Food and Nutrition Interested in what the future of work looks like? Our recent webinar can tell you more about the future of work- remote, hybrid, and beyond.

Physical spaces are evolving in the wake of the pandemic. Drawing on their recent report, Nadejda Popova and Alex Jarman discuss the top six trends they're seeing in the hospitality industry as it responds to changing consumer lifestyles, business models and workplace alongside the influence of digital transformation. As more companies embrace change and innovation, physical spaces can be redesigned to create unique user experiences across all touchpoints. How are social media companies showing up in the space IRL? Where do sustainability and design come into play? And how much is consumer preference really driving these trends? Want to learn more about the full report? Click here. Already a Passport subscriber? You can access the report here.

With prices skyrocketing, how can brands balance the conflicting consumer desires to have heightened experiences AND simplified inexpensive options? Senior Industry Manager, Caroline Bremner, explains how Euromonitor's Megatrend "Experience More" is transforming in the current climate. Inflationary pressures are eating into consumers' discretionary spending, yet the desire for experiences regardless of channel – in real life or the metaverse – remains unabated. Brands are adopting a ‘less is more' approach, with no-frills, removing filters, reducing choice and knocking down barriers to ensure that brand experiences are inclusive and appealing to all, opening up new opportunities to forge long lasting connections. What opportunities exist for brands in this climate? How can they use this moment to build brand loyalty? Want to experience more Experience More? Get more info about  the full report here. Or head over to our Inflation Surge Page for more content and to try our Price and Availability Tracker.

Social occasions and travel have made a comeback, boosting the recovery of fragrances, colour cosmetics and sun care in Western Europe. But what about hand sanitiser? Has its hero moment come to an end? With inflation now in the mix, consumers want their beauty products to do more. New beauty trends (hint: multifunctionality) are emerging in the region as pandemic-related changes subside. What are consumers looking for in their personal care products today and where are they buying them? Listen in to find out.   Want to know more about our full report? Click here. For more insights like these, check out our other podcasts or visit our insights page for articles, webinars, and videos.

Tackling environmental challenges are top of the sustainability agenda for governments, with countries around the world setting targets and regulations, and companies from every sector being encouraged to increase business transparency and accountability via mandatory ESG reporting. Although some companies and sectors are acting ahead of regulation, legislation has become a vital mechanism to regulate businesses' behaviours, protect local communities, consumers, employees, and the environment. In this podcast, Shane MacGuill, Euromonitor International's Global Lead for Nicotine & Cannabis discusses the drivers of environmental sustainability regulation in tobacco and cannabis industries, its role and implications on businesses and consumers. Want to learn more about our report: Environmental Sustainability Regulation: A Cross-Industry View? Click here! And for more podcasts, articles, and videos on the Tobacco and Cannabis Industries, be sure to check out our insights page.

Airlines are facing inflation, rising oil prices, and staff shortages, all while customers rush to book their "revenge travel" at a bargain cost. Some airlines are raising ticket prices to cope with rising expenses, but others are not. Euromonitor's Senior Project Manager, Nadejda Popova, joins Jessica to discuss how the aviation sector is expected to fare in these turbulent times and shed some light on why she can't find anymore cheap flights to use up her vouchers. Inflation is everywhere! Learn more about its effect on business across all markets with these handy infographics. To learn more about recent challenges in the Travel Industry, check out our Voice of the Industry: Travel Survey - Facing New Challenges

What's driving sustainability in the foods and drinks industries? And what are the implications on businesses and consumers? Euromonitor's Maria Mascaraque, Food Industry Manager, Howard Telford, Senior Soft Drinks Manager and Rosemarie Downey, Packaging Industry Manager give their insights. Want to learn more about the report we mention? Click here.

The second in a series that explores the impact of hybrid working, this episode is a deep dive into how retailers in the food and nutrition space are responding to the recent change in working patterns. Euromonitor's Natasha Cazin is joined by analyst Natalia Theofilopoulou to answer the following questions- What sort of changes are food players making? How does packaging play a role? Who is innovating in response to hybrid work? And how can retailers win amongst so much change?

How are consumers with different comfort levels approaching a return to pre-pandemic life? Certain consumers are eager, whilst others are hesitant, to resume their normal activities, creating The Socialisation Paradox. Euromonitor's Rob Eveson and Kalina Doykova join Amy Rollinson to discuss how this dichotomy impacts a range of industries, from travel, food service, alcoholic drinks and home. Want to know more about The Socialisation Paradox, or any of our other Top 10 Global Trends of 2022? Download the white paper or watch the webinar. https://bit.ly/3FIhOJkhttps://bit.ly/3FIhOJkhttps://bit.ly/3FIhOJkhttps://bit.ly/3FIhOJk

Join Caroline Bremner for the latest Travel Leaders Podcast in conversation with PATA CEO Liz Ortiguera. Liz gives us the latest update from Asia Pacific on tourism recovery, where there is cautious optimism based on pent up demand and increasing flight capacity as the region reopens. Liz outlines PATA's work in vaccine equity to ensure a sustainable recovery. Finally, Liz shares best practice, outlining how crisis triggers the best type of innovation out of urgency as true needs are sharpened.  

Join Caroline Bremner as she speaks to Chris Imbsen, Director of Sustainability at WTTC and Megan Morikawa, Global Sustainability Office Director at Iberostar. Chris walks us through the key findings of WTTC's Roadmap to Net Zero where urgency is required to accelerate a sustainable transition for travel businesses. While Megan outlines the importance of making decarbonization a reality in destinations to the net benefit of local communities and preserving fragile coastal ecosystems. Want to learn more? Check out Caroline's article about green tech innovation in tourism. 

The marketplace in OTC drugs is going through a period of acute change, as formulators and marketers increasingly must consider factors like sustainability and digitalisation in product design and brand outreach and development. In this podcast, Stella Vatcheva and Matthew Oster discuss prominent approaches from category adjacencies in consumer goods and answer the question- How can the OTC industry incorporate these innovations moving forward?   Want to learn more about innovation and consumer health? Check out our insights page.  

Everyone is talking about inflation. In this episode, Lan Ha, Euromonitor's Head of Economy, Finance, and Trade, explains how business and consumers will react in tandem to the surge in inflation. How will consumers modify their spending habits? What can businesses do to adapt to growing production costs and shifting consumer behaviour? Still have questions? Check out the article mentioned in this podcast, "Three Main Risks Facing Businesses in 2022: Omicron, Supply Chain and Inflation."

As we adapt to an increasingly digitally reliant world, this episode explores how digital innovations, shifts in target demographics, and lifestyle changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are drawing fashion players to explore opportunities in the metaverse. What challenges and opportunities will fashion players face while trying to capitalise on the expansion digital fashion in the metaverse?

The legalisation of the cannabis industry in California in 2016 was signaling the end of the illegal market and promising economic gains. Today leading California cannabis companies warn that they're on the verge of collapse as most local governments have been reluctant to loosen regulatory frameworks, reduce taxes, permit wider range of product formats, and establish more attractive distribution systems for easier access. According to Euromonitor's Global Lead for Nicotine and Cannabis Industries Shane MacGuill, uncertainty in the regulatory frameworks and lack of legal activity negatively impacts investments and social acceptance of the industry. More attractive prices, dynamism, authenticity, and easier access of the illegal propositions still remain more attractive to consumers. With more countries considering legalisation of the cannabis industry, learning from North American experience becomes critical. Euromonitor's Shane highlights the importance of having a clear purpose for legalization that would set the basis for well-balanced regulatory frameworks and smooth transition from illegal to legal cannabis consumption.

This episode is the first in a series that explores how hybrid working has impacted several industries in Western Europe. After a year of working from home as a result of the 2020 pandemic, hybrid working came into full play by the end of the fourth quarter in 2021 in the UK, with the return of people to offices on a flexible basis. Analyst Nina Marston and consultant Natasha Cazin discuss how fashion brands and retailers are responding to this change in working patterns, in terms of product assortment and distribution, including a shift to buying clothes online.

As India begins to emerge from the third Covid-19 wave, what tips and tricks will help restaurants keep afloat amidst the dynamic rules and regulations? Euromonitor International's Food and Nutrition Insight Lead India, Shreya Sharma, takes us through the performance of the Consumer Foodservice Industry in 2021 and how it is expected to pan out in the future.

As part of Euromonitor International's Megatension series, analysts Lucas Pinto and Chloe Maarek discuss how the pandemic has aroused a range of different feelings, leading some to increased anxiety and stress, and others to a higher proactivity and “can-do” attitude. Based on these conflicting needs, products aiming to enhance focus and attention are becoming more popular at the same time as products intending to increase relaxation and calmness. Pandemic-related needs have brought this polarized trend into beverages, consumer health and cannabis, but where will it go from here?

Consumers are growing more aware of environmental issues in fashion; yet, consumers' readiness to embrace circular fashion practices differs across the world. In this podcast, we will explore consumers preferences in the market of Eastern Europe, including the Baltics region. Are Eastern European consumers ready to prioritize sustainability in their purchase decisions? Are brands making any commitments to circular fashion? What changes in consumer perceptions are expected? 

Latin American economies shrunk by more than 8% on average in 2020. This reality fosters the concept of frugal innovation, given the inadequate fiscal and monetary stimulus in the region. Consumers will continue to be price sensitive and receptive to affordable products that answer their needs. Innovation, social networks, business models and flexible payments methods will be key actions that must be taken to engage with this targeted consumer.  

While being a vehicle for job creation, prosperity and equality, if out of control, travel and tourism can damage precious ecosystems and biodiversity. Climate action was accelerated during the pandemic, where travel businesses took advantage of the pause to rethink their corporate strategies and supply chains to drive cost efficiencies. The intersection of climate action and green technology is a sweet spot for innovation for travel brands and destinations on the pathway to net zero.

Hot off the back of COP26, Caroline Bremner speaks to Jeremy Smith, Co-Founder of Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency in the latest Travel Leaders podcast. Hear from Jeremy about the journey that Tourism Declares has been on, culminating with the launch of the Glasgow Declaration to provide a working framework for the tourism sector to reduce its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. Jeremy gives an insight to what happens next now that the momentum is well and truly rolling on climate action.

In this episode, Euromonitor International's Nutrition Research Analyst Ekaterina Tretyakova discusses the main trends in the ready meals market. Consumers tend to cook less often but still perceive eating together as an important social occasion, which is driving demand for ready meals. Increased spending on ready meals and their delivery is accelerating the development of new business models, and close collaboration between retailers and foodservice operators. Within this burgeoning category there are clearly emerging trends - health and wellness, sustainability, and the impact of technology – which are also explored in this podcast.

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered a change in consumer transport patterns. More people have turned away from public transport due to lockdowns and strict social distancing rules in favour of cycling and private car travel, while others have reduced demand for transport due to remote work arrangements. In a post-pandemic, world transport demand is likely to return to some level of normality, though personal car travel is likely to decrease in favour of mobility-as-a-service and micro-mobility.

This month's episode of Fashion Friday by Euromonitor International analyzes the digital resale market in North America. While the resale market has existed for decades, it is currently booming thanks to the changing needs and values of consumers, especially Millennial and Gen Z consumers. A range of new, digital-native players and initiatives by existing clothing brands have emerged to meet these needs. Who are these new players? What drives consumers to a particular resale platform? Will the trend continue? What can existing brands and retailers do to capitalize on this growing market?

In this latest episode of Travel Leaders Series, Head of Travel Research Caroline Bremner speaks to Shaon Talukder, Chief Executive Officer of Geotourist, an award-winning audio-tours platform that enables local people to share and preserve their stories. Geotourist's transformation in becoming a vital tool for destination management, leveraging visitor analytics, encouraging dispersal and inclusion. Tune in to hear about future opportunities for the creator economy.

In the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns, stark tensions and contradictions have arisen in many parts of the world. Behavioural tensions and responses range from empathy and a growing sense of community to a “me first” attitude of self-interest; from a “more is less” approach to consumption to indulgence spending and comfort clutter. Consumer behaviours towards sustainability in fashion are characterised by a tension between opposing trends, especially in an age of overconsumption: are shoppers holding brands accountable for their ethics or are price and convenience still driving consumption? Is a 'structural shift' in the industry really happening or were these pledges mostly PR stunts in the wake of 2020's big focus on social causes worldwide?

Hallyu (a Chinese term that translates to ‘the Korean Wave') refers to the transcendence and increasing popularity of South Korean cultural exports such as South Korean TV dramas and pop music. Popular in Asian countries from the mid-1990s to the mid-2000s, the second wave or Hallyu 2.0 is now becoming popular in Western countries - and luxury brands are seeking out more collaborations with Korean celebrities as global brand ambassadors. Are Western consumers and Korean consumers different in terms of their expectations from the brands in which they invest? How is South Korea influencing global fashion, and is the luxury industry prepared to accurately understand consumer groups across different communities and cultures?

While the global luxury goods market is expected to recover from the pandemic in the coming years, sustainability will be an increasing focus area for luxury players to engage with consumers, with a new-normal having emerged as values were transformed by the experiences in the pandemic. Euromonitor International's Industry Manager Fflur Roberts and Consultant Yuri Gorai discuss sustainability trends in the global luxury goods industry as well as in the important Japanese market with Taro Okamura, Senior specialist for investor relations and ESG at Valuence Holdings and Senior specialist for strategic market analysis at Valuence Japan. Learn more about Valuence Holdings at its website.

This episode is the second of our new podcast series on “Restarting Europe”, where Food and Nutrition Research Analysts Margaux Laine and Marie Breban will dig deeper into the evolution of the physical store one year and a half into the COVID-19 pandemic, as Europe is gradually re-opening. The episode will explore two pillars shaping the future of the brick and mortar store in Europe – ‘Betting on Suburbia' and ‘Exploring new concepts'. With e-commerce further gaining advantage during extended lockdowns, can physical stores compete by betting on community-driven initiatives? Can retailers and shops extend the role of the physical store, and where does sustainability fit into this new normal?

As the region experienced recessionary economic conditions in the past year due to the pandemic, the value of the apparel and footwear industry declined by 15%. As a result, new trends such as digitalisation, cash-on-delivery and the rise of casual wear emerged and started gaining traction. Though the pandemic caused massive disruptions to supply chains with country-wide lockdowns, port backlogs and shipping delays, many companies have turned to produce locally, which creates an advantage of having a more agile supply. In a market where agility is needed, it is in retailers' plans to support and invest in the local manufacturing industry.

In this podcast, we take a fresh look at the Experience More megatrend, where the virus put a stop to real life experiences during lockdown with consumers seeking their social, shopping and entertainment kicks online. Consumers continued to seek enhanced products, enhanced by technologies like AI and augmented reality for greater personalization. The pandemic also brought into sharp relief inequalities as seen by the continued rise in social activism, such as the Black Lives Matter movement. Facing the climate emergency, it is more essential than ever that brands create authentic engagements and leave the right lasting impression of their core values.

Hygiene has become a buzzword since the beginning of the pandemic. With the simple measures like wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing, and washing hands are being considered the best ways to prevent the spread of the virus. Given the threat of infection, hygiene beyond personal care has become relevant to consumers as they spend more and more time at home. Which has lead to domestic hygiene becoming an important part of our daily lifestyles.    However, since 2020, given the evolving nature of the situation across countries, it might be a good idea to understand what domestic hygiene means today? In this podcast we speak with our Senior Analyst Anjali Jain on the same.

Latin America is expected to be the second-fastest growing region for cannabis over the next five years. Although the current regional market is undeveloped, companies need to ensure communication strategies, product development and commercial efforts are aligned with consumer values and priorities, which will impact how cannabis categories develop in the future. In this episode, Shane MacGuill, global lead of nicotine and cannabis, joins Erwin Henriquez and Rodrigo Mattos, two of our cannabis experts based in Latin America, to discuss the current landscape, emerging trends and opportunities for cannabis in the region. Dive deeper into the Latin American cannabis market and further explore the insights from this episode in our “Cannabis in Latin America” report.

The airline industry is coming out of the pandemic completely transformed, with fewer operators in the market, as they seek operational efficiencies, fight shrinking cash flows and declining business travel, whilst driving a wide range of cost cutting measures and substantial restructuring programmes. Sustainable transportation is set to become the real game-changer in the post-pandemic business environment for airline operators, as consumers increasingly embrace more responsible tourism.

The opening ceremony of the Olympics Games Tokyo 2020 finally took place on July 23rd 2021. Although diversity is one of the core values of the Olympics, Japan has lagged far behind other countries in terms of diversity including gender equality. According to Euromonitor International's Economies and Consumers data, the income gap between male and female consumers in Japan was 33% in 2020. However, after the sexist comment made by the former Olympics committee chief executive was rebuked by global society, consumers in Japan became increasingly aware of the issue, and companies have started to react quickly to those consumers voices. This podcast will discuss the diversification trend that is finally starting to emerge in Japan.

The impact of COVID-19 raised awareness about the environmental consequences that consumption habits have on the planet. Companies that demonstrate purpose-driven solutions and sustainable commitments as part of the core business are increasing to remain relevant. As a result, three trends are currently standing out in Latin America namely, casualisation, sustainability and digitalisation. Due to the effects of the pandemic, consumers are increasing their interest in brands that offer a combination of technical, stretch and street attributes for a more relaxed look. Prolonged confinements diminished social occasions and the accelerated adoption of work from home is promoting the transition towards a more 'carefree' appearance of daily life.