ThisIsRetail #17
Welcome to ThisIsRetail, your weekly look at some of the more diverse and unexpected stuff influencing the way we buy, sell and consume in the 21st century.
We're not a news feed, nor are we algorithm-powered content aggregator. No, we prefer to painstakingly hand-pick the innovative, the new, the stimulating, and the provocative. Expect diverse and, sometimes, esoteric features on culture, politics, travel, art, music, literature, and technology - plus anything else we find intriguing - so long as it's on a collision-course with consumerism.
So why are we doing this? Well, amid the doom and gloom that clouds the sector, we want to shine a light on some of good stuff going on. We're optimistic for the future of retail, but it's up to us all to seize the opportunities it presents.
This week includes a definitive (not to mention hilarious) history and evolution of 'Brand Twitter', how Raymond Loewy's distinctive "cleanlining" style sold products - and himself, and how a new 3D printer - nicknamed "the replicator" after the famous Star Trek device - might just turn the world of product design upside-down.
Beam me up!
Mark my words
How capturing airborne particles could not only reduce the amount of pollution released into the air, but also create something new, something beautiful [Smithsonian]
My, look how you've grown!
Take in a riotous potted history of how brands on Twitter (mostly 🙈) moved past their awkward teenage phase to connect with their audiences [Vulture]
Global Britain assumes a world that is moving towards free trade, rather than against it
At ThisIsRetail towers, it's fair to say to say we have some salty views when it comes to Brexit. But whatever you view - and for those fortunate enough to have none - this is an interesting opinion piece on the global retreat from free trade, and its implications for the UK [Financial Times]
All mod cons
Meet the Product Designer who made mid-century America look clean and stylish, and inspired a spending spree among the expanding middle class [Smithsonian]
The changing face of cult magazine 'The Face'
Ahead of its September relaunch, we look back through past issues of the legendary style guide, which not only reflected culture, but shaped its trajectory too [Frieze Magazine]
Come into the light
How a new 3D printer makes objects appear out of thin air, and might just transform product design [Berkeley News]
At Retail Management Consultants, we make great things happen for forward-thinking retail organisations.
We see the immense connectivity of the modern world and are hell-bent on enabling our clients to seize the opportunities it presents.
Let's talk. Let's make it great.