Category Archives: Fresh Worldwide Press

What is going on in the Franchisig, Ho.Re.Ca, Hospitality and Retail business worldwide? A selection of my favorite news, with sustainability on top!

Pimkie’s site documents changing color trends on city streets | VIDEO

Just as sites such as Brayola have used the crowds to help women find recommendations for bras, now a new site is providing hints at the most popular color choices in three European cities. The Pimkie Color Forecast analyzes webcam footage to provide infographics detailing current trends in Paris, Milan and Antwerp.

With the help of interactive artist and software developer Pedro Miguel Cruz, France-based fashion retailer Pimkie has set up webcams in the “most fashionable” areas of the three cities, the images from which are then put through a computer program. The program isolates the pixels that represent people by monitoring their motion over time – the environment stays still but people move across the image space. The color of these pixels is then logged and the data is organized and presented in an easy-to-understand way to visitors of the Color Forecast.

Users can watch the live feed, see the most popular shades at different times of the day, week or month (in bar chart or pie chart form), or check Pimkie’s clothes recommendations for each city based on its most popular color.

These recommendations can then be purchased through the Pimkie store. The video below explains more about the process behind the site:

The fashion industry is full of opinions on the latest trends, but the Color Forecast provides digestable information based on actual data from the street, as well as providing a unique way to engage customers for the brand. Retailers, could you take inspiration from Pimkie’s lead?

via Fashion site documents changing color trends on city streets | Springwise.

Hoppit: highly curated recommendations for restaurants based on ambience

Tourists already have a variety of options when trying to work out what to do based on their mood. In the US, UK and Canada the I Feel London site, which groups activities by participant mood — energetic, sophisticated, hungover — is one such example. hoppit

Taking a similar concept and applying it to restaurants, Hoppit is the first site to provide a dining-out search engine which filters its results based on the ambience of venues.

Based in Manhattan and currently available in 25 cities in the US, each restaurant in the Hoppit database is tagged with one of ten “vibes” or types of atmosphere. These include ‘classy & upscale’, ‘hipster’, ‘romantic’ and ‘cozy & quaint’, among others. Users can manage their search results based on these categories, as well as the type of people they will be dining with – whether friends, family, business associate or date — the food they would like to eat, and the noise volume they would like to experience. Hoppit then displays a list of the nearby restaurants suited to the user’s plans and mood.

The service uses “natural language processing technology and algorithms” to sort its data, which draws on existing online reviews. Search results are complemented by food and drink deals through sites such as Groupon and Gilt City, which are shown beside the restaurant options.

via Site helps users choose restaurants based on atmosphere | Springwise.

Is digital retail a sustainable opportunity?

 for the Guardian Professional Network

I was on a panel this week to launch BT’s Retailtopia, a study event which examines the immense impact that information technology is likely to have on shopping over the next 10 years. On current trends, online shopping will account for over half of all purchases in a decade, with Amazon set to overtake Walmart as the planet’s biggest retailer. And although UK companies are currently world leaders in online and digitally-enabled shopping, I think that very few of the big retail players are really prepared for the scale of the changes to come.

We are likely to see not just more online shopping, but a blurring of the online and physical experience, with shoppers at home able to visit virtual changing rooms and shoppers in store able to access a cloud of information about products.

We are likely to see the arrival of the “internet of things” with every product given a digital identity, every movement mapped, and every preference logged. Information will overlay all areas of our lives. This will produce a rich seam of data to be mined, and analysing – and acting on – those data patterns will be key to retail success.

We are also likely to see a whole load of new players enter the game – peer-to-peer sellers, small independents or online farmers’ markets – as new technologies democratise the market and bring down barriers to entry for smaller players.

When people do visit stores, it will be for entertainment and the leisure experience, so expect to see chef demonstrations, children’s entertainers and food tastings.

What could this all mean for sustainability? On the one hand, people will be presented with more opportunities to consume. By 2020 the store will come to the consumer, via whatever handheld device we are using then, with personalised offers to entice us to spend. There will be few physical, technological or geographical boundaries to making purchases. We certainly won’t need to carry cash. We’ll just click for what we want.

On the other hand, this cluster of new technologies does offer the opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of consumption.

Shopping may become way more efficient. With intelligence embedded in everything, retailers can use that intelligence to cut the waste they produce and reduce energy and water use. Logistics will be smarter, and adjustable in real-time. Retailers will probably start to share more infrastructure. And the higher volume and density of home deliveries should allow for efficiency savings.

Shopping could be dematerialised. There will certainly be fewer journeys to physical shops, as more people buy online. And we can also expect a far greater proportion of the nation’s wealth to be generated digitally rather than physically, with many more goods and services to be provided virtually. Just think about how the MP3 file has almost completely replaced record shops or how the Kindle is currently becoming a serious rival to bookshops.

Shopping could be more informed. The new technologies, and the information that they generate could help customers make wiser choices. There will not only be total transparency around products in terms of their ingredients and provenance; but that information can be packaged and communicated in ways that make sense to the individual shopper. The climate-change conscious could get a carbon score for their weekly shop, with suggested adjustments; people with health issues might receive nudges to ensure their purchases fit their dietary plans; while people who care about fair trade will be able to click to watch a live video feed of the farm or factory on their smart phone before buying.

The technological changes are likely to come thick and fast. The consumer experience will probably be more seamless, more personalised, more ubiquitous. And if these technologies are applied in the right ways, I hope that it might just also be more efficient, more informed, and more sustainable.

via Digital retail: A sustainability opportunity? | Guardian Sustainable Business | guardian.co.uk.

Join DESITA at the FOOD REVOLUTION DAY!

May 19th is the FOOD REVOLUTION DAY and DESITA has obviously joined the Jaime Oliver Foundation’s campaign for a healthier food on public places – schools and workplaces.

Food Revolution Day on 19 May is a chance for people who love food to come together to share information, talents and resources; to pass on their knowledge and highlight the world’s food issues. All around the globe, people will work together to make a difference. Food Revolution Day is about connecting with your community through events at schools, restaurants, local businesses, dinner parties and farmers’ markets. We want to inspire change in people’s food habits and to promote the mission for better food and education for everyone.

We at DESITA feel very close to Jaime Oliver Foundation‘s mission – “(..) educating, empowering and inspiring people to make better food choices” – being our ECOFFEE project also about healthier food choices based on sustainability.

So what are you waiting for? Join us at the FOOD REVOLUTION DAY!

And if you are passing by Milan from next 19 to 27 May, you will be welcomed by the fourth edition of the the Milan Food Week, celebrating the pleasures of the table at selected shops, art galleries, showrooms, bars and restaurants in the heart of the city.

Art, music and debates on the theme of food accompany a huge variety of tastings. This festival devoted to quality foods and wines counts more than 200 events and activities also involving some public organizations. Visit the event website for more information about this “tasty” event! www.milanofoodweek.com

 

ECOFFEEs tShirt, summer 2012 limited edition collection

DESITA, ECOFFEE, Eng, fashion retail, marketing, online retail, retail, retail fashion, shopping experience, social responsibility, sustainability, trends and forecasts

ECOFFEEs tShirt, summer 2012 limited edition collection.

6 steps towards a healthier Google Cafeteria

Much has changed since Google earned a reputation for fattening its staffers with food on demand. These days, the company is focused on advancing its healthy eating initiatives. Explains Jennifer Kurkoski, who has a PhD in organizational behavior and runs a division of Google’s HR department called People Analytics, “When employees are healthy, they’re happy. When they’re happy, they’re innovative.” google cafeteria

In pursuit of that healthiness, happiness, and innovation, Google has turned to “nudges”: simple, subtle cues that prompt people to make better decisions. Behavioral economists have shown the idea works, but Google has taken it out of the lab and into the lunchroom. This is a sampling of the encouragement you’d get during trips through the company’s eateries–and naturally, Google is measuring the results.

HARD CANDY

No longer are M&Ms in clear hanging dispensers. If you’re in Google’s New York office, you now have to reach into opaque bins. The grab takes effort; the obscuring vessel quells enticement. The switch led to a 9% drop in caloric intake from candy in just one week.

SALAD GAZE

Waiting for you as you enter the cafeteria is the salad bar. According to Jessica Wisdom, a member of the People Analytics team, studies show that people tend to fill their plates with whatever they see first. Thus, leafy greens get the most visible real estate. Desserts, meanwhile, are down another line of sight.

SIZING DOWN

While grabbing a plate to load up on grub, you see a sign informing you that people with bigger dishes are inclined to eat more. It doesn’t tell you what to do, but it affects your behavior. This simple “meta nudge” caused small plate usage to increase by half, to 32% of all plate traffic.

COLORING OPINIONS

Harvard recently revamped its food pyramid, and those lessons in metered portions have translated into a colored tag system in the cafeterias. you see green labels paired with veggies, giving you liberty to dig in. Most desserts have red ones, warning potential gluttons to proceed in moderation.

DESERTING DESSERTS

So you’ve had a bad day, and even a glaring red tag isn’t enough to discourage you from indulging in a treat. Fortunately, desserts are designed to be downed in just three bites. By making people think about having to take a second dessert plate, Google is nixing potential binges.

WATERWORKS

You’re back at your desk and thirst is setting in. You head to the kitchen. In the past, water was on tap and soda was in the fridge. Now bottled water is at eye level in the cooler, while soda has been moved to the bottom. That shift in placement increased water intake by 47%, while calories from drinks fell by 7%. Taking a sip of agua, you feel better already.

via 6 Ways Google Hacks Its Cafeterias So Googlers Eat Healthier | Co.Design: business + innovation + design.

China’s youth high demands for low carbon goods

Businesses have been urged to accelerate their environmental footprinting strategies to include emerging economies, after new research by the Carbon Trust revealed young people in China could hold the key to unlocking mass demand for greener products.

chinese_market_youth

The survey of 2,800 young people across six countries carried out by TNS found 83 per cent of 18-25 year-olds in China would be more loyal to a brand if they could see it was reducing its carbon footprint. In contrast, just 57 per cent of US respondents and 55 per cent of young people in the UK made the same claim.

Globally, 78 per cent of young people said they want their favourite brands to reduce their carbon footprint, but again those in Chinese showed the highest demand for emission reductions with 88 per cent calling on firms to cut their footprint.

South Africa came in second place with 86 per cent of respondents calling on blue chips to reduce their impact, followed by Brazi at 84 per cent. Again the US and UK lagged far behind with only two thirds of respondents demanding more action from big brands.

The analysis was launched just days before the Carbon Trust unveils the first four Asian companies to receive the Carbon Trust Standard, its independent label awarded to companies that reduce their organisational carbon footprints year-on-year.

Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, said the survey results were “startling”, in that they revealed how Chinese consumers could lead the global demand for greener goods.

“Sixty per cent of young adults questioned in China would stop buying a product if its manufacturer refused to commit to measuring and reducing its carbon footprint, compared to just 35 per cent of those in the US,” he said.

“Perhaps it is the Chinese, and not the US. consumer, that really holds the key to unlocking the mass demand for new low carbon products necessary to deliver an environmentally sustainable economy.

“If global brands don’t build international carbon reduction strategies even faster, they risk missing out on the spending power of emerging economies.”

The research also revealed that Brazilian young people showed the greatest demand for companies to be transparent about their action on carbon, with 81 per cent demanding that brands to provide proof they are reducing their carbon footprint.

British young people showed a high awareness of the term “carbon footprint”, but only half claimed to be concerned about climate change.

via China’s youth reveal ‘startling’ demand for low carbon goods – 02 Apr 2012 – News from BusinessGreen.

How to achieve Sustainability in the Restaurant Industry

The notion of sustainability will remain for countless years to come. No matter if you’re talking about the product design, agriculture, construction, food or restaurant industries, sustainability is at the forefront.

While most industries are developing more sustainable approaches to products and services, the food and restaurant industries are making tremendous headway, in alliance with health and environmentally-conscious consumers.

Nowadays, consumers are taking note of how they eat and are taking strides to make changes. Not only do they want healthier foods on their tables, they want a cleaner, healthier planet. In fact, an increased portion of food dollars are being spent at local farmers markets, as well as an overwhelming number of consumers taking part in Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs.

Furthermore, the One Green Score for One Earth sustainability research study revealed some 63% of those surveyed said they were extremely committed to buying sustainable goods. It doesn’t stop there. More and more, consumers are taking on the task of self-farming. In fact, Forbes predicts that by the year 2018, 20% of all food consumed in U.S. cities will come from rooftop and parking lot farms.

The restaurant industry, one of the most wasteful industries in the world, as a whole is seemingly tackling sustainability in its own way as well. By adopting certain practices such as utilizing solutions like Foodem to purchase sustainable, organic food products, putting food education at the heart of their businesses, realizing industry partnerships are mandatory, creating ways to reduce and reuse food waste and being environmentally-conscious when designing and building dining locations, the restaurant industry has finally wrapped its head around what needs to be done, even though there remains tons to accomplish.

To put the vision of sustainability and the restaurant industry into perspective, check out Chef Arthur Potts-Dawson’s enlightening Ted Talk.

via Sustainability and the Restaurant Industry: It Can Be Achieved | Foodem.com.

Accor launches PLANET 21 Sustainability Program

Accor is taking sustainable development to new heights, with the launch of PLANET 21.

The name is a direct reference to Agenda 21, the environmental action plan signed at the Rio Earth  Summit in 1992, and reminds us of the urgent concern that face our planet in the 21st century and the  need to change our methods of production and consumption logo_planet21_accor_hotelspatterns to preserve human beings and  eco-systems. With PLANET 21, Accor is making 21 commitments and the same number of quantified  goals for the year 2015, including:

  • employees trained in disease prevention in 95% of hotels;
  • 80% of  properties promoting balanced meals ;
  • 85% of hotels using eco-labelled products;
  • a 15% reduction in  water consumption;
  • 10% decrease in energy use at Accor’s owned and leased hotels worldwide.

“At a time when the Group is embarking on a phase of brisk expansion, with the aim of becoming the  global reference in hotel industry, we are reaffirming our choice of responsible growth capable of  generating shared value for all”, said Denis Hennequin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of  Accor.

“With the PLANET 21 program, we are putting sustainable hospitality at the core of the
Group’s strategy, development and innovation. I am convinced that sustainable development will  lead us towards a new business model. PLANET 21 gives us a fantastic driver of competitiveness for  our brands, attractiveness for our customers and partners and loyalty for our employees”.

Since 1994, when Accor first established its Environment Department, the Group has adopted  numerous solutions to contribute to the development of local communities, reduce water and energy  consumption and limit the environmental footprint of its hotels. With PLANET 21, Accor is reinforcing  its determination to put sustainable development at the heart of its activities: 21 commitments that  involve customers, partners and employees in order to improve Accor’s sustainability performance.

For these reasons, the new PLANET 21 strategy includes a program to engage customers, inviting  them to contribute to the hotels’ actions and achievements. From making a reservation to staying  and or dining in Accor hotels, customers will discover a rich and diverse array of messages that will  encourage them to contribute actively to the hotel’s action through a few simple gestures.

The tone of the messages will be friendly and thoughtful, aimed at encouraging customers to participate without  ever making them feel guilty.

S. Pellegrino’s 2011 World’s 50 Best Restaurants

The 2011 S. Pellegrino “World’s 50 Best Restaurants List” is out, with Denmark’s Noma landing on top for the second year in a row, and Spain’s El Celler de Can Roca and Mugaritz capturing second and third.

The annual award, organized by Restaurant magazine and now in its tenth year, is widely considered to be the Oscars of the restaurant world. Results are voted by a 837-member panel of industry experts from 27 regions around the world, including chefs, food writers and restaurateurs. There are no set criteria for judging and votes are cast based on personal dining experiences.

Noma, headed by chef Rene Redzepi, is famed for its imaginative treatment of regional ingredients. CNN reported that a day after the best restaurants list came out in 2010, Noma received more than 100,000 requests for a table.

The list is dominated by restaurants in Europe, with only five restaurants in Asia-Pacific cracking the top 50 list.

China made its first appearance on the list: Chef Richard Ekkebus’ modern French restaurant Amber at Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong was placed 37th.

Japan’s Les Creations De NARISAWA, which serves unorthodox French cuisine cooked with organic soil and charcoal, is placed at number 12, claiming the Best in Asia award for the third year running.

Nihonryori Ryugin, at number 20, is the fasting rising restaurant on the list, up 28 places from last year.

Other entrants in the Asia-Pacific region including Quay Restaurant in Sydney, placed 26th, and Iggy’s in Singapore following close behind at number 27.

Restaurants from Peru and Russia also made the list for the first time. Peruvian restaurant Astrid Y Gaston was placed at number 42 and restaurant Varvary in Moscow, Russia, appears at 48.

Five-time chart topper elBulli in Spain is missing from the list this year as chef Ferran Adrià will serve its last meal as a restaurant on July 20, 2011.

It will reopen as a nonprofit gastronomy think tank in 2014.

The top 50 list:

1. Noma (Copenhagen, Denmark)

2. El Celler de Can Roca (Girona, Spain)

3. Mugaritz (Errenteria, Spain)

4. Osteria Francescana (Modena, Italy)

5. The Fat Duck (Bray, England)

6. Alinea (Chicago, Illinois)

7. D.O.M. (São Paulo, Brazil)

8. Arzak (San Sebastián, Spain)

9. Le Chateaubriand (Paris, France)

10. Per Se (New York)

11. Daniel (New York)

12. Les Créations de Narisawa (Tokyo, Japan)

13. L’Astrance (Paris, France)

14. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon (Paris, France)

15. Hof Van Cleve (Kruishoutem, Belgium)

16. Pierre Gagnaire (Paris, France)

17. Oud Sluis (Sluis, Netherlands)

18. Le Bernardin (New York)

19. L’Arpege (Paris, France)

20. Nihonryori RyuGin (Tokyo, Japan)

21. Vendôme (Bergisch Gladbach, Germany)

22. Steirereck (Vienna, Austria)

23. Schloss Schauenstein (Fürstenau, Switzerland)

24. Eleven Madison Park (New York)

25. Aqua (Bath, England)

26. Quay Restaurant (Sydney, Australia)

27. Iggy’s (Singapore)

28. Combal Zero (Rivoli, Italy)

29. Martín Berasategui (Lasarte-Oria, Spain)

30. Bras (Laguiole, France)

31. Biko (Mexico City, Mexico)

32. Le Calandre (Rubano, Italy)

33. Il Ristorante Cracco (Milan, Italy)

34. The Ledbury (London, England)

35. Chez Dominique (Helsinki, Finland)

36. Le Quartier Français (Franschhoek, South Africa)

37. Amber (Hong Kong, China)

38. Dal Pescatore (Mantova, Italy)

39. Il Canto (Siena, Italy)

40. Momofuku Ssäm Bar (New York)

41. St. John (London, England)

42. Astrid y Gastón (Lima, Perú)

43. Hibiscus (London, England)

44. La Maison Troisgros (Roanne, France)

45. Alain Ducasse Au Plaza Athénée (Paris, France)

46. De Librije (Zwolle, Netherlands)

47. Restaurant de l’Hôtel de Ville (Crissier, Switzerland)

48. Varvary (Moscow, Russia)

49. Pujol (Mexico City, Mexico)

50. Asador Etxebarri (Atxondo-Bizkaia, Spain)

via S. Pellegrino’s 2011 World’s 50 Best Restaurants | CNNGo.com.