Trend Taster: influencer menu edition

In this week’s edition of the Trend Taster, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:

• luxury boom

• influencer menu

• AI radio

• music discovery

• wellness rings

Japan’s luxury boom

Hermès reported a 25% sales increase in Japan for the first quarter, with Tiffany & Co. and Balenciaga also expanding their market presence. This trend is boosted by wealthy shoppers, who are increasingly buying rare, limited-edition bags in Japan, The Japanese for them is ‘her-pat’ and describes those who shop as if they’re on ‘Hermès patrol,’ often posting their purchases on social media,” In May, duty-free sales by foreign nationals hit a record high, driven by international tourists, particularly from China, boosting overall sales growth in department stores.

Influencer menus

Restaurants are collaborating with viral chefs and foodie influencers to craft unique menus inspired by popular recipes, so called ‘influencer menus’, appealing to younger audiences. Short-form video platforms have boosted foodie culture, leading to viral recipes and collaborations that set these restaurants apart from competitors.

YouTube’s AI radio

YouTube is testing an AI-generated conversational radio feature and a Shazam-like tool for song identification. The radio feature, available to select US Premium users, lets you create custom stations by describing your preferences. The song identification tool allows users to find songs by singing, humming, or playing parts of them.

Gen Z music discovery

A recent study found that 45% of 18-24 year olds using social media for music discovery, In addition to using TikTok for music sharing, apps like Receiptify, Obscurify, and "How Bad is Your Spotify?" let users share stats, obscurity scores, and self-roasts. This is reflecting Gen Z's desire to showcase their musical tastes and turn it into social content.

Who is winning the smart ring battle?

In the battle of the smart rings, Samsung is launching its first finger-worn wellness tracker. While Oura, a veteran in the category, expands its retail presence, it is facing increased competition from Indian startup Ultrahuman, who are adding AFib (atrial fibrillation) detection to its Ring Air.