Trend Taster: cloud coffee edition
In this week’s edition of the Trend Taster, we round up the snackable trends, stats and insights from around the world, including:
Gen Z spend most on subscription
SVoD Services Struggling for Identity
Juicy Tubes are making a comeback
Explainer: cloud coffee
Retailers bet on AI transformation
Gen Z spend most on subscription
Gen Z is redefining modern commerce by spending triple what older generations do on subscriptions, averaging £305 monthly. Beyond just Netflix and gym memberships, they're signing up for AI-analysed skincare, artisanal cheese deliveries, specialty oat milk, and even monthly houseplant subscriptions. This subscription-first mindset reveals their preference for personalized experiences, sustainability, and tech-enabled convenience that aligns with their values, making recurring commitments feel less like an obligation and more like an extension of identity.
SVoD Services Struggling for Identity
New research by Hub Entertainment Research found fewer SVoD viewers can explain what differentiates one streaming platform from another, with declining sign-ups for specific shows. Most can't even place signature programmes on their correct platforms, except for Netflix's Stranger Things. In this homogenised landscape, only live sports emerge as the true differentiator.
Juicy Tubes are making a comeback
Lancôme's Juicy Tube campaign reunited 2000s stars like Paris Hilton and Ed Westwick, generating 50 million video views in four days without paid media. These celebrities actively collaborated on creative direction, making authenticity affordable. While Gen Z loves retro aesthetics, millennials buy based on emotional memory. The brand isn't selling lip gloss, it's selling first kisses and prom nights. In crowded categories, feelings trump features. When products become time machines, consumers don't just purchase, they participate in their own nostalgia
Explainer: cloud coffee
Cloud coffee is floating across social feeds, blending espresso, coconut water, and frothed milk into Instagram's latest caffeine obsession. It's essentially a mashup of 2020's whipped Dalgona coffee and this spring's coconut water americano trend, creating that signature "cloudy" layer effect when dairy meets ice. The beauty lies in its flexibility - no fancy equipment required, just shake espresso and milk in a mason jar if needed. What's fascinating isn't the recipe itself but how social media recycles and remixes viral moments. Sometimes innovation is just clever combination, proving that in the attention economy, everything old becomes new again.
Retailers bet on AI transformation
According to Salesforce's latest Connected Shoppers report, 85% of retailers bet on AI transformation, but shoppers are pushing back. Only 17% have experienced unique in-store moments, and 41% of purchases will still happen offline by 2026. 66% of consumers switch over costs, but 26% abandon brands that stop evolving with them. Gen Z wants experiential rewards three times more than Boomers do. As retail gets smarter with precision targeting, humans want to shop more human.
