Harrods 2019 trendreport

NowINewINext, the future in Food and Packaging

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Ariane van Mancius is the driving force behind NowINewINext, the boutique innovation agency. With NowINewINext, Ariane focuses on food and packaging innovations across five wide ranging channels, each requiring their own individual approach: retail, airline, petrol, agriculture and food services.

In March 2019 NowINewINext will embark upon a new adventure. “How to navigate the plastic soup” is a structured and inspiring talk, with the aim of making packaging more sustainable. The talk will be available with accompanying consultancy service opportunities. NowINewINext is positioned directly on the crossroads of sustainability, marketing and design.

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3. Redefining luxury in ready meals

1. 4.2. 5.

The food halls Redefining luxury in luxury goods

Redefining luxury in chocolate

Redefining luxury in tea and coffee

Harrods in London has been synonymous with exquisite luxury, quality and exclusivity for 170 years. Its 93,000 m2 of shop floor make it Europe’s largest department store. Attracting over two million visitors every year it is London’s third largest tourist attraction in its own right.

Now that other department stores such as Harvey Nichols and Liberty are increasingly manoeuvring towards the more luxurious end of the market, Harrods is prepared to go that extra mile. Or, as Harrods puts it: ‘redefining luxury’.

Harrods has renovated and relaunched its famous Fresh Food Halls on 1 November 2018 under the banner: ‘The Taste Revolution’. The design for the Food Halls is a product of the David Collins Studio. This is the ultimate foodies’ paradise, a delicious feast not only for the taste buds, but also for the eyes.

Harrods London Redefining food luxury

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Harrods in Oxford Street is a recognised monument and landmark. Its recently revam-ped Food Halls retain many of the original interior design’s features. These include the marbled division walls, art deco tiles on the columns and the door frames. When combined with black and white decorative elements, this underscores the starring role of the colourful wealth of food.

Harrods has also always ma-naged to display an impressive flair for capturing trends, such as veganism: one of the most striking elements in the Fresh Food Halls is the giant Vegetable Butchery, which occupies one entire wall.

Consumers increasingly find it important to see where their food actually comes from. To this end giant Iberico hams feature in the cold meats section and enormous cheeses dominate the cheese aisles.

And every day the house bakery builds walls of Harrods’ very own sourdough bread, with the signature ‘H’ baked into the irresistible crust.

1. The food halls

Vegetable Butchery

Meat section

Vegetable ButcheryHarrods’ sourdough bread

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Chocolate tends to be beautifully wrapped, with real arresting power; seductive use of colour and attention to detail, frequently expressing stylised plant or oriental patterns. There is of course also ample choice in gift wrapping, often complete with ribbons and bows.

Neuhaus, the Belgian chocolate brand, features ribbons that weave through an interchan-geable label. The chocolates by Patchi can be purchased packaged in a small leather case, which once it has completed its original purpose can be used as an attractive storage for letters or cards.

Harrods’ own brand of course also lives up to its name. Gold graphic patterns on blue and black block colours, as well as beautifully styled tins. Cardboard tubes similar to those used to package quality

whiskey are also striking, but on this outing printed with peacock motifs. Janice Wong markets chocolates as if they were boxes of coloured pencils, complete with cheery colourful spots.

It is also nice to see a Dutch brand gracing the shelves at Harrods: Stach chocolate bars fashionable wrapped in designs by Ottoline.

To offset the choice of rich exuberant splendour on display there are also ample wrappings and packaging expressing a minimalist ‘less is more’ aesthetic.

2. Redefining luxury in chocolate

Patchi

Harrods’ own brand Harrods’ own brand

Stach

Janice Wong

Neuhaus

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Harrods employs an impressive 150 chefs who prepare ready meals which arrive on the shelves like small paintings. There are wonderful oven-ready purees on card-board trays, covered with a heat-resistant plastic foil. The Harrods flatbread is packed in a sack with a handle which can be carried like a bag. Wraps come packaged like luxury bonbons in greaseproof paper.

And then there are the salads; these come in every shape, size and combination of colours. There is a richly stocked salad bar which encourages you to compose your very own delight. This is complemented with pre-packed salads, layered and highly ‘Instagrammable’ packaged in round, transparent boxes.

Desserts are available in more or less the same visually attractive presentation.

Sandwich packaging leans towards the minimalist: packed in a thin piece of Harrods’ paper, ensuring you don’t get greasy fingers while eating.

3. Redefining luxury in ready meals

Oven-ready purees

Harrods’ flatbread

Harrods’ salads

Harrods’ desserts

Sandwich paper

Salad bar

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Caviar, truffles and foie gras are familiar luxurious items. Can these also be redefined? Absolutely! The expensive tins increasingly get a fresh, modern, colourful appearance and style. And the vodka to wash down such riches comes in a skull shaped bottle, made from sparkling, iridescent glass.

Foie gras is of course available in various types and volumes; what excels here is the duck liver, packaged in a silvery, silk-like material. And the truffles? Presented as singular jewels under a transparent glass bell jar.

4. Redefining luxury in luxury goods

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Vodka skull

Duck liver

Iberico ham

Truffles

Caviar tins

You may think: ‘Could there really be anything more everyday in England than a cup of tea?’ At Harrods nothing is ordinary; here the focus is on refinement and abundance. This also applies to the packaging, which is often lavishly decorated. There is an array of types of tins, ample faux gold wrapping and a choice biscuit to accom-pany the beverage frequently included in the tin.

5. Redefining luxury in tea and coffee

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Fauchon tea

Tea palace

Harrods’ biscuits

Harrods’ biscuits

Harrods’ Easter tea

Matcha tea

Contact NowINewINextCompany activities: Strategy, Trend Reports, Style Guides, Brand Positioning, Food and Packaging Innovation, Millennials, Sustainability, Lectures and Talks.

Now|New|Next Oud Over 153632 VA Loenen aan de VechtThe Netherlandswww.nownewnext.nl

For queries or contact: +31647078094 or email ariane@nownewnext.nl

This report was created in collaboration with:Anne-Paulina de Jong (creative)Tandem tekst (text)

Personalisation: the nec plus ultra Excellence in service and support is written into Harrods’ DNA. As seen in the bakery, the sourdough bread is branded with their signature H, but upon request they can also bake bread with your own initials or your company logo. Or how about having your request engraved on for example a wine bottle?

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