London: The epicenter of hope? ??

Hi folks,

We might be seeing the end of the “YouTube face” era, where having a wide open mouth on the thumbnail gets rewarded with millions of clicks. Try not to look too shocked – that doesn’t work anymore.

Scroll down to read more about fast fashion, female farmers, and the Big Smoke.

Stats to power your week

??? With our latest wave of travel data, we've seen the most popular type of holiday worldwide is a nature-based trip – looks like Bear Grylls hasn’t put anyone off. Although the UK is the only country where holidaymakers would rather go to a resort than spend time in the wild. We’ll be having that sunlounger, thanks. GWI Travel

?? You might be aware of the “plant mom” trend in the physical world, but it’s happening digitally too. The gaming franchises women play more than men include FarmVille, Merge Gardens, Gardenscapes, and lockdown favorite Animal Crossing. But it also includes Farming Simulator – a game that didn’t offer female avatars until 2016. GWI Gaming

?? Heatwaves have been happening all over the world this year and over half of consumers are very or extremely concerned about them. The biggest factor concerning people is increased risk to health (57%), followed by the risk of wildfires (51%). Wildfires are actually now more of a concern than rising sea temperatures. GWI Zeitgeist

?? Rising temperatures might also help explain why “sun care” has been trending all over TikTok. We’ve seen a 12% increase among Gen Z consumers who say they’ve used it in the last week within the last year – making it the fastest-growing skincare product. GWI Core

??? Fashion brands are working harder than ever to boost their sustainability credentials. But how consumers perceive sustainability around clothes is somewhat surprising. Ensuring the products have sustainable packaging is almost as important as how the clothing itself gets made. Speaking of which, Shein's plastic bags are more chic than you might think. GWI Zeitgeist

Chart of the week

Most countries have a hub city, usually the capital, which other cities feed into. In the UK, London dominates to an extent seen hardly anywhere else in the world.

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London is the financial, cultural, and political capital all in one. But you can get an even better measure of how much it’s a country unto itself by looking at how consumers feel there compared to the national average.

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Compared to other Brits, Londoners are much more optimistic about their finances, and the difference between them is much higher than neighboring countries. Even in Italy, a country with its own pronounced regional divide, consumers in the capital broadly feel the same as the rest of the country.?

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