The Branded and Gilded Life

What happens with 100% internet penetration?


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Most countries aren't anywhere close.

South Korea offers a glimpse of what could happen when practically the whole population is online - 96%.

Blazing internet speeds and high urban saturation 

In addition, the work culture follows the Chinese model - 996. 

9 am - 9 pm, 6 days a week. That leaves little time or inclination to go shopping on the one day people get off from work.

The company leading the pack online is Coupang. They invested early in logistics and delivery infrastructure getting a head start and built an advantage. 

Nearly 50% of the citizens order from the company everyday, or every few days.

Any other company entering the space will find it challenging to replicate the infrastructure and compete.

Customers can place orders until midnight and get goods delivered before 7 am the next morning.

While the pandemic has accelerated change, it is clear that people don't feel the need to go shopping at large stores anymore.

The weekly or monthly trips to get all necessities for the house may no longer be required.

Like Work from Home, Shop From Home could be a fundamental shift.

And that has big implications on how real world retail will evolve.

The food fight on Facebook

The New York Times has a group on Facebook built around food.

So far, so good.

It grew from a few thousand people over the years to over 77 thousand.

And a trickle of problems became a flood.

Turns out that even something as wholesome as food can become nasty.

And it isn't on account of spoiled food.

It's the way people respond and react to posts.

Fights break out on brand choices around mayonnaise - people are so passionate about their choices, they get into spiteful arguments and it spins out of control.

It becomes pretty clear that the clashes grow from differences in perception and points of view.

To maintain the peace, rules had to be made. But how do you impose rules in a group where no one is stopped from posting?

So arguments around food and presentation stray into politics.

And that is a recipe for disaster.

Even if no one on the group is discussing political beliefs, it hangs around like yesterday's dishes.

The moderators have to step in and defuse situations - and it has got to the point where the New York Times is asking for outside help to manage.

Food for thought?

Cut and slice. The new relaxation routine

Do you know how to cut a pomegranate perfectly?

A video showing an easy way to do it has over 3 million views on YouTube.

If you have never bought the fruit because of its complex structure, give it a second chance.

I have a sneaky suspicion that the popularity of fruits is directly proportional to the ease with which they can be cut and consumed.

Bananas are nature's best design example - from peeling to eating in just a couple of seconds.

Apples closely follow suit.

Surprisingly, dragon fruits with their thick interwoven bulbs are a piece of cake. Slice them horizontally and you get two perfect halves to dig into.

It may seem like a painful task but cutting fruits is a bit like listening to music while cooking.

The underrated benefit? Polishing your cutting and slicing skills.

You can let your mind wander and dwell on other things while you pluck grapes, slice papayas and skin the prickly pineapples.

And of course, your dexterity improves significantly.

Each fruit has it's own set of peculiarities.

So pick out different ones for each day of the week.

Instead of limiting your options to the most obvious choices at the market.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sharing it with friends. Or Tweeting the link. The more people we can get to tune in every week, the merrier. Thank you.



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The Branded and Gilded LifeBy Connecting the not-so-obvious branding dots