From solar-powered vegan Beet-BQs and sunglasses for dogs to voice-enabled travel assistants and fermented condiments, the #SmileItsSummer Trends Report reveals the hottest products that look set to characterise summer 2018. The independent report, commissioned by Amazon and informed by Steve Tooze from Stylus Innovation Research + Advisory Company, also reveals how the great British summer will evolve in the years to come.
To bring the report to life and help customers make the most of the season, Amazon.co.uk has launched the #SmileItsSummer store, full of the latest on-trend products – including luxury outdoor sofas, dog sunbonnets and kimchi – expected to become a huge part of this year’s summer celebrations.
“This year, a travel tech revolution will propel our great British summer into the future,” said Steve Tooze, Trend Expert at Stylus Innovation Research + Advisory Company. “From Alexa finding our flights and checking the weather at our destination to bluetooth locators and smart fingerprint locks for our luggage, there is a high-tech gadget to make every element of our summer holiday easier. Which is just as well, as even our pampered pooches are getting in on the action, with sales of pet travel products like ‘doggles’ rocketing.”
“And it’s not just technology that is evolving summer traditions,” continues Tooze. “We’ll also see big changes in al fresco dining with the arrival of the ‘Beet-BQ’, as meat-free alternatives to traditional burgers and sausages enter the mainstream. Our choice of condiments is expanding too, with kimchi soon to be found on every picnic table and, as gardens are tended to by robotic mowers, there’ll be plenty of time to perfect these popular new vegan BBQ recipes.”
