Sectors are dissolving in the customer-facing world. Retail, FMCG, travel, hospitality, streaming, gaming, services... all compete/collaborate/copy in the push for the customer's disposable and discretionary spend. #AI is both the solvent and accelerant. open.substack.com/pub/ianjinda...
A worked example-ish of
#sovereignAI
open.substack.com/pub/ianjinda...
What's your core? open.substack.com/pub/ianjinda...
"Age of Insecurity" - tariffs, realignment, 'slowbalization'
open.substack.com/pub/ianjinda...
On the train from
Berlin to Amsterdam. About 6 hours in total and therefore only 30 mins slower than schlepping to/from airports and standing in queues. Beautiful winter light (cheering at -10°). #eurotrain #ice #dbahn
Some reflections on #nyc #retail stores that were once exemplars but now shuttered. open.substack.com/pub/ianjinda...
Palais-Royal in December
Down Brick Lane, just by Grimes Street, a graffiti face has acquired some 3D bauble-and-branch hair for Christmas.
#graffiti #street #shoreditch #e2
Walked past Philippe Conticini’s store in #Islington last night and did a double-take at the enormous #croissants. Like an enormous grub I thought they were fake. Nope - family sized, sharing, “xxl” pastries. My hand is in shot for scale. No, I didn’t try them. philippeconticini.co.uk
Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery.
… or the Middle Ages return
My morning’s offering is a spam LinkedIn account where they forgot to paste in their fake name ;)
There used to be one of those fish pedicure places in Quimper - “Sweety Fish Spa”. Used to laugh at the name. Little did I know the fish-flesh relation to St Corentin! (maps.app.goo.gl/YSkALUpc4aDx...)
Bonjour Paris. From the window of the RER B heading into the city.
.
.
#train #paris #flaneur #streetphoto
Waitrose. Soy sauce. Santa hats. Not sure why, or even the link to Christmas, but being Waitrose the hats are zip tied on. Sign of the times. My first thought was it was guérilla crocheting in the wild, but now I’m not sure..
That’s why it’s “aspirational” ;) If you were living that life of consumption you’d be complaining to your mates over a bottle of cheval blanc that you wish you could give it all up and become a writer :)
Hudson Yards looking rather magical despite itself, along with the Vessel, finding its purpose as a seasonal decoration.
#hudsonyards #thevessel #newyork #flaneur #rainycity
Singing in the rain. Singer in full flow under his umbrella while
filming himself on the #Highline. Grotty weather, lovely voice.
#newyork #street #rain #nyc #flaneur
2-bell fire in soho today at 251 Broome Street, a 19th century tower. 25 fire engines, drones buzzing around and lots of street level spectating and advice-good bing. No-one was hurt - story here www.nbcnews.com/video/firefi...
.
. #leica #m11 #aposummicron #fire #newyork
Greenwich Village. A bit of ‘bluescreen’ urban camo at play ;)
#m11 #aposummicron #newyork #nyc #street
An everyday moment on Broadway.
Ice-cream time in the November sun.
#flaneur #m11 #aposummicron #street #nyc #newyork
Arrived in NYC for a week of pavement-pounding - 157 store visits and some interviews as I look for the ‘wow’ stores in readiness for my tours at NRF25. From bright sun to light night - and a balmy 20° too.
