McDonalds goes unbranded in Japan

Lessons From the Country Store: What Big Retail Forgot About Trust

Small country towns show how trust, reciprocity, and human scale create a stronger retail model. This article explains why Gen Z aligns with country retail and what big brands can learn.

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

In high-stimulus public spaces, our bodies do more than react – they strategise.
Airports, hospitals, and stadiums all evoke subtle “Flight” responses: scanning, pacing, early exits.
Understanding how threat appraisal drives behaviour can help architects and planners design calmer spaces – and reveal why relaxation, not excitement, predicts dwell, spend, and satisfaction.

The Last Ten Minutes of Luxury

Guests pay for days yet remember minutes. The peak end rule explains why a stay often lives or dies on one high moment and the day of departure. What works, what fails, and how to design the arc so memory carries your brand home.

The Hidden Psychology of Time in Retail: From Scarcity to Timelessness

Airports, resorts, and luxury boutiques don’t just sell products. They sell time — scarce, abundant, distorted, or timeless. This essay explores how time shapes shopping behaviour.