Insperiences are here to stay
WHEN WE WERE all stuck at home back in March and April, the going got tough – and thankfully, the tough got creative. There may not have been pubs, restaurants or gyms to visit, but at-home alternatives sprung up, giving us new ways to look after ourselves, bond with the loved ones we couldn’t see in real life, and have some much-needed fun. But just because lockdown is now over, doesn’t mean we’re ready to give that up.
Yes, according to new research, we’re now living in the age of ‘insperience’. In thrilling news for anyone who loves a good made-up word, this one’s been coined in a new report from Barclaycard Payments, which finds that 88% of retailers saw increased demand for in-home experiences over the last three months. Despite the easing of restrictions, this market is predicted to grow by 32% over the next year, reaching a value of £168m.
The ‘in’ probably stands for ‘indoor’ but could also nod to ‘innovative’, ‘ingenious’, or ‘Instagram’, which has been flooded with insperiences since March. For me, it’s been Pilates classes via Zoom and pre-mixed cocktails (on my sofa) by Lockdown Liquor & Co. My friend Jenni hosted a virtual baby shower by ordering the same afternoon tea to be delivered to all the ‘guests’, while Selina tried an upmarket DIY meal kit, with instructions on cooking and presentation, from the Manchester restaurant Wood. For others it was John Lewis personal styling sessions online, remote tours of the British Museum, and live streams from Chester Zoo.
Retail guru Mary Portas, who collaborated on the report, has been at it too. ‘I’ve been doing a book club with my daughter,’ she says. The club was organised by staff at a local bookshop, who sent out the books and provided helpful insight during the chat. ‘We did Ann Patchett’s The Dutch House, and very good it was.’ Subscription services for products like gin, cheese and coffee are also flourishing; it was reported last week that one in 10 Britons has subscribed to something during the pandemic.
We may ditch some of our lockdown habits as Covid-19 retreats, but reports predict that over a third of us will carry on enjoying insperiences long-term. We’ve grown attached to a whole new world of home comforts, and Mary believes this change of focus presents a huge opportunity for retailers. ‘This is where small businesses can compete,’ she says. ‘You start to know the shop that’s doing it, you get to know the people, you listen to them. You start to put real experience and specialism at the heart of it.’
Of course, re-opened pubs, cinemas, shops and restaurants need our support too – and there’s no substitute for seeing friendly faces in person – but while we live with this virus, we’ll continue to make the most of life at home. What the phenomenon proves is that great innovation can emerge from difficult times – and we can all raise a mail-order cocktail to that.