Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

From perfumes to furniture, there’s a subscription platform for everything – but why do some people keep paying for services they never use? Canvas8 spoke to Jennifer Savary, an assistant professor of marketing at the University of Arizona, to find out why cancelling a subscription is so hard.

Whether they’re providing low-stakes escapism or education on how to unlearn racial biases, books have been a crutch for many in the pandemic. In fact, the number of books sold surpassed 200 million in 2020, signalling a desire for slow, analog modes of entertainment and distraction.

As e-commerce giants continue to cannibalise the UK high street, the backlash against faceless retailers is accelerating, leading some shoppers to turn to smaller, local businesses – both online and off. How are these independent firms fostering long-term loyalty across channels?

Social media has long been the go-to platform for inspiration, with influencers flaunting their outfits, beauty routines, and exotic travel destinations for their fans to see. But a wave of celebrities and influencers are becoming bookfluencers and turning literature into an aspirational frontier.