Home improvement stores are rarely a joy to walk around. Sprawling shop floors packed with rack upon rack of disconnected fixtures make for a pretty miserable Sunday shopping trip. But in a PIRCH showroom, customers can take a shower or cook up a storm, all while they're still in store.

As e-commerce and brick-and-mortar begin to settle into a comfortable co-existence, a new retail format is beginning to emerge, blending the best of both worlds in experiential spaces that are neither store nor home. But why are digital-first labels deciding to go offline at all?

For most people, chores are a necessity and rarely a pleasure; a third of Brits would rather pay to have someone else do them. But could a shift in our perception of these tasks, underpinned by thoughtfully designed products, make them more pleasant? Can beautiful brooms make sweeping fun?

Nobody likes to talk about toilets, let alone clean them. In fact, cleaning the bathroom is the most hated chore among homeowners. Can the Loogun, a motorised device that never touches the porcelain, eliminate the ‘ick factor’ and increase hygiene when cleaning the loo?