Comfort as Culture The smashed burger followed the luxury streetwear playbook. It worked. From basque cheesecake to spicy rigatoni, nostalgia food is being reimagined with the same technical obsession that turned trainers into status symbols.
One-Click Culture Hyundai wants its robots to be companions, not appliances. At CES 2026, Hyundai detailed an AI+Robotics roadmap built around robots that adapt to social settings, not just tasks.
The Maximalist Bet Vinegar is the 2026 'ingredient of the year.' Subtlety lost. From spritzed cookies to aggressive acid profiles, the culinary world is trading subtle balance for high-sensory shock.
The Nostalgia Loop Lego's smartest brick ever looks exactly like every brick before it. The Lego Smart Brick detects motion, other bricks, and context — but it still looks and feels like a 2x4.
The Trust Shortcut Google killed named algorithm updates. Nobody noticed. Search rankings now change continuously without announcements — the era of Penguin and Panda is officially over.
Creator as Institution CAA just signed a media company that only covers creators. The biggest talent agency in entertainment now represents a publication dedicated entirely to the creator economy.
Consumers would rather pay more than be quietly shortchanged. Capgemini surveyed 12,000 people in 12 countries. The finding: shrinkflation is not a pricing strategy. It is a trust strategy — and it is failing.
The Nostalgia Loop Barnes & Noble is winning by letting each store feel like a different shop. With 60 new stores opening in 2026, the chain is handing inventory control to local managers — and it is working.
The Local Comeback The most exclusive menu in 2026 is the one that cannot be exported. By stripping away every ingredient introduced after European contact, Ojibwa chefs are proving that hyper-localism is the ultimate form of luxury.
