5 news that got me thinking this week, from Sweetgreen dismise to an invite only restaurant, a reminder that you should always bet on loyalty.
Sweetgreen is losing a lot of green, $425M over the past three years, to be exact. The losses stem from a mix of missteps and big bets on tech that haven’t paid off yet. You might have notice the potato chips are gone and the many loyalty program changes alienate their best customers.
recently wrote a great piece on why he switched from Sweetgreen to Cava. As a high spender at Sweetgreen, he was shocked that the brand made zero effort to keep him. First I thought they don’t even have a proper CRM or loyalty team but it’s apparently handled directly by a cofounder. If they’re looking for advice on how to fix loyalty, my DMs are open.
I’m a Delta flyer mainly because of their partnership with Amex and Air France. But every time I board, I wonder why did they pick grey for their uniforms? Even the most stunning cabin crew struggles to make that color shine. So yes, I appreciate the refresh. From upgraded seats to revamped lounges, the highlight is still the employee-only limited edition Air Force 1 x Delta sneaker collab. Nothing beats staff rocking branded merch outside of work, it’s free advertising at its best.
As for uniforms, my all-time favorite remains Joon by Air France. Nothing says Parisian hipster more than a blue chino and fitted white tee. Shame AF shut the airline down.
Sneakerheads are out. Fragrance bros are in. Highsnobiety’s latest luxury report explains why. Over the past two years, fragrance has exploded, my FYP was once flooded with perfume content (though Jeremy Fragrance joke might have skewed my algo.) Either way, younger generations are dropping serious cash, and it’s rare to meet a guy in Paris or New York who doesn’t have a bottle of Le Labo in rotation. Some even spritz interior perfume on their clothes.
Hotels should be paying attention. Many already have signature scents, and they’re gold for brand loyalty. My favorite collab ever? SupraNova x Kinfill in Rotterdam. You can’t bottle the sun or the beach, but you can bring home the smell of your favorite holiday.
Will OTAs ever die? I doubt it. But a few coworkers of mine are betting they’ll be gone within 12 months. Not famous enough for a Polymarket bet, but I’m confident I’d win.
Hospitality does need a distribution reset, though. My money is on invite-only dining. Community first is the ultimate form of loyalty.
“What we are trying to focus on is a sustainable business, meaning that we want customers to feel comfortable and have a great experience so that they come back and they feel they want to bring somebody,” he says.
No more chargebacks, no more one-star reviews, no more rude guests. Just good vibes all around, for staff and patrons alike.
Give me your journalling app, I ll tell you who you are.
Not to sound like a broken record, but the three entities that know you best are your bank, grocery store, and phone. Tech giants get it. That’s why they’re building journaling apps to deepen their moats.
Apple sherlocked Day One with its iOS 17 journal. Now Google is rolling out The Pixel Journal. Make sense as first-party data is the ultimate context engine.
Sure, Franck the bartender might jot your favorite drink in the POS, but when he serves you a bad Negroni, you’ll probably say, “Best one yet!” out of politeness. But who lies to their own journal?
Hotels should take notes. Guests should be prompted to share more than a star rating. Maybe those bedside pads and crayons weren’t such a bad idea after all, they just need a digital upgrade.
Philippe Starck still has it
Stay saucy, share La sauce.
