Is it me or the jet lag talking?

LA is a city that feels like it will swallow you whole. Harsh. Gritty. Monolithic.

The only plants that survive in this environment are spiky and ready to hurt you. The people on the street either shout incoherent ramblings or avoid you entirely. The cars are imposing, their windows tinted deep black. Bars cover every window. Dead palm fronds litter the sidewalks, scattered among abandoned belongings.

But it’s also a city of contrast.

Smiling faces hand you your coffee. The clear blue sky injects energy into winter days. Outdoor seating welcomes you at every establishment. Diversity is celebrated. There are subcultures of subcultures of subcultures. If you know what you like, you’ll find your people.

Today’s episode is a slight detour as I’m traveling for Expo West. I’m calling it a side mission - musings from the City of Angles.

This episode is brought to you by Who Gives a Crap.

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It’s worth clicking these links (especially the last one).

Jet lag has taken over. Sleep is elusive, so I’ve taken to wandering the streets of West Hollywood like a zombie. My original plan was to do a write-up on the different grocery stores here, but I stumbled across some more interesting things.

Here we go.

Pets Are Children

LA is an outdoor city, so you see dogs everywhere. But what’s really interesting is the infrastructure built around them. Boutique stores selling designer pet accessories. Doggy daycare and pet spas. Branding that looks like a cute cafe - but it’s a vet service. I didn’t spot a single school or kindergarten, but I saw endless luxury pet centres. And people parading their dogs around like accessories. Pretty fascinating.

Healthy Food To Go

Salad bars with punny names. A sign on the wall that reads, “We believe in real food.” Well, yeah. It’s not the tooth fairy - real food exists. We aren’t disputing that. There are so many places to grab a bowl of kale that it’s almost overwhelming. That said, Sweetgreens gets my vote. It’s like Subway for salad - but make it fancy.

Fitness as a Status Symbol

Forget gyms. We’re talking fully equipped fitness centres, decked out with the latest workouts in architecturally designed spaces. Whether it’s a Nike training centre or something else, one thing is clear: where you work out is just as important as how.

The Future Is Already Here

Self-driving Waymo cars are as common as Ubers. If you didn’t know autonomous vehicles were actually a thing and then suddenly spotted one in traffic, prepare for a bit of a trip.

200,000 trips a week are taken in these driver-less cars.

And then there are these little delivery robots rolling around, dropping off lunch or groceries. But it’s like—yeah, so what? Of course, we have that. No one cares. Just get it here faster.

Upscale Supermarkets

If you can’t afford a house, you might as well buy expensive groceries—it’ll make it feel like you own one.

Of course, you know about Erewhon. But there’s more—Gelson’s, Bristol Farms. Each has its own version of a salad bar, a juice section, and ready-to-go meals. They all carry the latest better-for-you brands. I tried to figure out what makes them different (and I’m sure there are nuances), but after a while, it all blends into one big, opulent, bougie bowl of soup. Or maybe that’s just the jet lag.

The Brands

I’ve been designing disruptive CPG brands for about six years now. Australia is simply too small a market to match the level of innovation in brand design happening here. So naturally, I’ve always looked to the US for inspiration.

For years, I’ve only ever seen these brands on screens, in mood boards—abstract references in a pitch deck. But today, they’re here. Right in front of me. In the flesh. All together. Odd experience.

But that is exactly why I’m here!

Natural Products Expo West is about to kick off and I’m pumped to share what I find. Next week’s episode will be a full breakdown of trends, insights and the most exciting stuff I see there. So stay tuned and wish me luck!