The growing business of slowing down: Understanding the Slow Movement in retail, hospitality and tourism

Abstract

In a marketplace where consumers became familiar with stimulation and acceleration, there is a growing cultural movement to slow down the pace of life and focus on meaningful and deep connections in all aspects, including with people, food, places, the environment and things. While the Slow Movement has, over time, grown to influence several industries, particularly retail, hospitality and tourism, the current global coronavirus pandemic has encouraged consumers to embrace a slower pace of life and redefine what is important to them. To understand this movement as a brand strategy, this paper outlines — on the basis of successful cases — what, why and how the Slow Movement has been and how it should be implemented. Essentially, to align with the Slow Movement philosophy, a brand’s strategy should include transparency of business practices and authenticity of strategy implementation and remain true to the pillars of the Slow Movement for brand success. While implementing these brand strategies is not without risk or challenges, differentiating with involvement in the Slow Movement may provide brands a competitive advantage in the current marketplace, stimulated by recent changes in consumer behaviour.