How could we not like Australian sneaker store Hype DC? Basically a retail version of the Springwise philosophy ('we search the globe so you can have it first'), Hype provides sneakerheads with the latest models, all the latest styles, in 9 stores in Sydney and Melbourne. In their own words: "the fact is that the funky footwear business is still driven from outside of Australia. We are about bringing the latest styles from London and Europe and making them available here, and first!"

As simple as that, yet it's a proposition that Springwise believes should be spelled out more often by other merchants and entrepreneurs: from our travels, we know that the wish to 'stay on top of what the rest of the world is doing' is consistently rated highly by savvy consumers from Hong Kong to Dubai.

Opportunities

Obviously, a sneaker store is nothing new, but Hype DC cleverly turns the whole limited edition craze and global quest for the latest and greatest into a well designed, extendible concept that would work well worldwide. And of course there's more than a hint of CURATED CONSUMPTION in here, which our sister publication TRENDWATCHING.COM will discuss in its upcoming August newsletter. Springwise would not be surprised to see a chain of stores offering the latest in lifestyles, with dedicated corners for goodies from leading metropolises like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Sydney. So, which global purveyors of 'cool' will build the next 'Hype', 'Fad', or 'Craze'?

More handheld goodness: it may be autumn in Brazil right now, but last summer's sensation, spicy flower ice creams, can still make it big this summer in Europe and North America. Pioneering this delicacy is ice cream shop Mil Frutas (Portuguese for a thousand fruits), which sells exotic mixes of fruits and spices that have resulted in flavors such as apricot & thyme, watermelon & ginger, Sicilian lemon & rosemary, pineapple & cayenne pepper, green grape & basil.

Absolute hit this season was the creamy 'capuchinha flower ice cream' - slightly spicy, sweetened with honey and sprinkled with poppy seed. Sounds good! Want to get in on this game? Visit Mil Frutas' Jardim Botânico shop or their Ipanema café, or better yet, partner with them to bring their ice cream or even their shops to the rest of the world.

Just when Springwise thought it had seen every MASSCLUSIVITY angle to the limited edition craze, VIP lounge ropes, pop-up stores and curated collections, here comes less-than-a-year old Austrian One Day One Bag, a company that designs (you guessed it) one unique bag a day. Each bag comes with its creation date, and the signature of the designer, Sabine Fasching.

One Day One Bag should provide marketers and designers with plenty of inspiration. Taking the ultimate limited edition strategy from the Vuitton approach to the masses opens up great opportunities for crafty entrepreneurs or big companies looking for PR generating stunts. Works for bags, for clothes, for mobile phones, for sneakers, for furniture and so on. The concept is here, the technology to build and sell it readily available: now it's up to you to make some money off it!

Where beer meets MASTERS OF THE YOUNIVERSE: Australia's Brewtopia lets its customers design their very own beer online in just 4 minutes. Brewed, bottled and branded with one's brand, event name, personal message or logo, for AUD 39.95 a case, including delivery. The bonus? A share in the brewery with every purchase. In their own words: "It's about Owning the Beer You Drink".

As TRENDWATCHING.COM predicted, look for custom-made to become CUSTOMER-MADE if not Customer-Owned. In fact, Brewtopia perfectly addresses every consumer's deepest desire: to stand out and to be part of something at the same time. What part of your business could you share with your customers? Bars, restaurants, hotels, supermarkets: there's a stickiness at play here that has been experimented with in the past, but not enough... and the time could be right to give it another shot.

Buy Me One

More debauchery: Corney & Barrow, one of London's Financial District's largest bar operators, makes it possible for people to buy their friends a drink online (from beer to Jesus Juice to bubbles). Users of the Buy Me a Beer service go to Corney & Barrow's website, select a drink (by glass or bottle), pay by credit card, after which a text message (SMS) with a code is sent to their friend. The happy recipient then presents his or her phone with their virtual voucher on it to any Corney & Barrow bar to redeem their free drink. Not spotted outside the UK yet, and it should work for all kinds of services, from gifts to dinners. As the entire world has a cell phone these days, with even Americans taking to texting... Cheers!

Invented in Italy (where else), cone shaped pizzas -- think pizza slice meets ice cream cone -- are the latest fast food craze. Kono Pizza offers the convenience of eating on the move without making a mess. The EUR 1.50 cones are filled with the desired toppings, then cooked in a special oven in only three minutes. Kono currently runs 5 restaurants in Italy (Rome, Milan, Verona, Udine, Salerno), and is actively looking for franchisees.

It has already sold the concept to entrepreneurs in Spain (Madrid), Germany (Kassel), Kuwait and Indonesia (Jakarta), and has apparently also installed its first oven in Harrods, London. That leaves another 185 or so fast-food obsessed nations hungry for the next hot thing in snacking and obesity.