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TRAVELLER
BUCHAREST
Once a political and economic epicentre, then left to rack and ruin,
Lipscani’s streets have been transformed. Still charmingly ramshackle in parts, the
Old Town area of the city is now home to a busy market and buzzing cultural quarter.
ON TREND
trendwatching.com
scans the globe
for the latest emerging consumer
trends. Here, Henry Mason, head of
the company’s research and analysis,
tells us what to watch this month.
GOODBYEWALLET
The words “cashless society”are
music to the ears of anyone who
hates cashpoint queues.While coins
and notes won’t be totally phased
out any time soon, of course, most
businesses are hoping to cut costs by
introducing electronic transactions –
meaning tapping and swiping are the
new rummaging and jangling.
Smartphones will be central to
cashless payments and big brands
lead the way: Starbucks processed
more than 20-million mobile
payments by the end of 2011, while
PayPal now allows people next to each
other to transfer cash via their phones.
Stateside, more people are using
GoogleWallet – tapping their mobile
on terminals to pay, and gaining
loyalty points and vouchers for using
the service. In the UK, Transport for
London’s Oyster card makes use of
this technology too, and Germany’s
Deutsche Bahn trains are adopting
a“touch and travel” scheme right
across the country, with passengers
scanning barcodes with their
smartphones to pay for journeys.
Convenience is the main sell, but
with loyalty points, saved purchase
history and personalised deals thrown
in, having an empty wallet has never
been more rewarding.
To subscribe to the free monthly
Trend Briefings, available in English,
Dutch, German, French, Spanish,
Turkish and Portuguese, go to
trendwatching.com
Neighbourhood Watch:
Lipscani
SONIA URSU, 18, BASKETBALL
PLAYER AND BLOGGER
What’s your favourite local restaurant?
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve gone to
Trattoria Il Calcio [
36 Strada Delea Veche;
tel: +40 (0)726 010 383
], so it’s become
my favourite. It’s Italian, and the food is
fresh and delicious.”
What characterises the area?
“It’s the most
charming, lively part of the city, with a
contrast of old and new, developed and
decrepit, bohemian and chic.”
Can you give us one secret style tip?
“Buy simple clothes andmix themwith
different retro accessories.”
ANA BANICA, 26, INTERIOR DESIGNER
What’s your favourite shop?
“The Silueta
hat shop [
57 Strada Lipscani; tel: +40
(0)21 315 513
], is owned by some old
ladies whomake the hats there. The
dusty windows and hats are charming.”
Your favourite neighbourhood bar?
“La
Comedie [
2 Strada Sfantul Dumitr u; tel:
+40 (0)21 313 1791
], which is the bar of
the Comedy Theatre. It’s quite small, but
when people gather there before a play,
the atmosphere is lovely.”
What characterises the area?
“It has a real
vibrancy and an interesting mix of ruins
next to fancy bars and restaurants.”
MIHAELA BULEARCA, 26,
BEAUTYADVISER
What’s your coolest shop?
“I love Thomas
Antiques [
19 Strada Covaci; tel: +40
(0)752 440 818
]. It’s part antique shop,
part café and part historical bookstore.”
Your favourite neighbourhood bar?
“Atelier
Mecanic [
12 Strada Covaci, tel: +40
(0)726 767 611
], a cool bar with high
windows andmismatched furniture,
which sells great coffee and cocktails.”
What’s so great about Lipscani?
“It’s like
the soul of the area has been given a
well-needed surgical makeover tomake
it the most fashionable district in town.”
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