Since the 1990s, big chains have shed playful, kid‑centric designs for minimalist interiors and 'healthy' menu cues to escape obesity stigma and appeal to wealthier adults. The post suggests two deeper drivers: rising inequality concentrating spending among bougie customers, and declining fertility reducing the payoff from kid‑friendly spaces. Everyday retail aesthetics thus mirror changing class and demographic realities.
— If inequality and low fertility reshape even fast‑food branding, they are also likely altering broader public spaces, consumption, and class signaling in ways policymakers and cultural analysts should track.
Steve Stewart-Williams
2025.09.10
60% relevant
Both argue consumer markets reconfigure as families with children shrink; here, the author points to rising pet spending and 'cat' search intensity where birthrates are lower, paralleling how fewer kids push fast‑food brands toward adult aesthetics.
Scott Alexander
2025.09.04
100% relevant
Scott Alexander’s note and Snow Martingale’s thread linking 1990s obesity stigma to wraps/salads/coffee and minimalist rebrands, with Scott’s speculation about inequality and fewer children driving the aesthetic shift.
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