Trends
Global branding, design and consumer trend observations from In-a-Nutshell
Direct to consumer
Procter & Gamble is supporting a website, theessentials.com, to sell many of its brands direct to consumers: from Crest toothpaste and bottles of Mr Clean cleaning fluid, to boxes of its Pampers and Luvs brand nappies and Gillette razors.
This new direct-to-consumer approach could have serious implications for retailers. The fact that the site is operated by a third party, which owns the inventory, is an indication of the sensitivities involved. P&G's Paul Fox insists that "we treat them like any other retailer as they buy product directly from us", but the site is still covered by P&G's legal terms and conditions.
Tuesday, 02 December 2008 12:33
Frugality is here to stay
I believe that consumer frugality is here to stay.
The recession has kick-started this new mindset. You just have to pick up a newspaper for evidence: retail sales, car sales, tourism, housing and construction are all declining. And it is likely to persist even after current economic difficulties end.
An article in the New York Times on 28 November entitled, "Dying of Consumption" by Stephen S Roach, Chairman of Morgan Stanley Asia, argues that consumers are now abandoning the asset-dependent spending and saving strategies they embraced during the bubbles of the past dozen years and moving back to more prudent income-based lifestyles. "Americans need to save. They don’t need another flat-screen TV made in China".
Additionally, we are beginning to recognise that we have to behave in sustainable ways. Online, the popularity of campaigns such as The Story of Stuff, shows that this is a topic that carries real weight for consumers.
Tuesday, 02 December 2008 11:17
Beauty on a budget
At a time when consumers are looking at every way they can save save money, its seems that expensive branded beauty products have a massive challenge on their hands. I don't think many of us will be surprised to read about the "Austerity Chic" trend identified by Mintel Beauty Innovation.
On 18 November, the Evening Standard ran an article in its Health & Fitness section entitled "The multi-taskers", suggesting that now is the time to be thrifty with cosmetics. It claims to have found a product that does several tasks for the price of one: aqueous cream, which can be bought from any pharmacy, is being hailed as the "new" wonder potion for use as a moisturiser, make-up remover, eczema treatment, baby lotion and shaving cream.
Discount retailers and supermarkets all have their own skincare, toiletries and cosmetics lines, and many of us have started to wonder why we have been spending so much on branded products when these should do the same jobs at a fraction of the price: Sainsbury's own brand coconut shampoo is 18p per 100ml, Herbal Essences is 74p per 100ml. It seems a no-brainer to me.
Saturday, 22 November 2008 09:19
The great escape
Shaping Tomorrow identifies escapism as a growing trend.
It says that with continuing gloomy economic news, discussions of consumers and business losing confidence, and forecasts that the recession will be longer and deeper than previously expected, we may be in for a boom in escapism.
Wednesday, 19 November 2008 14:09
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