The Lure Of Shopping

American Demographics, July 1, 2002

Home fragrance will become an essential element of the home. While candles are the preferred means for home-fragrance delivery today, more flexible mechanisms, such as heated waxes, potpourri boilers and misters, will give consumers more control of the fragrance and the mood the fragrances are intended to set. Aromatherapy technology will be applied to home fragrances; recipes for combining different scents to achieve desired emotional effects will become popular.

The trend toward realism and naturalism will also play out in fashion. We will strive to achieve multisensory looks that combine color and style with texture and scent. Cosmetics and personal care products will satisfy our sensual cravings for indulgences. Fashion designers will experiment with new fiber technologies, even combining new man-made fibers with natural ones that achieve ultra-comfort in our clothes while enhancing feminine curves with fabric that floats and swings rather than clings. We will look for more washable fabrics, rather than having to dry-clean with all those dangerous chemicals. Consumers will have signature fragrances that are individually hand blended to capture the essence of the personality. Personal fragrances will be developed for different moods, allowing the individual to coordinate his or her signature scent with activities for the day or their feelings.

As we ground ourselves more and more in reality, we will want our "techno-toys" to be decidedly Jetsons 21st century. For TVs, home entertainment systems, major appliances and computers, we will favor an ultra-high-tech look: lots of chrome and steel, lights and buttons and sleek curves. Our desire for the ultra-high-tech look for technology products will play out in our favorite toy: cars. Today's consumers are enamored of the retro-looking Chrysler PT Cruiser, Ford Thunderbird and the new GM Chevy Bel Air Concept Vehicle, but car design will take a decidedly high-tech turn soon. The designs will look forward by looking back to the future vision of motor vehicle transportation, as conceived in the 1940s and 1950s.

TIME IS THE NEW SHOPPING CURRENCY

If the rising economy of the 1990s taught us anything, it was that anyone who is willing to get the right education and work hard at the right job can make more money. However, we also discovered that no matter how rich or poor we were, no one could add one second more to one's life. Time is the great social equalizer. A new priority of making the most of the limited time we have is taking over. Consumers are looking at all the ways they spend their time, including shopping, and demanding a more time-efficient, time-conscious way to shop.

The amount of time consumers are willing to shop has declined steadily over the past decade, and it can be expected to collapse even more as consumers are confronted with new concerns about safety in public places. America's Research Group found that consumers who visited 2 to 3 stores in 1990, to buy home furnishings, electronics and major appliances, had cut the number of visits back by 0.5 stores by the end of the decade. Today, shoppers are going to only 1.8 stores to make the same purchases.