As we head into the new year, it’s important to look back and see what events occurred that will lead us into future trends. Trendwatching.com has compiled a fantastic report on important consumer trends that will take center stage in 2008.
Items like the iPhone has created a revolution about “status spheres”. It’s all about lifestyle [...]
Entries Tagged as ‘Money’
5 Dec 2007
Trends in 2008
18 Oct 2007
The Female Pay Gap
This is a response to a comment by Kate on my Sexist Products entry. She feels this was my opinion, not surprisingly, after a discussion we had on why women, on average, make 25% less than men (according to a GAO report).
There are many reasons that feminist organizations do not often take into account when [...]
17 Oct 2007
Sexist Products
Here’s a trend: Niche marketing. I’ve spoken about it before; about how marketers are more and more targeting women who make up more than 80% of consumer purchasers in the US.
Now BuzzFeed has captured this as “sexist products”. Home Depot is piloting a new store called “Her Depot,” a store for women with “cleaner” aesthetics. [...]
25 Sep 2007
Mint.com
This is absolutely amazing! I can’t tell you how long I’ve been looking for the ultimate way to track your spending. It’s here.
I have been creating spreadsheets to tracking spending, following a detailed budget, and entering every single transaction I have into a banking program. That’s all fine and good at the micro-level, but here [...]
23 Sep 2007
Fed Cuts Interest Rates: Explained
The economy is a tough and complex thing sometimes. In times of turbulence or high inflation, the US central bank typically adjusts interest rates. This controls spending since it determines how expensive it is to loan money.
Just recently they reduced interest rates by one-half percent. This means it’s cheaper to borrow money — more spend [...]
8 Sep 2007
Budgeting — And Staying With It
When you live in a country where the national savings rate is frighteningly low and consumer credit is what drives the economy, you really need to focus on saving.
I’ve been keeping a budget (PearBudget) fairly well, however there are times where I tend to spend over budget and I don’t really see that until I [...]
4 Sep 2007
I Dropped My iPhone
It finally happened. A few weeks ago I dropped my iPhone on the sidewalk as I was trying to plug in my headphones. The result was a few dents and nicks on one side and the casing popped out a bit. While the phone still worked, my nerves were cringing.
The Apple Store would not help [...]
31 Jul 2007
Trend: Ginormous Niche Markets
Where have you not seen products or services targeted to baby boomers? This month’s trendwatching.com briefing is about such “forever trends” and these ginormous niche markets: Women, GLBT, Boomers! Here’s a brief overview:
Women
Here’s a good point — Women make 80+% of consumer purchasing decisions in the US. Maybe you’ve noticed plenty of adverts targeted to [...]
1 Jun 2007
Trend: Transparancy
I think one of the largest, and least talked about components of Web 2.0 is transparency. It’s not difficult to see even with a glance. What does all this mean?
The Educated Consumer
It means that hidden truths about companies are revealed and that creates a more educated consumer. It means we can get the cheapest airfare; [...]
20 May 2007
Vagabonding
In my line of work I see people every day planning their holidays and travels. One thing I have noticed is the constant pull toward luxury travel and pre-planned everything. I once created this guy’s entire itinerary for his trip to New York City with his family, right down to specific times and subway directions. [...]
