TOP 10 CONSUMER TRENDS FOR 2013

Euromonitor International 13 February 2013

In 2013, spending on convenience is nudging into the quest for value while consumers are increasingly moved by things local. Dominant current consumer trends include the passion for eating and knowing more about food as a leisure activity, and an invigorated segment of mature working consumers. Living arrangements and lifestyles see different generations interacting more and most leisure activity is 'connected' while shopping has some tech elements too. A more gender-neutral form of consumption is emerging. Meanwhile, the power of particular consumer niches is entrenching, with brands trying to mirror and target those new segments.

Which consumer trends do Euromonitor International think will reign around the world in 2013? 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. SPENDING ON CONVENIENCE NUDGING INTO THE QUEST FOR VALUE CROWDED HOUSE REDUX DOWNTIME DECODED FOOD MORE THAN A LIFE STAPLE GENDERED CONSUMPTION RIP? LOCAL LOVE OLDER AND OFF TO WORK AND TRAIN PARENTING LIFESTYLES SHOPPING LIKE IT'S THE FUTURE

11. THE ROLL CALL OF CONSUMER CONCERNS CONSUMERS RESEGMENTING

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1. SPENDING ON CONVENIENCE NUDGING INTO THE QUEST FOR VALUE: The recessionary consumer's dislike of paying for convenience is softening. Consumers are tempted by bite-sized brand offerings aimed at emerging and now developed market shoppers and greater novelty and superior niche services. The popularity of consumer reviews is also cutting the risk of trying something new. Convenience nudging into thrift
Prolonged tightened budgets and continued economic instability mean that thrift is still part of daily life for millions of consumers. Money jitters continue to chip away at consumer loyalty to brands even those that stand out with better customer service and transparency. However, while the quest for value is ever present consumers that can or have to, are willing to spend on convenience. Rather counter intuitively, this trend is linked to the economic downturn. While consumers have slimmer wallets, millions of workers have been coping with the crisis by working for more hours so paying for convenience features more in their budgets as time is short. "I don't buy online because it's cheaper, I do it because it's convenient, I'm a mother of three children," said Australian Patricia Tanks speaking to The Herald Sun newspaper. Many office workers in Ho Chi Minh City are reluctant to leave the comfort of their air-conditioned offices for lunch which has boosted the popularity of takeaway-ordering websites like Eat.vn and Orderfood.vn. This pressure on time is also affecting shop layout. Global consumers are now showing a clear preference for more compact store layouts and are less keen on out-of-town bulk purchases. I spend a little more, but I'm in and out in half an hour, says a minimarket shopper in Santiago, Chile. A growing number of consumers are prioritising other aspects of the shopping experience ahead of price. Nowadays, time is more precious, so location is crucial, said Jaime Al of Chile's Retail Trade Association. In looking at this tension between the consumer quest for value and convenience, it is important to mention that consumers are already changing their shopping habits in response to higher prices in an interesting and contradictory

way. They can be found buying both premium and value brands in the UK, for instance, shopping at both Lidl and Waitrose. Savvy brands anticipate those spaces where time-pressed consumers may be willing to pay a little more for convenience. For instance design that incorporates a forced activity into a daily routine. An alarm clock designed for Fred Worldwide is dumbbell-shaped and needs to be curled 30 times in order to stop it from ringing. A new wave of niche subscription-based services are popular in countries such as the USA and UK offering bespoke products catering to diverse consumer groups products such as curated ethical snacks and treats boxes. Brands have woken up to the fact that 'dead time' at airports can be exploited most recently in pampering and entertainment areas. The expansion of the thrift staple of recent years, group buying, has taken some knocks of late even though it is still growing, particularly in emerging economies. Many shoppers are tiring of daily deals, blogging about their less-thanwelcome reception when they go to use their discount vouchers, while brands complain that couponers just flit to the next brand offering discounts.

Chart 1

Shoppers who are Willing to Pay More for Convenience: 2011

% of respondents who agree or strongly agree

Source:

Euromonitor International Annual Survey 2011

Consumers facing hardship keen on cheaper convenience

Millions of formally comfortable consumers still face financial hardship. An October New York Times article describes struggling consumer, Emmakate Paris, as a one-woman tornado whipping through the racks at the thrift shop. She confesses to a life consumed by worries about the kids, insurance, vacation, school, taxes, the price of gas, everything. Meanwhile, some refer to the Argentine middle class as Class O (Class Or), as they must make hard choices when it comes to goods and services. Last autumn, the Greek government passed a law allowing supermarkets to sell expired food at discounted prices while around the world, credit card debt is a growing problem. Cheaper convenience is still being marketed to consumers struggling financially. August 2012 saw household goods multinational, Unilever, announce that it would employ packaging and marketing lessons from its Asian division in European markets, in response to the increasing number of households operating on tight budgets. The company is selling Surf detergent in packets of just five sachets in Spain, for instance. In August, the head of Unilever's European division explained why: If a consumer in Spain only spends 17 when they go shopping, then I'm not going to be able to sell them washing powder for half of their budget. Even the consumer finance sector is now selling its products in 'sachets'. Some life assurance companies in the Philippines, for instance, are selling cover at rates of PHP1 (US$0.02) a day.

2. CROWDED HOUSE REDUX: Multigenerational and other combined living arrangements are leading to shifting consumption patterns as the 'floating generation' stay or return home to economise. Peers and even separated couples are forced to cohabit. Homes for multi-generational life
A November 2012 International Herald Tribune piece subtitled House builders pursue a big opportunity in multigenerational living underlines that Many of the big builders are now offering to accommodate the changing shape of the American family: boomer couples with boomerang children and aging parents, an increasingly multiethnic population with a tradition of housing three generations under one roof, and even singles who may need to double up with siblings or friends in this fraught economic climate. Scott Thomas, national director of product development for PulteGroup, says that 30% of customers are asking for multigenerational features in new housing. Lennar, one such firm, started marketing its new designs last autumn explicitly as multigenerational. Its Next Gen - The Home Within a Home was billed as futuristic, even though historians and other builders see this as a throwback to a pre-WW2 household style. Over all, more than 50 million Americans are in multigenerational households, a 10% increase on 2007, reports the article. What the recession has done has really hit household formation hard, so instead of forming households we are having some contractions: the college student moving back in or someone's brother-in-law loses a job, said Stephen Melman, Director of Economic Services at the National Association of Home Builders. It is interesting to see how these living arrangements impact upon the way that technology is used in the home. While observers have noted that technology is crossing generations, others note that youth retain control. Writer of new book 'Sorry! The English and Their Manners', Henry Hitchings, wrote in the British Daily Telegraph newspaper that when it comes to modern communications technology, protocol travels from young to old. Indeed, in today's multigenerational homes, the most common scenario is the family together but interacting with separate pieces of technology with younger consumers often hidden in their tech-led 'media bedsits'. Gadgets like smartphones are popular with young adults living with their parents who are looking for a way to maintain a degree of independence. These gadgets can be passed up the family tree when they become outdated. A pre-Christmas 2012 survey from UK mobile operator, Three, found parents receive 'hand-me-ups' for Christmas outdated gadgets from younger consumers with almost half of respondents aged 18-24 giving old gadgets to parents.

Boomerang kids, their sandwich" generation parents and other combined living arrangements
A newly-released UK-government-commissioned 'Future Identities' study is only the most recent study or article highlighting the intensified burden on thousands more middle-aged parents forced to care both for their own frail parents and offer a home to and financial support for adult children from the so-called floating or lost generation hit by the economic backdrop. Since 1997, Future Identities mentions that the number of young adults in the UK living with their parents has risen by 20% to 3.5 million and this is a common scenario in many countries. According to the Central Statistical Office of Poland, 44.4% of Poles between the ages of 25 years and 34 years were living in the parental home for instance. But these older dependants still dare to dream. For instance, a survey conducted by financial institution Caja Madrid during autumn 2012 found that nearly 80% of those aged between 18 and 34 years and currently living with their parents in Spain wanted to buy a home of their own. This survey found that more than half (54.4%) of this age group were still living with their parents. Significantly, many said they enjoyed an enhanced quality of life and increased purchasing power by living at home. In response to an online newspaper article about adult children living at home, Amy of Aylesbury, the UK, wrote in October 2012 in a British Daily Mail newspaper online talkback: If I could afford to, I'd move out of my parents' house in a heartbeat... I'm 28 and desperate to start my 'adult life' in a home of my own.

Chart 2

World's Highest Youth Unemployment Rates: 2012

% of economically active population

Source: Note:

Euromonitor International from national statistics Data refer to a ranking of 111 countries. Youth Unemployment Rate refers to the unemployed population aged 15-24 as a percentage of the economically active population of the same age.

In Australia, many families in city hubs are turning to shared houses for affordable options. The number of Australian households shared by three or more families has increased from nearly 30,000 to nearly 50,000, in the last five years, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. A host of articles such as Le Monde's 'Living Together Apart: When Divorce Makes It Too Expensive To Move Out' have highlighted the difficulties of cohabiting once separated.

Greater intergenerational interaction for 2013

Evidence of enhanced relationships is everywhere. At the January 2013 Pitti Uomo men's fashion fair in Italy, designer Brunello Cucinelli featured photographic backgrounds showing different generations interacting grandparents and grandchildren. I want people to think about the family liaisons, said Cucinelli. In our post recessionary landscape this is a common preoccupation. Ageing populations call for intergenerational support. For instance, the Netherlands' junior health minister recently warned that pressure on government spending means that families will have to play a greater role in the provision of healthcare. At Israel's Design Museum of Holon, workshops for people of all ages [grandparents and grandchildren] are being held. Research published at the start of 2013 by Skipton Building Society in the UK, credits grandparents for coming to the rescue of struggling parents (64% of working families) in their role of childminders. Meanwhile, mylovelyparent.com is a new website, available in English-speaking countries, where single parents can find love with the help of their sons and daughters aged 18+. Multigenerational holidays are now considered to be mainstream as 'austerity' getaways', with the extended family having made a comeback as recession continues to take its toll on holidaymakers. For instance, a mid-2012 study by Age UK and mature travel experts at Silver Travel Advisor shows the average number of family members holidaying together is now six. A mid-2012 survey by LV= travel insurance indicated that many family parties would feature two adult generations and, possibly, grandchildren too. The UK Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) has also indicated that multi-generational cruises are thriving.

3. DOWNTIME DECODED: Digital life is making 'leisure' harder to define: 'digital detox' periods are shared digitally, holidaymakers are 'smoasting' using social networking to boast about their holiday fun. Meanwhile health-conscious consumers are working hard to stay fit. I love technology
Technology is everywhere as we move around with smartphones and tablets and cram several experiences into the same moment. The Minneapolis Guthrie Theatre has just started offering balcony-level 'tweet seats' during selected screenings. This step is applauded by Salon.com's Mary Elizabeth Williams, who sees it as an intelligent response to changing behaviour codes. During the final moments of the televised 2012 Superbowl, Twitter reported 12,223 tweets per second. Companies even offer QR codes for gravestones, the early 2013 Marks and Spencer online

catalogue offers touchscreen gloves, while consumers flaunt their good taste without buying anything on social curation sites, such as Pinterest. Writing about new hit dra ma Girls, Glenda Cooper in the UK Daily telegraph recently wrote: The twenty-something generation is addicted to letting everyone else know what they are doing or feeling even if that cuts down the amount of time they actually have to do it. Cocooning at home or on the loose is a mentality no longer restricted to Gen Z consumers and geeks. Significant population segments have user rates reaching borderline addiction levels which guzzle their free time. Even holidaying consumers can't bring themselves to disconnect. Many are 'smoasting', aping celebrities and using social media to boast of their holiday fun, while brands use gamification to expand consumer engagement. The application of technology is starting to transform tourism. Technology now has a role in the vacation-planning process, eg Hilton's new online vacation diagnosis teaming up with The Onion to lure younger leisure travellers with humour, or more options for couch potatoes who travel vicariously.

Digital detox
Now even companies feel compelled to wean employees off their electronic devices especially outside work hours. A new Seattle-based company, Centric Brand Anthropology, encourages its staff to build in downtime when travelling for work. Switching off after work is important, even if you are on a business trip, said Sabrina Schrimpf, a Daimler spokeswoman. Marriott and Renaissance hotels in the Caribbean and Mexico launched technology-free 'Braincation zones' in December for travellers wanting a break from their digital devices. As travel journalist Christopher Elliott points out in the 'National Geographic Traveller': "What to do right now? Open your browser, and all will be revealed. Whatever happened to exploring, happenstance, and serendipity? That essential, spontaneous part of the vacation is at risk of extinction." Device-free entertainment is offered nearer home via apps that restrict internet use like Freedom, or by Device-Free Drinks, a Californian party and weekend retreat company. I'm a geek, I'm not a Luddite, say s founder Levi Felix but we have to learn how to use it, and not have it use us. Shelley Turkle, an academic specialising in the social applications of science and technology at M.I.T and author of Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other, explained to the New York Times that she prefers to stress restricting our interaction with tech: We shouldn't give it up. It's more like food, and being on a digital diet. Meanwhile, there are efforts to inject greater value into digital activity. Dubbed the world's first real social network by its Swedish and French founders, Challengera aims to get members to be active: Facebook is great for communication, but there is no social network to it. You go there simply to be there, rather than to actually do something.

Shopping as leisure
Chart 3 Respondents who Ranked Shopping as their Favourite Leisure Activity in selected major economies

% of male & female respondents

Source:

Euromonitor International Out and About Survey 2012

Shopping is increasingly perceived as fun by consumers and making greater inroads into our downtime. According to Pablo Gonzlez of the UNDP: The notion of gratification through consumption, that people 'deserve' to s pend money on themselves, is now widespread. A new shopping survey from high-end UK supermarket, Waitrose, found that one in four online shoppers log on from their beds, with two thirds of those admitting to shopping after midnight. Consumers are shopping for the pets they dote on too. Natasha Adlakha, a freelance writer in India, estimates that she spends around 20% of her monthly salary on her golden retriever.

Journey and destination wellness

In 2013, wellness is as much about the journey as the destination, with consumers holding experience consumption in higher esteem. While consumers are increasingly looking for aspects of the 'wellness cluster' on holiday and there are resorts and spas galore for them, it is also about nutrition and fitness, classes and pursuits that consumers can follow nearer home. Tech-led 'wellness' like Calm.com offers tranquillity via natural landscapes with the sound of running water and short guided meditations. Its founder, Alex Tew, says it has been used by over a million people in just a few months. Crucially, fitness is a means to connect with others. 29-year-old Deirdre Berne described exercise classes as my entertainment and part of my social life. You see t he same people you have a common interest, you get to be friends.

4. FOOD MORE THAN A LIFE STAPLE: Food is now celebrated, avoided, greener, healthier, grown in more urban spaces and hopefully safer. Food problematized
Most of the population in developed countries is trying to lose weight. However, cost is a significant barrier to eating healthier food, at the same time as eating and lifestyle patterns are changing. Busier lives, irregular working hours, more single and multigenerational households and more working mothers mean less structured meal times. People are consuming more snacks and light meals outside the home and ready-made meals at home. Worrying stories about proportions of obese consumers and the burden on healthcare provision continue to grab headlines. Euromonitor International data shows that in 2012, the top three world countries in terms of obese populations (people with a BMI of 30kg/m2 or more) were Kuwait, Mexico and the USA. More than 40% of Kuwaitis were obese in 2012 a problem worsened by its people's passion for fast food. In some Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia, the absence of bars and discos means that fast food restaurants are a popular socialising venue for groups of same-sex youngsters. Euromonitor International Annual Study 2011 findings show that the younger a respondent is, the more likely they are to eat away from home at least once a week. Some policy proposals are controversial. These include a recent idea from the London Borough of Westminster, that some overweight Brits could find their welfare benefits cut if they don't complete an exercise regime.

Chart 4

Daily Fruit and Vegetable Portions: 2011

% of respondents

Source: Note:

Euromonitor Internationals Annual Survey 2011 Results are drawn from 16,000 online consumers ranging in age from 15 to 65+

Food celebrated
In 2013, more consumers are deriving pleasure from preparing and eating food as a leisure activity. The blog world was a gift to foodies; now entertainment built around food interests is spreading taking in TV cookery duels as well as after-hours cookery classes both in gourmet restaurants and more unexpected locations. In Latin America, prestigious figures such as Mexican chef Ricardo Cabeza often feature on videos uploaded by people attending courses and tastings. A global celebration of food is tangible. A local version of Masterchef was one of the top three shows in Israel in 2012. "Food is absolutely the new pastime for people," says Australian author Maeve O'Meara, presenter of the Food Safari TV series which showcases immigrant cuisines. A new Egyptian food show with housewife/chef Ghalia Mahmoud has captivated viewers with its practical tips on tasty, simple and cheap cooking for struggling households. The inaugural World Street Food Congress will be held in Singapore this summer, reflecting the newly cool status of street food.

A healthier, safer, greener menu

Consumers are more aware than ever of the damage food can do, as well as its pleasures. An editorial from Mark Bittman in the New York Times last December focused on the need for 'Dietary Seat Belts'. Preventable, chronic disease - to a large extent brought about by diet - is now the biggest killer on the planet. Soda kills more people than guns - more people than car wrecks - only less dramatically, he cautions. He praises places like New York City which have aggressively tackled dietary issues in schools and elsewhere leading to declining childhood obesity rates. Is sugar the next tobacco? "Sugar: The Bitter Truth," a lecture from author and paediatrician Robert Lustig posted on YouTube, had well over three million views at the start of February 2013. Some innovations from large and small brands are encouraging. September 2012 saw McDonald's begin publishing calorie information on all its restaurant menus in the USA a move that has been demanded by policymakers in several countries. An organic supermarket chain in Germany, Fresh 'N' Friends, is enticing kids to eat more healthily by creating ready-to-eat packs of fruit salad presented in the shape of animals, flowers and tractors. Consumer interest in urban agriculture is surging in North America and Western Europe and beyond. IKEA launched a miniature greenhouse last summer. In Hong Kong, a London-born designer, Michael Leung, has created a rooftop farm above his studio. Speaking to the magazine Time Out Hong Kong, Leung argued that using these underutilised spaces for sustainable, green enterprises could help reduce Hong Kong's carbon footprint and make it less of a concrete jungle. Consumer self sufficiency efforts on urban balconies and other small spaces are being promoted and supported on websites like verticalveg.org as consumers question the provenance of their food and worry about 'food miles'.

5. GENDERED CONSUMPTION RIP? Gender-specific consumption and outlooks may be fading. This trend is apparent in everything from unisex tech preferences,

to new gaming audiences as well as behaviour traditionally seen as female now being feted in business situations. Unisex tech preferences
In 2013, few women want pink computers and most women just want to be addressed as consumers, not as women. Women are taking an active part in social networks and pass on information through blogs and tweets about big ticket item purchases. Thus the reported lukewarm response to a recent initiative by Austrian electronics chain Media Markt seeing dedicated 'Women's World' areas with depilating gizmos, white TV sets and kitchen gadgets and floral deco in 31 branches, is unsurprising.I don't know that women need to have their own little play -pen like toddlers, remarked a female baby boomer.

Chart 5 2007 = 100

Growth in Sales of Smartphones: 2007-2013

Euromonitor International from trade sources/national statistics Note: Growth refers to retail value sales in constant US$. 2013 data are forecast

Fun and games

Female gamers are of increasing importance when analysing gamer profiles. They are reported to be the largest players on social networks such as Facebook and on MySpace in the USA. PopCap, creator of popular mobile phone games such as Insaniquarium, revealed in a briefing published in June 2012 that the new American gamer profile for its social-network games reaches an average age of 48 and that 55% of them are women. In view of this, it is not surprising that brands like L'Oral with their XBOX console app called The Next Level are edging into the world of gaming. This new attitude starts early: Girls don't necessarily care about, 'That's a boy toy; that's not for me,' said a Mattel spokesperson. Now, more so than ever, girls are looking at what's fun. In a piece on the website of Kenyan radio station Capital FM, Gideon Kariuki laments what he refers to as the evolved Narobi woman. He writes, for instance, that: The Nairobi woman is galloping from one club to another with her gang of girls She would rather quench her thirst with Smirnoff than cold water you may think she loves rings, but if you try to put a wedding ring on her finger, she will disappear without a trace. This piece prompted a lively online debate. A poster called Patrick lamented: The good old da ys are long gone, even in the villages. Women are the new men! Similar comments have greeted the new checkhimout.com shop -style dating website available in several English-speaking countries which is encouraging women to shop for men like they're products, placing eligible 'man-products' in a shopping bag.

Gender fluidity in fashion and style

Androgynous fashion is undergoing a renaissance with popular chains like American Apparel and Uniqlo full of unisex garments. The poster boy for this trend is model Andrej Pejic. TheDailyBeast.com sees Pejic as spearheading

something bigger: He's the leader of a new gender fluidity in fashion, in which traditional male and female attitudes are starting to matter less. It's a message that is being slowly adapted industry-wide-and is resonating with consumers. Some claim today's androgyny is less about gend er-bending and more about gender-blending. We're living in a fragrance democracy, says designer Tom Ford. Ultimately, choosing a scent is personal and primal, and should be decided not by gender, but by inhaling and asking, 'Does it smell good to me? Does it smell good on me?' Men as well as women around the world are more open about wanting to flaunt stylish items and look good. Male consumers are spending more and more on grooming products, aesthetic treatments and luxury fashion traditionally dominated by female shoppers. Despite his love for luxury bags, 26-year old Beijing resident Ren Jiansong prefers to rent them. "I rent high-end bags for parties and business meetings because they help refine my image," he added. To exploit a wider customer base, inclusive gender-neutral marketing, rather than crude gender stereotyping, appears to be the way forward for many products and services traditionally regarded as 'male' or 'female'. The number of male clients we have has grown by 30% since 2010. As a result, we have changed our advertising by incorporating masculine images, said Yanina Fuks of M&D Dermacycle, an Argentinean aesthetic centre. Last August, London luxury department store Harrods opened its gender-neutral toy department grouped by theme and not gender.

Men and women shopping for households

Men are becoming a prominent presence in more global supermarket aisles and home kitchens. Damodar Mall, President of the Food Bazaar in Delhi, estimates that men are behind at least 40% of shopping trolleys. In recent months, for the first time in Barbie's 50 years plus history, makers Mattel introduced a Barbie construction set. According to Stephanie Clifford in the New York Times, this reflects two key changes: Fathers are doing more of the family shopping just as girls are being encouraged more than ever by hypervigilant parents to play with toys (as boys already do) that develop math and science skills early on.

6. LOCAL LOVE: Things local are capturing the consumer imagination as more prosocial consumers (those who care about others and society as a whole) reject 'burbiness' (a term that reflects commercialism and the prevalence of chain stores) and global brands court local cultural relevance and tastes. The love for things local explains why airport shopping feels less global, the return of largescale manufacturing to developed markets and 'remigrants' (migrants who return home). Better made here
With renewed consumer interest in things local, successful global brands are making more concessions to local tastes. For instance, McDonald's France advertised widely that 95% of its ingredients hail from France. Global brands are also forced to change in their countries of origin. Starbucks opted for 'brand-less' shops in the USA to satisfy its more intellectual clients, who think the brand has become too massive and global. Buying local is spurred by consumer disillusionment with global consumer culture, a wish to put national economies first, and elevate sustainability concerns. The December 2012 issue of the Wall Street Journal Magazine featured a glossy gift guide the finest seasonal gifts, from sparkling jewels to bespoke suits each made in America. Meanwhile, a study conducted by researchers at St. Gallen University during 2012, found that a Made in Switzerland label on a product can increase its profitability by 20%. In response to the popularity of market-leading smartphones against Canadian brand Blackberry, posters on state broadcaster CBC's website are often protective: I'll stick with my tried and proven (and Canadian) BlackBerry, said one. At the start of 2013, Danish Discounter Netto is looking at more local sourcing after the chain's plan to purchase the best and cheapest food, regardless of its origin, met with a stron gly negative reaction from some consumers. In Greece, local brands that play up their 'Greekness' are gaining sales from their international rivals although some international brands are fighting back. Cans of Fanta now state that the fizzy drink is made f rom Greek oranges. High-profile unpatriotic consumers are sometimes 'outed'. Last October, Taiwan's Information Minister Hu Yu-wei stirred up controversy for not buying local. Can you imagine the South Korean government spokesman speaking out for iPhone 5 on his Facebook page? asked the United Daily News. This trend is also about a new-found pride in local heritage that is undermining the ubiquity of Western culture and will see emerging markets proudly export and flaunt their national and cultural heritage in the coming year tradition that was formally downplayed. Reviewers have noted, for instance, that Latino soap operas are now less global in scope, and reverting back to greater focus on local culture. In an interview with the newspaper Vanguardia, Salvador Meja, producer of new show, What a Wonderful Love, said that he expected it to impact on Mexicans because it will bring them back to their roots.

Local and green

Urban gardening and agriculture is basking in consumer interest and support. 'Vertical gardening,' using balcony and wall space for growing vegetables and other small-scale urban agriculture initiatives, is thriving. Amidst rising food prices and concerns for food safety, many urban consumers are growing their own produce. O'Hare International Airport in Chicago opened the Urban Garden in 2011. It grows herbs and vegetables for the airport's restaurants in a secluded spot between terminals. Brad Maher, director of operations for HMSHost, which runs a majority of the concessions at O 'Hare, said that the garden recently opened a farmers' market kiosk: Where we package some of the herbs for sale if people want to buy them.

Chart 6 Millions

Top 10 Emigration Countries: 2010

Euromonitor International from World Bank Note: Data refer to the stock of emigrants living outside the country

Remigrants
Migrants are returning home to newly-prosperous economies in record numbers. Poland appears poised to benefit from a 'brain gain' brought about by returning migrants. According to an unnamed journalist who was speaking to the US-based Christian Science Monitor newspaper: If you sit in a Krakow pub long enough, you will find someone who has returned. This reverse migration trend is reflected in popular TV drama. 'I Do' is a new soap opera in India centring on Zoya, an Indian woman who returns home from New York and has to adjust to her traditional community. The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) estimates that over two million Indians have returned from abroad since 2010, nearly 10% of the Diaspora (Source: MOIA, 2012).

7. OLDER AND OFF TO WORK AND TRAIN: An increasing number of governments and companies are raising or abolishing retirement thresholds. Simultaneously, more tech-savvy, active and image-conscious older consumers need and want to work and spend comfortably for longer. Grey power
It isn't only arch chameleon, David Bowie, who can reinvent himself in his sixties. His lauded new song 'Where Are They Now?' ends up celebrating the present. Bowie's contemporaries and mature consumers in their fifth and seventh decades and more can also celebrate their capacity to repackage themselves. Millions of older consumers are carving out new work paths. Governments with ageing populations who are enjoying longer, healthy lives, are helping them with supportive policies. For instance, in autumn 2012, UK legislation was introduced to stop employers from compulsorily retiring workers once they reach the age of 65. Older consumers also need to boost their long-term financial security and lifestyles by working longer.

A new UK survey from investment bank Citi, discussed in the UK Sunday Times newspaper, finds that a 'greying workforce' is squeezing the younger generation of jobs. Figures quoted from the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that 93% of the jobs increase in the last decade has been among the over-50s. The number of self-employed workers aged 50 to 64 rose by 15% in the last four years, soaring by 54% among the over-65s in this period, reported the UK's Daily Mail newspaper, quoting the ONS. Globally, mature workers are being courted for their experience and skills. Sue Black, head of human resources at outsourcing firm Sodexo Canada, says employees aged 50+ are three times more engaged than their younger colleagues and comprise a third of the workforce. In a 2012 survey by professional services firm PwC, 60% of Canadian CEOs said they plan to amplify their efforts to recruit and retain older workers. Joi Ito, director of the MIT Media Lab, an interdisciplinary research body at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology looking at the interface between technology, multimedia and design, identifies lifelong learning as key in 2013. Today, the ability to learn on your own or from your peers has become really easy. I think this change is leading to a fundamental disruption in education, he says. 'Upwards mentoring' is an interesting variant of work training offered to older staff. Educational brand Pearson's website explains: We have also set up some 'upwards' mentoring relationships, so that more senior colleagues are mentored on a particular topic such as digital technology by someone who has less experience in general, but more experience in a particular field.

Chart 7

Global Greying Workforce Hotspots in 2012

Employed population aged 65+ 000

Source: Note:

Euromonitor International from International Labour Organisation (ILO)/Eurostat/national statistics Data refer to top eight countries ranked by number of people aged 65+ in employment. Data available for 109 countries.

Mature workers enjoying modern flexibility

Older workers are benefitting from more flexible work lifestyles; many using digital communications to work out of the office and accommodate leisure into working lives. Brands are factoring the new working reality of older consumers into what they sell. Journalist Stephanie Rosenbloom, in a February 2013 New York Times article, stresses how the travel industry is adjusting to working boomer needs: While many vacationers strive to get away from e -mail and smartphones, tour operators say boomers are telling them they no longer want to be out of touch with their offices and families, she explains. Pamela Lassers of upmarket travel firm Abercrombie & Kent discusses how the core of the firm's business has shifted from a 'getting away from it all' ethos. Today: Safari lodges in Africa are installing internet connections... They're [boomers] in the middle of the Serengeti...and they want to update their Facebook page. JoAnn Bell, who manages programming for educational tours group, Road Scholar, and is already offering shorter cruises, adds: Speaking from a boomer who feels like I'm going to be working until I'm 70...we're very conscious of the fact that so many more people are still working.

Looking the part

In view of their greater presence in the workforce, an emphasis on grooming and style among older workers is unsurprising. The increased interest in and take-up of rejuvenating surgical procedures among older women and men are well documented, but the media is rich in simpler tips for older employees on updating working wardrobes and beauty regimes. Carine Roitfeld, until recently editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, is the new global fashion director of harpersbazaar.com and is almost 60. The website's homepage currently flags a huge 'Fabulous at Every Age' feature as a route into various fashion trends. The blog 'Chic at Any Age' celebrates stylish older role models: From the oldest working model, Carmen Dell'Orefice, gracing the catwalk at New York Fashion Week at 81, to M&S advertising campaigns staring Twiggy...there's never been a more glamorous time to be over 50, it enthuses. Style blogger, Ari Seth Cohen, photographs elegant older consumers and featured several of them in his recent book 'Advanced Style'. He also photographed a cast of four women aged between 65 and 92 chosen to model the new Karen Walker eyewear collection. His website explains that he scouts the streets of New York looking for the most stylish and creative older folks...Let these ladies and gents teach you a thing or two about leading life to the fullest...personal style advances with age.

8. PARENTING LIFESTYLES: Parents are now buying to suit themselves as well as tomorrow's generation. Growing trends include 'shopturnals', yummy mummies, parents befriending their teens online, stay-at-home dads, 'tiger mothers', 'idle parents', parent bloggers and gifts in lieu of time spent with kids. Parenting in the recession
In new book 'Songs of Innocence: The Story of British Childhood' author Fran Abrams acknowledges that in recessionary times: The question of why parents have them [children] is thrown into ever -sharper relief. As women are delaying having children and having fewer of them, however, this means that despite the recession, parents are continuing to put their kids first. They've waited a long time for this, so they won't compromise spending on their baby, the founder of Baby Concierge, an upmarket consultancy service, told the British Airways website babusinesslife.com in September. As the recession continues to hit, parents may economise on baby products by buying supermarket own brands, but refuse to compromise where the health and safety of their infant is concerned. Budgeting consumers are keen on using collaborative consumption to ease costs. For instance, Grownies is a children's clothes exchange website. However, there is a price to pay for parents working long hours as head teacher at a school in Rio de Mouro, Portugal says: "Parents now have two or three jobs and so they spend less time with their kids. The kids are growing up on their own." What's more, with the current backdrop, parenting extends into the future. In the words of one pessimistic UK Guardian newspaper reader's post, in the face of austerity measures, skyrocketing property prices and scary unemployment rates, the kids are going to be homefor keeps.

Parents and their 'must-have' buys and experiences for their offspring
Affluent parents to 'waitress moms' want the best for their kids but it's not just about pester power. Parents often crave items for their kids and in so doing send out signals about their identity and style savvy. In the last five years, the premium baby skin care category, for instance, which comprises mostly natural and organic brands, has grown significantly globally. In 2013, all eyes will be on the purchasing choices of the Duchess of Cambridge. Parents still want that statement buggy. One contributor to UK parenting blog Netmums explained her Bugaboo pram was something she'd treated herself to. More and more parents are 'shopturnals' shopping online between midnight and 6am. Many of these shoppers are new parents who are kept awake by their babies. The number of baby products sold in the six-hour period has risen 78% over the last year according to new research by Amazon.com.

Chart 8

Global Average Age of Women at First Childbirth and Fertility Rates: 1980-2020

Age in years/children per female

Euromonitor International from UN/Eurostat/national statistics

Vanishing dividing lines between children and 'peerents'

The disappearing generation gap is contributing to parents becoming 'peerents', working through issues with their children and sharing experiences in a form of 'collaborative parenting'. A plethora of articles have noted that parents and their children often wear the same brands, listen to the same music and enjoy similar experiences perhaps aided by greater collaboration between generations. Numerous studies highlight how kids are spending more time clicking than playing, with experts blaming a lack of time among parents for the trend. Toni Nagy admits on Salon.com that her smartphone serves as a baby sitter for my kid when I don't want to deal although Nagy and many parents, such as Amal Talib a S ingaporean mother, impose time limits on gadget use. Parents are increasingly online and vocal. Sharing of the parenting experience on blogs like mommyisgreen.net has become a worldwide cottage industry with voices that even politicians are heeding. Parents are also availing of new apps like Johnson's Bedtime, which helps users establish an evening routine for their babies. Mums of older children even go online to communicate with their teenagers: thus, a reported 57% of Australian parents have 'befriended' their children on Facebook.

Parenting styles and services to meet them

Styles of parenting, from the more involved 'Tiger Mothers' to the more laid back 'Idle Parents' aiming to foster greater independence, continue to be discussed in the public arena. A slew of services have emerged to offer help to time-pressed parents from Nanny in the Clouds matching parents travelling with young kids to babysitters on their flights, to a new 'rent a granny' service for Brno in the Czech Republic responding to a shortage of pre-school places. Other examples include a 'Week of Sleep for Exhausted Parents' at the Almyra Hotel in Cyprus and Fleurette Kids Taxi in Ottawa Canada which transports and supervises kids at after-school activities. Malls are also increasingly involved in childcare provision such as the 'drop and shop' service at the Dubai Mall.

9. SHOPPING LIKE IT'S THE FUTURE: New tech-driven shopping culture reveals generational fault lines. Brands are focusing on interpreting consumer lifestyles to reach out to customers warming to innovation. 'Showrooming', gamification, Facebook's piloted 'want' button and in-store digital information offerings are all part of this trend. Tech-driven shopping a comfort zone for younger consumers
Technology is changing the shopping experience. It feels like consumer shopping acumen honed on the internet via reviews, has spilled over into real world shopping. Being the most comfortable with digital technology, it's not surprising that younger 'digital natives' feel at ease with shopping trends such as shopping via smartphone. A survey conducted by Canadian wireless carrier Mobilicity during October 2012 found that 30% of smartphone users were

planning to use QR codes or other mobile discounts to buy Christmas gifts, but this percentage rose to 43% among respondents aged 18-34. Not only are customers shopping online via smartphone (nearly 25% of Chinese respondents to Euromonitor International's 2011 Annual Survey said they bought an item or service via mobile 1-2 times weekly) but consumers, armed with their smartphones, are taking comparison shopping into bricks and mortar stores where they are 'showrooming'. This term refers to the practice of looking at items in shops and buying later online. Other consumers are utilising increasingly sophisticated shopping apps to help them buy for less. Praised on tech site Mashable's list of 12 sites to survive the end-of-year holidays in 2012, the Decide app's customised algorithm recommends whether users should buy an item or wait for a better price. Scan a product's UPC barcode while in store to compare prices on the web and get an instant prediction that's 77% accurate, its creators claim. It is likely that more shops will copy innovations from US retailers in their fight against competition from online sellers. US stores such as Toys R Us, Best Buy and Target are trying to make their stores showrooms for their own sites, using smartphone apps to bring the advantages of online shopping with them to in-store customers. Gibu Thomas, Wal-Mart's senior vice president of mobile and digital says that more than 12% of online sales made through Wal-Mart's smartphone app happen while customers are in-store. In a response to a mid-2012 New York Times article on tech and shopping, Robin fro m Santa Fe writes: I don't feel a bit sorry about checking things out at stores. With all these sources available I feel like I am less likely to settle for whatever the local market peddler wants to carry. Buying a camera lens for example, the sales guy just doesn't know every feature of every lens, so in the end I have to consult the web anyway.

Chart 9 % of respondents

Comparing Prices on Mobile Phones In-store: 2011

Source:

Euromonitor International's Annual Survey 2011

Shoppertainment
Retailers are working to make shopping more fun via 'shoppertainment'. Last December, a London branch of department store John Lewis offered visitors a dance floor for the testing of Christmas party footwear. October 2012 saw China's biggest food e-commerce site, Yihaodian, announce plans to open 1,000 3D augmented reality (AR) grocery stores in blank city spaces and landmarks. AR in retail is a live view of a physical, real-world shop environment on empty wall space whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input. Shoppers typically scan the QR code of products they want to buy and add these to their shopping carts. This move is part of a global physical/virtual trend which offers both augmented reality and tangible experience to shoppers. Clothing retailer C&A Brazil is attempting to cross-pollinate social media and bricks and mortar shopping with a campaign entitled 'Fashion Like.' It involves the company uploading pictures of items from its clothing line to its Facebook page where they collect 'likes' from fans. In-store, special hangers display the number of 'likes' for the selected items, and these are updated in real time. Millions of consumers continue to enjoy engaging themselves in collaborative consumption on- and offline, selling and reselling products, services and even shelter away from home via sites like Airbnb.

Shopping with gaming elements

Gamification, the integration of gaming dynamics into non-gaming environments, is increasingly used to engage consumers in buying experiences. Gamification aims to infuse otherwise mundane actions with the thrill and the instant feedback of video games. Digital technologies such as smartphones have intensified this phenomenon especially among adults. More websites are gamifying shopping which psychologically can make buying more addictive. These sites include time-bound 'flash shopping' sites giving customers a thrill when they beat the clock. In the USA, over 75 utility companies are using a service from energy efficiency and customer engagement company, Opower, which awards badges to customers reducing energy consumption. Customers can compare their progress with that of their neighbours and broadcast achievements on Facebook.

10. THE ROLL CALL OF CONSUMER CONCERNS CONSUMERS RESEGMENTING: Consumers are becoming more vocal about their needs, through identifying with others who share them and mobilising together via the net. Brands are also increasingly responding to new consumer niches. Such consumer segments include those calling for a quest for simplicity. There are even havens for smokers. The power of particular consumer niches is entrenching
People worldwide are moved by a roll call of often-narrowband consumer concerns on and offline and brands are trying to mirror and target those new segments at the same time. Current often unrelated preoccupations of an army of consumer watchdogs take in personalisation by online search engines (filter bubbles) and by brands. Thousands of others are airing their discontent about the prospects of school leavers and graduates or about the lack of products for larger consumers or the quality of school meals. Vocalising concerns is a global consumer preoccupation. Mexicans are increasingly using social networks to criticise everything from consumer goods makers to telecom service providers. The hashtag #Fail has become something of a phenomenon on Twitter in Mexico. Brands need to heed what is being said and note that what they convey via advertising may be less relevant, for it can be contrasted with opinions and facts shared by millions of social network users worldwide.

Chart 10 % of respondents

Typical Interactions with Companies and Brands on Social Media

Source:

Euromonitor International Analyst Survey - Analyst Pulse; December 2011

The value of transparency

Cynicism about corporations has not dipped since the start of the recession, and companies are coming under pressure to prove that they stand for something more than 'better, faster or newer'. While the direct link between brands and consumers through social networks is seen to have humanised this bond, transparency from brands is seen as the panacea for a catalogue of concerns. This is a new value increasingly demanded by users and consumers, and one of the few attitudes that make companies respected and that develop brand loyalty.

Commenting on 'malicious' customer hotel reviews, TripAdvisor founder, Stephen Kaufer, defended the site invoking this principle: Hotels would ring us saying, "We've been given a terrible review, take it down". But that's against everything we are meant to do, which is to create transparency.

Brands not doing enough to accommodate tomorrow's bigger consumers

Dieting hype aside, consumers are expanding and many brands aren't creating goods to suit them even though global obese and overweight populations are set to continue growing, often to a third or more of the general population. Brands would be unwise to ignore this significant group of consumers who are set to require and therefore consume more trend-aware goods and services such as clothing, furniture, transport and travel services that suit their larger needs. Last September, the Hindustan Times quoted from the 'Diary of an XL woman': I like fashion. But the question is whether fashion likes me. I don't think so.

Safety first
Green issues are being thrust into consumer consciousness by safety concerns related to food and air quality such as a catalogue of contaminated food scandals. Reeling from a series of food scandals, Chinese consumers are combining their passion of food with social networking to name and shame companies. When some Coca-Cola products were found to be contaminated by chlorine in 2012, millions of Chinese consumers flocked online to call for a boycott of their once adored yang, or foreign brand. Coca -Cola can delete the evidence and refuse compensation. We consumers also can delete Coca-Cola from our shopping list, wrote one irate blogger on Sina Weibo, a massively popular local microblogging service.

Smokers' rights
Feeling cornered, more smokers are fighting to defend their wish to light up. In Australia, the plain packaging for cigarettes decorated only with macabre health warnings, mandatory since December 2012, has been heavily criticised by smokers. In an effort to give smokers some 'breathing space,' investment firm General Fundex has launched a chain of dedicated smoking lounges in Tokyo. The city has gone one step further than most in terms of banning smoking in public places; it is now a civil offence to smoke while walking. Smoking bans in Latin American countries have impacted on the habit of social smoking. Smokers' clubs in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Caribbean nations such as Honduras and Puerto Rico have expanded along with tobacco culture. They have their own specialist publications and internet portals while their new acquisitions and product launches are a hot topic on social networks.

For further information please contact Daphne Kasriel-Alexander, Consumers Editor at Euromonitor International: daphne.kasriel@euromonitor.com About Passport Survey
Passport Survey reaches out to thousands of consumers each year to find out more about their motivations, habits, and opinions. Questions span a range of topics, from healthy living to technology to personal values, and are developed in collaboration with Euromonitor International's Industry and Countries & Consumers experts. In the Annual Survey, 16,000 consumers of all ages (15-65+) were surveyed online in eight mature and developing markets. Similarly, the Out and About survey reached out to online consumers aged 15-65+ in 15 of the world's largest or fastest growing markets. Respondents in both consumer surveys were pre-screened to resemble the population of their country with regard to age and gender, and reflect a wide range of income and educational achievement. Each month, Passport Survey also reaches out to Euromonitor International's worldwide network of in-country analysts and in-house researchers in order to find out more about current, local attitudes and behaviours. Analyst Pulse survey results should be interpreted with some caution. The results reflect a great degree of geographic, economic, and cultural diversity among educated consumers who are also market researchers. Passport Survey presents their opinions and experiences in order to provide starting points for potential further investigations and sparks of tactical insight.