Quite often trend forecasts are not even worth the paper on which they are written. However, the Swiss Gottlieb Duttweiler Institut (GDI) is well renowned in the world of business for the quality of its forecasts. For this reason, one should have a closer look at the latest GDI trend radar. Who is going to profit from the niche economy? Which shopping locations will be most popular in the year 2025? What are overtrends? Such trends affect medium-sized trade businesses even more than major retail store groups.
Here the main subjects of the “GDI Radar 1.07 – consumer and economic trends in 2007“:
Market potential: niche markets are the mass markets of the future given that everyone buying niche products feels as the “master of the youniverse”.
Customer confidence: The confidence by clients in producers, merchants and the knowledge of experts is constantly decreasing while that in the knowledge spread over the internet is increasing.
Men: Everyone identifying the desires and habits of men will discover new markets.
Companies: Reliable co-operations, being ahead in terms of creativity, having the courage to take sound risks even against the mainstream, taking social responsibility, creation of value worth of being preserved – all this characterizes the future so-called “over-business”.
Fashion: Fashion, accessories and technology will merge into high-tech garments on the mass markets of the future. Clients will be designing their favourite products online. Counter trend: exclusive products, products which are left to community members as well as “old-fashioned” handicraft.
Shopping hot spots: train stations and airports instead of shopping centre and open fields. The shops of the future are popup and guerrilla stores and factory outlets. International retail store groups are said to be the absolute winners.
Advertising: Companies and consumers communicate as partners over channels such as Podcast or Blogs, YouTube, MySpace, Friendster or Xanga. Hits, high volumes and turnover will be less important.
Everyone wishing to know more about all this is invited to look up the complete trend radar online. 