There is a lot riding on Christmas every year. For 2020 and into 2022, however, there has never been more at stake. Why is that? To begin with, consumers are planning to reign in their spending. A July 15 Coresight Research survey revealed that 48% of consumers intend to spend less on the Holidays … [Read more...]
Retail Energy in Paris
Over the past three years, we have teamed up on a number of seminars and webinars about best practices in retail visual display. If attendance at our June AmericasMart’s Apparel Mart webinar program is any indicator, audiences are appreciating our unique perspective. They are drawn to our combined … [Read more...]
Décor’s Response to Covid-19
It’s interesting to see how décor choices have started being impacted by the pandemic. In response to Covid-19, some consumers have found themselves newly drawn to tradition. Within this segment, the pull of classic elements that speak to timeless truths has been particularly obvious. Often … [Read more...]
Cookbooks by Black Authors
Anyone who knows me already understands that I’m better off in a kitchen with two microwaves, rather than two ovens. Yes, I did learn to cook. As the youngest of eight kids, I regularly whipped up excessive quantities of everything from pasta sauce to hotdish (I’m originally from the midwest). … [Read more...]
First Mall Visit Since Stay-at-Home Orders
Malls and retail stores are opening up in SoCal, albeit slowly. Still, it was good to see a bit of life on the bricks-and-mortar scene on my first trip to a mall since stay-at-home orders were issued in mid-March. At the Shops at Mission Viejo this week, department-store anchors Macy’s and … [Read more...]
What COVID-19 is Teaching Consumers About Quality
In early April of this year, an MIT survey of 25,000 American workers found that 34.1%, or just over one third of workers, had shifted to remote work. Add this number to the 14.6% of respondents that were already working from home, and the result implies that nearly half the US workforce is now … [Read more...]
Holiday Trends Q&A
A week or so ago, Tom Mirabile of Springboard Futures and I were interviewed about fourth-quarter seasonal trends. The venue was a webinar hosted by Lenise Willis, Editor in Chief of Gifts & Decorative Accessories magazine. The timing was perfect. My fourth-quarter seasonal forecast, The … [Read more...]
Anticipating a Boost for Navy
Color studies done in the early 1940’s, and repeated many times since, confirm that blue is North America's favorite color family. And why not? Blue has high appeal for both men and women. Another interesting fact is that the degree of preference for blue is high from the start. It increases a bit … [Read more...]
Interview Topic: Seasonal Trends
On Thursday April 23, consumer trend analyst Tom Mirabile of Springboard Futures and I will be interviewed by Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ Editor in Chief, Lenise Willis. In the webinar, “New Seasonal Realities for a Post-COVID World,” our conversation will focus on how today’s health crisis … [Read more...]
Halloween, Harvest and Christmas Will Still Come
Are fourth-quarter celebrations at risk, given the current Coronavirus crisis? That’s a question I’ve been hearing for the past several weeks. It was top-of-mind as I prepared The Return to Happy Holidays™, my seasonal color and trend forecast for Halloween, Harvest and Christmas assortments. If … [Read more...]