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Growing Retail Trends 2019
Euromonitor International has recently published its Top 10 Global Consumer Trends for 2019. Below are the key trends expected to gain traction that could be opportunities to promote and communicate with the customers of your craft business alongside understanding current consumer values. The consumer titles are from their research provided.
Everyone’s An Expert
“Traditionally customer service bots and poorly-designed contact pages can mar the shopping experience. Sephora has reimagined customer service by interweaving it with the demand for reviews and feedback, to provide a forum where everyone can be an expert if they want”.
This trend is reflective of the ‘review culture’ impacting consumer choice. One way to use this in your business is to include positive testimonials shared on your website and social media. This acts as social proof for potential new customers. Think of ways you can optimise your customer service as you are already at an advantage of having the direct maker to customer sales channel. For example, you could you send follow up emails on purchases asking how you can improve your service.
Additionally, you are an expert. Customers want to learn from you. Share your knowledge as a way of building a relationship with a wider audience through content creation, which in turn will boost your sales.
Back To Basics For Status
“The consumer desire to go Back to Basics for Status will be further amplified in 2019 and beyond. Globalisation offers infinite opportunities for a growing proportion of the population and will facilitate future growth and prosperity. However as emerging economies develop further, the same pattern is likely to emerge, with consumers tiring of generic products and starting to place more value on higher quality, unique and differentiated offerings, which convey a certain level of status”.
As a craftsperson you are offering a high quality, unique and different product. This type of customer is also motivated to support local businesses. Use this trend by conveying this message in your marketing.
Finding My JOMO
“Finding my JOMO customers look to de-clutter social network engagements to carve out more time for themselves and to simplify the way their spare time is spent. Need for simplification takes many forms. Firstly, consumers are detaching from their phones to focus on other offline activities in the home as well as on the move. And consumers are moving away from constant multi tasking, back to the ‘one thing at a time’ during their spare time.’ This more reflective and individual approach to what is needed to relax and enjoy life outside of work…”
An interesting trend to explore when promoting your craft workshops is Finding my JOMO. Think of how you can emphasize this idea in your marketing benefits: ‘time out’ from busy day to day and social media, a sense of well-being gained from making and spending time in a friendly group are all additional persuasive reasons someone would book a workshop alongside learning a new skill.
I Can Look After Myself
“I Can Look After Myself is a form of self care; however rather than abiding by the same rhetoric that we must care for ourselves kindly, this consumer trend emphasise that we can care for ourselves successfully if we have the right equipment to do so. The general global shift towards sustainability means shopping is increasingly moralised. Consumers wanting to look after themselves now shop more sustainably, their ethical consumerism becoming a form of self-care”.
People will buy for ethical reasons and as a designer/maker you can emphasise the fact that your product is made sustainably, ethically and as a craft maker, one off, an antidote to mass-consumerism.
I Want A Plastic Free World
“Consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly and recyclable products… becoming increasingly sensitive to issues of plastic waste and this is impacting their shopping habits”.
This is the fastest growing trend for 2019 and set to become a mainstream conversation and group action. Align your craft business with this principle, for example paper packaging when shipping, that is clearly marked as recyclable. You can also use this as a ‘selling point’ when marketing your brand.
Reference: Top 10 Global Consumer Trends for 2019 by Euro Monitor, 2019.
Further research:
The Audience Agency https://www.theaudienceagency.org/
EuroMonitor https://www.euromonitor.com/