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2019 Future Forecast: Consumer Trends For The Year To Come
2019 Future Forecast: Consumer Trends For The Year To Come
Trends for
the Year
FUTUREto Come
Prepared and Presented by
Guerilla Suit
FORECAST 1
00 – 00
Financial Health
2
00 – 00
Financial Habits
00 – 00
Transparency
00 – 00
Self-Care Backlash 00 – 00
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
00 – 00
Terra Cotta
00 – 00
Vegetables First
00 – 00
Indoor Cultivation
Sexual Wellness
14 – 00
Gender Neutrality
06 – 13
We like to keep our Disclaimer*
ear to the ground at
Guerilla Suit, Trend forecasting is part art and part science, to
varying degrees depending on the availability of
scientifically valid data or the strength of a hunch.
whether it's keeping track of micro Either way, predictions are just that, so please take
trends, brand gossip, or consumer everything in this report with a grain of salt.
behavior because we think it gives
us unique insight into broader cultural That said, here are the consumer trends and
shifts that can define industries or mindsets we predict will reach critical mass in 2019
even generations. It's our way of trying and beyond.
to better understand WTF is going on
out there, so we can better inform our
decisions when we're problem solving
for the future.
Neutrality
masculinity, and performative
femininity have all entered our
collective lexicon in the last few
years, showing that
is
there has been a
renewed critical focus
on the roles that gender
and gender stereotypes
New
awareness is that we as a culture
are embracing a more progressive
Normal
view of gender, which we’re
calling gender neutrality.
4
Gender Neutrality Is The New Normal
Images
courtesy
of Ijji
Clothing
6
Gender Neutrality Is The New Normal
Products that previously were considered inherently
gendered like tampons are now being marketed to all
people who get their period, because true inclusivity
in 2019 and beyond means understanding that not
Necessaire Body Care every human who has a period identifies or presents
as female.
7
Second
When we think of the “Sexual
Revolution,” chances are we
think of the summer of love, San
Francisco and bell-bottom jeans.
Sexual
sexual revolution that it is having
profound impacts on culture,
popular culture, and consumers,
Revolution
and, thus consumer preferences
and mindsets.
8
Second Wave Sexual Revoluton
9
“
Second Wave Sexual Revoluton
10
Second Wave Sexual Revoluton
THINX, a company previously known for
their reusable period-proof underwear
“sex blanket for rolled out a new blanket designed for
period sex. What was once considered
people with taboo is now being acknowledged as
simply part of the reality of being human.
periods” This blanket retailed for almost $400
($369, to be exact) and quickly sold out
after receiving national press attention.
Image
courtesy
of THINX
11
Second Wave Sexual Revoluton
“The sexual wellness
industry, while related 2014 2019
12
Second Wave Sexual Revoluton
13
Gender Neutrality Is The New Normal
Crave
Vesper Sexual Wellness
14
Indoor
The cult of indoor plants on Instagram
(aka Plantstagram) and “Plant Moms/Plant
Daddys” (it’s a thing, just trust us) were
Cultivation
a key trend for 2017 and 2018. Just ask
yourself; was there a new lifestyle brand
that launched in 2018 that didn’t feature a
fiddle leaf fig or monstera somewhere in
their brand imagery?
15
Indoor Cultivation
planters, watering
and online).
Meet the
Plantfluencers
Image
courtesy of
New York
Times
16
Indoor Cultivation
“Buoyed by Instagram, his
House Plant Journal
generation’s obsession with
297k followers
houseplants is growing faster 1,783 posts
and more tenaciously than
Darryl Cheng
English ivy. An engineer's approach
to house plant care
”
to be happy.’
Meet the Plantfluencers
New York Times
19
Indoor Cultivation
Krydda/
Växer Indoor Grow Kit
21
“
Indoor Cultivation
22
Indoor Cultivation
23
Another key trend for 2019 will be
vegetables dominating flavor profiles
across industries, not just limited to food.
First
the beauty and fashion
“
industries.
24
Vegetables First
25
Vegetables First
26
Vegetables First
This trend can already been seen in the rapid rise of #mushroomcoffee
mushroom coffee with the wellness set on Instagram. 11,988 posts
We’re not talking about magic mushrooms, either.
These are your average, garden-variety mushrooms
that are being consumed in lieu of coffee.
27
Vegetables First
Seedlip Beverage
Olderbrother Apparel Seedlip is a non-alcoholic spirit that just inked a deal with Virgin
Atlantic and is featured on the cocktail menus of several high-end
Drink Chaga, Wear Chaga. Here at Olderbrother, we eagerly mixology focused bars and restaurants in New York. One of their
await further research to fully elucidate the healing powers of most popular flavors is this vegetable-forward spirit “Garden 108,”
mushrooms. For now, we invite you to drink chaga tea and wear which we believe is an early harbinger of the vegetable-forward
our chaga-dyed pieces with us. flavor profiles that will soon lead the drinks industry.
28
Vegetables First
29
Pantone’s color of the year might be
peach (which is Terra Cotta adjacent, if
you ask us),
Cotta
Cotta
design and CPG this
year will Terra Cotta.
It is a natural evolution
of the mustard yellow
trend that permeated
design in 2018,
Terra while also reflecting the plant and
gardening trend that is not only already
influencing online culture, but also interior
design and fashion trends. We believe
Terra Cotta’s infiltration of these design-
forward industries is predictive of further
mass adoption.
30
Image
Image courtesy
courtesy of Esby
of Nicki
Sebastian
Image
courtesy
of UO
Home
Images
courtesy
of Site
Unseen 31
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Alcoholic
who embrace thoughtful, interesting
alternatives to alcoholic beverages will
find success.
“
become the norm.
32
“
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
33
Non-Alcoholic Drinks
“Non-Alcoholic beverages are
undergoing a makeover at some
2017 2025
restaurants, getting just as much
967B $
1.6T
$ attention as a cocktail or wine list...
“The global alcohol market saw a sluggish 2016, including the first
decline in consumption in the United States since 2011, according
to figures from the International Wine and Spirits Record.
By comparison, the global non-alcoholic beverage market is At Momofuku Ko in the East Village,
projected to reach $1.6 trillion by 2025, up from just over $967 Mr. deBary designed the bar menu so
billion in 2016, according to a 2017 report from Grand View
Research. In the future, look for more elevated experiences that several of the offerings could be
geared specifically towards non-alcoholic drinkers.” easily made with or without alcohol.”
Commodification
At this point, we
would not categorize
“wellness” as a trend,
& Self-Care but a permanent
cultural shift that has
fundamentally changed
consumer behaviors
Backlash
Wellness
and expectations
(and continues to impact) a wide range
of industries from pharma, to retail, to
agriculture and tourism.
36
“
Wellness & Self-Care Commodification Backlash Wellness & Self-Care Commodification Backlash
37
“The problem with the
prettification of mental
illness is just how out-of-kilter
it is with reality. It’s almost
suggested as a desirable
character trait for women
to have. In my experience,
partners find it frustrating,
not nearly as endearing
and whimsical as these
statements and products
would suggest.”
39
New Standards for Transparency
for Transparency
Consumers aren’t just requiring this level
New Standards of transparency from political and public
figures, but also brands and corporations.
In the coming
years, we predict
consumers will expect
more information
about supply chains,
employment practices
and price models from
brands before choosing
to align with them.
The brands that will come out on top will
be the brands that having nothing to hide.
40
New Standards for Transparency
41
New Standards for Transparency
Images
An excellent example of the level of courtesy of
Elizabeth
transparency consumers will soon expect Suzann
is cult favorite clothing brand Elizabeth
Suzann, who published the following
chart after calls from customers to better
understand the company’s pricing model.
42
Financial
Financial Habits Shaped by the Recession
Habits
and bypass the traditional economic signifiers
of “adulthood,” like home ownership,
Shaped
“
industries and, ultimately, our
larger economy.
“Since millennials first started entering the workforce,
their spending habits have been blamed for killing off
industries ranging from casual restaurant dining to
by the
starter houses. However, a new study by the Federal
Reserve suggests it might be less about how they
are spending their money and more about not having
Recession
any to spend.”
-
npr
43
Financial Habits Shaped by the Recession
“With a median
One example of how this generation’s
household income of post-recession habits and behaviors are
$40,581, millennials shaping the economy is that as millennials
46
Financial Habits Shaped by the Recession
The reason we believe installment payments
We believe installment payments will will become such a mainstay in 2019-20 is that
reach mass user adoption this year. A millennials are the segment of the population that
large number of consumers, particularly are the largest carriers of student debt, and they
millennial consumers, are already aware also carry credit card debt in large numbers. This
of services such as Affirm or Afterpay as consumer group, therefore, is increasingly skeptical
they have been implemented by several of buying on credit.
major retailers, however, we believe 2019
will be the year this concept will really take Companies such as Affirm
“
flight with consumers and become as largely don’t charge
ubiquitous as PayPal in e-tail.
the consumer interest,
instead using fees that
”
“Based on its recent monthly performance,
Afterpay says it has a global sales run rate of are absorbed by retailers.
more than $3 billion a year.”
Retailers are incentivized to use the services
because they can attract consumers who might
typically fall outside of their average consumer
Cash-Strapped Millennials profile, thus making their products more attainable
Turn to Instalment Plans to without having to compromise brand with sales or
Buy T-Shirts and Jeans discounting. Additionally, Affirm and Afterpay report
that they approve approx 80% of applicants, which is
Business of Fashion a much higher rate than that of the traditional lenders.
47
Financial Habits Shaped by the Recession Financial Habits Shaped by the Recession
Alternatives to traditional
lending like installment
payments will soon reach mass
adoption
Health
and bypass the traditional economic signifiers
of “adulthood,” like home ownership,
We predict the
conversation will shift
from mental health to
is the New
financial health in 2019
and 2020.
As we know, the generations driving
the de-stigmatization of mental health
(millennials and Gen Z) are saddled with
debt — both student and credit card.
Mental
As such, we think public discussion about
financial wellbeing, stress, and health
will become less of a taboo and more
Health
normalized and mainstream in the next
two years.
49
Financial Health is the New Mental Health Financial Health is the New Mental Health
Refinery29
Money Diaries
51
2019 TREND RECAP
Gender Neutrality Non-Alcoholic Beverages
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