ABC CARPET & HOME: A Trend Expedition
/Welcome to OnTheEdge. An insider's e-review of select beauty industry conferences featuring on-the-edge trends, technologies, products and treatments. The most intriguing details of the conferences are captured and delivered to you in OnTheEdge, so you stay "in-the-know" without having to be "on-the-go".
THE TREND EXPEDITION: Something New
Occasionally, developing new concepts with an element of intrigue can lead to an unexpected creative block. Stepping outside of a normal day to day work environment and routine helps spur creativity and brings a new perspective to the development process and finished product.
BE tried something new for creative inspiration by leading a trend expedition through ABC Carpet & Home located in NYC, NY. This store is a sight were we like to gain fresh ideas for product concept development and visualize how trends are translated into beauty care, self-care, and home goods.
An expert team of beauty industry associates from the marketing, research, technology and product development arenas that are also members of a Networking/Trend group founded by “Amy Marks-McGee” - Trendincite LLC** - gathered at the store.
Here was our mission! Explore the first floor of ABC Home with this question in mind: What is the "one" statement trend that the store is expressing?
It is evident that Social Consciousness is a key trend with global attentiveness towards impoverished societies and global warming. However, we are seeing an evolvement to this trend from our explorations.
**"Trendincite LLC specializes in custom-designed guided trend excursions to inspire creativity for new product development.
TOP 5 EVOLVING TRENDS
Spiritual mysticism, ancient, philosophical influences explored; searching for a spiritual “hero”.
A journey of self-discovery; a sense of revelation; expanding the mind.
Inner self-care, inner-healing, searching for peace.
Product benefits that tap into an emotional “feel good experience” accompanied by a physical “well-being” feature.
Earthly mysticism expressed through natural materials; crystals, woods, incorporating indigenous ingredients into everyday living.
THE REFLECTIVE EDGE: What's Next?
After our exploration we had a very interesting round-table discussion on our findings.Not surprisingly, we came up with more than 1 big idea. Precious “nuggets of thoughts” were expressed that propelled the conversations to travel deeper into worldly issues.
Some thoughts:
Does a world in conflict create a human need to fill an inner restlessness, or a lack of peace and well-being? Could this be one reason why Spirituality and inner-healing are strong trends? What type of product experience can be developed to provide release from this inner distraught?
Being an Explorative culture, how has the "Mind-expansion" era of the 60's come full circle to the "Escapism" trend of today? Who are our spiritual “heroes”? What do we seek now to expand our minds? What types of personal care products can support mind expansion?
Given the emotional pull to "influence" consumers on how they use their spending dollars to support indigenous and poorer countries, do the product purchases truly benefit the artesians of that culture? What else can be done?
With these questions in mind, here are some product ideas we found...
THE PRODUCT EDGE: What's in store?
Social Consciousness: Supporting impoverished countries. Beaded jewelry selections available at the store emphasize a support for women from impoverished countries. Sales help the tribes and townships to create economic stability and empowerment.
Self-Care, Global Care: An emotional and physical “feel good” factor: Pangea Organics utilizes ingredient stories to enhance the user's lifestyle and well-being experience, inspiring body and mind to return to a restored state. The post consumer packaging is so friendly that it can be planted back into the earth.
Active and suggestive purposes of ingredients are used:
Green Tea: Antioxidant, Nutrient Rich, Restorative . Mint: Cooling, Refreshing, Focusing . Rose Petal: Cell regenerating, Hydrating, Soothing.
Spiritual Mysticism: Searching for spiritual heroes. The focus is on spirituality and wholeness with Ganesh statues from India to books on eastern Zen philosophies and interior designs.
Ganesh description - One foot is in the ground the other is elevated symbolizing local and non- local transcendence; imminent in this world and not of it; time bound and timeless all at the same time.
A Journey of Self: Expanding the mind, looking through layers of self. Consumers may be looking for something more than what is existing today; making emotional room for line extensions among various products that they already use.
Earthly Mysticism: Incorporating the outside to the inside. Home goods with a tactile experience are featured, with focus on textures, colors and patterns from the outdoors.
Lots of greens, browns, tans and natural neutrals: Variety of cork, wood, pottery, and glass products . Animal prints, insects, snakes and birds . Monochromatic themes
Healing crystals influence individual characteristics: Chalcopyrite – perception . Pyrite – light . Agate – grounding . Calcite – energy & intuition
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