Harnessing the Power of Managed Customer...
Research has shown that memorable experiences, as well as the ensuing positive word of mouth, can drive customer...

Shopping in a Digital World
Roughly twenty-five years after the World Wide Web became a reality, and more than forty-five years after the first...

Now Entering the Post-Driver World
In the 1950s, American culture was truly car-centric. Everything from drive-in movies, to drive-in restaurants, to...

Profit Big from the Housing Recovery
The collapse of the housing bubble predicted by the Trends editors triggered the financial panic and the era of anemic...


The Rapidly Evolving World of American Retail
published on: Jan 15, 2014
In 1996, the Trends editors mapped out the expected evolution of retailing in a special report prepared for a Fortune 50 technology leader. Since...

Understanding the Millennial Consumer
published on: Sep 1, 2012
Every generation is influenced by its context. Like the Boomers, Millennials represent a huge age cohort that reshapes the economy as it moves...

The New Consumer Psychology
published on: Jan 15, 2011
For the roughly 25 years from the mid-'80s through at least 2004, American consumers focused on conspicuous consumption. But, more recently we've...

The Post-Recession Consumer
published on: Feb 15, 2010
How has the Great Recession changed the behavior of the American consumer? Which changes are temporary, and which are effectively permanent? What...

Defective Products
published on: Dec 15, 2008
China has become known as the “world’s factory.” But the focus on ever-cheaper products at ever-higher volumes has led to serious product...

The Newly Frugal American Consumer
published on: Dec 15, 2008
Everywhere you look, people seem to be trying to spend less. It started when the average national gasoline price hit $4.00 per gallon. Then,...

"The News" Ain't What It Used to Be
published on: Nov 15, 2008
Newspapers are literally shrinking and the clout of network television is disappearing even as blogs, cable TV, and talk radio are flourishing. Most...

Deleveraging the American Consumer Sector
published on: Jul 15, 2008
After years of funding consumption with cheap credit — largely coming from overseas — American consumers have become increasingly cautious about...

Don't Panic - the Best Is Yet to Come
published on: May 15, 2008
Bad decisions by lenders, consumers, and homebuilders have created a big drag on the U.S. economy. But timely and decisive action by the...

The Death of Mass Luxury?
published on: Apr 15, 2008
Recent reports indicate that the “mass luxury strategy” that rejuvenated many top-tier brands in recent years is no longer performing well. ...

Let the Games Begin
published on: Apr 15, 2008
Electronic gaming started with the Boomers. It got really serious with the Xers. And it became “a way of life” with the Millennials. Now,...

The End of Cheap Food?
published on: Feb 15, 2008
For 31 years, starting in 1974, food prices steadily fell. Then, abruptly, over the past two years, food prices have risen sharply. What’s...

Generational Productivity and Spending Waves -...
published on: Jan 15, 2008
The fact that this decade has been prosperous for Americans, and much of the rest of the world, comes as no surprise. Not only have we put in...

The Long, Slow Road Back for Residential Real...
published on: Jan 15, 2008
What is your home likely to be worth in five to ten years? What does this imply for builders and investors? What are the implications for the...

Boomers Go "Hog Wild"
published on: Oct 15, 2007
Since the mid-‘80s, sales of motorcycles have grown steadily. Not only are there many more units on the road, but also each machine is...

The Pet Economy Roars Ahead
published on: Oct 15, 2007
Americans now spend $41 billion a year on their pets — more than the gross domestic product of all but 64 countries in the world. What are the...