Experience

Trend - CPG brands and restaurants are launching foods made with chai ingredients. Chai is popular in drinks for its strong, spicy, floral flavor, and its health benefits. This is now being made available to non-tea-drinkers in the form of snacks, breakfast bars, bakery items, and packaged goods.

Insight - The modern consumer in North America has countless flavors from international locations available to them for snacks, drinks, and foods. These consumers are willing to try new flavors, pairings, or interpretations of recipes, to find a new flavor, with priority given to functional foods. Some of the most popular flavors for drinks, such as chai tea or blue curacao in alcohol, are often only found in beverages, making it difficult for certain customers to ever try these flavors.

Trend - Travel agencies are offering 'microcation' packages that include short-duration, event-packed getaways. These vacation are more affordable and are easier to plan than vacations, making them fit for customers of all ages. Microcations can also be taken in quick succession for versatility.

Insight - Each year, studies reflect that workers are taking fewer vacations and less off-time. This is due to rising costs of living, competitive workplaces, and scheduling constraints. As a result, many workers are gravitating toward microcations. These workers prefer microcations for the reduced cost, lowered environmental impact, the ease of slotting them into busy schedules, and the versatility of being able to take shorter vacations, but more frequently.

Trend - Graphene is becoming a notable material in active and outerwear, and brands that offer bedding are now exploring its benefits. Graphene's strength, combined with its antibacterial and thermoregulating benefits, make it especially useful for frequently used items like pillows and bedsheets.

Insight - The market for sleep health/wellness is growing, and bedding is an important aspect of adequate sleep for many consumers. With concerns like allergens, bacteria, and frequent use--people searching for bedding are looking to brands that offer materials that address these issues. Durability, hypoallergenic materials and thermoregulation are all key priorities, and brands that are investing in innovative solutions at mid-range prices are making the industry more competitive.

Trend - Automakers are releasing premium motorhomes with durable, rugged builds designed for off-roading. These motorhomes are easier to move around on and off road, making them better for camping than traditional motorhomes. Additionally, rugged motorhomes resist more extreme weather conditions.

Insight - When many consumers go camping or go on road trips frequently, they often choose to invest in a motorhome, rather than renting cottages and camping setups in each location. These consumers prefer motorhomes for the versatility in location, ease of mobility, and the reliable access to resources they provide. However, many motorhomes can only be towed by large trucks, and are too heavy to be suited for off-roading. This creates a market space for rugged, off-roading-ready motorhomes.

Trend - Adult Gen Z are frequent travelers, having grown up with social media that normalized travel and escapism. Their travel preferences are shaped by cost and personalized experiences--and brands are responding by aligning themselves with Gen Z's interests and/or helping them finance trips.

Insight - Social media has played a significant role in shaping Gen Z consumers, which is why they prioritize travel despite being early in their careers and in an uncertain economy. As more Gen Z enter the workforce, brands in the travel industry must adapt to cater to younger travelers. This includes experiences that align with their specific interests, low costs, and planning apps that cater to Gen Z's tech-focused and more impulsive approach to travel.

Trend - Corporations are launching DEI programs and initiatives designed to support the careers and lives of neurodiverse employees. These programs ensure equality in hiring patterns, resource access, and worker compensation. These benefit businesses by improving employee satisfaction and retention.

Insight - In the post-pandemic working world, employees have many options for workplace culture, such as finding flexible working hours, locations, or compensation. Employees each have preferences, such as wanting more flexibility or a larger wage. However, workers quickly leave jobs where they feel they do not belong, resulting in high turnover for less desirable workplaces. Companies are avoiding this fault by launching new DEI initiatives that, in addition to other protected classes, support neurodivergent workers.

Trend - Self-driving vehicles with community-benefitting purposes are helping brands in this industry create more acceptance for AVs. Brands are offering services like free autonomous transportation and senior delivery services that create positive experiences with autonomous vehicles.

Insight - The AV industry has faced both legal and cultural challenges entering the market, with everything from safety concerns to arguments about job losses preventing self-driving vehicles to be fully accepted by consumers and institutions. As the industry aims to address these challenges, creating positive local experiences helps build trust for autonomous tech.

Trend - Restaurants and food brands are launching pastries infused with both taro and cheese, combining the sweet, nutty flavor of taro with the rich, savory flavor of cheese. Taro is traditionally found in dishes across East Asia and is now gaining popularity in pastries in North America.

Insight - Consumers are drawn to pastries for their versatility. Pastries can be sweet and sugary, fruity and healthy, or rich and savory. Each consumer may have different preferences, leading to brands consistently experimenting with new ingredients to include in pastries. Some brands have responded to this pressure by looking to cultural recipes from other regions. Out of these recipes, customers in North America have shown interest in mixed taro and cheese pastries for their blended flavors.

Trend - Brands that specialize in the outdoor kitchen market are adapting to consumers' evolving lifestyles with small, modular grilling systems. These products feature multiple functions and cooking options, and their easily stored designs cater to a broader range of consumers.

Insight - As more consumers live in small spaces, often with limited (or no) outdoor space, they're having to be more creative with their home purchases. These consumers seek out modular designs, multifunctionality, and compact products in order to make the best use of their space and money. As more people turn to small-space living in response to rising housing costs, brands that specialize in interior design, tech, and home products are having to adapt to better suit their needs.

Trend - Game developers are leveraging generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to make games more immersive and less predictable. By using AI for non-player characters (NPCs), players can have more lifelike conversations with NPCs, build bonds with NPCs, and be more engaged overall.

Insight - Escapism and immersion are two of the largest draws to gaming for many consumers. However, while gaming offers respite from busy lives, consumers often purchase many games after growing bored of one game, as games become repetitive over time. As game prices continue to rise, many consumers are unable to purchase multiple full-price games a month. There is a market for games that offer excellent immersion and escapism without in-game actions feeling repetitive and pre-written.