Reduction

Trend - Workpalces are using generative artificial intelligence to craft training modules, provide feedback, and improve overall onboarding experiences for employees. These AI models deliver accurate feedback more quickly than human workers, saving companies time and money on onboarding.

Insight - For many businesses, onboarding is an expensive process, often requiring time and resources invested from multiple other employees and branches of the businesses. As a result, these businesses continually search for ways to streamline the onboarding process while ensuring that new employees are prepared for their jobs. These businesses desire no-compromises automation that is customizable to suit each required role, leading to generative AI being used to create onboarding models.

Trend - As inflation financially constrains consumers, cashback programs from banks and businesses are becoming more popular. Now, some brands are focusing on consumers with greater or more specific needs with these reward systems--including students, caregivers and those struggling with high costs.

Insight - Rapid inflation, price gouging and stagnant wages are impacting North Americans, and more people are looking for ways to reduce their daily expenses in order to manage. Consumers are now turning to discount businesses and increasingly relying on brands that accommodate the barriers they face in order to retain their financial stability (or achieve it).

Trend - Amid the rising cost of chicken set on by the pandemic, restaurants are turning to dark meat alternatives for chicken wings. Chicken thighs are meatier and often richer in taste, making them a popular choice for QSR brands across North America. These are served fried, tossed, or with sauces.

Insight - Restaurants were of the industries hit the hardest by the pandemic, with rising costs of supply and an ever-dwindling consumer base willing to dine in. Following the pandemic, while indoor dining has returned, prices and supply have yet to return to normal. Restaurants with affected supply sought alternative products to ensure steady supply and affordable pricing, creating demand for typically less-used parts of foods in North America, such as chicken thighs or feet.

Trend - Brands are launching lawnmowers that take advantage of modern artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. These lawnmowers can automatically patrol lawns with minimal human input. This saves consumers time to spend on more important tasks. These mowers are controlled by apps for simplicity.

Insight - Modern smart homes have nearly every product powered by AI. Consumers are quick to adopt AI doorbells, security systems, vacuums, and more. These consumers strive for automation that improves their quality of life by completing basic tasks and subsequently reducing stress by creating more free time. These consumers are willing to pay premium prices for products that are more efficient, leading to brands launching AI-powered lawnmowers and yard cleaners to reduce maintenance time.

Trend - Brands are creating towels woven with a waffle-like pattern. These towels dry faster, are more absorbent, and are naturally antibiotic when compared to traditional towels. Towels styled like this are also less prone to mold or unwanted scents due to the aerated design.

Insight - With rising water and energy costs in many regions, consumers are becoming more conscious of how often each textile must be cleaned to remain sanitary. These consumers are drawn to products that stay fresher for longer, effectively saving time and money on cleaning. One such area of concern is the bathroom, where people often leave the same towel for hand-drying for long periods. These consumers are investing in waffle-woven towels for their antibacterial and fast-drying traits.

Trend - AI-based support apps for parents of infants and young children are being used for skill development, mental health, and/or health monitoring. These programs offer a proactive approach to supporting child development and help parents collect data in cases that require intervention.

Insight - Using tech to monitor and prioritize skill-building is especially helpful for caregivers with children who have mental or physical disabilities, behavioral challenges, or are displaying symptoms of illness. These smart solutions add an additional layer of support to the parenting process, offer important information for medical personnel if needed, and generally take some of the pressure off for busy parents with multiple priorities on top of childcare.

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 - Brands are releasing smart inflation devices in ultra-portable form factors. These inflators provide instant support for bikes, cars, and inflatables without requiring wall connectivity. These also include smart pressure indicators, making them easy to use without prior experience.

Insight - The micro-mobility space continues to grow in popularity with the modern consumer. Electric bikes and scooters offer a level of convenience beyond that of a traditional bike or full-sized car due to the ease of use, low entry-cost, and ease of maintenance. However, consumers are still often faced with maintenance challenges, such as stuck chains or deflated tires. As a result, these consumers are investing in ultra-portable service kits as reliable contingency plans.

Trend - Healthcare businesses and institutions are increasingly prioritizing the use of AI-powered programs and services to help manage and focus patient care. These solutions are typically specialized in their purpose--like programs that prioritize care for people with more than one illness.

Insight - The potential of AI in medicine is vast, but systems that provide comprehensive assessments and care are limited because they would require inter-business or institutional collaboration. Instead, purposeful AI programs help businesses focus their efforts toward care providers' specialties and their own patient needs. Since AI is still (relatively) new in the healthcare industry, providers using focused solutions are helping build the foundations for more extensive programs.

Trend - Companies in the production, retail, and logistics spaces are looking to artificial intelligence (AI) models to reduce emissions. The AI models help optimize production, cut-out excess waste, better manage inventory, and improve overall sustainability using predictive and analytical models.

Insight - In recent years governmental regulatory bodies have placed increased pressure on businesses to reduce emissions and go green. As a response to this, many businesses have made green commitments with strict timeframes, often aiming to achieve net-zero emissions in a matter of a decade. These businesses aim to achieve these goals without reducing their profit margins, meaning they often do not want to hire new departments. As such, they are increasingly turning to analytical AI models.