Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012: Smartphone Universe

Displacing computers worldwide, in 2012, smartphones are reaching out to the lower end of the mass market so expect apps to reflect this.

This piece is the seventh in a weekly series of consumer comments exploring each of the trends Euromonitor International identified in the recent Top 10 Trends for 2012 article.

Worldwide, smartphones are the communications accessory of choice, including in emerging markets where consumers are taking up new, more basic models as this prop moves from being a luxury item to a necessary lifestyle aid. According to Euromonitor International data, annual smartphone sales surged from US$7.9 billion to US$83.3 billion between 2005 and 2010, with China surpassing the USA as the largest national market during 2009. Real global smartphone sales are forecast to reach US$137.4 billion in 2012. For many developed market consumers, PCs and laptops are beginning to take a backseat as most smartphone owners use these convenient devices to surf the internet and watch TV anywhere from parliaments to buses. New aids such as Hive Dock, designed to assist elderly people with visual impairments to use smartphones will expand the population of smartphone users still more. 2012 will see more consumers using their smartphones to make transactions, using mobile, cashless technologies from Near Field Communication to QR codes to personal card readers.

Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012:Tech Lifestyles Versus Slow Living and The Best of Both

Some consumers are embracing an 'always-on' lifestyle while others are trying to disengage.

This piece is the eighth in a weekly series of consumer comments exploring each of the trends Euromonitor International identified in the recent Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012 article.

For the 2012 consumer – from toddlers upwards, technology is part of life with a lot of simultaneous tech consumption (watching TV and using a computer at the same time, for example). Access to the internet has extended to accompany people as they go about their daily lives, at work and on holiday. We're moving into a technology space where mobility is becoming less about devices, and more about the mist of data that we each generate with every interaction on the internet.

Datagraphic - Debt: The Developed, Developing Dichotomy

Debt (external and public) has been cited as a central factor dragging global economic growth down between 2008 and 2012. Following the 2007/2008 global financial crisis a major imbalance in debt levels between developed and developing economies emerged. High debt levels in developed economies have stifled growth as consumer expenditure, investor confidence and employment have declined, while lower levels of debt in developing economies have supported stronger growth.

Debt Levels in Selected Countries



Note: External and public debt figures for India and Brazil are equivalent.

Luxury Goods Diversification Creating Packaging Opportunities Worldwide

After the downturn in 2008, the global luxury goods industry has begun to recover. Whilst Western consumers are taking small steps back into luxury, the BRIC nations are generating new enthusiastic buyers of luxury brands. The global economic recovery also makes for a positive outlook for packaging; as the luxury market becomes increasingly diversified, the boundaries between luxury and mass are becoming increasingly blurred. This poses challenges but is also creating opportunities for packaging companies. 

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Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012: Reality Culture and Consumers

Scripted reality or celebrities living the dream - consumers are gripped, sharing views and being moved to change their purchasing behaviour.

This piece is the sixth in a weekly series of consumer comments exploring each of the trends Euromonitor International identified in the recent Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012 article.

'Reality culture' has changed the paradigm of who we see as an opinion leader. Around the world – 'ordinary' people appearing in reality programming are claiming the spotlight of the 'talented' famous and consumer attention as well as lifestyle aspirations. Euromonitor International's Annual Study 2011 found that respondents rank celebrities slightly more highly than political or community leaders in terms of whom they most look up to. Acknowledging their grip on the population, US President Obama recently shared his sentiment on reality TV by saying: “I don't want my daughters watching 'The Kardashians' either.”

China Driving the Global Luxury Goods Industry

By Fflur Roberts, Head of Global Luxury Goods Research at Euromonitor International

Hit by the global economic slowdown, the luxury goods industry went through a period of decline in 2008-2009 but by 2010 the recovery had already begun, with most developed countries recording positive growth. At the same time the luxury goods market has witnessed a new wave of newly middle class consumers from China, India, Russia and Brazil beginning to sample the delights of luxury goods, with China’s hunger for luxury in particular proving to be unstoppable.

Benefitting from a fast-growing middle class and a fast-developing luxury distribution network, sales of luxury goods in China have consistently outperformed the global market and the country will overtake France and the UK by 2015, making China the fourth biggest luxury market in the world. Click to tweet!

Home Cooking and Eating Habits: Global Survey Strategic Analysis

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

 This report focuses largely on the “Eating and Drinking” section of Euromonitor International’s 2011 Annual Study of global consumers, and is enriched by strategic analysis, extensive desk research and illustrated with Euromonitor International market data. The aim is to explore how new trends are impacting home eating and cooking habits.

Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012: Emerging Market Shoppers

This piece is the fourth in a weekly series of consumer comments exploring each of the trends Euromonitor International identified in the recent Top 10 Consumer Trends for 2012 article.

According to Christina Ko, blogging at HK Fashion Geek, the Asian love of the luxury bag has become “...a cultural fact. In the same way that Asians prefer rice to potatoes, they also prefer luxury handbags to non-branded ones,” she says. Click to tweet! An appetite for luxury is extending beyond China's nouveau riche as ever more white-collar workers are demonstrating an enthusiasm for it. In 2012, throngs of emerging market shoppers around the world are aspiring to more consumption. They are now enjoying malls and chain stores and learning to rely on credit while those with wealth are blending shopping with tourism as they spread their consumption wings.

Asia Pacific Markets Drive Pernod Ricard’s Growth

With net sales up by 11%, Pernod Ricard has unsurprisingly outperformed its major rival Diageo (7% growth) with its fiscal 2012 half-year results (July-December 2011). The company also achieved stronger volume growth. Although not reporting an overall volume growth figure, volume growth was in the high single digits, with the company's 14 strategic brands and 18 local brands, which accounted for 77% of net sales, both registering a 9% volume gain.

Alcoholic Drinks Continue to Make Gains in Emerging Markets

Analyst Insight By Jeremy Cunnington, Senior Alcoholic Drinks Analyst

As in 2011, emerging markets will continue to drive alcoholic drinks volume growth in 2012. Tweet this! All four emerging market regions - Asia Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East and Africa - will see volumes increase. In the case of Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa, gains will exceed 5%. Beer will be the key growth category but spirits and wine will also contribute.