Buying & Shopping
Trend #1: Green = Green$
Without a doubt, the most widespread and influential of all product trends in 2008 is the influence of green or eco-friendly products.
Green products are an influence in every product industry today.
By 2010, sales of natural/organic products are expected to reach 100 billion dollars annually. A 50 billion dollar increase from today’s sales.
No matter if you want to “go green” with your eBay business or not you NEED to have at least some versions of eco-friendly products in your product line.
More and more, buyers these days are becoming “situationally” green. Meaning they don’t necessarily buy all organic or eco-friendly products, but they WILL buy eco-friendly products in the areas that are important to them.
A buyer might not eat organic food but he may be interested in energy consumption issues and therefore buy energy saving products.
That’s why for every product you carry – you MUST look into whether or not there is a green or eco-friendly version.
Let’s look at a few examples of product categories that now feature eco-friendly or green products:
• Furniture• Pet supplies and accessories• Solar power systems and products for home• Footwear made from sustainable materials such as soy-dyed jute to water-based glues and dyes.
The range of eco-friendly or green products that are now available in the marketplace is huge.
whatdoisell (5 ) View Listings Report Jan-15-08 06:46 PST 14 of 91 Trend #2: Oh Baby!
The market for baby products has grown to a 3.5 billion dollar market in the US alone and it shows no signs of slowing down. And today there are more opportunities than ever to sell in this niche.
But this year’s baby products market is very different than the products of the past.
Because baby is “livin’ large!”
Older and more affluent parents are driving the greatest growth in the baby products niche.
PARTICULARLY in the demand for luxury baby durables and convenience items designed to save time.
Technology is also impacting the products that parents buy. Technology enhanced products have impacted every sub-niche category I have listed below.
Eco-friendly products are also a huge trending influence in the baby products people buy.
Additionally, unique, custom, one-of-a-kind baby products are in-demand as people strive more and more to surround baby with something that is unique and NOT mainstream.
Below are some of the key sub-niches that are seeing tremendous growth:
1. Baby mobility—car seats, strollers, systems, baby carriers2. Baby’s room furniture—cribs, bassinets, dressers, changing tables, rockers and gliders3. Daytime care—gyms, play mats, play centers, swings, bouncers, exersaucers4. Wellness, babycare and safety—diaper disposal systems, baby bathtubs, gates, monitors, potties, health and safety equipment
whatdoisell (5 ) View Listings Report Jan-15-08 06:48 PST 15 of 91 Trend #3: Buying Time: Time is the New Gold
70 percent of US consumers 16 years and older say they don’t have enough time to do all the things they need to do.
Half of US consumers now say that a lack of time is a bigger problem in their lives than a lack of money.
Selling products that save time, make product use more efficient and allow people to automate tasks, speed up tasks or multi-task are increasingly in demand.
Here are some product categories that you might consider:
- Home Appliances: Multi-tasking may be an overused buzzword, but there’s a new breed of home appliances that perform multiple tasks for you at one time! (Much better than you doing multiple tasks at once yourself.)
And these are fast rising in popularity!
How about a counter-top appliance that makes your coffee, cooks your eggs and toasts your toast?
Your buyers can now be well fed and get to the office on time!
- Home organization: It’s estimated that we spend at least 30 minutes each day looking for things we can’t find in our homes, at the office, in the car.
(I would say that for most people, it actually clocks in at more than 30 minutes!)
Because of this, organizational products for the home, office and garage are selling in astronomical numbers!
-Games: Even game manufacturers for kids have gotten into the business of selling time.
Hasbro, the maker of the world’s most popular game, Monopoly has introduced Express Games to rave reviews. Express games are new versions of classic games designed to "speed up" play.
This is just the beginning of what’s to come. Busy parents and busy kids want to spend time together. But they don’t always have a 2 hour block to sit down and play a board game.
(By the way, a resurgence in the popularity of board games is also a growing trend.)
Look for more manufacturers to start producing 20-30 minute games.
Keep your eye out for new the new time-saving, multi-tasking products. And when you sell these products, emphasize to your customers the primary thing they will receive as a benefit.
More time!
whatdoisell (5 ) View Listings Report Jan-15-08 06:50 PST 16 of 91 Trend #4: How Do I?
Just when you thought you had selected the right products for your customers comes a new and exciting trend.
“How Do I” Content is what today’s buyers want.
- Use It- Put it Together- Make the Most of My Purchase
Not only do your buyers want to make their purchase they also want the added value of a report, video, audio or diagram that shows them how to use the product, how to put it together, how to maximize their investment and make the most of their purchase.
While this might seem like extra work, the opportunities this provides for eBay sellers are tremendous!
You can create your own special report, audio, video etc. giving your customers the “How Do I” content that they crave.
These can either be sold as stand alone products or offered as a bonus with the product.
Here’s why –
People don’t have the time these days to sit down and figure out how to use things.
If they buy are bread machine, they want to be up and running with a loaf of bread baking in the kitchen in the hour.
They want a book of recipes tailored specifically for that bread machine. They want tips from Grandma on how she made the moistest, chewiest, bread with her secret ingredient!
They want help using and excelling with their new product.
And while some manufacturers HAVE started including “How Do I” content with their products, creating your own report, audio or video is a great way to give YOUR products a USP (Unique Selling Position) and set yourself apart from the competition.
whatdoisell (5 ) View Listings Report Jan-15-08 06:52 PST 17 of 91 Trend #5: The Robot Did It!
Technology is changing the face of the product landscape and one sub-niche of the technology sector is products outfitted with robotics.
But we’re not talking sci-fi, pie in the sky robotics here. These are current products that consumers can buy right now in 2008 and are CLAMORING for!
Here’s just a small sampling of how robotics and products have merged:
-Robotic vacuum cleaners (such as the Roomba)-Robotic gutter cleaners-Robotic pets (for adults and kids)-Robotic toys-Robotic miniature cars
In fact some of the hottest selling products this past holiday season, such as Pleo, the $350 baby robotic dinosaur were part of this hot robotics product trend.
whatdoisell (5 ) View Listings Report Jan-15-08 06:53 PST 18 of 91 Trend #6: Unplug!
For every trend, there is a counter trend. And this rush of high-tech infusion into our lives has driven people to have a strong desire to balance their high-tech lives with some low-tech downtime.
The desire to do handcrafts such as knitting, sewing, crocheting and needlepoint is (still) on the rise.
We’ve seen this trend over the past few years - Crafts category has been one of the top selling categories. And it just continues to grow.
As with every trend there are many off-shoots of sub-niches and micro-niches.
- Decoupage- Metal art- Mixed media crafts
These are all examples of new sub-niches in the craft industry that are gaining in popularity.
And don’t forget Blended Trends – a combination of two or more trends that roll up into one in-demand product!
How about selling a decoupage kit along with a “10 Beautiful Designs to Decoupage Your Coffee Table” tip sheet that meets the needs of the “How Do I?” trend.
whatdoisell (5 ) View Listings Report Jan-15-08 06:55 PST 19 of 91 Trend #7: Local Origin
A new trend has been quietly brewing across the country.In a retail world that until now has been ruled by mass production and big box stores etc. a growing number of consumers are seeking out the locally made products.
Locally can mean: made in their town, city, state, country, and region.
This trend is driven by several key factors including:
- A desire to reduce the carbon footprint of a product that is greatly expanded when products are imported.
- A move away from mass replication products and towards unique and alternative offerings.
And while this does not mean an end to a demand for mass-produced imported goods, it does mean that people are looking for an alternative.
Entrepreneurs who pay attention to this trend now have the potential to carve out a niche early – while the rest of the retail world catches up.
What products are manufactured and distributed in your city, town and state that might have an appeal to a larger market?
A local company in my hometown of Seattle makes swimsuits right here in Seattle and was featured in the 2007 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Their products are now in demand worldwide.
As an online retail entrepreneur, one of your greatest, most unique sources of products can be local manufacturers.
And with the rise of Local Origin your opportunity to sell a unique, in-demand product online has never been better.
Sometimes your best product sourcing ideas are right in your own backyard!
whatdoisell (5 ) View Listings Report Jan-15-08 07:00 PST 20 of 91 Trend #8: Trust
Trust is not a product trend you say. Or, is it?
In the world of online retail trust drives sales.
As an online seller you operate in a trustworthy manner but it’s of EQUAL importance to SELL your trust with each and every contact you make with your customer.
Whether this is through an auction listing description or a post-sale email, it is up to you to sell your trustworthiness to your customer as an “add on” to every item you sell.
Consider these statistics that were compiled by a recent UK Customer Trust Survey.
If a company earns consumer trust, 42 per cent will buy more products and over half (54 per cent) will recommend the product to others.
If a company loses the trust, three out of four (76 per cent) say they will simply stop buying from them. Women in particular believe trust is an essential quality in the companies they buy from (56 per cent of females cite this as important versus 47 per cent of men).
Still think trust isn’t a consumer trend?
Make yourself trustworthy by telling the customer everything they need to know about you, your business, your service, your products, your shipping and your guarantees.
Don’t assume they know.
Don’t make them work for it.
Lay it all out for them in plain English. YOU know that you are trustworthy, but your buyers don’t – unless you tell them.
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