In the recent Los Angeles Times article, “Spa treatments go minimal ,” reporter Andrea Chang writes about how many spas are going “minimalist” in reaction to the recession. “Gone are many of the extras such as bathrobes, slippers and saunas,” writes Chang. “In some cases, private massage rooms are sacrificed for thin curtains or communal rooms.” The article points to...

Trendwatching.com, one of the world’s leading consumer trends firm, has released their top 11 Consumer Trends for 2011. Here are some highlights: 1. Random Acts of Kindness According to Trendwatching.com, there’s no better way for a brand to put its money where its mouth (or heart) is than engaging in Random Acts of Kindness (R.A.K.). “Consumers' cravings for realness, for...

Day Two of Global Shop began with a keynote presentation by Wendy Liebmann, CEO and Chief Shopper of WSL Retail Strategies. Liebmann’s session was entitled “ Hope for Retail .” According to Liebmann, we’ve had a decade of calamitous change, and the crisis is over, but the behaviors and impact are not; fear and uncertainty remain. Some aspects of the...

On March 10, I attended the first day of Global Shop 2010 ( www.globalshop.org ) at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. Global Shop is the largest annual in-store marketing and store design event in the world, featuring over 700 exhibitors and 16,000+ buyers. This is where over 80% of the top retailers go to see thousands of ideas...