Short for slow down, a slod is someone who subscribes to the slow movement in its many forms (slow food, slow fashion, etc.) as a reaction against fast technology, mass production and a borderless world. Slodsare anti-speed and address the issue of not having enough time by making a connection to the community and reviving or practicing steadfast traditions. They tend to eschew mass market brands in favour of local sources, artisanal products, and heritage ‘niche’ brands. They’re bare minimum techies.

Welcome the post-recessionary male, the doman. He’s gone from displaced (due to job cuts) to being domesticated. According to a recent Pew Research Center study, the downturn-related job losses affected men more than women resulting in a pivotal role-reversal with more men staying at home and taking on roles that have traditionally been women’s. Product manufacturers will have to contend with domen in the way they design and market their wares and services traditionally positioned for their female counterparts.

We’re in awe of WAWs! Women-At-Work will be driving the post-recession world economy, says a recent study by the Boston Consulting Group, with an estimated US$5 trillion in new female-earned income coming on line over the next five years. And women are headed toward constituting half of all US employed according to the Pew study. WAW will have a greater voice in the workplace.

There’s a move away from the mass market towards handiwork –  goods that are handcrafted by artisans. It champions the creative arts and makes heroes out of painters, illustrators, calligraphers, sculptors, tradespeople whose skills and craft are being threatened by technology. Hand@work also calls for putting the real creators in the forefront of the product’s identity. This originality or authenticity is evidenced in the latest way perfumes are marketed – highlighting the creator or “nose,” rather than the brand or celebrity.

The global economic crisis has made today’s consumer more knowledgeable, empowered and entitled than ever before. Good design, sustainable development, genuine value are no longer the exceptions to the rule; they’ve become expectations. Conscious consumers expect brands will engage them in a way that’s new and refreshing without being gimmicky. They will prod and pick products apart constantly questioning value, meaning and authenticity. They hold brands against the light with a heightened awareness of the impact their purchasing decisions make on their health, lifestyle, and environment.

 

People who travel in search of unique culinary experiences. These gastro explorers will go to Shanghai in September for hairy crab season, hunt for the best ramen shops in Tokyo, go on food and wine trails in search of seasonal culinary delights, plan their itinerary around restaurants not historical sites, or sign-on for cooking courses in Tuscany and Provence.

More people are opting for more meaningful ways to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and milestones than just your conventional holiday.They’re replacing champers with colonics; hen parties for power hikes; partying with pampering. Personal milestone events remind people they’re in need of an annual body tune-up.

Instead of travelling across the world to see friends and family, time-stressed individuals are cutting travel time by holidaying together at half-way points. This allows them to catch up with their loved ones as well as see a new destination.

It’s our MICE version of the medical tourism trend, where groups of people travel together for medical procedures -- for instance, Hong Kong tour groups going to Korea for plastic surgery, girlfriends getting cosmetic procedures together in Thailand, couples getting partner face-lifts. One can say there’s strength in numbers, or misery loves company especially post-surgery. Also think of it in reverse – highly-skilled foreign doctors are who are starting to come to you to perform specialized procedures.

Sight (beautifully designed spas), sound (cymbals, singing bowls and nature) and touch (massage) have had their share of the limelight. The next frontier is smell, or better yet, scent. We’re not talking about just aromatherapy massage here. It’s about experience enhancing scents…scent therapy to prompt pleasant memories or promote sleep. It’s about spas customizing scents specifically for the individual, and about using scent as a diagnostic tool.

 

In our quest for value for money, treatment times are getting shorter but more results-driven. Also tandem treatments (think facials with pedicures) are in vogue to maximize our lack of time and demand for immediate results.