Top 10 Global Trends (Part 1)
We are living in the year 2019. The world around us is and there are several global trends happening. The following 10 global trends are the most important in 2019.
We are becoming wiser
A change is happening to the relationship between retailer and consumer. Previously, consumers relied on certain brand or information source to get what they wanted; nowadays, digital consumers absorb and share information using the Internet. As a result, companies must constantly innovate, drive competitive pricing and streamline their offerings to entice shoppers. As Internet retail continues to increase globally, new industries will have to adapt to consumers’ new demands to stay relevant.
Becoming self-sufficient
With the development of the internet connection and the increasing usage of apps, more information is readily accessible now, which may not have been in the past. As a result, people are getting more self-sufficient instead of immediately going to a doctor or seeking professional assistance, people are now more inclined to seek information by themselves first. They do this by using the internet and apps to find answers to their problems or feelings.
Efficiency
The world around us is very crowded. A lot of people are busy with their work and hardly have time left for their private life. They are getting more aware of what is important in their lives. For most people, family and social life are more important than work. This is the reason why there is a trend happening that doing work in an efficient way is playing a bigger role in peoples their lives. Efficiency-driven lifestyles allow creating more time to people their social lives.
Looking for authenticity
Nowadays, there is a trend of looking for authenticity. There is a lot of mass production in our world. A lot of the same kinds of clothes are worn and a lot of the same products are used. We are losing our identity by the mass production and global fashion trends, for example. We are going mainstream too much and we are safely doing what others do. People are looking for authentic and differentiated products which allow them to express their individuality. In developed economies, more and more people pay attention to their status and conveying a certain level of status. People in developed economies are switching from overt materialism to simplicity, quality and authenticity to express individuality.
Plastic Pollution
Over the past year and in 2019, there is more awareness in our society of the worldwide plastic problem. The problem is getting worse. Plastic is used for nearly everything. Not only for packaging food but also for a lot of other products. A big part of these plastics are dumped in our rivers and oceans which creates in the end a ’plastic soup’ in our oceans. Sea animals are passing away caused by our plastics and waste. Our global environment is getting extremely polluted because the plastics don’t disintegrate at all. There is more awareness for this problem at the moment and the awareness is getting bigger. It is getting clear that the durability of plastic is not unlimited. Consumers will not use as much plastic as in the past because they know what the consequences are for our planet. In the future, there is a big chance that people are willing to pay more money for sustainable alternatives. This has as a result that companies will have to invest in improving sustainability.
Maarten Brouwer is doing an internship at AQ Services International in Kuala Lumpur. He studies Marketing Management at the Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, The Netherlands. The choice to do an internship in Kuala Lumpur fits the personal interest in different cultures.
