Eighty is the new 60 – have you heard? As we live longer and experience a higher quality of life, retailers are taking an extra long look at what “old” really is and how to cater to a more “mature” demographic.

First off though – a little trivia. In five years there will be more people over the age of 60 than under the age of? What’s your guess?

If you guessed five you were right.

And get this – in 30 years there will be more people over 60 than under 16. Clearly we need to look to these customers to discover what their needs are. Continue reading →

You know the end of the world is coming, right? That or the Mayans died off before they could complete an infinity calendar… (How is this not plausible? They couldn’t keep going forever!)

Whatever your apocalyptic theory, you might want to get an optimism boost from your nearest 15- to 25-year-old.

Turns out, despite all the end of the world drama, today’s youth think the future looks very, very bright. InSites Consulting recently released a survey that found 67 percent of U.S. youngsters “expect 2012 to become a better year” than 2011. In fact, the report discovered that U.S. Millennials (ages 15-25)* are the most optimistic in the world. Continue reading →

Okay, so it’s confession time. I’m pretty sure the week in Vegas for GlobalShop 2012 did this to me, but in any event, confess I must. Here goes.

I have a thing for celebrities. And…reality TV.

I know, I know – it’s wrong. Why would I enjoy anything that involves celebrities (who aren’t even real people for god’s sake!) and “reality” television, which is now so scripted it’s ludicrous to even call it “reality.”

Well, before you come at me with your judgment – I have plenty of my own – hear me out.

It involves retail this time.

Interested? I thought so. Continue reading →

In this morning’s GlobalShop session, The Slower you Move, The Faster You Die (taken as a quote from George Clooney in the movie Up in the Air): What the Acceleration of Just About Everything Means for Retail and Shopping, Dr. David Bosshart captivated us with his detailed analysis about what it means to be in retail in 2012. And he was able to make the presentation riveting, despite it being 8:30am.

Bosshart shared so much amazing content it was hard for this blogger to keep up (and 6 pages of notes later, I still wanted more!). Here are just some of Bosshart’s startling and inspiring revelations:

• People in big cities move 10-30 percent faster than they did 10 years ago.

Continue reading →

Remember psychology class during college? I do. It broke my brain. I couldn’t believe all of the incredible statistical data that pointed to the fact that we tend to be followers more than leaders, and are heavily influenced by advertising and what our neighbors are up to.

Well folks, it’s back to psychology class.

Truaxis just released an infographic (courtesy of Killer Infographics – and I have to say – it is pretty killer!) that breaks down a plethora of data on consumer spending.

Apparently, the top reason we buy online is linked to how many other people made the same purchase. Continue reading →