Ever heard of retail therapy? Did you know that only a third of purchase decisions are made ahead of time, outside the store? Since a key report by Knutson uncovered the basic neurology of impulsive purchases, recent studies continue to affirm alternating activation of pleasure and pain centers.Companies need to understand those strategies that lead to unplanned, or impulse purchases. This is especially important in a time of diminishing disposable income.The Impulse BuyImpulse buys satisfy the desire of the moment – often at a higher cost than the price tag. With today’s social climate of transparent information, consumers increasingly hold companies accountable for pollution, excessive packaging, and unethical employment practices. The question is – are we seeing a new breed of impulse products? And are they being influenced significantly by macro consumer trends? The answer is, inevitably, yes, at least for developed markets. Brand manufacturers need to develop strategies that increase market share over the short to medium term.The New ConsumerAs the sustainability meme spreads, more and more consumers aspire to be “green.” A pivotal study, “The Green Revolution” discovered “light” and “dark” green consumers. Dark greens– who insist on sustainability and gladly pay a premium—compose a mere 9% of shoppers. However, 89% identified as shades of “light green,” leaning towards green products while realistically balancing considerations like effectiveness, safety, and price. BBMG, took the concept to heart: they have released annual reports on the evolution of “light green” consumption for three years. Their 2011 report predicts a tipping point in green consumption, where the influence of light greens will finally scale true sustainability to mainstream consumption. The increasingly-knowledgeable light green consumers weigh many factors whilst purchasing, so their pain response could be tripped by a number of Although light greens do not research products, they remain fiercely loyal once they have found an effective sustainable product.considerations. Because environmental awareness has been on the social radar for a while, consumers face green fatigue and even toss around the phrase “green-washing.” Although light greens do not research products, they remain fiercely loyal once they have found an effective sustainable product. Socially connected, this group spreads the word of mouth to their friends via connected social media on mobile devices.Disdainful of advertising, this group trusts friend recommendations more than company claims, especially within Gen Y who as a core impulse purchasing demographic group crave realism and rely on peer advice.Impulse Without RegretOver 60% of all “green” product purchases are made on impulse, often out of simple curiosity.Over 60% of all “green” product purchases are made on impulse, often out of simple curiosity.In fact, 84% of light greens admit their first eco-conscious product was an impulse purchase brought on by curiosity and an impulse urge. And the environment is only one facet of sustainability – everything from workforce employment, to packaging, ingredients source and waste disposal is subject to scrutiny. Companies can use in-store contact points including, POS displays, or RRP to stimulate light green consumers’ curiosity, and even charge a higher price for products successfully positioned as sustainable.When Clorox first introduced their Green Works cleaning products, consumers gladly paid a 25% markup over conventional products. Even wading into the crowded Wal-Mart shelves, and even with the Recession forcing prices lower, the company’s market share continued to climb through this year to nearly 50%.Consumers get around green-washing by searching for signs of authenticity, like third-party certification of social and environmental benefits. This may be why 75% of consumers say a Fair Trade Label makes them feel positive about a purchase, and 30% say it increases purchase interest. (Harvard Research, 2011) The most important signal of sustainability in almost every single product category is packaging. It makes sense – not many will buy an item designed to help the environment if it comes wrapped in polluting layers.Sitting PrettyPackaging influences purchase even more than store atmosphere. People first notice color, then shape, and finally labels and logos. A sustainable product should hit those three notes. Color can be used as a cue. Consumers most likely associate green with sustainability, but too much green is perceived as green-washing. A distinct shape, like Method’s home and personal care products, can be made with earth-friendly materials to strike an authentic harmony. Finally, third-party certifications can be used to position the product as a holistically sustainable alternative.The Green Works product line features iconic natural images of flowers, accented with the sustainability cue, green. The traditional spray bottle prevents confusion about the product’s purpose. Finally, the Clorox logo adds credibility and trust – especially when combined with the Design for the Environment Certification.Taking it to the TribeThere are three key appeals to the new consumers: practicality, sustainability, and community. Light green consumers trust each other, and brands that enable communication between advocates will amplify this tendency. Clorox’s “Green Works” line includes a portal where consumers can post and discuss ideas for natural cleaning products. Beyond the web, emerging technologies let light green consumers explore and share sustainable products, or even punish unsustainable companies, anywhere. And as more and more people tune in to light green and sustainable consumption, companies will benefit or suffer in proportion to their efforts to court the new consumers. Companies that do not address light greens’ concerns will face social networks and media savvy. Just look at PETA’s sabotaging of Volkswagon’s Twitter campaign for signs of things to come.The New DesirePost-recession, consumers continue to demand fewer items of higher quality. From event give-aways to private-label groceries, less is more. A single item that will last twice as long can command a premium price. Using packaging to catch attention, including authenticity cues to overcome green fatigue, companies can seal the deal with a quality product. The combination will trigger an impulse buy, and create a foundation for customer loyalty rather than regret. The right positioning can overcome the pain response, giving consumers the joy of buying without the guilt.

Simple and friendly - Help Remedies Consumers increasingly desire products that are friendly, using everyday language, while having a ‘personality’ that consumers can relate with, such as a sense of humor.Launched two years ago, Help Remedies’ recently refreshed packaging stands them apart in the drug aisle. The packaging talks to the regular consumer, using simple and friendly language, instead of complicated scientific terms and unrelated brand names. The packaging removes confusion, making shopping and usage simpler.Speed scratch - ScratchAs consumer awareness around the unhealthy content of prepared foods increases, we have witnessed a growth in healthier, simpler and more natural foods. But with consumers struggling to balance their desire for healthier foods with busier lifestyles we have witnessed the growth of the trend known as ‘speed scratch’.Scratch offers a fresh and healthy meal in a box – each pack containing raw ingredients that have already been chopped, washed and weighed by hand. As we seek to live healthier lives and gain more time back, we can expect to see more convenient food solutions like Scratch.Digital and real - BlipparOver the last few years we have observed the merger of the digital and real worlds with Facebook and Twitter addresses predominately positioned on packs, along with QR codes.However, the popularity of QR codes will potentially be short-lived with the growth of Augmented Reality. This year saw the introduction of Blippar – an app for smart phones that gives instant access to information or entertainment by simply holding the phone in front of the pack. A number of brands, including Cadbury, Marmite and Heinz have taken advantage, keeping their packs the same, while adding the interactivity via the app for the youth or tech savvy among us.Simplicity - StarbucksAt the beginning of this year Starbucks unveiled a new logo – removing the words ‘Starbucks’ and ‘coffee’. This has allowed them to be more flexible and diversify beyond their core product into other foodstuffs such as ice-cream and wine. This change has also made them into a more global brand, free from English, able to move into other geographies without worrying about translation. Just as significantly, it provides an iconic image, like Apple, McDonalds and Nike that performs well across multiple platforms, especially so in the digital space where simplicity is king.Sustainability - GreenbottleSustainability has been high on the agenda for a number of years for the CPG industry, as they look to overcome the problems they partly create at the centre of our throw-away society. Much of the intention has been placed on plastic, with the UK alone using 15 million plastic bottles each day.In the past few years lightweighting has been the big push within packaging innovation, but this year we saw a shift to new materials, with Coke and Pepsi bringing bottles made of plant extract to the market. Greenbottle (a sustainable packaging manufacturer) has developed an alternative to plastic - papier-mâché that can decompose in just five weeks versus 500 years for plastic.Convenience - Heinz Squeeze & StirConsumers increasingly want products that meet their exacting needs. For food brands this is through unique flavors, brands, and pack formats.Earlier this year Heinz brought out Squeeze & Stir ‘cup-a-soups’ that are made from paste rather than a powder, moving Heinz into new eating occasions, while disrupting the market. The packaging format is also a more sustainable option, with less water transported and less material used in the packaging.

Tending to the laundry can often be time consuming and frustrating, particularly when dealing with a variety of fabrics or taking on the duty for the whole family. In addition the process is energy intensive. Laundry brands are working hard to deliver new innovations that makes a joyless chore easier and more efficient.Increased efficacyFollowing the market successes of ‘cold wash’ solutions by Persil and Tide / Ariel, earlier this year Persil updated the formula for their Small & Mighty product, giving high quality results with just 30 minute washing cycles, while also at a low temperature. This gives consumers precious time to help them get to the bottom of the laundry pile, while also having the added bonus of saving them energy costs. In addition, the shorter wash cycles will significantly decrease the environmental footprint of washing your clothes. With the average family washing five times per week, this will save over ten days of time each year and even with the most efficient washing machines over 10,000 liters of water a year, saving enough water for the whole family to drink for three years (Channel 4). Key innovations focus on reducing both the time and money spent on laundry.While laundry detergent brands have been developing new solutions to make washing easier and more efficient, so too have appliance manufacturers. Gorenje recently presented the WashEXPERT concept which incorporates a touch screen control panel, which allows consumers to just select the images that closest match the laundry, making the process more intuitive. The consumer also has the option of putting it onto a MYwash cycle, which stores all your favorite programs, tailored to your individual needs and habits.Making the process even easier, Bosch’s i-DOS system autonomously analyzes your laundry and calculates the perfect amount of liquid detergent to dispense from an integrated tank, taking into account the type of textile, the degree of soiling, the exact load weight, and the degree of water hardness. This eliminates under and over-dosing with the potential savings of up to 7,062 liters of water per year and several liters of liquid detergent, while simultaneously making washing easier for consumers who tend to find the multiple settings and functions on a machine too complicated.Increased clothing careLooking to be kinder on the environment and your clothes, Samsung’s EcoBubble machines use 70% less energy then standard machines – ‘letting bubbles do the rest’. The machine mixes air with water and detergent to generate bubbles that penetrate the clothes rapidly – up to 40 times faster than a high concentration liquid, while using only 30% the energy of a normal wash cycle. Furthermore, the bubbles mean that less mechanical action is required, and therefore resulting in less wear and tear on clothes.Meanwhile, Philips has developed an innovative iron that also helps to care for your clothes. It has no dials or settings as it can be used on any fabric, on the same setting and its cool base won’t burn material, even if you leave it sitting on the fabric for five minutes. This gives consumers reassurance that their garments will be safe from damage. This also means that they will save time, as there is no need to pre-sort clothes or to change temperature settings, with the ability to go from linen to silk to cotton to cashmere without waiting.Beyond washingIn the future, however, cleaning our clothes may be much simpler. In September, Adrian Mankovecký, student at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava, Slovakia, was awarded first place in the 2011 Electrolux Design Lab competition. His design concept is an instant laundry device that refreshes clothing and removes stains where and whenever you need to.Powered with a sugar crystal battery, the portable device has two components, which the consumer separates and places either side of the garment. Negative ions and steam refresh the clothing, removing stains.There are multiple lucrative opportunities to develop solutions in the clothing and clothing care industry that make our lives betterAnd it may get even simpler with the development of new textiles that self-clean that would make the whole laundry industry redundant. In a time-starved world, people have less time or want to clean, whilst paradoxically their increasingly active lives are resulting in dirtier clothing. Coupled with an increasing lack of resources there are multiple lucrative opportunities to develop solutions in the clothing and clothing care industry that make our lives better.

BabyNes by Nestlé SA received a negative press backlash on its launch in Switzerland in May.

Connectivity is no longer sci-fi or a utopian dream but is on our doorsteps, in our pockets, and even in the fibers of our clothing.

Today’s consumers may not be spending as much on restaurant dining, but they are prepared to pay a premium in order to treat themselves, their friends or their family at home.

Even with the rise in popularity of the internet, televisions still have a central role in our lives, and in fact we are watching more TV than at any time in the last five years. But how people are viewing TV is rapidly changing.

It might be the smallest room in the house, but the bathroom is also one of the most important spaces in your home.

As sustainability becomes an increasing issue for consumers, companies are finding more ways and more places to introduce sustainable products and systems. The bathroom is home to much of a person’s resource usage from water to beauty and grooming products, and is therefore finding itself in the midst of a sustainable makeover. 

The finalists of this year’s Electrolux Design Lab were unveiled earlier this year at the UK’s leading department store John Lewis. The concepts explored what life may be like in 2050.

Sustainability issues are increasingly impacting our lives, with a number of new solutions to help us live more eco-friendly lives. Most notably we are witnessing changes in the kitchen where a few small changes can make a significant impact, as it is one of the biggest energy-consuming living spaces of the home.  

The Triflow tap allows consumers to pour three types of water – hot, cold, and filtered, ensuring that filtered water isn’t wasted for tasks like washing up, whilst also helping tempt consumers away from bottled water.   

illy have developed a new espresso machine designed specifically for the Y generation, meeting their needs for speed with a one-touch system that makes a drink in seconds with no clean-up required, giving them the instant gratification they desire.  

The kitchen can be a veritable hotbed of technology. From the first labor-saving appliances, such as the washing machine, to more recent interactive devices, such as fridges that contact you when you’re running out of milk, we are always looking for ways to make day-to-day life more efficient.  

As the kitchen becomes a more desirable and used space, more and more stylish and premium kitchen goods are coming to the market.   

Living trends in the US show more people are living together in one household, but this does not mean they are eating together. The rise, spurred on by the recession, is made up of multi-generational households and friends living together. Whether consumers are eating together or separate, they still want quick and healthy meals.  

The technology of toast making has hardly changed in the last hundred years – the Magimix toaster could soon change that.

Beautiful, elegant, and intelligent this eye-catching kettle has digital controls so that you can heat the water to any desired temperature between 45oC and 100oC – making a consistent and perfect cup of tea for any family member’s tastes. It also has a timer so that it can be programmed to boil water in time for breakfast. The display on the handle allows you to accurately measure the volume of water inside, and even watch the temperature rise as it boils.

A few fun facts to keep you thinking through this holiday season.

We explore the rapidly changing world of laundry - how it is becoming more effortless and sustainable through innovations in appliances, chemistry, and textiles. In the future will our clothes need to be cleaned at all?

This video presents an overview of our relationship with food and drink packaging, the waste it leads to, and what the big brands are doing about it.

The final issue in our Home Series explores our evolving viewing habits, and our continued addiction to the television.

Video looking at our wastefulness of food and how new designs are helping us save the environment.

Did you know that the kitchen is one of the biggest users of energy in our lives?