Personalization

Trend - As more people exercise at home, brands are releasing apps and fitness systems that are based in smart technology. These systems assess everything from an individual's health to their workouts, and guide them through personalized workouts that adjust based on needs, form and changing goals.

Insight - Fitness-conscious consumers are often willing to invest in their health, with a focus on customizing their routines to align with their personal goals. Smart technology is particularly helpful in this realm, as it makes tracking progress by various metrics much simpler for people who are passionate about their health.

Trend - Smart-planning apps for travelers are becoming more popular, particularly as pandemic-prompted travel restrictions have lifted. Now, consumers are able to create customized itineraries with the help of AI-based apps that give users a better idea of local offerings and geographies.

Insight - The use of smart technology to streamline aspects of consumers' lives has resulted in people being able to organize their time more effectively, and in a way that's personalized to their exact interests. The convenience that predictive technology offers consumers is a major draw, resulting in everything from daily rituals to infrequent events like travel being made easier with the help of AI.

Trend - New apps are making it easier for urban travelers to take advantage of multiple modes of transportation in a single trip. These platforms consolidate both public and private transit offerings, as well as payment and ticketing systems to create a convenient and unified solution for navigating a city.

Insight - Travelers are searching for ways to make their trips cheaper and more efficient while also reducing their carbon footprint. As a result, they are planning routes that blend various transportation methods. However, these consumers have grown tired of switching between apps, remembering ticketing systems, and carrying physical fares. In response, a variety of platforms have consolidated these elements, enabling users to seamlessly hop from train to bus to cab to rideshare e-bike and more.

Trend - Retail hubs like hotels, offices and malls are increasingly featuring unstaffed stores in order to speed up consumers' shopping times. These stores allow for smart detection and automatic charges for products that consumers purchase.

Insight - Consumers who prioritize convenience when shopping expect that brands make the entire purchase journey simpler for them. With smart technology now making automated payments and in-store info more accessible, consumers who prefer in-and-out shopping journeys are increasingly being catered to.

Trend - People with disabilities are increasingly being catered to in the intimates space, with brands designing bras, underwear, and shapewear that ensures people with mobility issues are able to independently put on these items, while ensuring a comfortable fit.

Insight - Accessibility in all aspects of life is important for the wellbeing of people with disabilities, and the current reality is that most industries and services remain inaccessible for these communities. This is shifting as people with disabilities and their allies increasingly voice their needs and work towards inclusion for themselves and others. Some brands are now taking in these calls for inclusion in order to appeal to a wider range of demographics.

Trend - Whether in-person or done at home, meditation is being enhanced by brands that are using mixed reality to create multisensory--yet still soothing--experiences for customers. These modern forms of meditation are achieved through apps, VR and even online gaming.

Insight - The popularity of the wellness industry in North America comes from the blending of long-practiced traditions and rituals, combined with contemporary technologies and innovations. Consumers are turning to wellness practices that are often influenced by Eastern traditions, and appreciate brands that are able to fit those practices into their lifestyles.

Trend - The "wellness" industry, which encompasses innovative self-care practices that prioritize mental and physical health, is now offering products and services that are specifically designed for people with disabilities. This shift includes everything from intimacy toys to VR-based fitness programs that are designed for individuals who deal with accessibility issues.

Insight - In recent years, consumers in North America have become more vocal about inclusion and how important it is to cater products, services, and marketing to people in a way that prioritizes underserved consumers. In particular, many people with disabilities face accessibility concerns in their everyday routines, and activists and allies in this space are increasingly pushing for adequate represention for both personal needs and luxuries.

Trend - As brands in a range of industries become more accessible, self-care products are accommodating people with visual impairments by using braille alongside printed labels. These inclusive products help people with blindness purchase and use these products without assistance.

Insight - Inclusion has become an important priority for North American consumers, particularly as diverse and socially educated Gen Z and Millennials drive consumer trends. Younger demographics are more likely to seek out brands that align with their values--which increasingly include diversity, accessibility, and sustainability.

Trend - In an oversaturated market, water bottle brands are trying to stand out by offering bottles that are enhanced with tech. These connected bottles help consumers stay motivated to hydrate during the day, as well as track their intake over time.

Insight - Consumers who prioritize "wellness" are no longer only tracking fitness levels with smart technology, but different facets of their lives that all contribute to their mental and physical health. The use of connected tech to motivate and track performance in a range of areas helps consumers stay committed to their personal goals.

Trend - Traditionally, pregancy care products have been more about ensuring the health of the growing infant rather than the expecting mother. Now, more brands are focusing on the wellbeing of those who are set to give birth with products that help alleviate the pain and strain that pregnancy can have on the body.

Insight - Historically, women's health and experience with issues like pain have not been treated or even studied enough in industries related to health and medicine. This is changing as more women demand that their health and wellbeing becomes a more mainstream focus--and brands are now adapting to this push.