Generations

Tracking the key characteristics and values of generational demographics as each cohort evolves.

Download: Generations Now and Next

From Baby Boomers and Gen X to Millennials, Gen Z and Gen Alpha, uncover what unites and divides consumers across generations

Macro Trends

Boomers: Ageing to Becoming

By 2030 they will all have reached the average Western retirement age of 65, supercharging a wider re-assessment of later life purpose along the way

Macro Trends

Gen X: Ambiguity to Advocacy

Having long lived in the shadow of Baby Boomers and Millennials, Gen X are racing against time to make their influence felt

Macro Trends

Millennials: Pink to Prime

After a stuttering start to their adult lives, the first generation to use the internet as children are hitting their prime earning years

Macro Trends

Alphas: Sandbox to Roblox

Many of the technologies, careers and crises that will define and shape the lives of Gen Alpha are yet to exist

Markets

Shopping malls: Changing formats

Global – As consumers question the need to visit shopping centres in favour of buying online, mall developers are engaging visitors in new communit...

Micro Trends

Intergalactic beauty

On the catwalks, intergalactic references began with Alexander McQueen’s Avatar-èsque Plato’s Atlantis spring/summer 2010 collection, Christopher K...

Space : Re-enlightenment : Galactic

Markets

Phy-gital retail technology: Social Interaction

Retailers are using social media and interactive elements in their stores to entertain, entice and inspire customers. LS:N Global explores some of ...

Facebook : Taste-graph Commerce : Mobile

Design Directions

Milan 2013: Part 2

Designers at this year’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile experimented with integrating novel functions into intelligently crafted products. LS:N G...

Furniture : Lighting : Science

Big Ideas

Mobile media trump tv and computers for Millennials

Advertising : Global Mobile Media Consumption : Phones

Markets

Myanmar market report

After five decades of virtual isolation under the ruling military dictatorship, the opening up of Myanmar has led to a flood of interest from forei...

Myanmar : UN : United Nations

Big Ideas

US luxury baby products market returns to growth

US – The US luxury market for baby and toddler products is growing as the number of first babies born to affluent older mothers rises and the econo...

Baby : Toddler : Mothers

Micro Trends

On the app-walk

Fashion has found a new home. Rather than unveil their latest collections during glittering catwalk shows, fashion brands are increasingly heading ...

Vine : Tumblr : Fashion Show

Design Directions

Passport to Sparkle

Finding customers is one thing, but keeping them is another. At present, Millennials – those born between 1982 and 1991 who have an estimated spend...

Tactile : RO New York : Passport To Sparkle

Big Ideas

Fujitsu creates next-generation interface prototype

Fujitsu : Interface : Mapping Technology

Design Directions

Milan 2013: Part 1

Colour and vibrancy were prevalent at this year’s Milan’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile. Scientific processes as well as rough and ready product...

Furniture : Synthetic : Sublime Materiality

Big Ideas

Build-a-Bear launches interactive retail concept

St Louis, Missouri – US children’s toy retailer Build-A-Bear Workshop has redesigned six of its stores with new interactive digital experiences aim...

Build-A-Bear : Interactive : Toys

Markets

Re-commerce fashion sites to rival eBay in 2013

UK, US – Over nearly 20 years, eBay has been at the forefront of the re-commerce market as consumers discovered that re-selling their possessions h...

EBay : Covetique : Asos

Micro Trends

Layaway Luxury

Fashion rental, installment plans, second-hand luxury stores. These quaint shopping concepts, consigned to the bin in the 90s as bold-faced luxury ...

Fashion Rental : Installemnt Plans : Second-hand

Micro Trends

Feminist luxury

Luxury brands are tailoring their products and services, not only to meet the needs of today’s affluent female consumers, but also to promote femal...

Female : Women : Empowerment

Design Directions

Galactica

The resurgence of curiosity about the substance of space and the solar system, as explored in our Re-enlightenment Rising macrotrend, is crossing i...

Gastronomy : Food Deisgn : Space

Markets

Multi-faceted networks

Social networking has become increasingly central to how consumers interact, function and shop. Sina Weibo and Twitter already have 500m users each...

Social Media : Social Networks : Instagram

Markets

How to: Showroom

UK, US – Retailers are realising that showrooming is not the enemy. Bargain-driven consumers are increasingly researching purchases in-store before...

Showrooming : Bricks-and-mortar : MasterCard

Big Ideas

Ecommerce site sets new manhood agenda

Sussex, UK – Fatherhood blog Not a Bad Dad, the self-styled ‘antidote to the multitude of saccharine parent-focused sites around the world’, has la...

Not A Bad Dad : Blog : Father

Markets

Macau Luxury

Less than 10 years after the first foreign casino opened its doors in Macau, the sleepy former Portuguese colony has transformed itself into the wo...

HSBC : Macau : China