By Alicia Rosa
Brand Central Insights
From a trends perspective, 2020 was a rollercoaster in a lot of ways. It created a consumer landscape that moved at the speed of light, rendering “unprecedented” meaningless. Many of the trends that had been steadily on the rise were accelerated by what we are calling the “Quarantine Economy,” which drove record sales in categories like DIY, crafts, and home improvement. TikTok took the world by storm, disrupting viewing habits and driving trends and global movements. The retail landscape was also upended, leading to permanent consumer shopping habits we’re still tracking. So what’s next in 2021? New trends are emerging all the time, but here are some of the trends we think you should be keeping an eye on this year.
90s Fatigue
The 90s continues to be a popular decade for nostalgic licensing, but 2000s and even 2010s nostalgia is going to become more important to Gen Z this year as 90s fatigue sets in. The Y2K aesthetic has become the new VSCO Girl and it’s already giving a boost to iconic 2000s brands and properties like Motorola, Juicy Couture, Mean Girls, and Ed Hardy. Y2K nostalgia is also driving fashion trends like low rise and oversized pants (RIP skinny jeans!), chunky loafers, and corset tops right now. Young Gen Zers are also binge-watching 2000s shows for the first time like New Girl and King of the Hill.
Livestream Shopping
Last year’s e-commerce explosion has paved the way for more shoppable content and livestream shopping in 2021. Platforms like TikTok are set to expand their shopping tools and more brands will be leveraging shoppable livestreams as a way to connect with Gen Z in an authentic way. This audience will be looking for experiences that seamlessly blend e-commerce and entertainment without looking too polished. Walmart dipped their toes into this trend with their shoppable livestream on TikTok.
Just Breathe
Kids wellness and mental health is going to be a major theme in kids toys and content this year, following a tough year of remote learning and limited socialization. Parents will be eager to find toys and content that introduce mental health concepts and teach kids how to cope with difficult emotions. We expect to see brands leverage self-care activities like mindfulness, breathing exercises, meditation, journaling, and manifestation for a younger audience. Headspace has been a key player in this space.
Comforting Indulgence
Junk food and comforting flavors will continue to trend in food and beverage this year. Consumers will be looking for familiar flavors like hot cocoa, cookie butter, PB&J, and s’mores in snacks and confections, as well as in products like granolas and cereals. We also expect breakfast to be a major trend in food this year, especially flavors like pancakes, bacon, and cinnamon bun.
Plant Care as Self-Care
The obsession with plants isn’t going anywhere this year as more Millennial and Gen Z consumers use “plant parenthood” as an interior design aesthetic. Plant-obsessed shoppers are starting to look for rare tropical plants in unexpected places like grocery stores and boutiques, while some are turning to faux greenery to make up for their black thumbs. Plants have become the new impulse buys, inspiring consumers to create indoor jungles and design their homes around their plants. Gardening will also see a boost again this year as people focus on creating peaceful outdoor spaces in their homes.
Body Neutrality
Body positivity has dominated pop culture conversations over the last few years, but young people are looking to pivot away from this mindset in favor of body neutrality. Where the body positivity movement aims to have people celebrate and love their bodies, body neutrality focuses on accepting the body you are in and celebrating its achievements, instead of its appearance. In 2021, this looks like having better plus size representation in e-commerce product shots or expanding inclusive sizing to go beyond XXL–this also includes jewelry and accessories!
Get in the Know
2020 was a wild ride that drove tons of trends and insights. Each month we’ll be here to bring you up to speed on the hottest trends inside and outside the licensing industry.
We Bring You Up to the Speed of Now
We’re Brand Central Insights, a custom trend intelligence service from licensing agency Brand Central. We understand that trends change so quickly it can hinder the ability to strategize and innovate, so we created a unique offering that distills the pop culture trends and market insights most important to your business so you can stay focused on the future. Unlike other syndicated trend services, Brand Central Insights only gives you trends specific to your business and core consumer, along with actionable recommendations on how to leverage these trends to drive sales and build buzz. To provide an insight into the service, each month we’ll be rounding up the hottest trends across food, fashion, home, influencers, and more to show you what we are loving right now.
Want even more trends? Contact us to learn more about Brand Central Insights and we will give you a sample report! Email alicia@brandcentralgroup.com today for more information.