April 6th, 2011
What’s new these days in business? Let’s take a look at the current trends.
Giving Back
Many businesses are jumping on the altruistic bandwagon, donating a portion of profits (or a portion of sales of certain products) to charitable causes. In addition to receiving a tax break, it is believed that consumers feel good knowing part of their purchase is going to a worthy cause.
Going Green
What was once a forward-thinking initiative is rapidly becoming a necessary step in social responsibility. More and more businesses are finding ways to run cleaner, greener operations, as well as cutting back on excess packaging and finding less impactful, less wasteful materials for packaging and shipping. Admit it, wasn’t it a brilliant idea to trade styrofoam peanuts for those little air-filled baggies?
Being Sneaky
Not all new trends are altruistic – in fact, some are downright sneaky. Perhaps the most widespread example of this is the new trend towards “downsized packaging.” No, not the eco-friendly efforts to reduce waste in product packaging, but rather, the shaving off of ounces or grams of product, without any change in price.
Ice cream may be the most recognizable example of this new trend. You may or may not have noticed that your favorite brand of ice cream is no longer available in a gallon size – the package may look the same as always, but now, it’s likely only three quarts that you’re buying (at the same old price, to boot!) Similarly, many half-gallon sized ice cream containers now only contain one and a half pints (but with price tags you’re accustomed to paying for a half gallon). Blue Bell ice cream is one exception to this new trend, and on the package itself it says “still a full gallon!”
Of course, ice cream is not the only product taking a cut – just check out sizing on staple products you buy all the time: cereal, deodorant, sodas, orange juice, and more. Savvy consumers are getting wise to these sneaky practices and we can expect buying habits to change accordingly.
The Next Trend
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