Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

According to recent Mintel research, a quarter (25%) of men who have purchased new clothing in the last year would dress more stylishly—if they knew how. In reality, 85% of men who’ve been shopping recently said they dress primarily for comfort. However, 37% of recent male clothes-shoppers say they are interested in clothes and fashion.

While consumers will continue to define value based on price, other key trends — including new product development, technology, store layouts and shopping patterns — will drive the market in 2012, according to new research by SymphonyIRI. More than half of shoppers still choose their store based on lowest prices, and 75% noted that price weighs heavily in brand decisions. However, SymphonyIRI anticipates that some shoppers will start to open their wallets more if positive economic reports continue.

Online buying in 2012 has expanded far beyond early-adopter favorites like books, music and video; apparel and accessories category is now climbing faster than any other ecommerce product segment, according to new research by eMarketer. eMarketer expects U.S. retail ecommerce sales to reach $224.2 billion in 2012. The apparel and accessories category are predicted to lead ecommerce sales growth throughout the forecast period.

The tablet market is poised to accommodate new form factors and accessory options that will bring these devices closer to the capabilities of notebooks, according to a new report from The NPD Group. As tablets expand from content consumption to content creation, consumers are seeking a broader array of input options and screen sizes. Among consumers who are looking to purchase a new tablet, screen size and keyboards are important characteristics for these future purchases.

According to recent Mintel research, a quarter (25%) of men who have purchased new clothing in the last year would dress more stylishly—if they knew how. In reality, 85% of men who’ve been shopping recently said they dress primarily for comfort. However, 37% of recent male clothes-shoppers say they are interested in clothes and fashion.

eReaders are growing in popularity, as almost three in ten U.S. adults (28%) are using an electronic reader device to read books, according to a new Harris Poll. Almost three-quarters of eReader users are reading 6 or more books in an average year. Looking ahead, 13% of Americans say they are likely to purchase an eReader in the next six months.