The most recent issue of
Canadian House & Home arrived on my desk today. Its cover story is the "Top 10 Trends of '08." These are: Forest, Jewel Box, Casino, Granny Chic, Modern Baby, Fair Trade, Neo Classical Now, Root Vegetable, Global Textiles, and Hot & Cold. As I leafed through the pages, I got to wondering how much trends matter. There's no doubt that people love articles on trends. And magazines--
Gifts and Tablewares included--love to do stories on trends. They're entertaining and they lend themselves to great graphics. But, how much to they really influence the buying decisions of suppliers, retailers and consumers?
I have to be honest, trends don't really influence my buying decisions. I buy things I like. It doesn't really matter to me whether they are "in." But, if I were buying for a store, would color and design trends influence what I bought at shows? What do you think? How much do they matter to you?
One last note: I was delighted to see a special section of yesterday's edition of
The Toronto Star devoted to gifts offered by independent retailers. The "Last Minute Gift Guide" looked at independents in Toronto, Pickering, Belfountain, Oakville, Port Credit, Streetsville, and other communities in the GTA and southern Ontario. It was great.
This is my last post for 2007. I'll be back in the blogosphere on January 7th, 2008. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for a Healthy, Joyful, Successful New Year!