Trends Driving Women's Purchasing Decisions In 2016

Do you find yourself suffering from trend fatigue at this time of year? The sheer number of new trends being reported, reviewed and predicted is overwhelming. Clearly, no one can or should develop strategies around all the trends we’re exposed to on a daily basis. As we fall down the rabbit hole reading year-end wrap-ups and predictions for 2016, how do we know which trends are meaningful and which aren’t? There’s the rub.

For anyone engaged in marketing to women, it can be more effective to look at the biggest picture of all – the broad demographic changes reflecting the way women are living and working in our specific moment in history. Demographic changes open up new opportunities. In the case of women, there are three important global demographic shifts impacting the way they make purchasing decisions. Factor these into your strategies and plans for the coming year.

Trend #1: More women in the workforce will continue to change everything.

Women’s share of the labor force has increased in almost all regions of the world. You already know there are millions of women earning an income. What’s less known is how the simple fact of taking a job outside the home can change every aspect of a women’s reality — from her daily traffic patterns, food consumption and wardrobe choices to how she spends her time and money. It also has a domino effect on everyone who lives in her household. For marketers, it can also mean an attitude shift toward your product or service. For example, is it now viewed as a need-to-have or want-to-have? How are busy women defining what great service looks like in 2016? How are they defining convenience, and what trade-offs are they willing to make to get it? And finally, against which new competitors are you being judged?

To read the full article on Forbes, click here.