Get ready for ungrowth, a powerful reality forged by rising scarcity and sustainability of resources.
Ungrowth recognizes we cannot have everything, limitlessly, all the time forever. As a virtue, the ungrowth influence will only intensify, especially in consumer goods.
Discernable product quality in the right size and providing the right function are critical elements of progressive and sustainable marketing successes.
Ramifications and implications of ungrowth will affect all we do as individuals and in business.
In home furnishings, the public's emerging ungrowth state of mind will sharpen their focus. That means they are less susceptible and vulnerable to the typical onslaught of variations of false and misleading marketing.
The need for greater leadership and professionalism across all industry segments cannot be emphasized enough.
Ungrowth underscores a buy once, buy right mentality of personal conservatism. Across the socio-economic spectrum , people will be investing wisely in what they purchase for a new and sustaiable standard of living.
In home furnishings, it means greater infrequency of purchases, especially in casegoods, with multifunction as the bonus. For upholstery, the ability to reupholster will be an important factor.
Interior designing will give way to individualized home dressing, and that will elevate decorative accessories. They will be in sharper focus and a more frequent purchase as economical cosmetics for home sparkle.
The growth of ungrowth as an economic force has always existed. Its reality heightened with our painful, acute awareness of the implications of our current economic travail, which may be, thankfully, a needed life-saving attitude adjustment.
Smart merchandisers will benefit from the precious wisdom of sensibly appealing to hearty 1930s Depression Era virtues of intelligent frugality and the need to identify real value from bona fide quality, value and function.
Ungrowth's smart parsimony emphasizes: Buy the best you can and keep it as long as you can.
The marketing message will be critical. That is the reason telling and retelling the story of quality will resonate and drown the hollow buoyancy of cheaply made furniture that only looks good and will need replacing.
The Greening of the Consumer means a total rejection of built-in obsolesence.
The marketplace response to flashy price-driven marketing will be consistent with the current societal transformation recognizing real value: Been there, done that. Been screwed before. No more. Go away. You are not interested in my values.
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