Women's business future
Martin Raymond
Martin Raymond, 47, is co-founder of The Future Laboratory, a trend prediction agency boasting high-profile clients, including Chanel, Gucci, Gap, Louis Vuitton and Tesco.
The next big social trend is “womenomics”. Many businesses are currently male-driven, but research shows companies with female directors, or high numbers of female staff, are performing better than male-dominated firms. It’s about decision making. Women combine logical thinking with creative, emotionally driven thought to multitask and democratically reach decisions.
By 2020, 53 per cent of millionaires will be women, impacting hugely on luxury services. It’s already happening with the expansion of premium home-delivery services for fashion and food.
People will expect a personalised service at every level. Aisle maître d’s and shop assistants to guide consumers will become an in-store service. Silver-tongued sales patter will not wash. Instead, brands that treat us like people, such as innocent smoothies and Green & Black’s, will thrive.
Home-dulgence means the home is a hub of activity and entertainment, not just a relaxing retreat. The 90s were all bling, red carpets, and superclubs, but now we’re focusing on interesting interiors, playing on our laptops and staying in with friends.
I believe much good will come out of the recession. Home-dulgence is driven partly by the economic crisis, but it’s also a reaction to this feeling we’ve overdone it. With this sobriety will come a renewed sense of morality, as we return to essential values, taking more responsibility over the way we run our lives and make decisions.
We can expect a rise in creativity as people push the boundaries in the same way the recession in the early 90s prompted the emergence of Brit Art. When we come out the other side, it won’t be “business as usual” but “business as unusual”.
