london
English
Nick leads Euromonitor's home and garden research globally, delivering quality improvements to data, nurturing a growing team of industry specialists, and championing strategic thought leadership and value creation for clients across all content, meetings and trade events.
Within Nick's 26 year career so far, the last eight years have been spent educating on the drivers impacting clients across home and technology, and aiding in rebuilding client strategy amidst major business model disruptions, such as the smart home and the pandemic. Nick previously worked for 18 years on the client side, in companies like Samsung, Electrolux Group, Dixons Retail, JCB and IBM, learning how to evaluate, nurture, lead, rebuild and optimise product development, category management, brand, and sales processes across different product categories.
Long-term megatrends such as sustainability and wellness were predictably visible at the Inspired Home Show, with rising messaging for durability, recyclability and energy saving. Of more immediate interest were three lifestyle trends directly impacting growth opportunities and product choices in 2024.
With US demand softening and domestic production inflation still a factor, the 2023-2024 bankruptcies and layoffs in the furniture sector are warning flags that geographic exposure to cost is strategically existential. Attention here is once again focusing on production locations, in the face of some harsh numbers.
Consumer tolerance for knowing we are trading down to receive low quality as well as low prices has collapsed, with frugal shoppers falling out of love with disposable consumption, rewarding longer lasting and more durable products. Investments in materials, coatings and treatments that increase the service life are visible in food storage, cutlery and glassware. This comes at a time when inflated dishwasher usage due to hybrid work patterns is visibly harming failure rates for homewares.