Regional Gift Conventions

I recently attended the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) as an exhibitor and was able to observe some intriguing product trends, despite the overall sentiment of caution and uneasiness resulting from our current economic climate.

Here are a few such highlights:

1. Carrying "green" products are a growing concern among retailers. Several retailers inquired about production materials, and many vendors were carrying recycled paper products or other forms of reused material in production (as we showed on Trend Hunter TV in December).

2. There was an inordinate number of people sporting argyle sweaters in attendance. This trend appears to be very widespread, as it was not limited to any particular demographic.

3. The Toy Industry Association’s (TIA) new safety regulations requiring costly product testing will reduce the number of new toys and games, as potential new products will be much more expensive to manufacture.

4. Obamamania is alive and well, with several new toys, puzzles and other memorabilia on display. This was evident outside the trade show as well, especially in retail stores and sidewalk vendors.

5. There seems to be a trend towards vintage celebrity products rather than current pop culture icons. Other than Obama, the most featured characters seemed to be celebrities of past eras such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles and Bob Marley.

6. With the competitive nature of online business, some new netpreneurs have found their niche in selling gift baskets rather than individual products. These baskets are catered specifically towards different markets, in order to provide a greater customized gift.

7. Several items, most notably in the household furnishings section of the NYIGF have been already covered in Trend Hunter articles.