The first trend is Fluid Lives. As the pace of life continues to accelerate, work and leisure time are blurring and people constantly struggle to meet the demands of the many roles and activities in their daily lives. Economic anxieties have now been added to the challenges of a complex world and busy day. People are increasingly looking for ways to simplify their lives; in today’s world it can be a way to get back in control and free head space for other issues. Consequently, the desire for convenience and simplicity remain, but, solutions are limited by the money people have in their pockets. A need to perform to our best, especially in the workplace, remains. People are looking to show they can survive under the pressure. Taking time for ourselves has become a necessary strategy to keep a sense of balance in life; down time needs to be planned if only for a small moment in the day.

Consumers now take an average of just 13 minutes to prepare a meal at home, a significant difference from the 1983 average of an hour. Time out to re-charging energy levels is increasingly important - a recent study concluded that day time naps produce significant advantages to brain concentration. A short afternoon catnap of 20 minutes will be enough to boost alertness, mood and motor skills.

Convenience is no longer king, were money can be saved people will find a practical solution. According to the Italian farmers’ union Coldiretti, sales of dough to make bread and pizza bases at home are soaring in Italy, as people try to cut down expenses on eating out and convenience foods. Frozen meals gained a 6% value growth in the UK in 2008, as consumers look for cheaper alternatives that allow them to maintain convenience.

Beyond the recession, the desire for greater convenience will re-emerge as more prosperous times return. However, people will have a better sense of what they can do for themselves quickly and cost effectively. A new form of convenience may emerge were people will be prepared to do some of the work themselves. Consumers will want high quality produce available when they need it, and to be able to access it with a minimum amount of effort. Existing technology will play a greater role in saving time: highlighting when temporary stores are in place such as the farmers market; and notifying people when fresh produce is available.

Consumer Trend: “I need to balance the stresses in my everyday life with experiences that are fun and fulfilling”

As people lead ever busier and stressful lives, they increasingly look for solutions that provide an antidote to the pressures of modern living. Free time continues to be a precious commodity that needs to be used wisely. As the financial crisis continues, people are seeking strategies that change the focus of life back to them, and help them to feel better about the world, reigniting their positive outlook on life.

Whilst people are still seeking to enrich their lives with experiences that excite, push the boundaries and stimulate their senses, the tone has shifted more toward the need for respite, distraction and a little fun in life. Experiences are still highly valued, but, must easily fit into daily life and crucially; be low cost. There is less money for conspicuous consumption. Remy-Cointreau has reported a 7.5% fall in turnover in the second quarter of 2009, reflecting the fall in global champagne sales which have dipped by nearly €10m.

But people still need a way to release pressure and bring some fun back into life. Flash Mobs have become a free and fun way to bring a little laughter back into life. The eighth annual No Pants ride had 1,200 participants in New York and well over 1,000 more in 21 other cities across the globe. Food continues to be a great outlet for creativity, exploration, and play. A new magazine, Eat In, capitalises on the growing UK obsession with home cooking and exploration. Jamie Oliver has also recently published his own Jamie Magazine to encourage experimenting with cooking at home.

The recession may have awakened people to the fact that many of life’s great experiences are often free. Today the home can be a great place to connect with the people that matter in life, and a cost effective place to have fun. Eating out may have to offer more than just the usual restaurant experience.

There are some interesting global examples of this trend in the marketplace - Flash mobs have reached new levels of ambition. A couple are given a surprise wedding reception outside Office of the City Clerk in N.Y. - music, food, drink and guests were all provided. Kellogg’s launched a competition where families were invited to submit photos of them baking something with Kellogg’s cereals. The winning families were decided on those who appeared to be having the most fun. In the US, they call them supper clubs; in GB they are underground restaurants; in Cuba, paladares. They are a cross between a restaurant and a dinner party - like a restaurant, in the sense that you pay; like a dinner party, in the sense that you are in someone's house.

Consumer Trend: “I would like products that create less negative impact on the world; I want choices that make me feel good without harming my wallet”

Sustainable Lives is the next trend. Whilst people are increasingly aware of the negative impacts of consumer culture, the welfare of the wider world has become less of an immediate concern. The short-term priority has shifted to addressing the challenges created by economic crisis and issues closer to home.

Companies and brands supporting good causes or with more environmentally friendly approaches remain aspirational, and a desired choice for many were the cost still makes sense. Many people are increasingly shifting their attention toward the issues that impact their local community, pushing the bigger and trickier environmental issues back to the manufacturers and retailers to solve. In some instances, as prices rise, some greener choices have become smart choices; choices that ultimately save money in the long run.

Rising prices have brought home the connection between consumerism and sustainability. A focus on value has meant some positive choices have had to be put on hold. According to data from TNS World Panel, sales of organic produce have fallen by up to a third since the start of the recession. Organic producers are also seeing their share of the grocery market shrink. Charity now has more of a ‘homely’ feel. Buying local is gaining support across the world.

What might the next 2-5 years entail? People will continue to scrutinise companies for the impacts they make, but, will not expect the costs of improvement to be passed on. Less impact will be more important that offsetting impacts: bringing alternative energy into the production process such as factories running on wind power and alternative methods to distribute products like by bicycle are likely to emerge.

Manufacturers are likely to need to take greater ownership of their waste. Ensuring waste can be recycled or recycling for the customer is likely to become more common place. Packaging that is bio-degradable or reducing packaging could be more common solutions. Developing schemes to re-use food wastage, for example as fertiliser could emerge. Supporting local may become stronger shorthand for sustainability and supporting worthwhile causes.

Consumer Trend: “I want to be in control of my health and wellness, to manage or improve it through making better choices”

The Quest for health and wellness remains a key consumer trend around the world but is perhaps somewhat different today to what it was five years ago.

As modern lifestyles create new health challenges, maintaining or improving health and wellness has become a well established priority in many people’s lives. As health infrastructures feel the strain of rising demand and falling support, the responsibility for people to find their own path to good health has become more important. New York State has announced plans to tax manufacturers who contribute to obesity, in the form of an 18% levy on non-diet soft drinks.

The economic crisis has shifted the focus of health and wellness toward managing the basics. Staying healthy and avoiding illness is the current priority where the cost of care is high and time out from the workplace may represent a risk. Higher order health needs have been put on hold for a while. An increasingly balanced lifestyle approach is emerging as people seek to take control of their own health. Change4Life is a UK society-wide movement that aims to prevent people from becoming overweight by encouraging them to eat better and move more.

Navigating the choices on offer remains complex, many people are seeking more simplistic and cost effective approaches. Basic nutrition and, more traditional and natural solutions continue to grow in popularity. For the three months that ended December 2008 nationwide retail sales of vitamins and supplements were up almost 10 percent from the same period in 2007. That included a nearly 6 percent increase in sales of Chinese herbal supplements alone.

Beyond the recession, natural and pure will continue to represent a healthier choice. Haagen-Dazs has a new line of ice cream called ‘five’, and each flavour has only five ingredients and no additives or preservatives. As another bonus, they have 30% less fat that the traditional variants.

Consumer Trend: “I like to pursue better value, to help maintain my lifestyle and to get the most from the money I have”

The proliferation of choice and information has empowered consumers, allowing them to be more selective in their purchase decisions. Rising economic anxieties and financial constraints have lead to greater scrutiny of the market place, driving a stronger focus on value and a need to make smarter choices. Deciding what is good value has become more complex. The relationship of quality to price remains. However; trust, familiarity, provenance and even wider environmental and social concerns can now form how a consumer sees value.

There is more shopping around and trading off convenience for a better price. Sales at discount retailer Aldi climbed by 15% in 2008 compared to the previous year. M&S’s shift in focus from ready meals and convenience foods to offering a greater range of basic ingredients reflects the increasing shopper desire to do more for them and forego convenience and higher prices.

A changing sense of what represents value means that buying own brand is an increasingly popular consumer strategy for saving money. Many retailers offered dining in solutions - restaurant quality meals for one low price with great wines by the bottle to compliment.

Room for luxury and indulgence remains. Cheaper does not necessarily mean better. Big splurges have been replaced by more considered choices; a desire for discernment is still strong and rarely now expressed by buying the most expensive option. L’Oreal recently reported growth of 5% in like-for-like sales of its lipstick lines. The ‘Lipstick effect’ shows that in a recession sales of lipstick do well, as consumers opt for accessible luxuries whilst cutting out bigger ticket items.

The pursuit of value is likely to remain even after the recession and what represents value will always be more than low price. People will want to deepen their knowledge of production, and even be prepared to get involved in the processes, to get better value and build their expertise. Products that offer a luxury experience will increase in appeal again as prosperity returns. Innovation should focus on adding genuine value and experience to product ranges through the full user experience.