“The advent calendar is a way to discover and try launches or established brands,” says Jenni Middleton, the director of beauty at trend-forecasting agency WGSN.

According to a new report from trend forecasting company WGSN, this value-driven consumer is one of three new consumer profiles to consider when engaging with customers.

Starbucks was targeting the social-media-using millennial with disposable income, said Kara Nielsen, director of food and drink at trend forecasting company WGSN. While this marketing strategy is a popular tactic, Nielsen said, it was especially enticing to young adults who would post pictures of themselves enjoying the PSL on social media.

WGSN, one of the world’s largest trend forecasters, who have been tracking a hyperlocal consumer focus since before the pandemic, says there’s no doubt a simmering consumer preference for authenticity and nostalgia is now at a rolling boil.

Jenni Middleton, director of beauty at trend forecasting agency WGSN suggests that Gen Z hold the key to shifting the way we consume beauty products.

“Global lockdowns saw salon closures, forcing consumers to take matters into their own hands, and many experienced an involuntary hair detox,” said Clare Varga, head of beauty at trend-forecasting firm WGSN.

“Our interest in a plant-based lifestyle has been accelerated in the wake of the zoonotic virus,” says Jenni Middleton, director of beauty at trend forecaster WGSN.

WGSN fashion forecaster Francesca Muston talks with The Journal about how the uncertain times have made predicting fashion trends more difficult and how other forces like climate change may shape fashion choices in the long term.

“The wellness industry continues to grow in size and importance in consumers’ lives post-pandemic,” says Joe McDonnell, head of insights at the trend forecasting company WGSN. “Staying healthy mentally and physically is a top priority.”

“Even in our research we find that smaller brands are bringing a lot of newness to the table and they cater to huge markets like millennials and Gen Z,” says Ana Correa, the footwear and accessory editor at WGSN.

Trend forecasters WGSN have flagged maximalism as a key trend in hotel interiors, stating: “With Covid-19 shuttering hotels all over the globe, attention has turned to innovative redesigns and new openings. A wave of optimism is permeating the industry through interiors that exude joyful maximalism.”

“We’ve just gotten through the pandemic, where food was the baseline — if you could put food on your table, you were okay,” says Lisa White, the creative director and director of lifestyle and interiors at international trend-tracking firm WGSN. “Now we can be more playful with it.”