Shaking my head.
My Shopaholic Friend Is Addicted To Buying Designer Face Masks
What’s next? Password protected toilet paper dispensers?
While I was video chatting with an old friend recently, her doorbell rang. She rushed to the door and picked up a package that was left on her porch. She ran back excitedly and opened a box from an online order. It contained six brightly colored protective masks.
I wanted to be happy for her. She was thrilled. I could not hide the fact that I thought she was nuts.
As if we aren’t already faced with enough pressure to accessorize for the sake of fashion, shoppers everywhere are now being pressured to look fabulous and “virus-savvy” if and when they dare to step out into the world.
According to Google Trends the spike for the search term “face masks” has seen a significant jump since the same time just a year ago.
Due to the trending searches for masks, advertising has a new, very specific category of buyers now.
Ladies from everywhere around the globe have become members of a newly formed demographic group. That is right, women with a taste for fashionable safety are a new target demographic. The new checkbox is likely to be labeled something like this: Women who like to shop but need to feel protected from viral infections while shopping.
The new checkbox is likely to be labeled something like this:
[x] Women who like to shop but need to feel protected from viral infections while shopping.
These stylish-yet-worried consumers have a need and that is protective masks that add style. Believe me — the people on the selling side of things got the memo.
When the shop-happy women of the world demanded floral face masks in every color, that is what they got.
When the ladies desired jewel encrusted protective masks to match every outfit — they got their wish.
Manufacturers, distributors and retailers of medical supplies have been adapting and meeting the demand rapidly.
What I am wondering is who is employed to cover the workload of all the orders of these fabulous new must-have accessories?
hmm?
What factory in the world is fully staffed, and operating with higher than ever product sales? I am imagining a factory of workers, all donning their own fancy masks, shoulder to shoulder… just pumping out products by the truckloads.
What is next?
With the trends revolving around being safe with the current pandemic, there is sure to be unusual products that suddenly become the next big thing.
Here are some predictions that could be tomorrow’s must-have consumer products.
- Password protected toilet paper dispensers
- Socially-distant-dating apps
- Virtual/web babysitters
- Six-feet-apart-minimum-dancing-lessons
These are the (far-fetched) niches of the future. Maybe.
Retailers should get ahead of the curve and prepare for weird stuff. Any minute a vendor could be asked where a customer can purchase a public-space-safety-bubble. I imagine it would look like cross between a hazmat suit and one of those round and adorable pumpkin costumes that toddlers wear at Halloween. What will be the Halloween replacement?
That is a whole new topic…
If sexy masks are trending now, maybe next week it will be precious metal cases for our hand sanitizers.
Thinking ahead.
Oh by the way, this post is meant to make you laugh, but the topic of safety, especially with the 2020 Pandemic, is serious. Please check for real updates on the facts at the following website. Be safe!
Cheers.