If something caused the pandemic, it was that humanity began to value what was lost in those times of confinement and health crisis: freedom of movement and deciding what to do. This had a direct impact on the priorities that society now sets. One of them is to enjoy, not to leave for tomorrow what can be done today, both in work and in life. “The pandemic taught us the importance of having a safe space to live, work, study… We spent months in our homes in full confinement and had a lot of time to reflect on deep and superficial aspects, while trying to adapt to the new dystopian reality that it was time to live”, analyzes Ximena Diaz Alarcon, co-founder and CEO of youniversal.
The research carried out by the consultant, through national surveys and focus groups with different socioeconomic levels, showed that, at that time, middle and upper-middle class consumers privileged all those consumptions and activities that made them feel safer and in control of their body and their life, making better use of their home spaces: from contracting better connectivity plans, to creating small places where they could exercise, as well as designing their own environment to carry out the home office in a comfortable way . “We also sought to take advantage of the ‘green’, the open air, and transform balconies and terraces, in addition to incorporating plants into the house. It was a search to connect with something fresh, alive, open and natural, in the midst of so much concern. In this search, in some cases there were even moves to more remote neighborhoods and areas, as long as there was good connectivity”, Diaz Alarcón explains.
habits. Market studies indicate that the order of priorities seems to have changed definitively both in Argentina and in the rest of the planet. “We found that 8 out of 10 consumers declare that health is the most valuable thing they can have and that the post-pandemic changed their priorities,” says Díaz Alarcón. The surveys also show that, despite the current economic context, consumers favor the “here and now”: 7 out of 10 agree that enjoying small or big moments contributes to a better quality of life, adds the study.
On a global scale, for example, a growth in spending on aesthetic care for people of the order of 12.5% per year is observed and it is expected that, by 2026, the sector will grow another 15%. “It is not news that the non-invasive aesthetic medicine market is booming. I think there is greater awareness of the importance of personal care and well-being. Feeling and looking good are not two isolated factors. In the post-pandemic we noticed a greater interest in this type of services and products”, he points out. Sebastian Navon LemelCEO of Lemel Clinic. The executive points out that “There is a greater acceptance of this category by an increasingly younger consumer, who understands the concept of care and prevention from an early age, unlike previous generations.”.
Products from different categories gain space in this new trend. For example, thermal baths also appear on the scene as another of the “tastes” that consumers choose. Martin Lanfounder and CEO of The Loop Pool, coincides with the fact that it is a phenomenon that is related to changes in lifestyle due to the effect of the pandemic. “CWith the greater presence in the home, demands that did not exist before are beginning to emerge in order to achieve greater well-being in the environments of the home itself. Those new spaces appear in the gardens in which people set up a fire to meet. At that same moment is when the success or the demand for the Nordic bathtubs that we sell also arises”, Lan expands.
Scenery. This phenomenon transcended the time of confinement and was also detected by some cabañeros and hoteliers, who incorporated the service as an added value for their clients. “They called us to install Nordic bathtubs in the south, in Mendoza, Misiones and Entre Ríos, because it became vital for leisure, guaranteeing enjoyment with a good relaxing experience.”, he adds.
The gourmet could not be left out of this move. Latin America, for the first time, recorded the highest year-on-year growth rate of Thermomix, the German food processor brand that combines 16 home appliance functions in a single device. The operations of countries such as Argentina, Uruguay and Chile transformed the region into one of the most outstanding on the planet. “The results achieved in these nations broke a historical trend because Europe dominated in all segments. Undoubtedly, the context of the pandemic was a special circumstance that greatly contributed to boosting sales in Argentina”, he maintains Beatrice Macaya, general manager of Thermomix for Argentina and Uruguay. In his opinion, the product was the solution in many homes for “those who assumed the responsibility of carrying out the task of cooking for family members every day.”
There is no item that is left out of the new consumption trend of the segment that has greater resources. In every crisis there is an opportunity, goes the old Chinese proverb. For this reason, companies do not leave for tomorrow the business they can do today.
You may also like
by Marcelo Alfano
