CONTACT: Mary Catherine González
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"Windows on the Millennium-Across the Threshold to the New Century": Albing International Marketing initiates research to update its landmark trend study for the home furnishings industry

New York, NY: A decade ago, Albing International Marketing (AIM) produced its first trend study exclusively for the home furnishings industry: Windows on the Millennium. Published in 1992, Windows was hailed as a landmark piece. Five years later, AIM produced the highly successful follow-up to Windows entitled Countdown to 2000, which reexamined the original research and explored additional consumer trends that had since emerged. This May, AIM is embarking on another update to Windows, called Across the Threshold to the New Century, that will take another look at the significant consumer lifestyle, demographic and retailing trends that will impact the home furnishings industry over the next three to five years.

"We have had increasing demand from our clients to learn more about their customers, said Robin Albing, president of AIM. "Now that we've crossed the threshold into the new century, the current economic situation, with waning consumer confidence and an extremely volatile stock market, has created an extremely tense environment for home furnishings manufacturers and retailers alike," continued Albing. "Our objective with this new research is to provide a clear line of sight into the future. We will give our clients useful tools and information to assist their strategic planning, product development, management and even human resources initiatives going forward."

Armed with insights from an extensive, ongoing research program and with the 1992 and 1997 studies as the foundation, AIM will reevaluate the original categories examined, as well as add important emerging consumer and retail trends that are relevant to the home furnishings industry. "This industry's growth over the last five years, combined with the acceleration of change in business and technology, creates a compelling reason to renew our research," commented Albing. "Consumers, too, are changing, as their free time shrinks along with their net worth."

Across the Threshold to the New Century will focus on five major home furnishings categories: tabletop, gifts, housewares, furniture and home textiles. Among the trends to be updated, Home and Family, The Aging Population, Information and Technology, The Ethnic Influence, The Value Mentality, and Globalism and Nationalism will be given special emphasis.

"Although we were on the right track with many of our projections in the last edition of our Windows study, we believe that several areas deserve a closer, more detailed look," said Meri Pollak, Senior Research Director at AIM. "For example, within the Home and Family section, we discussed the 'kid power' of the blossoming Generation Y. Today, this group deserves even more study, as the cutting-edge of this 80 million plus cohort begins to furnish their first homes."

Other areas that will be reexamined carefully, in light of the recent publication of 2000 census data, are The Ethnic Influence, and The Aging Population. One new topic to be covered will be The Wealth Factor. As explained by Albing, this topic encompasses the impact of economic wealth on consumers in both domestic and international markets. Of particular interest will be consumer perceptions of wealth and how these changing perceptions affect spending on home-related goods.

Like the past two Windows editions, Across the Threshold to the New Century will be an effective, easy-to-use compendium of relevant information for home furnishings manufacturers, marketers and retailers. "In talking to our earlier subscribers and our current clients, we found that they are pressed for time," said Ms. Pollak. "They want relevant information, synthesized in an organized digest format." Robin Albing added, "Home marketing has become hyper-competitive. A study like Across the Threshold to the New Century provides new insights and energy to developing new targets. It gives direction that all companies should utilize every few years to get out ahead of the pack." AIM plans to complete Across the Threshold to the New Century in the fall of 2001. It will be offered at a price of $3,000 to home furnishings industry companies.

Since it's founding in 1980, Albing International Marketing has provided a range of marketing services to clients in the home furnishings industry on four continents. In addition to conducting multi-client trend studies such as Windows on the Millennium, AIM has become known for its wide range of marketing and consulting services, including proprietary market research, business and strategic planning, retail merchandising strategy, product development, design and factory sourcing. The firm also offers interrelated services including seminars, symposia, training, and executive search. Recent clients who have used both AIM's research and marketing services include Bernhardt Furniture, The Donna Karan Company, Lifestyle Furnishings International, World Kitchen and Amway Corporation.

To subscribe or request further information about Windows on the Millennium - Across the Threshold to the New Century, contact Albing International Marketing (AIM): Call 908-788-5411, Fax 908-788-9767 or e-mail aim@albing.com

Registration form: Windows on the Millennium - Across the Threshold to the New Century

RELEASE: December 8, 2000