Trendspotter shares what to watch in retail in 2012

Marian Salzman, one of the world’s top trendspotters and CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America, and Euro RSCG Life PR, is in the business of figuring out what trends will take off.

From popularizing the terms metrosexual and singleton to predicting the political climate of the current election cycle, Marian holds an impressive track record of spotting trends ranging from advertising and lifestyles to the food we like to eat.

As a preview to Marian’s upcoming appearance at Retail’s BIG Show, we asked her about her 2012 trends forecast.

Marian Salzman, CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR, North America, and Euro RSCG Life PR

You’ve released your annual trendspotting report for 2012, which includes five big trends for shopping/retail. The first one you call “shopping under the tech influence.” Describe what you mean by that.

Well it really runs deep, because bricks-and-mortars are very heavily under the influence of trends as they use interactive technology in-store to lure tech-savvy customers. Macy’s, for one, installed a Magic Fitting Room in its Herald Square store in New York City. Within minutes, shoppers were trying on the most popular tops, dresses and jackets, creating as many as 16 outfits that could be stored in a digital closet, then shared on Facebook and by e-mail. And Swiss watchmaker Tissot ran an interactive display in a Harrods window, inviting people passing by to try on watches.

Virtual shopping is going to change the game when it comes to how we buy things, and Microsoft’s Kinect is leading the way. Kinect technology, first used in gaming, is now being used to create virtual fitting rooms where 3-D models of our bodies can try on clothes online. How will augmented reality play into bricks-and-mortars? Some brands are thinking of making this technology an in-store mainstay.

Even Twitter is getting in on the digital shopping craze; the Tweetalicious app offers the shop-obsessed an easier way to sift through discounts from favorite retailers and brands by aggregating all the deals shared on Twitter into one stream based on your tastes.

Mobile shopping, or m-commerce, is also gaining ground. M-commerce was a holiday grand slam, up some obscene amount and counting. Shopping on the iPad seems to have become the rage this holiday season and it’s only just begun.

French Connection, Zara, Mulberry and Marks & Spencer all allow their Facebook fans to browse products on their Facebook and mobile phone, with many retailers sure to follow suit in 2012 and 2013. Look for mobile shopping to be all the rage with almost everyone these days—shopping on the go and from your phone is going to be the way to go moving forward for those looking for a 24/7/365 fix.

And don’t forget online sharing as a way to decide whether to buy that little black dress or those over-the-top shoes. Now more than ever, shopping is about sharing as we upload photos of ourselves in dressing rooms to show our social networks and friends. Online styling sites like Pinterest and Polyvore are seductive and social ways to gather inspiration and influence purchasing in the digital age, and they will continue to affect how and why we shop.

You’ve also predicted that our obsession with social media will intensify in 2012. Tell us about social consumers and how smart retailers will reach them.

The millennials are truly the first all-digital generation, and they’re forming tribes of like-minded souls online. It’s not only about social listening but also about jumping in on conversations online. The best brands will engage consumers in their extended networks and penetrate the space where we all live online.

Unless we lock the outside out, we never completely shop alone, even if we are solo at some point in time; we shop with our mobiles, and our companions tag along virtually. Virtuality meeting reality—this is now normal.

And because we are all experiencing a bit of “like culture” fatigue (i.e., liking this page or that on Facebook and elsewhere), smart marketers will think of ways not to push the agenda, but instead to set it and be part of it in meaningful ways that don’t feel disingenuous or forced.

Plus, it’s great for brands to talk about what they’re doing to make the world a better place; today’s Prosumers are looking for brands and products that not only make a good T-shirt but also contribute to society.

You identify another retail trend as “hoteltail.” Describe that concept and how you see it growing over the next year.

Hoteltailing is a fun one. I love what the Ace Hotel is doing here in New York City, with its Opening Ceremony store—the retail fits the hotel clientele almost to a perfect (Helmut Lang) tee. The W Hotels chain has also done a great job of creating boutiques in its hotels that reflect the cities in which they reside, as has The Standard—think fun sarongs in Miami versus great handmade scarves in Manhattan.

I think the trend really started way back when chains like the W and the Westin were selling their bedding to guests. The opportunity extended itself to retail outlets that reflect the values and aesthetic of the hotel to include lifestyle items that inhabit a cooler-than-cool mystique. And people on vacation tend to splurge, so it’s really going to be popular in the years to come for those looking to bring back a bit of luxe from their vacation or even business travel experiences.

This is your first time speaking at Retail’s BIG Show. What are you most looking forward to?

I love the retail business (my first real job was in Paramus Park Mall in New Jersey, selling costume jewelry and watching the hourly sales flash, and I did a summer at Bamberger’s and a semester at Abraham & Straus). I love watching how smart merchandising moves mountains of stuff.

At the show, I’m pretty excited to hear Bill Clinton speak, and I’m simply fascinated by hearing how the big brands are coping with the recession, the cynicism of consumers and selling products in a 24/7/365 digital age.

I’m also quite curious about global trends in retail and how marketers and retailers are going to target the rising middle class in places like Ethiopia, China and Indonesia.