consumer trends by college students - part 2
College students are creating incumbent disruption & novelty breakthroughs in tech and fitness
A short read to cap off the list of consumer trends but more to come later this month!
Today’s Breakdown (Part II):
Technology: Noise-Cancelling Headphones
Organization: Packing Cubes
Fitness: Pilates
other fun consumer products you should check out
Technology: Noise-Cancelling Headphones
This past year, I added Apple’s Air Max headphones to my Apple ecosystem and finally understood the hype around noise-cancelling headphones. Though it sometimes gives me dystopian, socially-isolating vibes, it is a must for any college student.
The market was valued at $13.1B in 2021, expected to grow 13.2% annually. As Gen Zers are often early adopters in technology it’s no surprise that we need Airpods and headphones (they serve different purposes, I promise!)
Several brands compete in the market but Apple continues to capture the most market share in the US. Even though I’ve heard Bose has better sound quality, Apple’s brand continues to penetrate the market even with basic features.
Recently, amidst the influencer world, I’ve been seeing Sonos headphones gain traction. Sonos is spending most of its marketing on influencer growth, which is smart since it’s hard to beat incumbent brands with just features. Product recommendations from influencers can easily convince someone to choose Sonos over Apple or Bose.
Organization: packing cubes
This isn’t a necessarily data-driven trend but more so a complementary trend with Gen Z’s affinity for travel ( i know, when am i ever going to stop mentioning this topic). Travel brands are doing well with this demographic, such as Beis generating $200M in 2023. Even small products that are effective for travel have seen growth. Touchland, a hand sanitizer brand, has seen a 123% increase in sales in the second quarter of 2024.
Despite the lack of data on the sales growth of packing cubes, we can see that travel consumer products serve well with the younger demographic.
Fitness: Pilates
Throughout college, I’ve seen a trend toward “less is more” when it comes to fitness. The widespread 12-3-30 method convinced millions to stop running and just start walking on the treadmill at an incline. Now the latest craze is pilates.
This likely stems from a growing trend towards a specific physical appearance. Women seek lean and toned figures, and Pilates promotes this aesthetic. Classpass’s 2023 report shares that Pilates was the most popular workout of the year with reservations for Pilates bookings up 92%.
As of 2023, there are around 42,000 Pilates & Yoga Studios businesses in the US. This will continue to grow significantly as pilates class styles vary greatly and existing pilates chains have unique strengths, such as price or techniques, that appeal to their specific demographic.
Speaking of a popular trend with Gen Z, I’m going to my first SolidCore class later this week - wish me luck!
Other products you should be checking out:
Le Alfre - accessible luxury menswear
DayBird - 4-in-one skin tint (with SPF 50!!)
David - protein bar with 28g of protein 0g sugar
Damn Good English Muffins - plant-based sourdough bread
Laoban Dumplings - pre-packaged handcrafted dumplings
Thanks for reading,
Sanjana