Every year since 1981, the Swedish market researchers at HUI Research announces one product that they believe to be the years big sale worldwide. They factor in the over 200 years of combined experience in market research they have along with the trends they see on the global market. They have certain aspects that needs to be filled in order for them to call it Christmas Present Of The Year, these are as follows:
- The product must be new or have a newly found interest on the global market
- The product must have a high sales price or sell in a large amount
- The product must be a representation of the time we live in
Even thou the announcement rises discussions all over Sweden every year, it’s rare that the HUI Research predictions fail. Most often, the product is the most sold and none of the 24 previous years have shown any of the products they predict to be THE Christmas pressie to be outside the top-5 most sold globally, or even in Sweden.
Previous years have seen such absurd things as the first, 1981 prediction of the Baking Assistant Machine or the 2008 prediction of “An experience” (this was a concept where travel agencies sold a complete experience in a little box, you got flight tickets, hotel booking and information and coupons to the advertised experience in that country). Last years “product” was the ready-packed food shopping bag, and it certainly was the biggest hit of the year. All over the world, for one December out of the 30-50 Decembers this “product” have been available, this was the most sold one.
If you want to know what to buy your techie-interested friend this year and you trust that HUI Research will come through for the 25th time in a row, then apparently you should get that friend a pair of headphones.
I know it sounds strange, but when you hear the motivation, it does kind of make sense that this 92 year old invention would be the biggest hit this year, even thou it have NEVER topped the sales list for Christmas.
The year’s Christmas Present 2012 is a symbol of the mobile and online trend, where the supply of new services has a strong and rapidly changing consumer behavior. We currently have access to music, movies, news and more directly to your phone, tablet, e-reader, computer or mp3 player. We can consume all this in new places and at all times of the day.
This change in purchasing behavior, combined with tight deadlines makes consumers want to use their time efficiently. Headphones are a prerequisite to use the new technology and makes the time in motion better utilized. The year’s Christmas Present 2012 is the headphones. The headphones meet all three criteria for this years Christmas.
- The headphones fills not only a function but becomes more and more a part of, and a symbol of, a lifestyle, says Lena Larsson, CEO of HUI Research. Listening seems to be the new reading and never before have headphones used to the same extent, or been as popular as now.
I might also add that 2006 the present of the year was the audio book, but even then, the headphones didn’t come near the top of the list. With almost every phone, MP3-player or other mobile device sold, a pair of headphones comes with it, this counts towards this sales statistics, and even with that, it have never come close to the top sell of the year.
Cover image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net, image created by Digitalart
