These terms aren't referring to the habitual patterns of insects. Rather, consumer trend forecasters coined cocooning and hiving to describe ways that consumers interact with their homes. And like bees, consumers today are using their homes as a hub of activity, opening their doors to their neighbors and family, and expressing their creativity through home entertainment.
According to a recent report released by Yankelovich Partners, a marketing research and consulting firm that monitors consumer trends, gone are the days of cocooning -- a trend that grew significantly following September 11 when consumers isolated themselves in their homes and focused on home-based, family-centric activities -- and in are the days of hiving, linked to consumers renewed interest in reaching out and connecting with the community while still taking pride and comfort in their home.
In fact, 65 percent of consumers entertain regularly at home, according to Yankelovich data. That figure jumps up to 71 percent for Generation Xers, the generation of 25- to 37-year-olds born in the post-baby boom era.
But research also indicates that consumers aren't just serving pizza out of the box and opening up a bag of chips. Rather, home entertainment has become an expression of self, an outlet for creativity -- perhaps due to the influx of television programming teaching us all how to be better hosts and hostesses.
Companies that sell products for home entertainment are seeing evidence of this trend. According to Robert Zollweg, creative director for Libbey Inc. (NYSE: LBY), a leading provider of tableware products, focus group studies conducted by Libbey have shown that consumers approach mealtime and home entertainment as mini-events, and they want products that can help them create an atmosphere and set a tone -- be it for an everyday family dinner, an informal gathering of friends or a formal dinner party. However, they want these forms of expression to be affordable, and they don't want to spend a lot of time doing it.
"As interest in home entertainment has grown, tableware has elevated in status from a commodity product to a critical accessory that can be dressed up or down quickly and easily to create a mood or support a theme, Zollweg says. "Multiple use is important. Our consumers take pride in taking products and finding nontraditional, decorative ways of using them to create a special event in their home."
For example, Zollweg says margarita glasses aren't just used for serving margaritas anymore. People are adorning them with mashed potatoes, shrimp cocktail or vegetables and dip as a festive way to serve hors d'oeuvres at a dinner party. Or they'll fill martini glasses with decorative beads and inexpensive votive candles to create mood lighting at the table.
"We're seeing a variety of creative uses of everyday products. And as consumer interest in home entertaining continues to grow, our goal is to continue to provide innovative designs and advice that can help to inspire creativity and transform meals into special events, Zollweg adds.
For more information, log on to
www.libbey.com.
Interested in setting a mood for your next holiday party? Robert Zollweg, creative director at Libbey Inc., offers the following simple ideas:
* Dress up place settings by stacking dinner plates and salad plates, tying them together with a decorative fabric ribbon.
* Use clear martini glasses or margarita glasses to serve desserts, sorbets, ice cream or side dishes.
* Create custom glassware by painting a simple pattern onto a plain wine glass, using egg whites and a small paint brush, immediately sprinkle fine sugar over the egg-white pattern.
* Dress the rims of plain white plates with a border of chocolate kisses, candy hearts or edible flowers.
* Use cordial glasses for individual sample desserts. Fill glasses with fillings such as chocolate mousse, gelatin parfaits or cheesecake filling.
* For an easy centerpiece, take a shallow glass bowl, fill partially with water, add fresh or frozen cranberries, place a cylinder vase or tumbler filled with seasonal white flowers in the center of the berries, and sink tea lights around the vase. Finish with holiday greenery if desired.
About Libbey
Based in Toledo, Ohio, the company operates glass tableware manufacturing plants in the United States in California, Louisiana, and Ohio and in the Netherlands. Its Royal Leerdam subsidiary, located in Leerdam, Netherlands, is among the world leaders in producing and selling glass stemware to retail, foodservice and industrial clients.
In addition, Libbey is a joint-venture partner in the largest glass tableware company in Mexico. Its Syracuse China subsidiary designs, manufactures and distributes an extensive line of high-quality ceramic dinnerware, principally for foodservice establishments in the United States. Its World Tableware subsidiary imports and sells a full line of metal flatware and hollowware, plus an assortment of ceramic dinnerware and other tabletop items, principally for foodservice establishments in the United States. Its Traex subsidiary, located in Wisconsin, designs, manufactures and distributes an extensive line of plastic items for the foodservice industry. In 2003, Libbey Inc.'s net sales totaled $513.6 million.
Courtesy of ARA Content
