Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends,americast.usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Tue, Sep 15 1992 Date: Tue, 15 Sep 92 04:23:48 EDT Message-ID: 09-15 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update Sept. 15, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network SINGLE PARENTING IS ON RISE: The percentage of families with children headed by single parents rose to 22% in 1990 from 19% in 1980. In Detroit and Washington, D.C., single-parent families are a majority of all families with children: 55% in Detroit, 53% in Washington, according a census data analysis by the Greater Washington Research Center. Reasons cited: Violence of the drug trade and poverty. AIRPORTS TAKE ON MALL ATMOSPHERE: Across the country, airports are starting to look a lot like shopping malls. It's already happened in airport food courts. Now airport shops - once high-priced, cookie-cutter stores selling souvenir spoons - are changing. They are switching over to brand names. Many travelers say they don't get the time to buy necessities in town, so the change has helped. (For more, see special Airport package below.) COMPANIES TOY WITH POLITICS: Now that the convention dust has settled, it's time for fun and games on the campaign trail. Toymakers are offering a variety of choices. Included: Repiglicans, stuffed animals with pink pig bodies and gray elephant heads; and Demoquacks, yellow duck torsos and brown donkey heads ($13.95 each, Warthog Productions). Also on the market is the Pet Congressman ($15, Capital-isms, Inc.) REPUBLICANS GAIN BLACKS: Black delegates at the Republican National Convention in Houston this year numbered 107, exceeding the 100 mark for the first time in the party's history. Surveys by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies reveal a slight trend of growing identification with the Republican Party by black voters. In 1984, 5.9% were Republicans. By 1992, that figure increased to 8.9%. HOT COLLECTIBLES TO LOOK FOR: Floral and fruity '40s fabric and '60s concert posters are among today's coolest collectibles, says the October Metropolitan Home. The mag's annual forecast, out Tuesday, predicts objects that will become must-haves for the well-appointed home. "What's hot are things that are affordable, will appreciate in value, and give you a lot of bang for your buck," says Met Home's Dorothy Kalins. BASEBALL GLOVES ARE CATCHY: Nostalgic knockouts include leather baseball gloves ($40-$150), and wooden hockey sticks and bats ($15-$200), says the October Metropolitan Home. Metropolitan Home also suggests checking out '40s aluminum and leather desk chairs at galleries and secondhand office furniture shops. Some start as low as $15, and go up to $350. CREDIT DELINQUENCY UP: Consumers charged $8 billion in Visa and MasterCard debt last year that will never be repaid, a 45% increase from 1990, the American Bankers Association says. Delinquency rates, the percentage of credit-card debt more than 30 days past due, rose 10% last year to 5% of the total amount owed but fell to 4.2% at the end of last quarter. CHURCH CONTRIBUTIONS DOWN: People are contributing more money to churches, but the amount they donate as a percentage of their income is going down. In 1970, individuals donated nearly 3% of their income to churches. Empty Tomb reports that's down to 2.6%. MORTGAGE DELINQUENCIES UP; More homeowners fell behind on their mortgages in the three months ended June 30 - breaking a string of declines in mortgage delinquencies. The Mortgage Bankers Association of America reports delinquency rates are highest in Puerto Rico, at 9.6%, followed by Mississippi's 7.2%. Rounding out the top five: Tennessee, 7.1%; Georgia, 6.2%; and Washington, D.C., 6.0%. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON AIRPORTS: AIRPORTS GET IN ON MALL SCENE: To woo the 450 million travelers who frequent airports annually, several terminals are adopting a mall-like mix of retailers and reasonable pricing. Other airports are studying and may duplicate those mini-malls. Portland International Airport first opened its Oregon marketplace in the main terminal in 1989. Now Toronto International, NYC's Laguardia and Kennedy have joined the list. HEATHROW IS LONG FAVORITE: European airports in cities such as London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Copenhagen are serving as blueprints for the retail movement. Malls sprang up in airports in Europe because land is scarce there and international shoppers wanted to be able to buy duty-free goods at the airport. Heathrow's mall area has been a favorite of international travelers for years. SHOPS DON'T NEGLECT WEALTHY: Airport users are wealthier than most mall mavens. Denver's average traveler earns $77,000 a year, and 34% of the travelers at LaGuardia's main terminal earn more than $100,000 a year, airport surveys show. But because they are rushing to appointments or quickly changing planes, they don't have time to leisurely spend their money. The shops are also catering to a wealthy clientele. (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM