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 Fri, Oct 2 1992 Date: Fri, 2 Oct 92 04:56:03 EDT Message-ID: 10-02 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update Oct. 2-4, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network BUSINESSES PURSUE QUALITY: Leaders of the USA's quality movement delivered a blunt message Thursday to 200,000 business people across the country: Build defect-free products - at a lower price - or the firm won't survive the '90s. Dozens of U.S. multinationals such as Xerox, Motorola and Federal Express adopted Japanese-style "total quality management" in the 1980s and dramatically improved their products and services. (For more, see special Quality package below.) MID-LIFE CRISIS LEADS TO TREND: Now that the leading edge of the baby boomers are in their 40s, mid-life crisis is likely to create a recognizable economic trend. Gerald Celente, director of the New York-based Trends Research Institute, sees a small but growing pattern of "voluntary simplicity" among mid-lifers who exchange the rat race for easier lives. MORE WOMEN WITH KIDS WORKING: More women with small kids are in the work force. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 58% of women with children under age six are working. That's up from 39% in 1975; 47% in 1980; and 54% in 1985, according to the bureau's report. MORE COUPLES STAY THE COURSE: In spite of all the talk about splintering families, new government statistics confirm people are less willing to throw in the towel on marriage. The divorce rate fell 11% from 1981 to 1991, says a report issued Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics. "People are still divorcing at a very high rate," says spokeswoman Sally Clarke. DIVORCE CREATES PROBLEMS: The primary reason for the drop in divorce over the past decade is demographic. The lion's share of the population, "the baby boomers have aged past the peak divorce years, the 20s and early 30s," says Sally Clarke of the National Center for Health Statistics. Other reasons: "Divorce creates new problems," says marital therapist Michele Weiner-Davis; and fear of AIDS. HOME VIDEO GAME IS HOT: Street Fighter II is the Pac-Man of the '90s, says Steve Harris of Electronic Gaming Monthly. Since its release in July, the home version of the kick-'em, punch-'em arcade smash - with 16 megabytes of memory as opposed to the usual 4-8 - has become a runaway hit for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Toy stores Kay-Bee, Lionel Kiddie City and Toys R Us report phenomenal sales. ASTHMA DEATHS INCREASING: Asthma deaths are on rise. A Centers for Disease Control report says two deaths in 100,000 are asthma-related. That's up 46% over 1980. Four in 100 people now have asthma, up 38%. Experts say pollution and poverty are among the culprits. House dust and mites can trigger wheezing and other breathing problems. TREND IN BEER ACKNOWLEDGED: The USA's top beer makers go head-to-head in Denver this weekend for the title of best brew in America. The 11th annual Great American Beer Festival - the World Series of domestic suds - kicks off Friday at Denver's Merchandise Mart. This year, judging categories have been added for sweet stouts and Marzen Oktoberfest beers - a nod to the trend toward heartier brews. MEN, WOMEN DIFFER IN SMOKING: An ongoing study shows that the most strongly nicotine-dependent smokers are male blue-collar workers and female white-collar workers. The study of 8,045 people showed that between 1985-90, fully 51% of male blue-collar workers were nicotine-dependent. Among women, 26% of professionals. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON QUALITY: QUALITY NOT GOOD ENOUGH: Quality alone won't cut it anymore. The sluggish economy has radically changed consumers' buying habits. They're now demanding value - decent quality at a fair price. "This is an incredible change," says Edwin Artzt, CEO at Procter & Gamble. "Consumers will not pay for our sloppiness." Artzt's speech in New York was part of forum kicking off National Quality Month. AIRLINE SPOTS TREND: "Every recession triggers a new trend," says Jan Carlzon, Scandinavian Airlines System CEO. This time, "all of a sudden, businessmen realized they don't have to travel, or at least not so often. And they also discovered discounted fares." To cope, SAS has slashed administrative costs 50% while offering customers better service, including a pre-clearance system. P&G CUTS COSTS: P&G has cut costs by eliminating a distribution nightmare that was costing the company $175 million a year. To stock up for "special price sales," P&G had huge inventories sitting in warehouses, waiting to be shipped to grocery stores. "Up to a third of total sales (were) just trapped in the pipeline," says Artzt. COMPANY HAS VALUE PRICING: P&G doesn't have deep-discount sales. It has adopted "value pricing" to eliminate wild price swings. Before the program was adopted, a bottle of Dawn dish soap ranged from 99 cents to $1.89. Now it sells regularly for about $1.32. Inventories - and the cost of carrying them - are way down, and Dawn sales are at record highs. 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