Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Tue, Mar 24 1992 Date: Tue, 24 Mar 92 05:43:45 EST Message-ID: 03-24 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update March 24, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network ORGANIC GARDENERS TAKE ROOT: Gardeners with organic impulses are multiplying faster than zucchini in fertile soil, experts say. Sales of organic fertilizers, pesticides and composting products at Ringer Corp. have grown more than 50% a year for the last five years, says spokesman Rob Ringer. And catalogs that specialize in organic seeds and plants and chemical-free pest-stoppers are, well, blooming. ORGANIC `NOW IN MAINSTREAM': Organic gardening has moved in from left field, says Mike McGrath, editor of Organic Gardening magazine. "We are now in the mainstream," he declares, citing a July 1991 survey that shows 60% of people who grow vegetables, herbs or fruit say they do not use pesticides, herbicides or synthetic chemical fertilizers. That's up 15% from gardeners who are avoiding chemicals in a two-year period. PRICES ON THE RISE: Time may be running out on that great deal for a new TV and a lot of other household extras priced tantalizingly low during the recession. The economy and consumer demand have perked up the past few weeks. Already, some foreign carmakers have raised prices. Ford, Chrysler and General Motors are being stingier with rebates. Now, some retailers say they've kicked the price-slashing habit. TIME SHARES MORE POPULAR: Time sharing and other types of split-vacation ownerships are becoming increasingly popular. Sales of time shares in 1980 were about $490 million, while in 1991 sales were more than $3 billion. "With purse strings tighter now, the second home market is not great," says David Matheson of the American Resort and Residential Development Association. "But time shares are growing." OMNICOM BUCKS TREND: A possible economic recovery has investors pushing up some ad agency stocks banking on a resurrection in ad spending. One benificiary: Omnicom Group, up 38% last year and 7% this year to close at $34 1:8 Monday. Omnicom is bucking an industry trend by growing through acquisitions, when many conglomerates are breaking up. In January, it bought out Goodby, Berlin & Silverstein. WALL ST. CHIEFS GOT INCREASES: Chiefs of many U.S. brokerages received eye-popping increases in salary and other compensation last year. Last year's stock rally made it a record year for revenue, net income and other financial measures brokerages use to set pay for top executives. Brokerages say the high pay for executives helps make the U.S. brokerage industry a world leader. HOTEL INDUSTRY MAY REBOUND: After three years of mounting losses, the U.S. hotel industry is expected to rebound this year, according to Coopers & Lybrand Hospitality Direction. In 1989, 52.1% of hotels lost money. That increased to 55.6% in 1990 and 60.1% in 1991. But projected losses for 1992 are down to 55.5%. NBC CHASES YOUNGER VIEWERS: NBC, in chasing younger viewers, is dropping "Matlock" and "In the Heat of the Night," and has passed on a "Golden Girls" spinoff. But median viewer age has gone from 30 in 1980 to 33 in 1990, says CBS, adding that average household net worth jumps from $56,791 at the 45-54 age group to $73,664 for 55-to-64. Average age of viewers: 43.8 at CBS; 43.0 at NBC; 42 at ABC; and 27 at Fox. THERE'S A SMALL HOTEL: Some real estate professionals say they are seeing more people forced into early retirement looking to buy a small hotel where they can live and work. They typically are looking for a hotel or motel with fewer than 100 rooms and an owner's quarters, sometimes in an area where they've vacationed. There are "a lot of first-time people out there," says Duane Jones of Harbour Real Estate. OAG HAS HIGH-TECH PRODUCTS: Official Airline Guides is bringing out a flurry of products, most of them high-tech twists on OAG information. FlightFax, for instance, gives users detailed, up-to-the-minute flight data via facsimile machines. FlightCall is a telephone flight-update service in several major cities - call for flight status. This week OAG will launch products aimed at federal government worker-travelers. PARIS SAYS SKIRTS ARE LONG: Long. Strong. And somber. Those are the predominant fall trends emerging from the Paris ready-to-wear fashion shows, which end Wednesday. Hemlines have dropped. Adornment is nil. After seasons of precious poufs and mindless miniskirts, long, serious styles are back. A '70s anti-fashion feel has also returned. The new trend features jagged, unraveled, shredded and bunched hems, sleeves. WE WILL WEAR THEM LONG: Style pundits say it's doubtful American women will wear ripped, shredded clothes, no matter how chic. Longer skirts are a different story. Insiders whisper of long skirts at Calvin Klein and Donna Karan has "lots of long," says a spokeswoman. And 75% of Betsey Johnson's show will be long, wrap, slit skirts. Spokeswoman Lisa Decker says: "We've been doing the French resistance look." Trends & Marketing Editor: Beth Mann. (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