Here’s our checklist of where to spot changes in consumer behaviour, new trendsetting products or just super-smart thinking on where our societies are headed at large. Papers, websites, mags, blogs, books, news, newsletters1 Alerts2 TV, movies, radio Seminars, fairs, trade shows Customers, clients, colleagues, friends, family Eavesdropping, chat rooms, conversations In-house Trend Group Dedicated spotters network Other trend firms, thinkers (philosophers, architects, sociologists, management gurus) Advertising at large Competitors Street life, travel3 Friends, colleagues, family Ready made trend reports Consultants, researchers, experts Universities Shops, museums, hotels, airports Catalogues Trade shows Start ups Customized trend tours4

The catalyst to this change is eBay and similar sites that are quickly growing into mainstream shopping venues and creating unprecedented levels of liquidity for our everyday goods. This new liquidity is moving our society from an ‘accumulation nation’ of hoarders into one where our possessions can be constantly replaced with newer, better items.

Which brings us to eBay and the many other auction and classifieds sites now matching supply and demand for used goods. In fact, what started out as a ‘global garage sale’ is now responsible for making used goods a widely accepted alternative to buying new, while it has empowered well-off or just obsessed-with-the new TRANSUMERS to constantly sell products bought for temporary pleasure on to the next person (and then buy something else)