Reportlinker Adds Let The Good Times Roll: How Global Consumers Are Using Leisure and Escapism to Cope with Recession

Although the economic situation appeared to be improving in some countries by the last quarter of 2009, there was little sign of improvement in people's daily lives, especially as unemployment rates were continuing to rise.

The desire for escapist pursuits will remain strong while economies are depressed, although consumers will be more choosy about how they spend their money and are likely to prefer cheaper options, such as the TV, on-line entertainment and outdoor pursuits.

Although work pressures will continue to mount, as companies strive to become more competitive, at the same time, people will continue to seek a better work-life balance in the future, for example by working from home or working more flexible hours.

An obsession with the lifestyles of the rich and famous will drive sales of celebrity-endorsed products, such as fragrances and sportswear, as well as readership of glossy magazines and lifestyle websites.

At the same time, a heightened interest in seeing ordinary people achieve their dreams will lead to the continued success of talent-based TV shows, such as "The X Factor", Strictly Come Dancing and Britain's Got Talent.

The desire to travel will remain as strong as ever, if not stronger, over the forecast period. However, constraints on household budgets will mean that many consumers will need to settle for destinations that are less luxurious and/or closer to home than they would like.

In years to come, the more family-centred cocooning trends that are being shaped by the economic slump are projected to continue. This will benefit a host of markets, from indulgence foods and alcoholic drinks to electronics, gaming and Internet services, and DIY.

The longer term future will see the development of even more sophisticated Internet technology, dubbed Web 3.0, which will provide users with richer and more relevant on-line experiences.

Music will increasingly be downloaded or streamed direct to PCs, MP3 players or smartphones rather than purchased in a physical format. Indeed, CDs may in the future go the same way as vinyl and cassettes, and become obsolete but for a small collectors' market.

The concept of "transumerism" may evolve further, so that while consumers will still hanker after more luxurious means of escapism, such as yachts, Harleys or apartments in the sun, they will be content to rent or part-own things rather than buy them outright.

Video gaming will continue to be one of the fastest growing areas of the leisure market over the forecast period, but the future will see a shift away from consoles and software towards on-line gaming, whether on PCs, via smartphones or on dedicated devices, such as the iPod Touch.

Analysts believe the future of digital communications and entertainment lies in "augmented reality", which blurs the line between what is real and computer-generated by placing informative graphics and audio in the user's field of view to coincide with whatever they are seeing.

The longer term future may see the demise of some specialist games stores, which rely on sales of packaged products. In the future, on-line stores will provide a virtual global village, offering downloadable content, such as video clips, music tracks and add-ons for games.

The film industry will continue to see a switch from celluloid film to digital technology, and the roll out of 3D films should ensure that the current boom in cinema attendance will continue into the forecast period.

Euromonitor International's Let The Good Times Roll: How Global Consumers are Using Leisure and Escapism to Cope with Recession Strategy Briefings is a series of reports that alert you to global trends predicted to influence consumer markets. They offer insight to changing market conditions and the opportunities and challenges companies need to consider to maintain a competitive advantage .

List of Contents and Tables

Executive Summary.... 1

Drivers . 1

Leisure Trends ... 2

Chart 1 Top 10 Countries For Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation 2008 . 2

Escapism Trends 3

Outlook 5

Summary 1 Leisure and Escapism: Opportunities and Challenges for Marketers . 5

Definitions 6

Category Definitions for Leisure and Recreation Consumer Expenditure Data . 6

Drivers 8

Economic Pressures 8

Table 1 GDP Growth in Selected Countries 2007-2010 .... 9

Rising Unemployment .. 9

Table 2 Unemployment in Selected Countries 2007-2010 ... 10

The Feel Good Factor 11

Celebrity Culture .. 13

Summary 2 Selected Celebrity Fragrance Launches 2009 14

The Importance of Leisure .. 14

Chart 2 Amount of Paid Holidays in Major Markets 2008 ... 16

Table 3 Per Capita Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation in Selected Countries 2003/2008 17

Sporting Interest ... 18

Chart 3 Leading Spectator Sports 2007 .. 19

Table 4 Leading Companies Associated with Sports Sponsorship 2007 . 20

Demand for Affordable Indulgence 20

Chart 4 Global Sales of "Feel Good" Cosmetics and Toiletries 2003/2008 . 22

Chart 5 Sales of Selected Indulgence Foods 2003/2008 .. 23

Table 5 Alcoholic Drinks and Cigarettes 2003/2008 .. 24

Renting/Fractional Ownership. 25

Escapism in the Home ... 26

Cocooning ... 26

TV on Demand .. 27

Table 6 Digital Satellite Pay-TV Subscribers in Europe 2004/2009 ... 28

Digital Communication and Media 28

Table 7 Sales of Selected Consumer Electronics 2003/2008 29

Video Games .... 29

Table 8 Global Sales of Video Games (Hardware and Software) 2004-2009.... 30

Chart 6 Sales of Video Games (Hardware and Software) in Leading Markets 2009 ... 30

MMOPRGs .. 35

DIY and Gardening .... 36

Table 9 Retail Sales Through Home and Garden Specialist Retailers in Selected Markets 2003/2008 37

Escapism Away from Home ... 37

Discovering the Great Outdoors ... 38

Travel: The Ultimate Escape .... 38 Strategy Briefings: Escapism World ? Euromonitor International Page ii

Table 10 International Tourism Arrivals 2004-2009 .... 39

Table 11 Global Tourism Departures – International vs Domestic 2004-2009 ... 39

Table 12 Revenues from Campsites in Leading Markets 2003/2008 .... 40

Day Trippers .... 41

Table 13 Revenues from Theme/Amusement Parks in Leading Markets 2003/2008 .... 42

Cinema .... 43

Table 14 Cinema Attendance in Selected Countries 2004/2009 .. 44

Theatre.... 45

Mobile Cocooning 45

Table 15 Mobile Telephone Subscriptions by Country 2004/2009 .. 47

Retail Therapy .. 49

Escapism Via the Net .... 51

Overview . 51

Levels of Internet Usage . 52

Table 16 Number of Internet Subscribers in Selected Markets 2004/2009 53

Blogging . 54

Table 17 Global Bloggers by Type 2008 .. 55

Social Networking . 56

Table 18 Social Networking Users by Site 2007-2008 . 56

Table 19 Social Networking Users by Region 2007-2008. 57

Microblogging . 58

Video Sharing... 59

Digital Music and Video . 59

On-line Shopping .. 60

Key Market Trends .. 61

China . 61

Table 20 China: Consumer Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation by Type 2003/2008 .. 63

France 63

Table 21 France: Consumer Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation by Type 2003/2008 . 65

Germany . 65

Table 22 Germany: Leisure Habits 2008 .. 65

Table 23 Germany: Consumer Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation by Type 2003/2008 67

Italy .... 67

Table 24 Italy: Consumer Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation by Type 2003/2008 68

Japan . 68

Table 25 Japan: Consumer Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation by Type 2003/2008 .. 70

UK . 70

Table 26 UK: Consumer Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation by Type 2003/2008 . 72

US . 72

Table 27 US: Consumer Expenditure on Leisure and Recreation by Type 2003/2008 .. 74

Future Outlook .... 74

Depressed Economy will Drive Need for Escapism 74

Recovery Rates will Vary 75

But Unemployment will Remain High .. 75

Table 28 Forecast GDP Growth and Unemployment Rates in Key Markets 2008-2013.... 76

Striving for Better Work-life Balance .. 77

Travel will Pick up Slowly ... 77

Table 29 Forecast Global Tourism Arrivals 2009-2014 .... 78

Cocooning will Continue Beyond Recession ...... 78

From Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 .... 78

The Future of Music is in Streaming.. 78

Temporary and Fractional Ownership 79

Video Games will Move On-line.... 79

Table 30 Forecast Global Market for Video Games 2009-2014 . 79

Augmented Reality 80

Cinema Goes Digital . 80

To order this report:

Leisure Industry: Let The Good Times Roll: How Global Consumers are Using Leisure and Escapism to Cope with Recession

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Nicolas Bombourg

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