The recession and reduced expenditure has meant many consumers are increasingly looking for unfussy, practical products, which don't break the bank. The keyword is 'functionall - simple, small and cheap appeals to all', from those in developing countries to people in mature consumer markets who wish to make sustainable and ethical purchases. Trendwatching.com has been busy gathering the latest innovations to suit this market; for example, there's the mobile phone with an inbuilt solar panel - no charger required but my favourite has to be the €1 trainers by Adidas, worth a lookps. while you're there, you may want to whizz through some of the recent Trend Briefings which have discussed Consumer Trends for 2010, Sellsumers and Foreverism...



