How do you decide which industry trends are worth embracing?

[tranguyen]

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

With Instagram, TikTok, and other social media platforms, trends can take off in an instant — whether it’s the rise of small plates and shareable dishes, the shift from cozy daytime cafés to buzzing nighttime wine bars, or the growing focus on sustainability.

That got us thinking:

How do you decide which industry trends are worth embracing?

How do you strike the balance between staying true to your brand while adapting to new trends? Is there a point where catering to customers meets gently guiding them toward what they truly need, and staying within your niche?

We’d love to hear your thoughts! Let’s chat below. 👇✨

[Esoteric · Accepted solution]

Personally I tune in and ask myself how it feels for me? Does this trend make me feel something? If so, what is it? Does it align with my brand and what I stand for? Self reflection is key 🗝️ 

[SugarAndSkinSpa]

I I completely agree with @Esoteric.  We are a Veteran, Queer, Woman, Jewish owned business.  Many trends don't align with my viewpoints about life.  I don't "do" activism at my business, and steer clear of those types of trending things on our social media.  We have an incredibly diverse clientele, and are a safe space for most people.  I don't intend to jump on a trend that does not equate to the values our brand stands for.

[The_Phoenix]

I sell small antiques, collectibles, and vintage items. I don't pick, buy, trade, or barter for anything that I don't like and would not enjoy owning myself (sometimes I do keep treasures for a couple of months in my own house until I can bear to let go of them.) I like what @Esoteric said about how it has to make you feel something. If it makes us feel right (happy, nostalgic, glamorous, moody, bright, childish, dark, whatever that feeling is that we need to feel right then) it will automatically align with our brands 

[GFC25th]

COMPLETELY agree!

Trends are exactly that- trends. What feels right to you and your business is so much more than that. We are also getting BLASTED with conflicting information, constantly. Nothing is a one-size-fits-all, and many of us are successful in our businesses because of the uniqueness we provide. That doesn't mean steering clear of all trends, but it means doing what feels right for our business - trendy or not. Also, that uniqueness has such a great ability to CREATE a trend - even if just in your community.

[PerroneTech]

I concur with @Esoteric's statement. My computer business is simply repair. It isn't very trendy at all. I can apply things like popular tech or latest tech to my builds, but that is about as far as it goes. My fragrance business benefits more from trends and such. However, my fiance and I are Millenials, my fiance is BARELY one as she was born in '81. We are in the ebbs and flows of social media, but we are hardly ones who pickup on the trends early enough to take advantage of it.

Perhaps this will change, but the way our business operates, we cannot move that fast. Our product requires research, procurement, testing, and some more testing before being released. So we have to operate on a longer wavelength than some trends do. I hope to be at a place where we can see trends happening and be able to capitalize on them, but at this moment we just are trying to go from a crawl to a slow walk.

The internet is a zany place, things happen in a flash and are gone just as quickly. For us, we always want the business to be a reflection of who WE are. Even if that means not hopping on trends. It does leave us bitter sometimes to see other businesses in our industry who did hop on trends very quickly, but we sleep well knowing we don't have to, or feel like we should. Our business is infantile and we will find our way. We are going through a small rebrand right now, just by happenstance. I'm in no rush to hop on trends, something new is always around the corner anyway.

[Lovewell]

This is so good! 
There are SO many trends in coffee. At first we ask ourselves if this trend even resonates with us. If it doesn’t we toss it. If we aren’t excited about something we couldn’t possibly try to sell it even if it is trendy. We also have core values, if something doesn’t align with those values we toss it. 

We also give it our best efforts to stay ahead of trends. Constantly trying to be creative and push the envelope. 

MONEY! As much as we went into this knowing full well we wouldn’t be millionaires we do have to pay attention to if something even financially makes sense. Yes it’s cool and cute but if it’s not sustainable it’s not worth the loss regardless of the trend. 

[The_Phoenix]

Love what you said at the end of your post. My little antiquing business is about to get its own little brick-and-mortar store this summer. I'm not going to be doing it for the money; it's a passion, an addiction! But at the end of the day, the light bill needs to get paid and I need enough cash to hit the next auction. Trends in antiques, collectibles, and vintage items can change from one little town to the next here in mid-Missouri. I stick to what moves me, those pieces that stand out at an estate auction that I can create a room around in my mind's eye even if it's just a beat-up old chicken waterer! Stay true to yourselves!

[Lovewell]

absolutely! 

I am a sucker for vintage juice glasses. I have a set I got from the thrift with fruits on them then proceeded to find the large juice carafe to match. It IS addicting. Now I am just looking for a cap for the orange juice carafe. That is the hard part to find. 

Keep doing what you do! Cheering you on. 

[Headpinz]

That’s a tough one, but honestly, it’s something we do naturally every day. As a Family Entertainment Center in a fast-growing market, we’re always keeping up with the latest and greatest in tech and attractions. The big question we always ask is: what’s next?

A lot of our ideas come from trade shows like IAAPA, where we get a firsthand look at new attractions from all over the world. On top of that, we’ve built strong connections across the country, which helps us stay ahead of the curve.

The latest addition we’re bringing back from IAAPA is a fresh take on our laser tag experience. Even though it’s already one of our most popular attractions, we’re leveling it up by combining it with Gel Blasters—it’s going to be even better!

So instead of just following industry trends, we focus on staying ahead of them.

[Carla510]

I own www.lovettpopcorn.com. For me, trends are a touchy subject. I feel like I have been creating the trend for my business as opposed to looking for trends. Also, in food if you go to far off your typical flavors or dishes you will lose your customer base. Trust is everything since people connect food and flavors with life experiences.

[TCSlaguna]

I agree with @Esoteric. It needs to resonate with us, and it needs to be part of our core competencies. 

We want to deliver the best customer service possible. If ultimately we do not believe in the product or service that we are offering, it will reflect in the quality of service we provide, and people will see right through us. 

Having said that, there have been industry trends that have aligned with what we do, and it has been great seeing the business prosper thanks to these trends. Adding our own twist to things... that's what makes people come to us over others. 

[rtfulk]

Trends are challenging for us. We need to place our production orders 4-6 months in advance, which means several trends can emerge and decline within that timeframe. Consequently, we prioritize sticking to the basics. However, there’s an advantage to the clothing business: if a trend becomes extremely popular, it will be manufactured  as Ready To Ship (RTS) and we can receive it within a few days. However, it’s crucial to ensure that the trend is genuinely popular to avoid holding onto unwanted merchandise.

[Lovewell]

Clothing trends are wild! You guys are awesome. So cool to know a little bit of the behind the scenes. 

What is a trend you’re noticing right now that is labeled RTS? 

[rtfulk]

@Lovewell Sequins, sparkly and tutu style dresses are really trendy right now, almost a flashback to the 70's. Probably one of the biggest trends right now is a kid version of the cross body sling bags everyone is carrying, kids love those things. We sell a lot of them.

[Lovewell]

This is awesome haha! 

I am team sparkle so I am liking this trend haha. 

Kid version of crossbody sling bags honestly sound adorable!! 

Thanks for sharing. 

[Stacelyn24]

Trends are like glitter—fun in small doses but a nightmare if you let them take over. At Digits and Spikes Nail Studio, we stay true to our brand by focusing on healthy, natural nails, so if a trend aligns with that (hello, BIAB and Gel-X!), we’re all in. But if it involves 3-inch duck nails or glow-in-the-dark acrylics… yeah, we’ll pass.

The key? Balance. We listen to our clients, but we also gently guide them toward what actually benefits their nails—not just what’s viral this week. Because at the end of the day, good nails should last longer than the latest TikTok trend. 😉

[ChickenRacer]

My demographic is mainly "Grey Nomads" (so retireees caravanning.... is that a universal term or is it just an Australian colloquialism?) so keeping up with the trends isn't necessarily a huge need, as they (as a group) are slow to change haha. Generalisation I know, but I am not having a go at them, I love it, makes them predicatable to a degree, which makes service easier to excel.

I keep up with the trends as much as possible, mainly via social media and the things that seem to get momentum for their gripes. For example, the last two years has seen a huge push for no steaks/schnitzels on top of chips as "they get soggy". Also, people griping about no Pinot Gris/Grigio at venues. These are two we have worked on and implemented.  I pay for a FB group monitor, and search for certain terms.

I also keep an eye on venues that seem progressive (and that seem to get this right) and see what they are doing.

In terms of deciding on whether or not to implement, I check it's in budget, I take it to the team for their input, and I must admit I make sure it passes my gut feeling test haha

[JUYBoutique20]

Being in the boutique industry we always carry something on trend, but we surround that piece with staple pieces that you always need in your wardrobe.  Showing the customer how to wear trend statements with those staple pieces keeps them coming back for more.

[MudFire_Dex]

We brush against this every once in a while - trends in ceramics as they relate to glazes or trendy products often require a conversation around safety and protection of others (like the nail conversation above so that people are taking ceramic safety seriously). Some things are fun like transfers or new colors but some trends can have an inherent danger or selfish component and we always base our conversations in working in community instead of working as individuals. We try to make eco-conscious decisions and steer our customers with us. We are in a more rigid business - I would imagine food, retail clothing, beauty to all be very affected by trends. Good question @tranguyen 

[doc_choc]

@tranguyen Dubai chocolate, a whole load a fuss about a chocolate bar? For the majority of customers they taste great but so does the majority of quality chocolate products if treated with respect by the chocolatier. Chocolate as with most edible products holds personal favorites to our customers, it can be very subjective. The Dubai bar looks great visually. A chunky looking bar, with its vibrancy of pistachio color and gooey center, but in the majority of cases the colour will be enhanced with colour additives to give is light stability and colour pop. The price of pistachios makes it and extremely costly product if used in any reasonable levels and if made to the traditional recipe has a shelf life typically 3-4 days which limits its commercial viability somewhat. Trends are great, but think carefully when considering to whether to follow or not.