Most of those among us who enjoy a drink now and again will not have been able to escape the onslaught and current variety of craft beers. This market is estimated to be worth $23.5billion, consisting of over 5,234 craft beer breweries in the US, compared to 2,000 just five years ago.
As an investment opportunity, it has most certainly passed for most as these micro-breweries are now neither miniature nor begging for capital. So what things or ideas are on-trend for investors? Here are some up and coming new crazes worth keeping an eye on.
Flavoured Beers
Staying with the beer theme, you can’t move for weird and wonderful flavours coming from the taps in your local bars. Chocolate, raspberry or rum are just a tiny sample of the flavoured beers consumers have available to them.
Whether we like it or not, variety is the spice of life and the more beers that bars and restaurants have available, the more likely the customers that are into that sort of thing are likely to come back. For an investor, the trendier the better, therefore flavoured beers could be a good bet.
Tobacco/Vapour Products
According to market analysts, one thing that will not make your money go up in smoke is the tobacco industry. It’s billed as the fastest growing sector, with a availability of new products and popularity in the developed world being considered a factor.
E-cigarettes are classed as Reduced Risk Products (RRPs) and with a population fixated on healthier living, they make an attractive alternative. However, despite the known risks associated with smoking, the tobacco market is still worth an incredible $770billion and is expected to get even bigger.
Arts and Crafts
This market is somewhat cyclical, but now is certainly a time where we are seeing arts and crafts gaining momentum. In a world filled with tech-obsessed consumers, it is not considered normal to be without a touchscreen device. Now there is a portion of the market looking to give their eyes a rest and their brains a different challenge.
Marketable products, such as cross-stitching sets and ‘How To’ guides on hobbies like calligraphy and embroidery, are certainly a craze worth investing in. It’s hip to be square right now, so this industry could see your investment grow.
Regenerated Retro Products
The re-launch of the Nokia 3310 in Europe (yet to be decided in the US) has highlighted a hunger in the tech market for new and improved versions of old products. Revamps, therefore, could be the in thing.
Arcade games, gramophones and Polaroid cameras are all examples of retro products which have been redesigned to be sleek-looking and operationally sound – sometimes all the things that the original versions were not.
Crazes are usually short lived, unless they replace something which fills a permanent niche. The mini-disk was trumped by the MP3 player and the digital camera has all but replaced traditional photography. But the beauty of crazes is that the most industrious inventors are backed by visionary investors. Or those of us in search of a quick way to multiply our bank balances!
