The year of the ‘frugal outdoors’

As if week after week of dour economic reports were not gloomy enough, Americans were socked with record-setting cold temperatures and record snowfall throughout much of the United States this winter. But weather forecasters and economists alike are looking forward to brighter days.

After hunkering down for months, consumers are expected to loosen their grip on their wallets at about the same time they begin to let go of their wool coats and electric blankets this spring. Manufacturers of outdoor furnishings are prepared for this consumer mood swing. In designing collections for the 2010 outdoor season, the focus was on dazzling color to brighten our moods, plush comfort to ease our tension and increased value to minimize the impact on our wallets. “Small improvements can have a big impact on outdoor spaces,” said Jackie Hirschhaut, vice president of the American Home Furnishings Alliance, “and that’s just the kind of psychologically rewarding purchase many of us are ready to make.”

Read the full trend report here.