As a GfK analysis underlines, people now working or studying from home have created a unique opportunity for tech and durables (T&D) companies to bring products to market that meet the demands of this remote/hybrid work culture.
According to GfK data, globally, 16% of companies are fully remote, approximately 62% of employees aged 22 to 65 say they currently work remotely at least occasionally, and 99% would choose to work remotely for the rest of their life, even if it was just part-time. The industries with the highest numbers of remote workers are healthcare 15%, technology (10%) and financial services (9%).
The remote working consumer will see seismic shifts over the next five to ten years. Experts predict that 73% of all global departments will have remote workers by 2028. And with global sales of T&D up 18.1% to 646 billions between January and September 2021 (compared to the same period in 2020), the rising demand for home office equipment provides a strong opportunity for T&D brands.
Virtual reality (VR) has a part to play too and GfK data shows that 22.5% of global consumers plan to buy a standalone VR headset ‘in the next year or two, suggesting that this way of working could soon become a reality. As demand increases and more suppliers enter the VR space, manufacturing costs will drop. In turn, we will see more applications appearing as brands latch onto the trend. 61% of consumers say they prefer retailers with augmented reality (AR) experiences.
