Experts anticipate a wide range of exciting new trends, from the trendy to the delicious.
NY Post photo composite
We’ve been finding out the best way to live in an (almost) post-pandemic environment in the last year. The behaviors that used to be considered strange, like working at home, living electronically, being thankful for things we previously took for granted, became normal.
In 2022 we’re all set for the next chapter. There’s one thing that’s certain We’re not returning to the ways of old. What can we expect from the new norm?
Experts share their predictions for this upcoming year.
ROBOTIC Restaurant Workers
“There are advantages to technology that exceed quality and uniformity,” experts say.
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Restaurant staff shortages are growing worse, as per the National Restaurant Association. Three out of four restaurant owners don’t have enough servers, but the demand for food in-person is gaining momentum. What can restaurateurs do? Hire robots.
In the summer of 2013, Sergio’s, the Cuban restaurant Sergio’s located in Miami, Florida, introduced the latest employee on their staff, Servi, which was created in the Silicon Valley company Bear Robotics. Servi provides food and cleans dishes, is hired by Sergio’s for about $999 per month, or around $2-$3 per hour, including support and installation, and does not take tips.
Flippy, the burger-flipping robot made by Miso Robotics, made its debut in 2018 at the CaliBurger, a burger chain based in Pasadena. CaliBurger was dismissed after a single day of flipping burgers at a too-fast rate. On November 1, Miso unveiled Flippy 2, a more sleek and autonomous version of its kitchen robotic, which is expected to become a member of the food industry at the end of this year.
“I do believe the key difference is that in 2022 we’ll probably see the actual use of specific machines like French fryers or pizza robots,” stated Jim Collins, President of Perfect Company, a leading provider of solutions in technology for the hospitality and restaurant industries.
The addition of robots doesn’t just concern simplifying the process of cooking. “It is a way to free the kitchen team to concentrate more on creativity and ingenuity,” said Collins. “There are advantages to technology that exceed quality and uniformity.”
MINIVANS
The much-hyped 2022 Kia Carnival as “sexy.”
Since their first appearance in the 1980s, Minivans haven’t been fashionable. They’ve been associated with soccer moms and viewed as the last option for families that aren’t financially savvy enough to buy an SUV. However, things changed in 2021. According to the Cox Automotive report, the minivan market grew by up to 84 percent. Minivans that are new such as the highly-hyped 2022 Kia Carnival (above), which critics have described as “sexy” and “sexy” — come with the same open doors, high seats, and sliding doors that are adored by suburbanites but have a tough and stylish style.
A large part of the minivan revival is due to COVID. “Minivans reflect the current pandemic-driven desire to be able to cocoon and flee,” said automotive journalist and minivan lover Brett Berk. “They’re an entire living space with wheels.”
Berk also identifies the shift in generation. “For Gen-Xers who were raised to station wagons, practicalities of minivans is a shock,” he said. “And they’re often or slyly irreverent. For example, if you wear wide-wale corduroy blazers. They’re not cool, but they’re cool.”
WANDERLUST Dating
The modern-day millennials want more than a meal and a film.
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After being at home for more than two years, Singles are “craving adventure and are ready for any challenge,” declared Talia Goldstein, The founder, and president for matchmaking services Three Day Rule.
The modern-day millennials want more than food and movies and are willing to travel farther than a taxi ride could get them. “Pre-pandemic dating clients would have requested the distance that was 10 miles,” Goldstein says. “Now clients are willing to play nationwide and may even relocate to find the perfect match.”
Tinder Passport, A premium feature that lets users connect with singles from all over the world, was launched in 2015. However, it reached its peak in popularity in the year prior. 2021 saw Tinder users “passported” to at least four cities and two countries. In addition, 76 percent of Tinder users met in a nation with a different language from their home.
“To make sure that flirts don’t get confused, we’ve partnered up with the language-learning platform Duolingo to offer 100,000 Tinder users a free month in Duolingo Plus,” said an official from the company.
VENDING MACHINES
Pizza vending machines are very popular, so much in Rome.
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When vending machines sold cigarettes, soda, or snacks, the days are gone. Nowadays, a new breed of small-scale entrepreneurs uses them to offer everything from miniature champagne bottles (Fort Lauderdale) to 45 different varieties of pretzels (Delray Beach) to butcher-cut raw beef (Tampa). Northern Michigan recently opened the first 24-hour goat cheese vending machine created by the dairy goats Idyll Farms. There are also cannabis vending machines that have been popping up all over California and Colorado. The Japanese carrier, Peach Aviation, has even begun selling “mystery” local flights via vending machines. (Customers do not choose destinations, but routes are randomly assigned.)
Pizza vending machines are extremely popular — including in Rome, Italy (above), and hundreds have appeared all over the United States in the past year. In the San Antonio International Airport, the pizza vending machine that cooks 10-inch brick oven pizza in only one minute — was added in the latter half of 2021 since terminal restaurants “were struggling with recruiting qualified employees,” said Jennifer Mills Pysher as the chief commercial officer of the airport.
This machine proved so well-loved Pysher stated that they would like to install more vending machines at the airport as well as in the baggage area, which will offer a vast selection of options such as “coffee and smoothies, ramen and fresh salads, sandwiches and more. We want cupcake machines!”
RUBBER SHOES
Retail analyst Liza Amlani predicts that rubber shoes will “catapult into new levels” by 2022.
Rubber shoes are getting a new look. Puddle Boots are a bright and chunky version of the traditional rain boot, created by Italian luxury brand Bottega Veneta (above), are selling out of stores and have fans that include Justin Bieber and “Black-ish” actor Tracee Ellis Ross. Crocs are the ugly foam clog; the fact that Time magazine once named them as one of the planet’s “worst inventions” has seen sales rise 65 percent in the past year after a stagnant decade. Questlove has worn the gold color of Crocs at the 2021 Grammys, and the renowned designer of sneakers, Saleh Bembury, introduced his take on the Crocs brand in December.
Retail analyst Liza Amlani predicts that rubber shoes will “catapult into new levels” in 2022. It’s not just since the famous sneakers are extremely comfortable and affordable, with an average cost of $45 or less.
The shoemakers who make rubber will be “aligning the values of their companies with the demands of customers in the area of the issue of sustainability,” says Amlani. Puddle Boot Puddle Boot is the first Bottega piece of footwear made from a biodegradable polymer. This year, crocs will unveil its first pair of shoes made from biodegradable material. They will also pledge to become net-zero-carbon by 2030.
MALLS
The mall’s visitor count in 2021 increased by 5 percent over levels before the pandemic.
The pandemic was close to sounding the death knell of malls. Visitation to the nationwide mall decreased by 91 percent in April 2020. However, according to transportation data company INRIX, the number of people who visited malls in 2021 increased by 5 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Retailers are coming back, too -For instance, Toys “R” Us opened an all-new flagship store in the American Dream mall in Bergen County, NJ, its first since it shut down all stores in 2018. Real estate agency CBRE predicts that 2022 will be the highest level of retail stores that lease at malls.
Some malls offer special offers to keep shoppers coming back. For instance, at American Dream, you can enjoy a meal in the company of SpongeBob and shop alongside a “fashion industry symbol” for only $3000. “Shopping is an activity that is social,” said retail consultant Georganne Bender. “In the world of numerous retailers offer the same product and the experience has become much more valuable than the item.”
Minnesota’s Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the world, is trying to provide its customers “something that they cannot find online,” says Jill Renslow. She is the vice for business development at the mall. This includes yoga studios to luxurious hotels located on the premises.
But the most significant draw has been the problems that online purchases were designed to alleviate. Even though the 2021’s Black Friday was a weeklong event, with deals that were not limited to one date, “we still saw people queue up early on Friday morning,” said Renslow. “They wanted to kick off the traditional start for the Christmas buying season.”
DIGITAL LEARNING
Many institutions offer substantial discounts to students who study online.
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Brick and mortar universities were forced to provide their classes online during the outbreak, and, now, remote learning is becoming the practice. The number of undergraduates who enroll online that require students to take a portion of all courses online has increased by 367 percent for this year under the National Center for Education Statistics.
MBAs online aren’t cheap, with the average being 140,000 dollars at Carnegie Mellon University. However, many schools offer substantial discounts to students who are solely online. For instance, at the University of North Texas, the average annual tuition fee for out-of-state graduates is around $31,540. But for an online MBA, the estimated total cost for the entire program is just $19,464.” Pet-
PET TRAVEL
friendliness” was the top search priority for travelers looking to book trips in 2022.
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Pet adoptions reached a record peak during the pandemic, and now, with restrictions getting looser, people want to go out without their beloved pets.
Analytics firm Zeta Global found that “pet-friendliness” was the top-ranked search term when travelers were planning trips for 2022. This proved to be “more important than cleanliness in hotels,” says Eric Bamberger Zeta Global’s vice director of hospitality.
Travel firms are now adapting to the needs of animals, starting with Airbnb to introducing AirCover insurance to shield the hosts from damages from pets and to Hilton Hotels expanding more.
The properties are designed to be pet-friendly.
“I think that more brands will follow Hilton’s example,” said travel psychologist Kate Cummins. “People have prioritized their needs in the wake of the epidemic, and keeping connected to things they enjoy like their pets is something people will require this year, especially with travel.”
FUNKY POPCORN
Celebs like Scottie Pippen along with Jonas Brothers. Jonas Brothers are now selling their brands of popcorn.
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In the wake of the pandemic and consumption, popcorn sales are expected to increase by 9 percent by 2021, according to market research company Information Resources, Inc. The trend isn’t limited to microwave popcorn, which has been used for decades.
Various new and often odd popcorn flavors have dominated the market, blending popcorn with everything from Cheetos-dust to liquor. Famous faces like Scottie Pippen and The Jonas Brothers are now selling their varieties of popcorn as well, and last month late-night hosts Stephen Colbert created a two-minute commercial for a tiny Minnesota popcorn shop. The commercial was narrated by Nick Offerman, who effused, “Damn, this stuff is great.”
AMC Entertainment, the largest movie theater company in the US, just announced that they would begin the sale of their popcorn — which they produce approximately 50 tons every day — at retail stores and mall kiosks throughout the country. They’re also planning to launch the delivery of popcorn that allows you to enjoy your favorite snack while watching a movie at the convenience of your own home.
It’s unclear what other movie companies follow AMC’s example. However, the retail analyst Amlani believes that by 2022, “popcorn may be the next pizza.”
