Have Tech, Travel – Dealerscope

Despite rising inflation and falling 401Ks, consumers are pushing travel plans — at least for this summer. To make vacations work — and work while on vacation — many are looking for technology that makes economy flight a little more comfortable and Airbnb more like home. Laptop computers, wireless headphones with active noise cancellation and smartphone accessories will continue to lead the way in travel technology, according to analysts and consumer electronics companies.

As inflation continues to erode consumer confidence, according to a recent Tripadvisor Global survey, 4 in 10 respondents plan to continue making travel plans. Additionally, air travel continues to approach numbers not seen since before the outbreak. On a single business day in June 2022, for example, the TSA processed 2.4 million passengers in 2018. It logged 2.7 million passengers on the same day in 2019, a sign that some of the moves are returning to normal.

To make sure they can still afford to travel, respondents to a Tripadvisor survey said they cut back on other areas, such as dining and clothing purchases, to compensate for inflation. So the desire to travel seems to be overcoming other budget fears.

“But with inflation slowing, consumers are still looking for bargains on technology purchases,” emphasized Avi Greengart, founder and lead analyst at the technology research firm.

Lisa Emard, director of media relations at Acer America, agreed, noting that consumers and travelers are looking for value: “With supply chain issues and the pandemic, customers are thinking more about purchases and doing research to justify them. You are buying high quality and reliable products.

A pleasant journey

To get back to the office or stream Disney+ at the cottage, travelers are still looking for lighter portable laptops, but with performance and sharper OLED screens. “Thin-and-light designs combined with performance processing and unique graphics can be used for gaming, as well as for school and professional work,” he said.

To save on lodging costs, more travelers are booking through websites like Airbnb, and since those rentals usually don’t offer all the amenities of a traditional hotel, more people are looking to tech solutions. Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K ($39.99), for example, is a popular device for bringing streaming video and music services out of the home. It plugs into an HDMI port on any TV but protects the owner’s security and privacy because the traveler doesn’t have to enter the login and password on Airbnb TV by someone they don’t know.

To help make sure getting there is half the fun — rather than half the trouble — Greengart says tech travel categories include bag and luggage trackers like Tile Mate (starting at $25) and Apple AirTags (starting at $29). and active noise canceling (ANC) headphones.

“ANC used to be reserved for premium headphones, but now it’s also available in affordable wireless headphones,” says Greengart. Models like Jabra’s Elite 7 Pro headphones offer better sound quality and comfort than Apple’s AirPods (3).^rd generation) for less money ($160 vs. $179).

A different eco trip

Ecotourism has transitioned into sustainable tourism, with destinations such as Switzerland offering electric car tours and even e-bike tours of the lake region around Lucerne. The trend has spawned popular brands like Clean Canteen, a stainless-steel, stainless-steel meal box set ($64.95) for carrying meals on flights that offers only protein bars and cookies in addition to water bottles. Meanwhile, in destinations like Hawaii, new sustainable products such as Sun Barrier Reef-Safe Sunscreen ($18) are popping up, like Zelias, to meet environmental regulations.

But these days it means eco economy. When travelers get back there, they say they want to do it more sustainably, but they’re unwilling to pay more to do so: Six in 10 of those surveyed say they won’t spend more, according to a Tripadvisor survey. Environmentally friendly options.

“Sustainability is an important part of a brand’s value, especially with younger consumers. However, consumers are not basing their technology purchasing decisions primarily on specific eco-friendly practices,” agrees Greengart. But “sustainability is an important part of a brand’s value proposition, especially with younger consumers,” he said. Thus, emphasizing ecological or climate-friendly practices or attributes may tip the purchasing decision in favor of one product over another.

“Customers are looking for eco-minded options that reduce their ecological footprint,” adds Acer’s Emard, adding that Acer’s Aspire Vero laptops use 30 percent post-consumer recycled plastic in their chassis.

There’s still a category of tech products that can resist inflation: smartphone accessories, like chargers and cables. “A big trend that continues to expand is energy—the Otterbox energy category has seen a ton of growth in the past year,” said Otterbox spokeswoman Kiana Noonan. Chargers and cables are more important than buying on demand, but Noonan Otterbox’s protective phone cases continue to work well too. “Protecting investments like phones is something people need to think about now more than ever,” she added.

tomorrow‘Travel view

Will the travel trend continue and defy inflationary forces? In a survey of 4,000 US consumers by Destination Analysts, a travel and tourism market research firm, 86 percent of respondents said they plan to travel in the next 12 months. But sustaining these numbers may depend on whether or not inflation can be brought under control.

In the meantime, it’s more important than ever for retailers to keep one eye on travel trends and one eye on back-to-school shopping, says Acer’s Emard. As we transition from summer vacation to fall school and back to the office, she says, retailers should be able to reposition some electronics. In other words, today’s travel laptop is tomorrow’s hybrid work computer.