Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Hailstorms. To most Americans, these extreme weather events are a source of dread (and sometimes fascination). For those in the roofing industry, however, they mean something else: work.

Like it or loathe it, it seems like everyone has one. No, not “an opinion,” a smartphone.

How many people in the US have a smartphone? About 60% of the total population in 2015. No small feat, considering the devices really only gained consumer market traction when Apple introduced the first-generation iPhone in June 2007.

What’s driving smartphone adoption? It certainly isn’t the ability to share meaningful voice conversations with friends and family — you don’t need a smartphone for that. The real value lays in the ever-expanding range of capabilities smartphones possess and the services they can access.

Wine incites passion — in winemakers and sommeliers, in world-renowned wine writers, and in people who have the occasional glass with dinner or keep a bottle or two around the house. 

Whether it’s a celebrated vintage from a bygone era purchased at auction or an inexpensive selection grabbed from a display near the cash register for a quick weeknight dinner or Sunday picnic, wine needs to be protected from oxygen. It’s the packaging that does this, and while that packaging doesn’t stir the kind of emotion that the wine inside may, many people are very opinionated about how the wines they drink are packaged. 

It is said that sooner or later, all that is old is new again. When it comes to household cooking appliances, all that is old needs to be replaced again — eventually.

The need for replacement is the fundamental driver of demand for US household cooking appliances, which include gas cooking appliances, electric cooking appliances, and microwave ovens. Consumers often buy a new model upon moving into a new home, or when an old appliance becomes nonfunctional or outdated. Of course, purchase decisions are influenced by key trends.

As the current craze over Pokemon Go demonstrates, the age of electronic gaming has more than arrived. What many don’t know, however, is that the age of eSports has dawned as well. If you are saying to yourself, “What the heck is eSports?” you are not alone, but that does not mean eSports is not big business.

eSports (a.k.a. electronic sports or professional gaming) is a growing market where athletes compete via computers rather than on a field or in a stadium. So instead of watching football, baseball, or basketball, fans of these sports are watching StarCraft II, League of Legends, and Dota2.

US demand for distilled spirits is forecast rise 2.2% annually, amounting to 580 million gallons in 2020. Even in a country expected to total nearly 335 million people, that’s a lot of booze. 

The distilled spirits industry can thank Don Draper, the alcohol swilling ad man from the retro-themed television show Mad Men, for reigniting a cocktail culture among US consumers, particularly millennials. While Draper might have ordered a simple Old Fashioned (or three?) with lunch, today’s drinkers are more creative; cocktails with exotic inspirations — created, of course, by bartenders refashioned as “mixologists” — are de rigueur at many bars and a growing number of restaurants.

Summer is the season of blockbuster movies, weekend barbecues, garden weddings, and, of course, chain restaurants making every attempt to lure in new customers with seasonal cold beverage offerings. This year alone, we saw Starbucks introduce its blended Granitas drinks (only available after 3 pm as a part of its Sunset Menu), Chick-fil-A debut a frozen lemonade, and Checkers and Rally’s whip up six different frozen drinks and smoothies as a part of its new Chill Spot menu.

Sales of lawn and garden equipment have been sluggish in recent years. Sales peaked in 2005 and have been declining and struggling to pick up ever since.

Despite these continued challenges, consumer research firm Packaged Facts projects retail sales will increase by a CAGR of 3 percent in the U.S. to reach $11.8 billion by 2019. Read on to learn more.

There are a number of trends causing shake-ups in the personal care appliance market, leading to some interesting questions.

• Why is a vacuum company making hair dryers?
• How do the increasingly active lifestyles of elderly Americans present an opportunity for appliance companies?
• And what on Earth is “peak beard”?

If you want the answers to all these questions (and more), read on.

This past month, MarketResearch.com’s publishing divisions were cited in a wide variety of publications including the New York Times, Slate Magazine, and numerous trade journals. Take a look at a selection of press highlights below. To access more information about a particular topic, click the link to the report page.