As an investor, you are always looking for the next big idea worth backing. That could be with a long-term, game changing aim in mind, or a fast turnaround profit on your capital. But with the volatile nature of the stock markets and their susceptibility to political change, you might have to look to the trusty consumer to help make it happen.
The one thing you can rely on for short term investment are the latest crazes – be it for the younger or more mature markets. A toy which might have the kids obsessed for a few months, or a recreational product for adults who have some disposable cash to get rid of. There is always something to help them. Here are five new crazes which could be as profitable as they are popular.
Virtual Gyms
Forget being barked at by your trainer in person, virtual gyms are now very much a reality. You turn up to a gym class in the same way, put your towel down like you always have, but rather than a depressingly super-fit trainer in the flesh, you watch them on a screen instead.
Health and fitness is something that is valued more than ever in the US, but what is valued more is how time is spent. A perfect combination would be of the two; you get in, get sweaty, get out. From an investor standpoint, overheads are low and participation is high, making for a sleek model and a potentially excellent return.
Smoking and new-age tobacco products
It is believed that 11% of the world’s 11-15 year olds are now using tobacco products. That could be a hint that smoking is on the rise globally and that the market is set to continue growing – fast.
There is such a huge array of products being churned out by the tobacco industry that it is very hard to keep up. Is this a sign that the market is saturated? Quite the opposite, in fact. The mere fact that the variety is so vast shows that there is plenty to go around by way of investment opportunity. The explosion of e-cigarettes has spawned a new-found interest in all things tobacco and it is only going to get bigger. A sound market for an investor to boost their portfolio.
Flavoured Beers
Perhaps targeting a quite particular market, but one with the biggest amount of surplus cash, is the world of weird and wonderful flavoured beers. You don’t need to be a connoisseur to realise that the craft beer industry has taken over – the marked is estimated to tip over the $500billion mark by 2025.
That investment opportunity has sadly been extinguished, with a lot a heavyweight backing being dished out which, strangely, flies in the face of the traditional craft beer mantra (small-scale runs of special brews). But the flavoured beer market is gaining good traction. The wide choice of quirky flavours (coconut, mango, rum to name a few) appeals to frequent and infrequent drinkers alike, so could represent an ideal way of turning a relatively small cash injection into a longer term investment success story.