TEN years ago, expectant moms had to make do with sailor-collared maternity tops, jeans of their husbands (as they would fit a growing belly) and blah inch-high shoes to go out. If one had a little baby, the mom would have to bring along bottles of milk (whether formula or breast milk expressed at home) since it would be such a hassle to do breast-feeding outside the home. The huge stroller would have to be brought along, since it would be too tiring to carry the baby all the time.

But now there’s a whole lot of fashionable maternity clothes out there. Breast-feeding in public is a cinch with nursing bibs that allow babies to nurse discreetly. There’s even a sling moms can wear so they can carry their babies well for long periods of time.

And the products for moms and infants have more than doubled over recent years: belly belts (maternity pants extenders), nappy clutches (fashionable diaper bags), breast milk trays (for freezing breast milk), massage oil for babies, parenting magazines, etc.
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IT used to be that all Filipinos had to do to look fabulous was to go to the neighborhood beauty salon. Now there are a whole lot of places to patronize if one is really vain or conscious about appearance: the facial salon, the spa, the medi-spa, the cosmetic surgeon, etc.

Indeed, it seems that Filipinos have become more vain over the years, a fact observed by Faces & Curves’ Dr. Jesus “Jay” Recasata, Jr., a plastic surgeon, and his wife Dr. Sheila A. Recasata, a dermatologist. In the past eight years since Dr. Jay established his practice in Greenhills, he has seen the demand for cosmetic surgery and beauty services rise. “The prospects for the future are good,” says Dr. Jay.

This is why in 2005, Dr. Jay asked his wife to join him in his practice and renamed the clinic Faces & Curves. Aside from surgical services offered (cosmetic, plastic, and reconstructive), the state-of-the-art clinic has since offered beauty services for the face, skin and body, all performed by board-certified doctors.

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Whether in services, consumer goods, beauty and health care, or food business, each entrepreneur must stay on top of trends. Here is a regular Philippine Daily Inquirer feature that should give many of you an idea on trends that could complement your business. This is just an excerpt so if you want to read the entire article, click here.

These are the fastest moving products in the various establishments:

Jollibee
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Wondering what level the peso will be at this year (against the dollar of course)? Perhaps you need it for your business strategy or for accounting purposes. Here is a running tally of what analysts and economists see for the peso this year. This feature of Open For Business will be regularly updated. So bookmark this blog!

Citibank - P38 in Q1, P35 by yearend (as of February 4, 2008)
American Express - P40 by yearend (as of December 27, 2007)
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(Photo from AFP)

If you believe the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), businesses in the consumer sector will continue to have a profitable year in 2008, despite the appreciation of the peso.

Read this article:

MANILA, Philippines — The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has downplayed concerns that consumer spending, a major growth driver of the economy, may be dampened this year by the continuing strengthening of the peso.

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