Rejection is trending - and for once, that’s a good thing.
According to Local 4 Lifestyle Editor Jon Jordan, a wave of consumer pushback is reshaping everything from car dashboards to closets, as shoppers grow more discerning about what they’ll accept - and what they won’t.
The average new car in America now costs about $50,000, and buyers are tired of paying for complexity they don’t want. Automakers are responding by stripping back overloaded touchscreens in favor of simpler controls.
“There’s a trend in the automotive business to now come up with the basic car and sort of get rid of the bells and whistles. That’s what consumers want,” Jordan said. “Things like switches, knobs, and toggles are being reintegrated into fancy virtual dashboards.”
Even luxury buyers are rejecting all-digital interiors, he said, noting shoppers “want to be able to turn the radio volume down with a knob.”
The rejection trend extends to retail, too. After years of e-commerce dominance, shoppers are heading back to physical stores.
“People are going back to brick and mortar, which means physical stores,” Jordan said. “They want the experience of feeling something and trying things on.”
Independent boutiques and mom-and-pop shops are benefiting most, Jordan said, as shoppers crave personal service that online retailers can’t replicate.
“These are the retailers that are really seeing an influx of new customers,” he said. “They like the in-person attention and advice.”
Social media influence is fading too, according to Jordan, who cited research showing that likes and followers aren’t translating into sales the way businesses once assumed.
“Now that the research is more discerning, it’s the influencers are not so influential,” he said.
Meanwhile, fast fashion’s decline is fueling an unexpected resurgence: the suit. Jordan said workers are trading business casual for versatile, travel-friendly suiting that can be mixed, matched and packed without a second thought.
“There’s a growing number of people who are in the workforce who are choosing to wear suits,” Jordan said. “There are suits you can buy now that you can wad up in a bag and literally throw it in a carry-on.”
Whether it’s dashboards, closets or shopping carts, Jordan said the message is clear: less can be more.
“Rejection is still trending,” he said - “with the exceptions.”
Click on the video above to watch the full segment.