Latest news with #Millennial
Time Out
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Chicago is one of the top Pride Month destinations for 2025, per Airbnb
If you were planning to spend Pride Month somewhere fun, fabulous and full of flavor (rainbow and otherwise), you wouldn't be alone in choosing Chicago. According to Airbnb's 2025 travel data, the Windy City is one of the top trending Pride Month destinations among Gen Z and Millennial travelers, with searches spiking 37% over last year's numbers. Chicago joins the ranks of other buzzworthy Pride cities like Boston, Bogotá and Cologne, all seeing a swell in bookings as younger generations plan trips around parades, parties and unforgettable experiences. The data tracks bookings for late June, just in time for the city's big Pride festivities, including the iconic Chicago Pride Parade, which draws nearly a million people annually. And it's not just about marching. Airbnb has also spotlighted ' The Animated Tour of Chicago ' as one of the standout experiences travelers are booking while in town. The creative walking tour, hosted by local artist and animator O.J., blends history, city landmarks and vibrant visuals into a delightfully nerdy cultural deep dive. Think Schoolhouse Rock meets Chicago Architecture Center—with original art, humor and just the right dash of weird. Reviews call it '10/10,' 'super fun' and 'an incredible, inspiring start to the trip.' Pride-seekers can also take advantage of Airbnb's expanding menu of local services, from in-home yoga to prepared meals, all geared toward helping visitors make the most of their stay no matter their budget or itinerary. Chicago's place on the list makes sense: The city boasts a thriving LGBTQ+ community, legendary nightlife and plenty of rainbow-splashed events throughout the month. But it's also a city of neighborhoods—each offering something different, whether you're brunching in Boystown, gallery-hopping in Pilsen or cruising the lakefront on a Divvy bike with a drag queen-led tour (yes, that exists).
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
66% of Americans Are Making Purchases Earlier Than Planned, Due to Tariffs or Other Concerns, According to New Position Imaging/Harris Poll Survey
Concerns Drive Early Shopping; Secure Delivery Options Key to Supporting E-Commerce for Big-Ticket Items STRATHAM, N.H., June 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- As Americans navigate a shifting retail landscape marked by inflationary fears and confusion over tariffs, a new survey, commissioned by Position Imaging and conducted by The Harris Poll, reveals consumer sentiment around shopping and shipping behaviors. Nearly two-thirds of Americans (66%) report they will make certain purchases sooner than planned this year, primarily driven by concern over price increases tied to tariffs (51%). More than a third (36%) will shop early due to concerns of products going out of stock. While convenience likely continues to fuel online shopping, concerns about delivery logistics, particularly for larger purchases, are reshaping consumer behavior. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans (69%) say they are more likely to purchase oversized or big-ticket items, like TVs or exercise equipment, in-store rather than order them online for delivery. Among apartment and condo dwellers, this trend holds steady at 66%. "It's clear that consumers are feeling vulnerable when it comes to how, and whether their purchases will arrive safely, particularly for more expensive or oversized items," said Ned Hill, Founder and CEO of Position Imaging. "Our latest findings reaffirm that this concern is not just background noise, it's actively influencing shopping behavior. As online shopping accelerates, trust in secure, scalable, and future-proof delivery solutions is increasingly shaping where and how consumers choose to buy." Importantly, the survey found that 64% of Americans would feel more confident making oversized item or big-ticket purchases online to be delivered if they had access to a secure package storage room. This number rises to 68% among apartment and condo residents, a demographic often most impacted by the delivery challenges experienced at multifamily properties and student housing. Younger Americans are significantly more likely to be making purchases sooner than planned this year, with 87% of those ages 18–34 and 83% of those ages 35–44 saying they have or will expedite purchases, compared to just 66% of those ages 45–54, 53% of those 55–64, and 38% of those 65+. The data shows a generational divide, with Gen Z and Millennial consumers more proactively adjusting their shopping behavior. "As tariffs and other concerns drive earlier and more deliberate purchasing decisions, it's clear that reliable delivery infrastructure has evolved from a nice-to-have amenity into a foundational component of modern multifamily living," added Hill. "Secure package storage rooms, such as our Smart Package Room solution, remove friction from the fulfillment process and ensure that all packages–even oversized ones–are secured inside an access-controlled room for convenient resident pickup." Position Imaging's Smart Package Room system is an all-in-one package management solution that automates the process of package delivery and pickup using AI-powered computer vision technology. The future-proof, customized solution is deployed across residential, student housing, and commercial properties nationwide, providing a more secure and efficient experience for couriers, property managers, and residents alike. Survey MethodologyThis survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Position Imaging from June 3-5, 2025 among 2,081 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Position Imaging Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
As a Millennial who lived through ‘heroin chic', the Age of Ozempic terrifies me
There are a few rules that those in polite society should always follow. One is avoiding double-dipping when faced with a crudite plate and a bowl of hummus at an event. Another is never – ever! – assume that a woman is pregnant. Yet, for some reason, this rule has never seemed to apply when discussing celebrities. Most recently, the target was Taylor Swift, who managed to fuel pregnancy rumours after she was spotted wearing a loose fitting mini-dress. Seeing a woman yet again become the target for pregnancy speculation based on something as flimsy as a billowing bit of fabric or a post-dinner burrito belly, this online rhetoric goes a long way in explaining why three in four Australian high school-aged teenagers feel they need to be thinner. According to the Butterfly Foundation's annual BodyKind Youth Survey released in late May, 90 per cent of Australian teenagers now have some level of concern about their body image. Nearly half said they have never or rarely felt comfortable with their body (up from 40 per cent in 2022), while 75.5 per cent said that they wished they were thinner (up from 62 per cent in 2022). Nearly eight in 10 teenagers said they have been on the receiving end of negative comments about their body or had been teased about their appearance (up from seven in 10 in 2022). As an older Millennial who came of age in the Heroin Chic era – a time that was punctuated by Kate Moss declaring that 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels', jutting collarbones, pro-anorexia Tumblr accounts and diet tips like 'drink a glass of water every time you feel hungry' – it is haunting seeing this regression. If the same survey had existed when I was in high school, it's entirely possible that the results would have been scarily similar. That's not to say that nothing has changed in 20 years – because for a while there, things were getting better. Loading Though it was far from perfect, the body positivity and body acceptance movement of the past decade actually felt revolutionary in many ways. Seeing pop icon Lizzo declare herself to be 'the baddest bitch alive' in a lycra onesie onstage, felt profound because it was. As did seeing Ashley Graham, a 'plus-sized' model, grace the cover of Vogue in 2017 – the first time in the magazine's 135-year history. We nodded along as Meghan Trainor declared she was All About That Bass and danced along to Nicki Minaj's reinvigorated version of Baby Got Back. Even Moss herself, the queen of heroin chic, acknowledged the need for change, telling commentator Megyn Kelly in 2018 that she regretted her famous quip and that, 'there's so much more diversity now, I think it's right … it's better'. But all of this progress wasn't to last. Over the past year, the fashion set – the canary in the coalmine for all things trendy – has profoundly rejected its experiment with broadening its size appeal on the runway. Across the 2024 Spring/Summer runways, just 0.8 per cent of the models walking were 'plus-sized', compared to 2.8 per cent in 2020.
The Age
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
As a Millennial who lived through ‘heroin chic', the Age of Ozempic terrifies me
There are a few rules that those in polite society should always follow. One is avoiding double-dipping when faced with a crudite plate and a bowl of hummus at an event. Another is never – ever! – assume that a woman is pregnant. Yet, for some reason, this rule has never seemed to apply when discussing celebrities. Most recently, the target was Taylor Swift, who managed to fuel pregnancy rumours after she was spotted wearing a loose fitting mini-dress. Seeing a woman yet again become the target for pregnancy speculation based on something as flimsy as a billowing bit of fabric or a post-dinner burrito belly, this online rhetoric goes a long way in explaining why three in four Australian high school-aged teenagers feel they need to be thinner. According to the Butterfly Foundation's annual BodyKind Youth Survey released in late May, 90 per cent of Australian teenagers now have some level of concern about their body image. Nearly half said they have never or rarely felt comfortable with their body (up from 40 per cent in 2022), while 75.5 per cent said that they wished they were thinner (up from 62 per cent in 2022). Nearly eight in 10 teenagers said they have been on the receiving end of negative comments about their body or had been teased about their appearance (up from seven in 10 in 2022). As an older Millennial who came of age in the Heroin Chic era – a time that was punctuated by Kate Moss declaring that 'nothing tastes as good as skinny feels', jutting collarbones, pro-anorexia Tumblr accounts and diet tips like 'drink a glass of water every time you feel hungry' – it is haunting seeing this regression. If the same survey had existed when I was in high school, it's entirely possible that the results would have been scarily similar. That's not to say that nothing has changed in 20 years – because for a while there, things were getting better. Loading Though it was far from perfect, the body positivity and body acceptance movement of the past decade actually felt revolutionary in many ways. Seeing pop icon Lizzo declare herself to be 'the baddest bitch alive' in a lycra onesie onstage, felt profound because it was. As did seeing Ashley Graham, a 'plus-sized' model, grace the cover of Vogue in 2017 – the first time in the magazine's 135-year history. We nodded along as Meghan Trainor declared she was All About That Bass and danced along to Nicki Minaj's reinvigorated version of Baby Got Back. Even Moss herself, the queen of heroin chic, acknowledged the need for change, telling commentator Megyn Kelly in 2018 that she regretted her famous quip and that, 'there's so much more diversity now, I think it's right … it's better'. But all of this progress wasn't to last. Over the past year, the fashion set – the canary in the coalmine for all things trendy – has profoundly rejected its experiment with broadening its size appeal on the runway. Across the 2024 Spring/Summer runways, just 0.8 per cent of the models walking were 'plus-sized', compared to 2.8 per cent in 2020.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Majority of Consumers Say They Will Decrease Spending Once Tariffs Kick In
It seems U.S. consumers may be just as tariff-ied of added costs and brands and retailers. New data from e-commerce provider ESW shows that seven in 10 U.S. consumers plan to reduce their spending once President Donald Trump's tariffs take effect. Fionn Uibh-Eachach, vice president of global commercial services at ESW, said he believes that gap is even wider among younger generations. More from Sourcing Journal Algolia's New Tech Aims to Help Companies Capitalize On Consumers' Increasing Trust in AI Rick Caruso and Elyse Walker Announce Plans for Palisades Village Reopening Following SoCal Fires Kearney: Shoppers Place Higher Premium on Value Than Values 'Younger Gen Z and Millennial consumers will be especially price sensitive as they are not as financially prepared to absorb higher prices as older shoppers,' he said. And indeed, ESW's data shows that Millennials are the most price sensitive group of all; 78 percent said they plan to decrease spending. One-quarter of all U.S. consumers also plans to decrease spending or abstain from buying on Amazon Prime Day this summer, according to data from Akeneo. And though consumers are finicky, it seems they have a bit of flexibility around single-digit percentage point increases to their goods. But many draw the line at a 10 percent increase. Six in 10 U.S. consumers said they would not absorb a cost increase of 10 percent or more once tariffs kick in. ESW's data shows that, despite their general caution around spending because of tariffs, about half of consumers would like to see brands and retailers offer free shipping or discounts in exchange for higher prices. Uibh-Eachach said that's a promising sign for brands and retailers, if they can find the right balance. 'It was great to see that most respondents understand that brands will not be able to absorb all the extra costs and are willing to have options like free shipping and loyalty rewards in exchange for increased prices,' he said. But it seems, regardless of the benefits they might try to bait consumers with, consumers still want retailers to be transparent about their price hikes. According to software company K-ecommerce's research, only 14 percent of consumers said they feel brands are transparent about their price changes. And Michael Netto, general manager at the company, said that kind of transparency can be make or break for a stressed-out consumer. 'If you're not updating prices in real-time, personalizing the buyer journey, or explaining where your price hikes are coming from, your customers will go somewhere that does,' Netto said. That sentiment may be particularly true for discretionary categories, including fashion and apparel. ESW's data showed that 61 percent of U.S. consumers plan to decrease the amount they spend on apparel and accessories because of tariffs. K-ecommerce's data showed that, across categories, 44 percent of U.S. consumers have already shaved down their spending. And while about one-quarter of U.S. consumers reported noticing a significant increase in fashion and apparel prices, Netto said the brands and retailers in the industry are far from off the hook. 'Fashion and apparel live on discretionary spending, and with indicators pointing to that pipeline tightening, brands need to rethink everything from SKU strategy to how they communicate value,' Netto said. 'If you're not updating prices in real-time, personalizing the buyer journey, or explaining where your price hikes are coming from, your customers will go somewhere that does,' Netto said. Beyond strategies seen and experienced directly by the customer, brands and retailers will likely have to make changes behind the scenes, Uibh-Eachach said, noting that further expansion into diverse geographic markets will be a boon to brands and retailers that can make that happen. But, in the U.S., companies may have to shift their trade, customs and warehousing strategies to account for consumer price sensitivity, while also remaining conscious about their own margins. 'Various strategies include using existing customs measures, such as drawback or bonded warehousing, alternative fulfillment strategies or B2B2C type of importing arrangements which can reduce brands' embedded duty cost in their supply chain and allow them to remain competitive,' Uibh-Eachach said. 'The retailers and brands that adopt these strategies will be the ones that will remain price competitive and won't have to pass on significant tariff costs to consumers.'
