In the post-financial crisis age, mindless consumption is out, and mindful consumption is in. Eighty-one percent of Americans according to my firm's research say the recent economic crisis has had a long-term effect on the way they spend their time and money. One example of this shift is the phenomenon of cooperative consumerism, in which social business models help American households avoid parting with their hard earned dollars.
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In the emerging barter nation, households are shifting from consumption to production. They’re sharing skills and resources and demanding more from your business. We’ve just scratched the surface of this movement. Whose to say they can't scale to the power of, say, Walmart?
