MARKET TRENDS: Weddings, proms, quinceaneras, and funerals: as spring comes round the corner, event planning is active but this year very cost controlled. Consumers are spending less on all of these activities, but they do continue. Here's some of the very latest media coverage of these markets. . .
with glimmers of hope and ideas for creatively marketing to customers. John DeNero of Encore Limousine in Wallingford, Conn., is shedding five cars from his fleet because of insurance costs and a downturn in weddings. John Pauwels, owner of Elite Limousine in Hendersonville, N.C., is not worried about the effects of a poor economy on his business; he served 86 proms last year in the Western North Carolina area. Quinceneras, celebrations for 15 year olds in the Hispanic community, have become so popular that the Roman Catholic Church has recently taken steps to institutionalize the ceremony by introducing a prayer book. And, as the recession deepens, even the typically stable $15 billion funeral industry is going through a downturn as families are beginning to seek ways to cut bills that were once seen as sacrosanct. It might be worth offering grieving families comfortable, affordable transportation packages even if they're avoiding traditional funerals. -- Jon LeSage
Print | posted on Monday, March 09, 2009 9:50 AM