Technologies become parts of our life and we are getting used to them. Cell phones are capable of doing many things including transferring money, booking a ticket, ordering food, or calling a cab. These conveniences have shaped people to be technology-dependent and willing to pay an extra for their convenient lives. This is where the Lazy Economy and Lazy Consumer starts. We can call such a behavior as a need for the most convenient, fastest, and reduced complication which makes people happy as they do not need to do things by themselves.

Top 10 lazy activities for Thais

It is certain that new-generation people are addicted to conveniences around the world. According to the research-based on 1,200 Thais, which can be classified to Z-generation, Y-generation, X-generation, Baby Boomers, it is found that 10 activities which Thai people are too lazy to do are 1. exercising (84%) 2. waiting in line for shopping (81%) 3. house working (77%) 4. reading (70%) 5. cooking (69%) 6. meeting or talking with many people (68%) 7. doing skincare (68%) 8. study/working (65%) 9. going out for shopping (64%) and 10. traveling around (60%) (source: College of Management, Mahidol University)

Besides, Taobao, a Chinese leading shopping site, reports that Chinese consumers under 25 years old love convenience and are willing to pay for goods or services in order to save their energy and time. This promotes the convenient good products line sales up to 70% and the top 4 are the 1-time applied eyeshadows, multipurpose hot air ovens, adjustable game-playing chairs, and smart home devices.

“SLOTH”, the strategy for the “Lazies”

Conducting business for the lazies needs the final move which is responding to those convenience-addicted people’s needs which are the most convenient, saving energy, no wasting time, no need to leave home, easing the burden, and promoting life quality. If a business can offer goods or services which makes people’s life better, more convenient, and easier, such a business will be able to attract this type of consumer. The keys to success are:

• Speed: quick, no wasting time.
• Lean: short, reduced complexity, and easy
• EnjOy: fun whenever using the products and services
• ConvenienT: product or service promotes life easiness
• Happy: fulfill happiness from the simplest way of problem-solving 

5 business for the lazies.
 

Since the market has consumers that expect the highest level of convenience, which kind of business or service is the best for these consumers?

1. On-demand services
 

It can be seen that a lot of On-Demand Services have been around these years as they offer conveniences for people, for example, cleaning services, personal shoppers, drivers, movers, and food delivery. According to the College of Management, Mahidol University’s study, Thailand’s food delivery industry has grown 35 billion Baht a year. Recently, SCB has initiated an out-of-the-box food delivery service, Robinhood, a new alternative responding to the lazy’ s need which more detail can be found at “Robinhood”; Thai Food Delivery application for Thais.  

2. No-need-to-move, -touch, -hold products

The advance in technologies leads to more automation and hand-free products which respond to the needs of the lazies well. The products include a cleaning robot, automated vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, cloth folder, and automated toothbrush. This kind of technology has also expanded to the automated store which is cashier-less and the lazy holder which frees the hand from holding things. 

3.Ready-to-use products

When laziness takes over, ready-to-eat, -drinks, and -used products are extremely attractive to the consumers who desire the highest level of convenience. These products include all-in-one foundation powder which heals, covers, and protects the skin from sunlight helps reducing makeup time, one-time apply eyeshadow, dry shampoo that helps clean the hair, warmed rice without a microwave, ready-to-cook meals for people who do not have time to do their own groceries. 

4. Better-together-type services

Some of the people might find themselves lacking the motivation to achieve as they are afraid of tiredness. Hence, founding an online-community business to promote the feeling of better together can help motivate people to succeed as they are helping or competing with others. These kinds of services include PartyHaan application which helps to find people to share the cab ride or Netflix, which agrees with the 6th lazy activity of Thai that is meeting or talking with many people (68%).

5.  Read less, listen to more service

In these couple of years, the podcast business industry has grown noticeably as it responds to the need for convenience as the consumer can listen to the podcast anywhere and anytime. Listening to podcasts does not require much concentration as reading which agrees with the research mentioned before that 70% of Thai people are too lazy to read as they prefer to listen while doing other activities. Short videos are also popular among them which includes TikTok that offers less-than-one-minute how-to.
 

It is no surprise that the Lazy Economy is one of the fast-growing markets as it helps fix the pain point of today's consumers who are busy living their lives. Since the products or services that can help to ease complications, reducing time, and freeing people to do a more-important task, are vital keys. A business owner or marketeer needs to gain consumer insights to attract convenience lovers. It is expected that these kinds of consumers will increase in the near future because of technological advancement.

Reference

https://forbesthailand.com/news/marketing/cmmu-%E0%B9%80%E0%B8%9C%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%A2%E0%B8%B8%E0%B8%97%E0%B8%98%E0%B9%8C%E0%B8%81%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%A3%E0%B8%95%E0%B8%A5%E0%B8%B2%E0%B8%94%E0%B8%9E%E0%B8%B4%E0%B8%8A%E0%B8%B4.html

https://www.marketingoops.com/reports/behaviors/lazy-consumer-lazy-economy/

https://www.brandbuffet.in.th/2019/09/lazy-consumer-marketers-new-opportunity/