Hot Markets for 2007 — Prepare for Growth

Smart labels and packaging will change appearance and visual information, and provide instructions for home appliances and other consumer devices ($3.9B to print, +4 percent). Locks, safes and equipment ($1.7B to domestic print, -41 percent) market share is going to Chinese producers.

Home improvements ($939B +4 percent; with $7.1B to print, -5 percent) will drop one rung to Number 15 as the big-box dominators push non-brand, low-price imported products. Packaging for home appliances ($1.6B to domestic print, -25 percent), furniture and fixtures ($0.5B to domestic print, -38 percent) and tools and materials ($1.4B to domestic print, -22 percent) are getting hammered because of discount imports, with print buys chiseled.