The Rise of N11 (and ‘Chindia’)
If 2007 was the year in which chatter about the possibilities
posed by China and India (bludgeoned into the portmanteau "Chindia"
by one ambitious analyst) reached a crescendo, 2008 may be the
year in which N11 arrives on the lips of the cognoscenti. The
term N11 was coined in a recent report by Goldman Sachs, and refers
to the up-and-coming "Next 11" countries who are snapping
at the heels of India, China, Russia and Brazil as investment
opportunities - Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea,
Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Turkey and Vietnam.
Over the past three years, economic growth across Goldman Sachs's
N11 has averaged 5.9%, the strongest in 15 years and more than
double the 2.3% average growth of Old Europe. There is a good
chance that cultural fascination will follow.
Handmade on the Net
For some years now, speculations have been for authenticity in what
we buy through internet. Here’s a twist in tale : the sprouting
of internet-based ventures that purvey handmade and highly traditional
fare.
In Switzerland, for example, Netgranny (netgranny.ch) is a collective
comprised of 15 cheerful-looking grannies who knit socks on demand
and sell them online. Customers can choose their favourite granny
by picture, pick the colour of their socks, or opt for a granny
"surprise" design. It takes two weeks for a granny to
knit a pair of socks; at €26 (£19) apiece, including
delivery.
Something very similar touted by the Danish company Mormor.nu, which
sells traditional handmade baby and children's wear online. Mormor.nu
is Danish for "Grandma.now". Products are handmade from
pure wool, alpaca or cotton. Old knitting / crochet techniques and
patterns have been revived by grannies, with latest colours and
new materials. The youngest member of staff is 68. Likewise, Etsy
(etsy.com) is an online marketplace for handmade goods that features
more than 26,000 vendors from across the world and sells everything
from scented soy candles to a tennis-ball chair. It is only two
years old, but so far more than 1m items have been sold and 300,000
people have joined as members.
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