Pinterest Showcases the Trends that will Shape 2024 at Shoppable NYC Pop-Up

What do jellyfish, cardigans, cowboy boots and SMEG toasters have in common? Nothing really, except they are all up-and-coming trends that will drive consumption in 2024, according to Pinterest.

To identify its annual trend forecast, Pinterest first combs through the billions of searches conducted by the 482 million people who visit Pinterest each month (this year with a little help from machine learning tools), and then distils that data into insights based on growth trajectories and human expertise. But unlike the many other companies and organizations making end-of-year predictions, Pinterest makes the case that its trends are more on point than others’ because the searches on its platform are more forward-looking.

“People on Pinterest aren’t here to passively scroll, they’re here to plan,” said Sydney Stanback, Global Trends and Insights Lead at Pinterest in a recent briefing on the 2024 trends. “Ultimately people come to Pinterest to dream, discover and shop for their future — their next outfit, their next beauty look or their next home idea. It’s this planning mindset that gives us such a unique window into the future at Pinterest. It enables us to be the only platform that can create an insights-driven report on the next big things; things that will become a trend over the next month and year ahead. It really captures the future.”

As proof, Pinterest points to the fact that 80% of the trends it has predicted for the last four consecutive years have indeed come to fruition. With that, let’s take a look at what Pinterest sees ahead for the coming year.

Bringing the Future to Life

Rather than just release a digital hub as it has in years past, this year Pinterest brought its predictions to life in a five-day, fully shoppable pop-up in NYC’s Meatpacking district. From Dec. 6-10, visitors to the Pinterest Predicts Shop on Gansevoort Street were immersed in some of the 23 trends Pinterest has identified for 2024, through a series of immersive displays showcasing products that embody each trend, from fashions and beauty to homewares.

There was no inventory on-site at the store, with the exception of what was required for two activations from brand partners Levi’s and MAC Cosmetics. Instead, the entire store was shoppable via QR codes. Visitors could scan a code on the placard next to any product they were interested in, which brought up a shoppable Pin on Pinterest through which the item could be purchased.  

The pop-up, which was developed in partnership with creative agency Amplify, was fun and functional in ways that inevitably raise the question: When will Pinterest make this store concept a permanent thing? Until that time comes, join us as we relive the sadly short-lived retail experience and dive into the trends that Pinterest is betting will shape shopper behaviors in the year ahead.

An Immersive Exploration of the Year Ahead

Visitors to the Pinterest Predicts Shop were greeted by a coterie of larger-than-life pink shimmering jellyfish hanging from the ceiling in a room awash in blue lighting. These amorphous invertebrates anchored the first trend room, aptly named “Be Jelly,” where a slate of jellyfish-inspired products was showcased — everything from pink jelly high heels to translucent, iridescent lamps and a bulbous white stool.

From there visitors entered a brighter room, dominated by a Levi’s station where they could select one of several shirt styles to have custom embroidered, showcasing not only the Western Gothic trend but also the handcraft-inspired Give a Scrap trend. (Don’t worry, we outline each trend in more detail below).

A display in the center of the same room drove home the Western Gothic vibe with examples of dark, cowboy-inspired décor and fashions. The opposite end of the room featured a retro living room setup, perfect for showcasing the Eclectic Grandpa trend of retro cardigans, bowling shirts and Afghan treatments across products such as purses and home textiles, all in muted, poppy colors like rust orange and mustard yellow.

Shoppers then moved into the “Kitschen,” a maximalist cooking space featuring not only the graphic neon designs embodied in this trend but also the retro, colorful vibes of the Cafécore and Tropic Like It’s Hot trends. Think drinkware with colorful fruit and fish designs, bold graphic treatments across the décor and textiles, and pastel SMEG appliances.

Visitors then moved into another blue room, this time highlighting the Blue Beauty trend, which MAC brought to life with a makeup station where customers could test out and get tips on using the latest electric blue beauty products. The MAC station merged seamlessly with the next section, featuring accessories that highlighted the Make it Big and Bow Stacking trends, which are just what they sound like — hair scrunchies the size of a person’s head, wraparound bug-eyed sunglasses and bows in every size and form.

The final room offered a somewhat jarring transition into the Hot Metals trend, with silver metallic walls stretching from floor to ceiling and ample sleek silver products to drive the point home.

The overall impression was one of not just traveling into the year ahead, but traveling through the universe, entering the store in the depths of the ocean and emerging on some silver-ensconced space shuttle. All told, a hugely successful retail experience that immersed and engaged visitors and enabled frictionless shopping without the need for walls of product or any kind of sales push — retailers take note for your own store design initiatives in 2024.

23 Trends that Pinterest Predicts for 2024

Beyond making for a fun shopping experience, Pinterest Predicts trends are “the ultimate cheat sheet” for retailers and marketers looking to get ahead of the game, said Stacy Malone, Pinterest’s VP Global Business Marketing.

“As a marketer, you need to be able to see the next big trend coming, but keeping pace with the speed of culture today is no easy thing,” Malone said at the trend briefing. “And knowing which trends are actually worth investing in is even harder, especially with new fads seeming to pop up every single day on social media. As an advertiser, you don’t want to know what’s trending now, you want to know what’s going to be trending next. That latest viral hit might be really fun to watch, but they’re problematic for marketers and brands to fully leverage, because they’re unpredictable, they’re short-lived and they give limited ability to make an impact with the audience that you care about. Pinterest Predicts trends are better — they start earlier on Pinterest, they take off faster than elsewhere, and while on other platforms trends come and go rapidly, our trends last longer.”

So without further ado, here is the full list of Pinterest Predicts trends for 2024, beginning with those presented in the pop-up:

• Be Jelly — From home décor to couture to beauty, in 2024 consumers will be inspired by the jellyfish. Gen Z and millennials are driving this trend, searching for “jellyfish lamp,” “jellyfish hat” and even “jellyfish haircut.”
• Western Gothic — Forget the farmhouse vibe, in 2024 a mix of vintage Americana chic with deep, moody hues will reign, as searches are trending for “western bedding ideas,” “country room ideas,” “western gothic,” and more.
• Give a Scrap — Building on consumers’ ongoing interest in resale and reuse, Pinterest searches hint at a move toward repurposing everything from fabrics (for unique-to-me clothing) and homewares to food with “discard recipes.”
• Eclectic Grandpa — “Grandpacore” has already begun to take off, and Pinterest sees no sign of the trend going away in 2024, with growth in searches for “grandpa style,” as well as “eclectic clothing style” and “retro streetwear.” Think retro streetwear, chic cardigans and customized clothing.
• Kitschens — Next year, Gen X and Boomers will elevate their kitchen designs and cooking areas with thrifted finds, vintage appliances and eye-dazzling colors like retro pink.
• Cafécore — The coffee shop vibe is coming home as consumers look to create a full café experience where they live, searching heavily for terms like “café chalkboard” and “coffee station décor.”
• Tropic Like It’s Hot — with searches on the rise for terms like “pineapple mocktails” and “coconut aesthetic,” it’s safe to predict a rush on tropical-themed drinks, home décor and fashion.
• Blue Beauty — aquamarine makeup is back and bolder than ever, with Gen Z and millennials searching for “blue glam makeup” and “pastel blue eyeshadow” as they look for ways to incorporate this ’60s staple into their modern beauty routines.
• Bow Stacking — searches are rising for “bow outfit,” “bow necklace,” “heels with bows” and more, leading to the prediction that millennials and Gen Z in particular will turn to the classic embellishment to adorn their outfits, shoes, hair and jewelry next year.
• Hot Metals — cool silver tones and bold chrome will continue to grow in 2024, driven especially by Gen Z and millennials as they search for things like “aluminum furniture,” “nail art metallic,” and “aluminum door design.”

And while not showcased at the Pinterest Predicts pop-up, these other trends also look set to make a regular appearance in consumers’ lives next year:

• Head to Glow — The focus on facial care is shifting to the entire body as boomers and Gen Z double down on luxury lotions, in-home spa experiences and SPF sunscreen. In fact, Pinterest searches for “body skin care routine” are up by a jaw-dropping 1,025%.
• Big Talk — People are going online to find ways to forge deeper offline connections. “Emotional intimacy” as well as “questions for couples to reconnect” and “deep questions to ask friends” are popular search terms.
• Inchstones – Parents are celebrating their little ones’ tiny triumphs, seeking small-moment memories via search terms like “monthly milestone ideas,” as well as “potty training rewards ideas” and “my first tooth party.” 
• Jazz Revival — This trend is being driven by millennials and Gen Z who are trading in their electronic beats for something far more retro, beyond funk playlists. Think jazz-inspired outfits, dimly lit venues and lo-fi looks. 
• Rest Stops — “Slowcations” are the new all-inclusive, with Gen Z and millennials set to slow life down by retreating to laidback locales, searching for “staycation hotel” and “slow life.”
• Dirt Flirts — On the flip side of the Rest Stops trend, next year Boomers and Gen X are looking to load up their 4x4s and make for the mountains, with searches up for “off road camping,” “off road car” and “off road wheels.”
• Making a Racket — Move over pickleball, next year Gen Z and millennials will be smitten with badminton, with searches for everything from “badminton outfit” to “playing badminton” and even “badminton trash talk” on the rise.
• Knockout Workouts — Typically Pinterest has seen workout trends in the lower-intensity space, but in 2024 high intensity is back, with millennials and Gen Z going all-in on combat sports like karate, kickboxing and jiu jitsu, based on the rise in searches for things like “shadow boxing workouts,” “jiu jitsu” and “karate kumite.”
• Cute Coins — Searches for things like “credit card stickers,” “teddy bank” and “aesthetic piggy bank” showcase this trend of taking money and making it cute.
• Aquatecture — Consumers will take the traditional fish tank to the next level in 2024 with full-on underwater gardens, searching things like “small aquarium designs” and “turtle terrariums.” 
• Groovy Nuptials — Pinterest is of course a wedding planner’s best friend, and next year it looks like ’70s-inspired weddings will make their comeback, with disco décor and bohemian bachelorettes.
• Melty Mashups — No one can disagree that cheese makes everything better, and in 2024 consumers will look to get even more creative in how they incorporate the ooey-gooey with mashups like “burger quesadillas” and “pizza pot pies.”