2010 will bring a bonanza of opportunities as even the most cautious of consumers crave pragmatic or exciting innovations.

So says a global trend-watching firm which has just released a ‘top ten’ guide to the way the year may pan out. London/Amsterdam-based trendwatching.com uses a global network of 500+ spotters to pinpoint the latest consumer interests and concerns.

Here’s a summary:

1. BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL. Forget the recession: the societal changes that will dominate 2010 were set in motion long before we temporarily stared into the abyss. And even when the downturn ends, there won’t be a return to ‘business as usual’.
2. URBANY. Extreme urbanisation will lead to more sophisticated and demanding consumers around the world. Urban culture is THE culture.
   
3. REAL-TIME REVIEWS. Whatever new product or service gets launched in 2010, it will be reviewed in real time. Transparency tyranny (or triumph) is upon us.
   
4. (F)LUXURY. With status symbols becoming more fragmented, luxury is whatever consumers want it to be in 2010.
   
5. MASS MINGLING. Online lifestyles are actually fuelling real world meet-ups, shattering all predictions about a virtual and socially isolated future.
   
6. ECO-EASY. In 2010, corporations and governments will force consumers to be more green by restricting the alternatives. Say goodbye to consumer choice.
   
7. TRACKING & ALERTING. Tracking and alerting are the new search. Next year, consumers will further expand their sphere of control.
   
8. EMBEDDED GENEROSITY. Generosity as a trend will further adapt to the zeitgeist, leading to more pragmatic and collaborative charity.
   
9. PROFILE MYNING. With hundreds of millions of people now nurturing their online profiles, 2010 will be about consumers making money from these profiles, from intention-based models to digital afterlife services.
   
10. MATURIALISM. 2010 will be even more opinionated, outspoken and raw than 2009; thank the anything-goes online world for that. Which brands will be equally daring?