New Markets Are Here! New Regulations Worldwide Boost Demand for Wearable LEDs

Not long ago, Russia announced a new public transport regulation: starting July 1, pedestrians must wear luminous or reflective devices at night to prevent traffic accidents caused by drivers failing to notice pedestrians. It's easy to imagine that these luminous and reflective products will be a hit in Russia.

How big is the market brought about by the new regulation? According to the latest census data from October 2010, Russia's total population is 142.9 million. As "luminous" products become a necessity for Russian citizens, market demand is also expected to be measured in hundreds of millions. In reality, on the international market, besides Russia, some Nordic countries including Sweden and Denmark, due to their relatively dark and long winters, also have high consumption of wearable LED luminous and reflective products. These small items hold a huge market worth attention.

Moreover, according to a report by the British Daily Mail on August 19, the Italian city of Spino d'Adda recently issued a new regulation: to maintain road traffic safety, all street prostitutes must not wear revealing clothing and must wear conspicuous reflective jackets, or face a fine of 500 euros (approximately 3,563 RMB). This new regulation will officially take effect in early September this year.

Thanks to the influx of tourists brought by the 2015 Milan Expo, a large number of sex workers are expected to flood into Italy, posing a significant hidden risk to urban road safety. The deputy mayor of Spinadda explained that these street prostitutes basically work on the roads, and should follow the same dress code as road construction workers, wearing reflective jackets to improve visibility.

It is understood that Spain also introduced similar regulations in 2010.

It is reported that these glowing products generally fall into the category of novel, unique and alternative products, mainly concentrated in fashion product categories such as clothing, jewelry and watches, fashion accessories, bags, shoes and boots, such as: LED party hats, LED T-shirts, LED masks, LED light-up shoes, LED cosplay, LED bracelets, LED earrings, rings, LED watches, glow-in-the-dark bags, reflective bags, LED keychains, glowing hair accessories, etc. When worn on the body and walking on the road at night, they glow or reflect light, which not only allows drivers to notice them from a distance, but also looks cool with "glowing people" all over the street.

Of course, wearable LED products have gradually become the darlings of fashion lovers. In 2010, the famous singer Katy Perry wore one of CuteCircuit's creations—a dress with over 3,000 color-changing LED lights—to attend the fashion event Met Gala (New York Metropolitan Fashion Gala). CuteCircuit thus gained the kind of attention that small companies dream of. The latest research shows that this type of clothing may become part of your wardrobe in the future.