#consumer-behavior

#consumer-behavior

Gone are the days when marketers can think in five- or 10-year plans. These days, it's about tomorrow, not the next 16 months, because culture and what captures consumers' attention is changing faster than ever.

In March, I was one of those people who thought the quarantine life would only last for a few weeks. It quickly became apparent that I was wrong, and months of hunching over a laptop wasn't working. Relying on Wirecutter as my guide (as always), I bought an adjustable laptop stand ($55), along with a wireless keyboard ($60) and mouse ($39). The laptop stand makes positioning the screen down really simple, so you can hit those angles for video calls.

Plug-in hybrids can offer 20-60 miles of electric-only driving for daily use, plus a gas engine for longer trips or when they can't recharge. And as EV growth slows down, many automakers clearly see hybrids - and more specifically, plug-in hybrids (PHEV) - as a better fit for America's fluctuating tastes.

Videos of people proudly holding up potential purchases in stores, roaming the aisles looking for the best shoes and housewares, or running through every item in their "thrift hauls" - recaps of everything they found while thrifting - have hundreds of thousands of views and likes. Beyond that, some have turned their thrift finds into dollars, reselling the items online to other secondhand material lovers.

Only 57pc now have pay-TV subscriptions from traditional providers, down from 70pc in 2022.

According to the latest High Street Sales Tracker from BDO, retail sales in discretionary sectors grew by only 1.9% in February compared to the same month last year, highlighting a sluggish recovery in categories such as fashion, homewares, and lifestyle products, which may signal deeper underlying issues.

Rightwing populism in particular relies on an ever-expanding list of enemies from urban elites to benefit claimants, immigrants to deep-state bureaucrats, diversity officers to leftwing radicals, net zero zealots to mild liberals yet this list always contains a striking omission.

Customers want to read reviews and businesses need reviews to attract customers. But the constant demand for reviews could be creating a feedback backlash, experts say. What began as an innovative way to benefit consumers is increasingly an obligatory burden for shoppers and sellers alike.

When a transaction involves a cost, we instinctively weigh the downside. But when something is entirely free, we experience a positive emotion and perceive the offer as more valuable than it is mathematically. Retailers no doubt realise that offering free delivery is one of the most effective ways to stop a consumer from abandoning a digital shopping cart.

Do you remember a time in your city in Spain when bar and restaurant terraces were not packed with locals having fun (except for during the Covid-19 lockdown, of course)? No matter how tight finances are, Spaniards always seem to have the money for eating and drinking out. Some would say this carpe diem attitude is to be admired rather than sniffed at. After all, it goes hand in hand with the much-admired Spanish lifestyle - outdoors, in the company of others, enjoying the moment.

I used to think I was overthinking it until I interviewed a longtime cashier who told me something fascinating: "I can tell you everything about a person just by watching them unload their cart for thirty seconds." That conversation sent me down a research rabbit hole about what our everyday behaviors reveal about us. Turns out, psychologists have been studying these micro-behaviors for years, and the way we organize our groceries at checkout is surprisingly revealing.

Every time you walk out of Costco with that perfectly golden $4.99 rotisserie chicken, you've just helped them lose money. That's right - Costco's CFO stated in 2015 that Costco loses between $30 to $40 million annually on their famous rotisserie chickens. Yet somehow, this wholesale giant continues to thrive, with net sales reaching $249.6 billion in fiscal 2024. What's going on here?

Discounting has been part of retail's toolkit for decades, and it can be effective, especially during high-stakes shopping seasons. But as promotions become more frequent across the industry, companies are taking a closer look at the downside: Short-term sales gains don't always come with long-term loyalty or durable margins, and customers remember how a brand made them feel far more than what they saved at checkout.

If you work in marketing, you might want to look away now. The brutal truth is... the vast majority of people don't care about your brand. In fact, 81% of the brands sold across Europe could disappear overnight and consumers wouldn't be concerned... They probably wouldn't even notice. Various dynamics are at play here. Firstly, abundance. With up to 30,000 new products being launched every year, we're all spoilt for choice. With so much variety on offer, very few brands feel truly indispensable.

While product features certainly lead consumers to purchase products, it's really how advertisers tap into a consumer's mindset, motivation and emotional state at a given moment that moves the needle. And one signal that universally drives behavior, impacting what people try, buy and how they feel is weather. From weather comes weather data, which can then power weather targeting predicting the moments when weather shifts a consumer's mindset toward purchase, delivering deeper emotional resonance that drives both immediate sales and long-term brand growth.

Basic economy fares typically mean no seat selection, last boarding, and limited-or no-checked baggage. The appeal, however, is clear. "Basic economy is a good option for frugal travelers who don't mind forgoing comfort to save on travel costs," Joe Cronin, president of International Citizens Insurance, told Travel + Leisure. He noted that these tickets can cost 20 to 30 percent less than standard economy, making them financially tempting for travelers focused on price above all else.

We are now seeing where the dust has settled across Manhattan,

Setting aside a designated day to switch utility providers will pay dividends in the long run

The automotive industry stands at the edge of a revolution, and it's not just about the technology inside cars. An automotive digital marketing strategy has become critically important for companies to survive in the market, because 95% of potential car buyers begin their research online. We're living in a time when traditional sales methods (showrooms, printed catalogs, radio ads) simply don't work as effectively anymore.

The restaurant industry is grappling with big questions this year. Diners these days are more value-conscious, more selective, and more willing to stay home; and costs, along with competition, continue to rise for operators. As big chains and local independents try to protect sales or regain their footing, analysts who spoke to Business Insider said the year ahead will come down to whether restaurants can do more with less, without losing what made people want to dine out in the first place.

As prices climb, shoppers aren't just spending less-they're spending differently. Nearly half are buying smaller quantities or trading down to lower-cost options, such as canned fruit instead of fresh, according to Capgemini's report, "What matters to today's consumers 2026." It's not about cutting things out entirely-it's about making budgets stretch. Low- and middle-income households are especially deal-focused right now: more coupons, more frequent but smaller trips, and fewer meals out.

Earlier start times may encourage higher attendance since it does not require staying late for a work-related event.