Shopping at sunset?
We are becoming
less voracious, almost monastic consumers
.
Brands will have to take this into account.
The wallet will only open if a good or service, from the handbag to the hairdresser haircut to the streaming subscription, respects rights and fairness, does not offend minorities or our peer group and if for us the expense is considered 'essential' according to a new priority list that looks to the point, albeit in a comfortable and pleasant way.
We will also gladly spend to allow ourselves to be together, united, connected, to support ourselves even in our 'virtual lives' forcefully initiated by the pandemic, so much so that shopping for video games and e-game platforms are already among the main items of expenditure. .
The days of compulsive, narcissistic and consoling shopping of the 2000s, well described in Madeleine Wickham's famous 'I love shopping' (under the pseudonym of Sophie Kinsella), are over.
Online sales have revolutionized the ways, but the evolution of conscience in recent months with the global pandemic has done even more.
Has shopping become more responsible?
Mintel analysts assure it in Global Consumer Trends 2021. "The pandemic has made us collide with the unexpected, the unknown and the sudden change in our lives, re-calibrating our desires in terms of purchases", explain the authors of the study that anticipates the main trends that will control our purchasing behaviors and that will therefore have an important impact on markets, brands and consumers themselves.
“What do consumers want in light of the unexpected pandemic they are experiencing?
Forecasts adapt to the historical moment that makes us more fluid consumers, more adaptive and responsive to change.
We are seeing subtle but profound changes in consumer thinking and business responses, "said Simon Moriarty, director of Mintel Trends, EMEA.
The Seven Consumer Trends 2021:
Mental well-being and pampering
73% of Americans suffer from mental disorders, 51% of Brits in the last ten months have downloaded healthy apps (diets, fitness) and 59% of Chinese consider training for the first time a priority.
The pursuit of well-being has sharpened under the pressure of the pandemic but through new processes that deal with a new sense of uncertainty about when life will return to more balanced routines.
It is the desire to find calm and comfort that convinces us, the Apps with the exercises to do are not enough to regain physical shape, we also need the mental and 'reassuring' one.
Collective empowerment
New behaviors: 20% of British consumers enjoy shopping if the retailer or brand supports the causes they believe in, 6% always do.
72% of Americans are concerned about how companies abuse technology and 47% of Brazilians are ready to boycott brands that have unethical behavior.
“The collective mentality and interest in the community is growing, even in traditionally individualistic cultures.
Mutual support and advocacy is now part of consumer behavior
.
The rise of the Black Lives Matter movement and the Global Climate Strike show how people are getting closer, rallying to clamor for positive change, ”analysts explain.
The brands that will take a leading role on these problems will be the most coveted, while those who do not can even become an obstacle by ending up in the social media grinder in case of slips, intentional or not.
Examples already exist, such as Sharon Chuter, CEO of UOMA Beauty, who launched the #PullUpOrShutUp campaign on Instagram for companies to declare their black employees while the first LGBT center 'Pride House Tokyo' opened in central Tokyo. which supports and informs residents.
New priorities, the essential wins
We are facing a new economic uncertainty, experienced with a mix of contradictory feelings linked to the sense of vulnerability and resilience.
On the consumption front, we are therefore taking a step back by embracing a mentality of 'scarcity' which will lead us to monitor spending more closely, avoiding excessive consumption.
However, we will not only look at the price but at the sense of security, protection and duration of the good that we want to appear.
"Brands should take advantage of this opportunity to become agents of positive change and to demonstrate that they offer good value and tangible results", comment Mintel analysts who report some examples of objects that respond to the new need to save such as the new robot 'Beauty Mix '(made in France) which allows you to make cosmetics at home and services for home bricolage with digital lessons offered on demand by materials companies (for the USA).
An essential and highly ethical gesture, on the other hand, is the ATM that dispenses free rice for the less well-off installed in Vietnam by an entrepreneur.
Desire to be together, united in community
41% of Brits have learned about their neighbors since the advent of Covid 19. 80% of Chinese feel happy if they are part of a community.
And for about 50 percent of Americans, helping others is now a top priority in life.
Covid-19 has revitalized the concept of community.
We seek connection and human interactions more than ever.
With large numbers of people around the world being forced to stay indoors observing social distancing measures, unity, as a means of supporting one another, glitters in our eyes.
Community and belonging are and will be increasingly fundamental to combat loneliness and brands capable of celebrating the new sense of community will win.
Sustainable urban spaces
Fairly-grown bananas, tomatoes harvested by fairly paid operators.
Shopping mixes with ethical principles and with recent and recurring news stories.
So from this year the question will be: how do brands deal with sustainability?
The declaration of the behaviors undertaken throughout the production chain, the choices for the protection of workers and the environment and the challenges of sustainability, will be rewarding.
We want more transparency of the brands we buy because life is complex and full of problems and emergencies that need to be addressed proactively.
Attention to local productions and the support of production communities are among the priorities of 2021 consumers, who are more conscientious.
Virtual lives
We have learned to use apps for everything.
We order dinner, book the car, follow the fitness sessions through the apps.
“The impact of the pandemic and continuous technological innovation has meant that experiences continue to change and the role that digital entertainment plays in promoting positivity and connecting people is of particular importance, - conclude the authors.
- The rapidly growing popularity of games and esports offers new opportunities for brands across multiple courts, through collaborations to create collectible in-game items, create their own games or combine products to match play sessions.
New digital dilemmas.
We use technology and in 2021 we will do it even more, for example by paying for coffee at the bar with a credit card.
We use smartphones all day, but we also have more and more doubts about the use of devices.
80% of Chinese ask for greater transparency on the use of personal data by Apps and 56% of British children are concerned about the mental health implications of the continuous use of electronic devices.
Clarity and the guarantee of protection of sensitive data will be the key to the success of the brands.