The pandemic did not just disrupt supply chains and working patterns — it fundamentally reshaped how consumers think, buy, and relate to brands. Six years on, the reverberations continue to influence purchasing behaviour in ways that demand strategic attention. Here is what research tells us about consumers in 2026.
Values-Led Consumption Has Become Mainstream
One of the most durable trends to emerge from the pandemic period is the acceleration of values-led consumption. Consumers increasingly expect brands to stand for something beyond profit — whether that is environmental responsibility, social equity, community support, or ethical supply chains. Research consistently shows that a significant and growing proportion of consumers across all demographics will actively choose or reject brands based on perceived values alignment. Authenticity is the operative word: consumers have developed a finely tuned radar for greenwashing and performative corporate purpose.
The Hybrid Life and Its Purchasing Consequences
The normalisation of hybrid working has permanently altered consumer geography and daily routine. Suburban and regional areas have seen sustained spending growth as more people live, work, and shop closer to home. Morning commuting behaviours — and the consumption patterns they generated — have declined structurally. Home improvement, home office equipment, and local experience spending have all seen durable uplifts. Brands that previously focused exclusively on urban consumer behaviour have had to fundamentally rethink their distribution models, messaging strategies, and channel mix.
Digital-First but Experience-Hungry
Paradoxically, the era of peak digital adoption has intensified consumer appetite for meaningful physical experiences. While eCommerce growth has levelled off from pandemic highs, the consumers who shop most frequently online are also the most active seekers of in-person experiences — live events, experiential retail, travel, dining, and cultural activities. Brands capable of creating genuine experience value in both digital and physical spaces are building the deepest customer relationships and generating the strongest advocacy among their target audiences.
The Expanding Wellness Economy
Consumer spending on health and wellbeing has structurally expanded and shows no meaningful signs of contracting. This spans physical health products, mental health services, sleep technology, nutrition, preventative healthcare, and fitness. The wellness economy is now estimated to be among the world’s largest consumer market categories. Brands operating in adjacent categories have genuine opportunities to tap into this structural trend through product extensions, wellness-aligned messaging, or strategic partnerships with established players in the health and wellbeing space.
Value Consciousness Endures
Inflationary pressures of recent years have embedded a heightened value consciousness in consumer behaviour that persists even as inflation moderates. Consumers are more deliberate, more comparison-driven, and more willing to trade down in categories they perceive as commoditised — while spending generously in categories that matter to them personally. This bifurcated spending pattern challenges brands to understand precisely where they sit in their customers’ priority hierarchy, and to articulate their value proposition in terms that resonate with an audience that is simultaneously more discerning and more demanding than ever before.
Global Insights Hub tracks consumer trends continuously, helping brands adapt strategy to shifting market realities. Let us help you stay ahead of what your customers want next.