Marketplace Barometer

Across all industries, our strategists are seeing patterns that suggest a cooling marketplace as consumers hedge bets in an uncertain economic climate.?From a wide swath of strategic assignments and particularly those with a focus on wellness or emotional state of being, we’re seeing five consistent behaviors:

Significantly cutting back on spend.?Consumers are saving dollars now in case “rainy days” are coming in the year ahead.

Delaying big ticket purchases.?Not surprising, the bigger expenses have been put on hold as consumers make do for now.

Shopping at less expensive stores.?Deals and discounts matter as consumers look for savings across the entire purchase cart.

Stocking up by buying in bulk for savings.?Consumers appreciate the calculus of bulk discounts... and going to the store fewer times reduces the underlying anxiety of simply making “yet another trip.”

Shifting to less expensive (or private label) brands.?When spending pressure increases, consumers quickly question the premium paid for popular brands and consider a temporary jump to value-priced alternatives.

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