WHAT

MAT

TERS

TOTODAY

’SCONSUMER2023

consumer

behavior

tracker

for

theconsumer

products

and

retail

industries#GetTheFutureYouWant2Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesIn

last

year’s

?rst

edition

of

our

annual

research

series,What

mattersto

today’s

consumer,

we

found

that

consumersentiment

had

shifted

dramatically

over

the

preceding

18months,

with

consumer

expectations

evolving

in

parallel.

Inthis

year’s

edition,

we

see

many

of

these

trends

persisting,alongside

the

emergence

of

new

ones,

as

the

cost-of-living?

Were

open

to

ordering

directly

from

favored

brands,

aswell

as

sharing

data

with

them,

especially

if

this

resultedin

a

better

buying

experience.This

year,we

?nd

that

many

of

these

behaviors

havechanged

amid

the

ongoing

development

and

repercussionsof

the

COVID-19pandemic,

the

geopolitical

crisis

andsubsequent

tensions,

and

rising

in?ation

a?ecting

energy,food,

and

housing

prices

around

the

world.

Yet,certainbehaviors

and

trends

have

remained

largely

stable.

In

thisyear’s

research,

we

?nd

that

consumers

are:crisis

takes

hold.1In

2021we

found

that

consumers:?

Had

returned

to

in-store

shopping

but

were

continuingthe

online

shopping

trend

developed

during

2020;?

Very

concerned

about

their

personal

?nancial

situations;many

are

worried

about

the

cost

of

feeding

theirfamilies

and

buying

other

essential

items;?

Had

come

to

expect

fast,

easy

delivery

and

ful?llment,whether

shopping

on-

or

o?ine;?

Continued

to

scrutinize

closely

the

ethical

status

ofbrands

and

products;?

Have

changed

their

purchasing

patterns

in

light

ofthe

rise

in

their

cost

of

living

and

are

seeking

morea?ordable

brands

and

spending

more

time

searching

forbargains

and

promotions;?

Wanted

assurances

around

healthiness

of

products

andsustainability

of

production

processes;?

Expected

to

be

able

to

?nd

sustainable

products

forwhich

they

did

not

have

to

pay

a

premium;?

Expecting

companies

to

help

them

through

this

di?culttime

with

the

likelihood

that

they

will

reward

the

mostconsiderate

brands

with

long-term

loyalty;Capgemini

Research

Institute20233Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustries?

Shopping

less,

both

in-store

and

online,

with

manyconcerned

about

potential

stockouts,

especially

ofessential

products;with

automating

warehouse

operations

and

delivery

andful?llment.

Second,

brands

and

retailers

must

identify

newrevenue

and

channel

growth

opportunities.

This

involvestailoring

experiences

and

content

to

divergent

consumerneeds

and

selecting

the

appropriate

in?uencers

for

theappropriate

audience

to

bring

authenticity

and

credibilityto

their

products.

Third,

companies

must

lead

with

purposeand

help

consumers

through

this

di?cult

time

to

buildgoodwill

and

loyalty

in

the

longer-term.?

Persistently

more

concerned

with

delivery

andful?llment

than

in-store

experiences

and

willingness

topay

extra

for

fast

delivery

has

increased.In

this

year’s

research,

we

explore

the

theme

of

the

rise

ofin?uencers

on

social

media

and

their

impact

on

consumers’search

and

decision-making

processes.

Wefound

thatnearly

one-third

of

all

consumers

discover

new

productsthrough

social

media

including

a

substantial

number,especially

among

Gen

Z

and

Millennial

consumers,

wholearn

of

them

through

in?uencers

they

follow.Wehighlight

three

keyactions

that

will

help

brands

andretailers

to

capitalize

on

the

opportunities

that

theseevolving

trends

o?er.First,

companies

must

drive

costreductions

by

rethinking

the

way

they

operate

and

howthe

supply

chain

is

organized

to

ultimately

be

able

topass

on

costs

savings

to

consumers.

This

involves

usingtechnology

to

digitize

planning

and

forecasting

alongCapgemini

Research

Institute20234Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesConsumers

around

the

world

are

feeling

the

impactof

rising

food

and

energy

prices.

As

we

move

from

theshadow

of

the

pandemic

and

the

cost-of-living

crisis

beginsto

take

hold,

new

pressures

are

impacting

consumerdecisions

about

where

and

when

they

shop

and

whatthey

buy.behavior

in

light

of

the

cost-of-living

crisis.

Wealso

look

athow

concerned

consumers

are

about

stockouts

and

theirability

to

obtain

essential

and

non-essential

products,and

how

they

behave

when

faced

with

unavailability

ofpreferred

products.

Lastly,

this

year’s

research

examinessocial

media

in?uencers’

role

in

in?uencing

purchasedecisions,

especially

among

the

younger

generations.This

report

is

the

second

in

our

annual

research

series

thatexamines

evolving

consumer

behaviors.

In

the

?rst

reportof

this

series,

we

explored

the

impact

of

the

di?erentcharacteristics

of

products

and

services

on

consumers’buying

decisions.

Wealso

explored

consumer

trends

inrelation

to

delivery

and

ful?llment

and

direct-to-consumermodels,

including

buying

directly

from

brands.To

address

these

questions

and

themes,

we

conducteda

global

survey

of

more

than

11,000consumers

over

theage

of

18

across

11

countries:

Australia,

Canada,

France,Germany,

Italy,

Japan,

the

Netherlands,

Spain,

Sweden,the

UK,

and

the

US.

To

qualify

for

inclusion

in

the

survey,consumers

must

have

purchased

groceries

and/or

healthand

beauty

products

in

the

preceding

six

months.

For

moredetails

on

the

survey

sample,

please

refer

to

the

Appendix.In

this

year’s

report,

we

examine

the

aforementionedtrends,

and

also

explore

newly

emerging,

but

nonethelessimportant

themes.

Critically,

we

explore

how

consumershave

changed

their

decision-making

and

purchasingCapgemini

Research

Institute20235Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesThis

report

explores

?ve

broad

themes:010203Consumers

have

changed

their

purchasingpatterns

in

light

of

the

rise

in

cost

of

livingand

expect

companies

to

help

them

throughthis

di?cult

timeThe

cost-of-living

crisis

has

resulted

in

adecline

in

store

visits

and

online

shoppingMany

consumers

are

concerned

aboutstockouts,

especially

of

essential

products0405Delivery

and

ful?llment

are

still

moreimportant

than

in-store

experiencesSocial

media

in?uencers

are

on

the

riseand

wield

increasing

power

over

consumerdecision-makingWeclose

this

report

by

specifying

the

keyactions

for

brands

and

retailersto

ride

through

the

ongoing

shifts

in

consumer

behavior.Capgemini

Research

Institute20236Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesConsumers

expect

companiesto

help

them

through

thecost-

of-

living

crisisCapgemini

Research

Institute20237Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesConsumers

are

concerned

aboutFig.1their

personal

?nancial

situationsSix

in

tenconsumers

are

concerned

about

their

?nancial

situationsThe

majority

(61%)

of

consumers

globally

say

they

areextremely

concerned

about

their

personal

?nancialsituations.

This

concern

is

more

pronounced

for

Millennial(66%)and

Gen

X

(64%)than

Boomer

(55%)and

Gen

Z(60%)consumers

(see

Figure

1).

Wealso

observed

thatconsumers

with

children

in

their

household(66%)aremore

concerned

than

are

individuals

without

children(59%).By

country,

the

greatest

proportion

of

consumersare

concerned

in

Canada

(68%),Australia

(65%),and

theUS

(65%),while

the

Netherlands

(50%)has

the

smallestproportion

of

consumers

concerned.%of

consumerswhoagreewiththestatement:"Iamextremelyconcernedaboutmypersonal

?nancial

situation."66%64%61%60%55%61%OverallGenZMillennialsGenXBoomersof

consumers

say

they

are

extremely

concernedabout

their

personal

?nancial

situationsSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Consumer

demand

survey,

October–November

2022,

N=11,300

consumers;

992

Gen

Z

consumers,

3,264Millennial

consumers,

3,332

Gen

X

consumers,

3,712Boomer

consumers.Capgemini

Research

Institute20238Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustries73%Among

the

consumers

who

are

extremely

worried

abouttheir

personal

?nancial

situations:?

Many

believe

the

government

is

not

doing

enough

toof

consumers

are

making

fewerimpulse

purchasesaddress

the

rise

in

their

cost

of

living

(79%);?

They

are

worried

about

energy

use

in

their

home

due

torising

energy

prices

(64%);?

They

are

worried

about

their

ability

to

a?ord

food

orother

basic

household

necessities

(62%);?

Their

mental

health

has

been

negatively

impacted

by

therise

in

their

cost

of

living

(60%

globally,

and

even

higherfor

Gen

Z

and

Millennials,

at

69%);?

They

fear

that

their

personal

?nancial

situations

willworsen

within

the

next

6–9

months

(80%).Consumers

are

becomingmore

sophisticated

in

theirpurchasing

behavior

becauseof

their

cost-of-living

worriesTo

deal

with

the

cost-of-living

crisis,

73%of

consumersare

making

fewer

impulse

purchases.

Sixty-nine

percentof

consumers

are

cutting

back

on

non-essential

items,Capgemini

Research

Institute20239Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesFig.2such

as

electronics,

plants,comments:

“We

are

starting

tosee

consumers

down-trading

andlooking

for

[greater]

value…

Salesvolumes

are

beginning

to

fallassome

shoppers

switch

from

brandedgoods

to

own-label

products

in

a

bidto

make

ends

meet.”

2,3Amid

the

cost-of-living

crisis,

consumers

are

making

fewerimpulse

purchases,

lowering

theirspending

on

non-essential

items,

and

looking

for

cheaper

alternativestoys,

and

other

non-essentialexpenses,

such

as

dining

out,

aswell

as

delaying

the

purchase

ofluxury

items.

In

addition,

overhalf

(65%)of

consumers

say

theynow

prefer

cheaper

private-labelproducts

over

name

brands,

anda

similar

percentage

(64%)saythey

are

buying

products

fromhypermarkets

and

discount

stores,rather

than

using,

for

instance,convenience

stores

or

specialtygrocery

stores

(see

Figure

2).Overhalf(57%)of

consumers

also

saythey

are

spending

more

time

indi?erent

physical

stores

to

?nddeals

and

discounts.

The

cost-of-living

crisis

has

led

to

moresophisticated

purchase

behavior,with

consumers

experimentingwith

di?erent

options

for

morea?ordable

products.

GraemePitkethly,

CFO

at

Unilever,%

ofconsumers

whoagreewiththebelow

statements

regardingchangesintheirshoppingbehaviors

inthepast3–6monthsbecauseofincreasedprices73%69%69%65%64%58%57%54%Gen

Z

consumers

are

less

likelythan

those

in

other

demographicsto

have

changed

their

behaviors.For

example,

60%

of

Gen

Zconsumers

say

they

are

makingfewer

impulse

purchasescompared

to

76%

of

Boomers.

Inaddition,

59%of

Gen

Z

consumersare

reducing

purchases

of

non-essential

items

versus

73%of

GenX

consumers.IammakingfewerimpulsepurchasesIamcuttingbackonnon-essentialitems(e.g.,electronics,plants,toys,diningout)Iamdelayingpurchasesofluxuryitems(e.g.,jewelry,cars,designerclothing)Iambuyingcheaperprivate-labelorlow-costbrandsovernamebrandsIambuyingproductsfromhypermarketsanddiscountstoresratherthanbuyingthemfromspecialtygrocerystoresandconveniencestoresIamspendingmoretimesearchingonlineto?nddealsanddiscountsIamspendingmoretimeshoppingatdi?erentphysicalstoresto?nddealsanddiscountsIamlookingtobuysmallerquantitieseachtimeIgotothestore,soIspendonlywhatIhaveSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Consumer

demand

survey,

October–November

2022,

N=11,300

consumers.Capgemini

Research

Institute202310Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustries44%of

consumers

say

they

are

reducing

theiroverall

spending

this

year

compared

with33%

in

November

2020Capgemini

Research

Institute202311Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesConsumers

have

cut

downon

spending

since

theFig.3Amid

the

cost-of-living

crisis,

more

consumers

are

planning

toreduce

spendingpandemic

lockdown

periodAmid

the

cost-of-living

crisis,

the

percentage

of

consumerswho

say

they

are

reducing

their

overall

spending

has

risenthis

year,to

44%

compared

with

33%in

November

2020(see

Figure

3).The

percentage

of

consumers

who

areplanning

to

reduce

their

spending

on

non-essential

itemshas

increased

more

than

for

essential

products.%

ofconsumers

whoplanto

reducepurchases,overall

andby

productcategory58%57%47%46%44%33%Douglas

McMillon,

President

and

CEO

of

Walmart,

believesin?ation

is

driving

consumer

price

sensitivity,

regardlessof

income

level:

“Higher-income

families

are

shopping

atWalmart

because

they

are

more

price-sensitive

now.

Familiesmaking

over

$100,000

in

household

income

have

driven

a

lotof

our

growth,

since

around

the

middle

of

the

?rst

quarter,when

we

saw

food

in?ation

reach

a

level

where

behavior

was41%37%35%33%32%29%29%28%20%starting

to

change."

Recent

data

from

the

US

Bureau

of4Economic

Analysis

for

the

third

quarter

of

2022revealsthat

while

US

consumers

kept

spending

despite

risingprices

through

the

third

quarter,

spending

on

goods,

led

byfood

and

beverages,

gasoline,

and

motor

vehicles,

declinedOverallspending*GroceriesandfoodsuppliesOver-the-counterhealthcareproductsFurnitureandfurnishingsLuxuryproductsfor

the

third

consecutive

quarter.

In

addition,

according5to

Nielsen,

while

overall

CPG

sales

are

growing,

fueledby

rising

in?ation,

consumption

–

i.e.,

spending

volumeor

the

amount

of

items

consumers

put

into

their

baskets–

is

declining.

There

was

a

9%

increase

in

dollar

sales

inNovember2020November2022Post-cost-of-livingcrisisSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Consumer

demand

survey,

October–November

2022,

N=11,300

consumers;

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Thegreat

consumer

reset:

COVID-19

and

the

consumer

products

and

retail

consumer,

November

2020.

*Overall

spending

includes

groceries

and

foodsupplies,

household

supplies,

personal

care

products,

over-the-counter

healthcare

products,

furniture

and

furnishings,

consumer

electronics/whitegoods,

apparel

and

accessories,

at-home

entertainment/media,

luxury

products,

take-away

food

from

restaurants,

casual

or

?ne

dining

in

restau-rants,

alcoholic

beverages,

tobacco,

leisure

travel,

work-related

travel.September,

but

unit

consumption

dropped

by

3%.6Capgemini

Research

Institute202312Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesConsumers

expect

companiesFig.4to

help

them

through

thecost-of-living

crisisMost

consumers

expect

support

and

assistance

from

companiesThe

majority

of

consumers

globally

expect

companiesto

help

them

through

this

di?cult

time.

Seven

in

10consumers

expect

companies

to

provide

a

wider

range

ofdiscounts

to

help

them

purchase

essential

items

and

toprovide

bigger

discounts

to

loyal

customers

(see

Figure4).Organizations

have

responded

with

initiatives

to

helpconsumers;

for

example,

Tescois

freezing

the

prices

ofmore

than

1,000

everyday

products

from

October

2022%

ofconsumerswhoagreewiththebelowstatements:"Duringthisdi?culteconomic

environment,I

expectcompanies..."70%69%To

providemorediscountstohelpmepurchaseessentialitems(e.g.,food,medicine,fuel,apparel,utilities)To

providebiggerdiscountstoloyalcustomersuntil

January

2023.

In

April

2022,Morrisons

reduced7To

acceptlowerpricesfortheproductsmyfamilyandIrequire(i.e.,essentialitemslikefood,medicine,fuel,apparel,utilities)prices

on

more

than

500

products,

including

manyessentials

such

as

eggs,

beans,

co?ee,

rice,

chicken,

anddiapers,

and

improved

multibuy

savings

on18067%product

lines.8To

forfeitexcesspro?tsforthebene?tofsociety65%To

usetechnologytolowerprices(e.g.,replacingsta?edcheck-outcounterswithself-servicepayment56%areastoloweroverheads)To

reducepricesofnon-essentialitemsthatimprovestandardsofliving(e.g.,toys,books,electronics)56%50%To

workwithbanks/?nancialinstitutionstoprovidecredittocustomersSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Consumer

demand

survey,

October–November

2022,

N=11,300

consumers.Capgemini

Research

Institute202313Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesConsumers

will

reward

companiesthat

help

them

throughthis

di?cult

time

with

theirfuture

business

and

loyaltyFig.5Consumers

will

be

more

loyaland

buy

more

from

companies

that

help

them

get

through

thisdi?cult

time%

ofconsumers

whoagreewiththebelow

statements80%The

vast

majority

(78%)of

consumers

say

they

will

be

moreloyal

to

companies

that

help

them

through

this

di?culttime,

for

example,

by

prioritizing

purchasing

products

orservices

from

that

company

over

others.

This

percentageis

67%globally

for

Gen

Z

shoppers,

and

in

Italy

and

Canada,it

rises

to

82%and

78%of

Gen

Z

shoppers,

respectively.Seventy-four

percent

of

consumers

globally

plan

to79%79%78%76%74%75%74%67%64%purchase

more

products

or

services

from

companies

thatthey

perceive

as

helping

them.

Gen

Z

consumers

in

Italy(77%)

plan

to

purchase

more

from

companies

helping

themcompared

to

64%

of

Gen

Z

shoppers

globally

(see

Figure

5).OverallGenZMillennialsGenXBoomers78%Iwillbemoreloyaltocompaniesthathelpmethroughthisdi?culttimeIwillpurchasemoreproducts/servicesinthefuturefromcompaniesthathelpmethroughthisdi?culttimeof

consumers

say

they

will

be

more

loyal

tocompanies

that

help

them

through

this

di?cult

timeSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Consumer

demand

survey,

October–November

2022,

N=11,300

consumers;

992

Gen

Z

consumers,

3,264Millennial

consumers,

3,332

Gen

X

consumers,

3,712Boomer

consumers.Capgemini

Research

Institute202314Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesBrands

and

retailers

are

standing

up

to

support

(and,

in

theprocess,

win

the

loyalty

of)

consumers

struggling

with

thehigh

cost

of

living.

For

example:Reducing

prices

of

essential

itemsHistorically,

customers

do

remember

the

brands

thathelped

them

in

previous

crises.

Following

the

economic?

UK

supermarket

Asda

is

reducing

the

price

of

over

100popular

items,

including

tea

bags,

rice,

and

cheese,

for

theyear

as

part

of

its

broader

cost-of-living

measures.11crisis

of

2008,

loyalty

programs

boomed,

growing

by

19%between

2007

and

2009

and

driving

consumers

back

tobrands

that

were

o?ering

the

best

deals.14

Loyalty

programsalso

performed

well

during

the

pandemic

and

helpedkeep

customers

engaged.

The

US

fast-food

chain

TacoBelllaunched

its

new

subscription

service,

TacoLover’s

Pass,nationwide

during

the

pandemic,

which

resulted

in

membersvisiting

locations

three

times

as

often

as

non-subscribers

and16%

of

enrollees

signing

up

for

another

month.15

Similarly,Tescohas

already

seen

massive

growth

in

its

customerbase

and

sales

amid

the

cost-of-living

crisis.

With

its

loyaltyscheme,

Clubcard

Prices,

the

supermarket’s

UK

grocerymarket

share

was

at

a

four-year

high

in

2021.16O?ering

ideas

to

lower

the

cost

of

living?

During

2022,British

supermarket

chain

Waitroselaunched

“Super

Saver

recipes.”

For

under

￡2

per

portion,the

recipes

o?er

easy,

low-budget

meal

options

toO?ering

discount

programs?

Iceland

also

launched

a10%discount

scheme

forcustomers

over

the

age

of

60,

with

no

minimum

spend

toqualify

for

the

discount.12?

Technology

retailer

Currys

introduced

an

exchangeprogram

called

"Cash

forTrash,”which

allows

customersto

recycle

old,

broken,

or

unused

technology

in

exchangefor

vouchers.13customers.9?

UK

supermarket

chain

Iceland

has

launched

a

new

rangeof

services

to

help

customers

cut

bills.

It

has

launched“Shop

Smart,

Cook

Savvy”

in

partnership

with

energycompany

Utilita

to

help

families

better

understandeconomical

cooking

and

save

up

to

￡604

a

year.Theretailer

also

added

energy-e?cient

cooking

methods

tofood

packaging.10Capgemini

Research

Institute202315Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesIn-store

and

online

shoppinghas

declined

this

yearCapgemini

Research

Institute202316Whatmatterstotoday'sconsumers2023:consumerbehaviortrackerforthe

consumerproducts

andretailindustriesConsumer

interaction

withphysical

stores

has

declinedFig.6Consumers

expect

their

interactions

with

physical

stores

todecrease

in

the

long

termConsumer

preference

for

in-store

shopping

is

decliningamid

the

current

cost-of-living

crisis

and

the

priceconsciousness

of

consumers.

Consumers

also

expect

toreduce

their

interactions

with

physical

stores

in

the

longerterm.

In

November

2022,

61%

of

consumers

said

they

hadsigni?cant

interactions

with

physical

stores,

a

slight

declinefrom

November

2021

(67%),and

58%

expect

to

interactwith

physical

stores

post-cost-of-living

crisis

(see

Figure

6).%

ofconsumers

shoppingatphysical

stores72%67%61%58%Last

year,72%of

consumers

were

expected

to

interactwith

physical

stores

after

the

pandemic,

but

the

currentresearch

reveals

only

61%

of

consumers

are

currentlyinteracting

with

them.

The

cumulative

e?ect

of

thepandemic

and

geopolitical

crisis

is

taking

its

toll.60%34%61%Pre-pandemic

November2020

November2021

Post-pandemic

November2022Post-cost-of-livingcrisisof

consumers

say

they

are

shopping

at

physical

storestoday,

compared

to

67%

a

year

agoSource:

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

Consumer

demand

survey,

October–November

2022,

N=11,300

consumers;

Capgemini

Research

Institute,What

matters

to

today’s

consumer,

January

2022;

Capgemini

Research

Institute,

The

great

consumer

reset:

COVID-19

and

the

consumer

productsand

retail

consumer,

November

2020.Note:

Question

asked

was

"Please

indicate

your

frequency

of

using

physical

stores

when

shopping

with