WGSN ON THE CONSUMER YOU NEED TO KNOW: FUTURE CONSUMER 2025

WGSN trend forecasting believes that 2025 will be a pivotal year for shifting values that will shape the landscape of the future and drive purchases and brand loyalty. We’ll travel to new physical and digital cities, but won’t forget the power of local. We’ll focus on regenerative finance and business ecosystems while understanding that growth isn’t a dirty word. The Great Restructuring is upon us.

Today WGSN  launched an executive summary of Future Consumer 2025, the global trend authority’s flagship white paper. These insights provide critical guidance in understanding the strategies for attracting and keeping customers in this changing world. The paper includes qualitative and quantitative analysis which help identify the four new consumer profiles we all need to know.

As Carla Buzasi, President & CEO of WGSN, explains, “We’re facing cascading and unprecedented challenges as a planet, so it’s never been more important to understand the fears, desires, and challenges of consumers and deliver products that will make a real difference to their lives.

“WGSN empowers businesses to develop the right products at the right time to maintain and grow their market share. Every day, our clients tell us how our insight has enabled them to make better decisions and identify new opportunities, so they can not only survive but also thrive in tough trading environments.”

The four key consumer profiles are:

The New Nihilists

Opting out of the world’s turmoil, these consumers haven’t given up caring – they’re just finding new meaning and happiness outside the mainstream. Inflation concerns: 57.3% feel overwhelmed by the cost-of-living crisis

The Reductionists

After embracing digital convenience and remote living during the pandemic, these consumers are looking to re-establish IRL connections and communities with a more human touch. On Supporting Local: 64% of our respondents said they have bought more locally since the onset of the pandemic as a way to support their community.

The Time Keepers

For these memory-makers, time is the most valuable resource, and they want to do more than just spend it – they want to invest it in things that will make their lives richer. Desire for inclusivity: 58.6% of Gen X and Boomer consumers say they don’t see their age group represented at scale in fashion marketing.

The Pioneers

These consumers are like light bulbs – they need to be switched on. Spark their interest with new ideas and problem-solving products that make physical and virtual worlds better for all. Metaverse opportunities. 19% have purchased virtual goods such as in-game skins or digital fashion items.

“Our annual Future Consumer forecast is the result of intensive and exhaustive research by our global team into what’s making consumers tick, but each year also builds on WGSN’s previous 25 years of experience in delivering accurate forecasts and speaking to businesses on the ground, to help them solve their most complex problems,” says  Andrea Bell, Director of WGSN Insight.

Photo, above, by cottonbro studio.