18 Key Consumer Trends From Around The World

Tips / 16.04.2025

If you’re a business owner in 2025, competition is more fierce than ever.

In order to stand out from the crown and win more customers, you’ll need to cater to their needs, acknowledge their preferences, and adapt to changing behaviours.

To help you gain a competitive edge in such a dynamic and aggressive environment, we’ve prepared a list of some of the top consumer trends around the world today.

Here’s everything you need to know.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Sustainable and eco-friendly products

With climate change and environmental issues emerging as a vital challenge for humanity, young consumers are also increasingly searching for sustainable products with minimal environmental impact.

Based on Google data, the search for “sustainable goods” has increased by more than 70% from 2016 to 2024.

On a global level, nearly 90% of shoppers [1] share that they have started making their purchasing decisions based on sustainability factors in the last five years. At the same time, more than 80% [2] say that they’ll start making purchases with brands that offer environmentally-friendly products in the future.

These new shopping behaviours and browning consumer interest towards eco products and services also shape another trend – spending more. Rather than focusing on saving money, sustainability-conscious consumers are willing to spend more money on products or services that are environmentally-friendly.

In fact, more than a third of buyers [3] admit they’ll pay more for sustainable goods. This is especially vivid among younger consumers who are willing to pay up to 20% extra [4].

In the UK specifically, the ethical and sustainable goods market has grown four times in the past 20 years, currently valued at $41 billion [5].

Health and wellness focus

When exploring popular consumer trends in 2025, it’s inevitable to mention wellness products. The modern consumer demands solutions that contribute to their well-being, with a significant focus on mental health and self-care.

In fact, the global wellness market is valued at $1.8 trillion [6], showing growth of between 5% and 10% per year. The high demand for health and wellness products has been steadily rising in more advanced economies over the last few years.

This trend partially stems from the fact that our daily routines are gradually shifting towards less physical activity, especially for those employed in offices or other static roles. Expert predictions reveal that by 2035, over half of the global population will be overweight or obese [7].

Areas such as in-person fitness, personal training, nutritional supplements, immunity boosters, and mindfulness and stress management tools are expected to continue growing in popularity.

Companies that acknowledge and address this trend can gain a substantial competitive advantage, even in times of economic uncertainty as consumers continue spending more on health- and wellness-related solutions.

Rise of e-commerce and online shopping

Shopping habits are also moving in the direction of eCommerce and online.

For most, this is already old news. But what’s different in 2025 is that buying habits are gradually shifting towards social media.

Social media platforms are incredibly popular, with 91.17% penetration in the UK [8]. Naturally, social commerce is turning into a big thing, for both new brands and experienced companies.

While social shopping was originally something that attracted young people, today Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X show a preference for product discovery via social media. This is often done through influencer recommendations, although brand positioning and engagement is also crucial.

Two of the most popular social media platforms today are TikTok and Instagram [9] (predominantly used by Gen Z women). At the same time, men rely much more on YouTube for product research and decision-making. Other platforms like Facebook, X, and LinkedIn are also attractive.

Overall, social shopping is growing across all age groups, with even baby boomers starting to explore this option as a reliable way to discover products, find new brands, and purchase products and services.

Personalisation and customisation

If you’re a business owner in 2025, it’s also key to address personalisation and customisation, no matter what your target audience is.

One of the best ways for both large and small businesses to establish brand loyalty and encourage purchase decisions is by making the customer journey as personalised as possible. This can be done through different elements of the marketing strategy, the shopping journey, and more.

Studies show that more than 70% of consumers feel frustrated when a shopping experience is impersonal. [10]

An even more striking discovery shows that 63% of shoppers will stop purchasing [31] from brands that use poor personalization tactics.

As a brand, it’s crucial to consider how your buyers are making purchases and how you can offer a more customised experience. Make sure to collect data adequately and split your audiences accordingly.

Some of the most frequently used strategies include personalised product recommendations, user-generated content, real-time retargeting, and custom-made email communications.

Experiential and adventure-based purchases

Another one of the top consumer trends worth exploring is experiential and adventure-based shopping.

Due to the higher purchasing power of consumers in countries like the UK, USA, and others, shoppers are actively turning an eye towards shopping for lasting memories in the face of adventures and new experiences.

Consumer behaviour is demonstrating a vast interest in solutions that allow shoppers to escape from urban living [11] and dive into exciting outdoor activities. Moreover, those looking to escape aren’t simply in search of new ways to spend time outdoors. They’re looking for creative ways to spend this time with family and friends.

Multi-activity experiences are also on the rise, with solutions like weekend escapes with pre-planner programs gaining popularity.

Seeking AI-powered solutions for everyday tasks

Studies uncover that 55% of US consumers use AI on a regular basis [12].

While Artificial Intelligence has raised many heated discussions over the past few years, AI-powered solutions have gradually started penetrating everyday life.

And while a large portion of the world’s population feels uncertain about using AI, one-third [13] of consumers share that they use AI technology. This can dramatically impact the future purchases for many consumers.

For example, generative AI can provide a range of different content, acting as a substitute for traditional search engines. This means that users are expected to start relying more on instruments like ChatGPT for answers and product suggestions than search engines and brand websites.

In addition, shoppers expect brands to offer a similar customer experience, with optimisation and personalisation at the forefront.

Ethical and transparent brands

As AI is slowly taking over a range of different components of business processes and marketing, consumers are actively looking for ethical practices and transparency.

According to research, more than 93% of shoppers [14] demonstrate loyalty to transparent brands.

There’s also a growing importance of ethical branding in the minds of modern consumers. 70% of shoppers around the world share that they feel responsible for buying ethical products.

Increased demand for convenience

As the global market becomes more competitive than ever, shoppers are constantly bombarded with information, products, services, brands, and overall – options. Naturally, this creates a need for convenience, from start to finish throughout the entire shopping experience and journey.

According to research, nearly 80% of consumers value convenience when shopping [15]. In addition, they admit that this preference for convenience has become stronger over the last five years.

To make things easier and simpler for buyers, brands are now experimenting with voice commerce, different payment methods, and others.

Growth of subscription services

Another top consumer trend that deserves attention is subscription services.

Subscription businesses are thriving, with studies revealing that the subscription industry is growing at a rate of 200% per year [16]. Overall, the average consumer subscribes to four different subscription services, as studies show.

This significant interest towards this form of commitment is actively inspiring brands around the world to consider implementing this business model into their offering.

Given that the subscription economy is expected to reach a size of $1.5 trillion in 2025 [17], this is certainly a segment worth exploring if you’re a business owner looking to attract recurring revenue and a wider customer base.

Local and artisanal goods preference

In an interconnected, globalised world, consumers are surprisingly showing a preference for local businesses in efforts to support their local economy. The local consumer trend mostly derives from a combination of factors that appeal to modern values, ethics, and lifestyles.

Due to the vast range of mass-produced goods, people are actively searching for unique offerings that can help them stand out from the crowd. This desire is also combined with a preference for craftsmanship and attention to detail.

Buying local means that consumers can contribute to the growth of small businesses and overall – their community. Not to mention that shopping from local businesses also dramatically reduces carbon footprint and enables consumers to invest in sustainable practices.

Integration of technology in everyday life

As technology continues evolving, it’s also penetrating different aspects of the everyday life of consumers. For example, more and more shoppers are relying on technology for household activities, like cleaning and cooking.

As we’ll see in the next sections, home-based entertainment is also on the rise thanks to technological innovations like advanced gaming solutions, virtual reality and augmented reality systems.

When discussing technology, it’s also key to note that 5.52 billion people around the world were using the internet at the start of October 2024 [18], representing 67.1% of the world’s population.

This creates vast opportunities for brands to digitally connect with their audiences, offering modern and sophisticated shopping alternatives.

Rise of the gig and freelance economy

In an economic environment where changes are constantly around the corner, more and more people who specialise in certain skills or the production of goods focus on freelance or the gig economy.

Instead of working at a 9 to 5 job, people around the world are taking advantage of the opportunities remote work offers and the flexibility of freelancing.

Experts expect that the gig economy will reach $500 billion in gross revenue by 2029 [19]. As of 2024, a third of the world’s workforce is participating in it.

This trend partially explains the interest towards subscription-based services, pay-as-you-go models, and on-demand offerings that cater to unpredictable schedules. It also impacts online shopping patterns, as freelancers and remote workers prefer the convenience this model offers over physical shopping.

Preference for minimalist and simple living

The “Minimalist Seeker” was rated as one of the most important consumer types around the world in 2023, representing 18% of the population [20]. This type of consumer prefers to live a minimalist lifestyle and prioritises price, sustainability, and community issues over all else.

Minimalist buyers rarely invest in products that aren’t essential and don’t fall into the trap of impulsive shopping decisions. Instead, they spend a lot of time on product research and make informed decisions. They’re highly likely to invest in used items or repair broken products rather than throw them away.

Research suggests that the most efficient ways to target consumers who prefer minimalism and simple living is via offering eco-friendly, locally sourced, or quality materials, providing renting or leasing options, and more.

Shift toward home-based entertainment

This year, the Home Entertainment market is projected to reach $14.6 billion [21].

But that’s not all.

Annually, the revenue of this market is expected to grow at a rate of 7.14%, reaching $19.3 billion by 2029.

From immersive virtual reality systems to ultra-high-definition TVs, shoppers around the world are embracing all sorts of home entertainment solutions.

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+, and Spotify offer incredibly easy access to a myriad of movies, TV shows, music, and more. The best part is that all of these can be enjoyed from the comfort of your home, as long as you have the right entertainment solutions.

In addition, the evolution of VR and AR systems turns home gaming into a significant entertainment activity, driving spending on such hardware and software solutions.

Popularity of plant-based and alternative diets

Although the vegetarian diet gained popularity a few years ago and has since gradually declined, it’s still among the top preferences for healthy eating today.

Millennials are one of the driving groups behind this trend, with 30% higher chances of this generation group selecting non-meat options [22].

Studies also show that a third of Millennials try to avoid meat where possible, whereas 22% have adopted a Vegetarian diet at some point in their lives.

This percentage is only 13% for Gen X and 11% for Baby Boomers.

Increased awareness of data privacy

In today’s highly digital and interconnected world, more consumers are showing an interest in data practices and consumer data protection policies.

For example, over the last 10 years, Google searches [23] for “data privacy” have risen by nearly 240%.

Naturally, customers desire to have every confidence that their private information will be protected and secure. This inevitably reshapes consumer behaviour as customers prefer to shop with brands that guarantee data protection.

Research reveals that nearly 60% of consumers [24] wish they had more control over their data, while over half of shoppers [25] say they are more likely to trust a business if it doesn’t require information that does not relate to its products or services.

Emphasis on work-life balance

Earlier, we mentioned that more and more consumers are showing a preference towards solutions that will aid their mental health and wellness, especially when it comes to younger generations.

Another key consumer trend that is shaped by this preference is the growing attention towards work-life balance.

According to research, 73% of workers believe [26] that work-life balance is a critical factor when selecting a job. In addition, nearly 50% of people admit that they are prepared to leave a job if it prevents them from enjoying life.

From a consumer viewpoint, this is incredibly important. Brands that actively promote products or services designed to help people enjoy their free time to the fullest can certainly cater to a vast audience.

Some examples include goods and services in travel, relaxation, mindfulness, fun activities, outdoor sports, and more.

Preference for contactless and mobile payments

As people opt for a safer, quicker, and more convenient way to make payments, consumer preferences are shifting towards contactless and mobile payment solutions.

Research shows that contactless payments soared after the COVID-19 pandemic, with global contactless payment transactions expected to exceed $10 trillion by 2027 [27]. Projections suggest that the growth in contactless payments between 2022 and 2026 will be a whopping 221%.

In addition, more and more people prefer to pay using their mobile devices via digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and others.

Over the past 10 years, Google searches [28] for “digital wallets” have risen by 562%.

Research also shows that two-thirds of shoppers feel more comfortable paying via digital wallets [29] as opposed to other traditional methods.

Conclusion

Understanding the key consumer trends we explored earlier will enable you to craft your business strategies with more precision, catering to your audiences in the best possible way.

Don’t forget that consumer trends are actively shifting as a consequence of dynamic external factors influencing decision-making and buyer behaviour.

To stand out from the crowd, make sure that you stay up to date with the most recent changes and adapt your business to fit the rising interests and habits of your shoppers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is sustainability influencing consumer behaviour in 2024?

Sustainability is a key driver of consumer behaviour in 2024. Shoppers are actively selecting brands that show a commitment to environmental responsibility. This includes a preference for products made from recycled or renewable materials, supporting companies with transparent supply chains, and prioritising businesses that minimise waste and carbon emissions.

How is technology shaping current consumer trends?

The rise of AI and machine learning is enabling more personalised shopping experiences, while advancements in VR and AR are creating new ways for consumers to interact with brands. Additionally, the accessibility and affordability of smart home devices and wearables are leading to increased consumer interest in connected living and digital health solutions.

How can brands change their business strategies based on consumer trends?

In order to cater to the needs of their audiences, brands must understand and adapt to the new consumer trends around the world. This process should be gradual and based on data analysis and informed decision-making. Consider making changes to product offerings, production processes, marketing strategies, communication methods, deliveries, and more.