Top consumer trends of 2023

How can you prepare your brand for the rocky year ahead? Using Attest data from 2,000 US consumers, we’ve identified 10 key trends to know. Want even more insight?

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Trend 1: Funny messaging out of favor

Last year, American consumers wanted brands to make them laugh but appetite for humorous messaging has fallen 5.4 points to 50.7%. Younger consumers in particular show less interest in funny ads. 

Top tip: Motivational messaging is popular across demographics – aim to inspire with your marketing campaigns.

48.5% of consumers want motivational messaging from brands

Trend 2: Brands must “be political”

There’s a growing desire for brands to take a stand on political and social issues, like the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We see this in the 6.2 point increase in people wanting brands to represent women’s rights (29.5%).

Top tip: Playing it safe may no longer be an option for brands who really want to represent their consumers.

79.3% of consumers want brands to represent a cause

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Trend 3: VR marketing is an opportunity

Ownership of virtual reality headsets is growing; more than a quarter of US households have one. Millennials are the biggest adopters of VR, 36.6% have a headset (including 9.9% who own more than one). 

Top tip: Advertising opportunities in virtual worlds include billboards that brands can use without knowledge of the metaverse. 

26.8% of Americans own a VR headset

Trend 4: Socializing is back

Despite the roll out of the Covid-19 vaccination campaign, many Americans were keeping their social circles small last year. This year, though, socializing has rebounded. We see a 10.5 point increase in the percentage of people socializing with friends at least once a week (63.3%).

Top tip: Celebrating the power of social connections can help keep consumers’ morale high during the economic downturn.

63.3% of Americans socialize weekly

Attest gives us the confidence to run market research that we know will reveal or compound actionable knowledge about our market.

Siamac Rezaiezadeh, Director of Product Marketing, GoCardless

Trend 5: Amazon gains market share

Just when you thought Amazon’s profits couldn’t get any bigger, our data shows a net +11.1% of consumers plan to increase their shopping on the marketplace in 2023, with the growth predominantly driven by Gen Z.

Top tip: Nurture Amazon customers with marketing materials incentivizing them to shop directly with your brand next time.

23.8% of Gen Z will shop more on Amazon

Trend 6: Fast fashion faces a reckoning

The environmental impact of fast fashion has been in the spotlight lately and it seems to have had an impact. A net -10.4% of consumers say they will buy fewer fast fashion items in 2023, with consumers aged 40+ especially likely to make this commitment.

Top tip: Join clothing brands like PrettyLittleThing, Zara and Shein by introducing a resale platform to help reduce waste.

19.1% of Gen X will buy less fast fashion

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Trend 7: Streaming services chopped

Subscriptions are a casualty of the rising cost of living, with 68.9% of consumers canceling one. Streaming services are especially vulnerable: a third have axed a TV streaming service and 20.9% have canceled a music streaming service.

Top tip: Introduce the ability to pause subscriptions rather than lose customers altogether.

68.9% of consumers have canceled a subscription

Trend 8: Diets changing (for the worse)

More than a third of consumers say the rising cost of food is having a “big” impact on their diets, while a further 34.6% say it’s having a “medium” impact. Nearly 41% are experiencing difficulty affording fresh quality foods.

Top tip: Reduce pack sizes to bring down the retail price and keep your customers.

33.8% of consumers can’t afford preferred F&B brands

Attest is a nimble and robust enough platform to gather insights for our domestic and international business, allowing us to measure, grow, and innovate.

Monica Aguilo, Senior Director – Consumer Insights, Strategy, & Social Impact

Trend 9: Second hand losing its stigma

Thrift shopping will be a big pastime in 2023, with 38.0% of consumers saying they’ll be hunting for second hand bargains to combat the rising costs of inflation, and nearly 38% selling their unwanted goods.

Top tip: Tap into the thrifty mindset with ideas to help consumers reuse and recycle goods.

38.0% of consumers are buying second hand

Trend 10: Rampant consumerism is out

Frugality is cool; 43.3% of consumers say they are buying fewer things and consuming less – that’s a 9.6 point increase on last year. 

Top tip: While price is the primary motivator for 2023, quality should not be overlooked as consumers look to buy fewer things and keep them for longer.


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