Mumbai: WARC has released its 2025 Global Consumer Trends report, outlining the key forces set to shape consumer purchase decisions across brands and categories in the year ahead. Drawing on insights from GWI surveys across 54 global markets, WARC’s proprietary research and expert commentary, the report identifies five pivotal trends redefining how brands connect with increasingly intentional and value-driven consumers.
Stephanie Siew, Senior Research Executive at WARC, noted, “Amidst persisting economic uncertainty and the unpredictability around US trade tariffs, consumers are becoming more intentional in their spending and taking greater control over different aspects of their lives, particularly in the way they consume information, manage their wellbeing, and connect with others. “With this report we aim to provide a wider view of the major issues confronting our industry from the perspective of consumers, with suggestions to help businesses create the most impact in the coming year.”
The five headline trends include:
- The widening cost-of-living gap: 55% of low-income consumers now prefer cheaper own-brand alternatives over familiar name brands. Faris Yakob, Co-founder of Genius Steals, commented, “Since the ‘middle class’ is bifurcating into the haves and have-nots, many companies are reshuffling to serve the top twenty percent and the top one percent within that. The lower echelons are offered value alternatives and those with money are tempted to spend it on various levels of luxury as those companies pivot to lower volume / higher margin business models.”
- The growing credibility of individual creators: Nearly 47% of social media users have made purchases based on influencer recommendations in the past year. Sapna Chadha of Google emphasized, “Consumers are going to creators to discover information about brands. The difference now is that they are moving from passive discovery to really immersing themselves in an entirely new shopping experience, which encompasses video.”
- The humanisation of AI in commerce: 24% of consumers are open to having AI agents shop on their behalf. As Debra Aho Williamson, Founder of Sonata Insights, pointed out, “Soon, consumers will not even need to go to an AI platform to do what they do today. Instead, they will have an AI agent perform a task on their behalf, and the results will be delivered to them.”
- A proactive approach to health: 77% of consumers express concern about the health risks of ultra-processed foods. Alberto Romano of Diageo highlighted the opportunity for brands, saying, “Whether it is wellness-orientated food or clothing designed for comfort and emotional wellbeing, brands have the opportunity to shape the future by carving out unique and meaningful roles and purposes that resonate deeply with consumers’ wellness lifestyles.”
- Rewriting the rules of social connection: Half of Gen Z and millennials report playing board games monthly, with growing demand for in-person experiences like festivals. “Ultimately, the way people build connections has changed. We have moved from traditional systems to connecting with people whose interests are shared. For brands, this presents a challenge but also an opportunity, a middle ground on which to build connection, a space in between,” observed Colleen Ryan, Partner at TRA.
With consumers shifting from passive audiences to active participants, WARC’s report serves as a vital tool for marketers to align strategy with emerging values and behavior patterns.
