Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2020

Every year, Euromonitor International identifies emerging and fast-moving trends they expect to gain traction in the year ahead. These trends respond to changing consumer values and behaviour which is causing disruption for business globally. 

The trends identified for 2020 revolve around two key themes – convenience and personal control.  Consumers must strike a balance between the two, and that’s not always easy.   

Beyond Human

The first trend is Beyond Human where consumers’ acceptance of robots and Artificial Intelligence that perform more tasks traditionally carried out by humans is growing.​ While trust with AI and robotics is still evolving, consumers’ desire for simpler and more efficient lifestyles means they are investing in smart home appliances and virtual assistants that help them with household chores, organising their schedules or simply give them a better experience. In 2020, consumers’ comfort level with functions such as voice activation and control are expected to result in accelerated adoption of AI and robotics.

Catch Me in Seconds

Time starved yet knowledge hungry consumers are behind the Catch Me in Seconds trend. Today’s consumers look to business to help them get to the information they need in a concise and impactful way. In 2020, business will have to connect with consumers on a more personal and emotional level to engage them; they will need to catch them with multisensory content that instantly grabs their attention. ​Key here are friends, family and independent consumers, these are the most trusted sources. Businesses that enable this type of sharing community will win.

Frictionless Mobility

The Frictionless Mobility trend is all about consumers wanting more flexible and personalised transportation methods​. They want access to a range of transport options that get them to their destinations quickly, seamlessly and in the most economical way. They expect real-time updates that will enable them to adjust their journey at any point if needed, as well as offering easy ways to pay for their travel. Convenience is key to this trend, but it also talks to the increasing focus by consumers on environmental issues and their desire for alternative transport modes such as bicycles, scooters and car-share.

Inclusive for All

Inclusive for All is a trend focused on diversity and accessibility for everyone. The disabled community is one of the largest and most underserved groups in the world, accounting for more than 1bn people. Consumers, both those with or without disabilities, are pushing for products and services to be more accessible and inclusive, catering for everyone, no matter their circumstances. Business must learn about, understand and meet the needs of disabled communities by either developing new products and services or adapting existing ones. ​

Minding Myself

Linking to this is the Minding Myself trend, a consumer focus on their mental needs and wellbeing. Today, 1 in 4 adults in the developed world suffers from anxiety​. These consumers are moving away from traditional stress relief products like alcohol and cigarettes towards more natural and less harmful stimulants. They want outcome-based products that address their mental wellbeing needs, that prevent stress and help them sleep better​. Products positioned for mood enhancement, relaxation, stress /anxiety relief and boosting brain function are becoming increasingly prevalent across industries​. In 2020 we expect to see a larger shift in this type of purchasing behaviour.

Private Personalisation

Consumers want and expect brands to tailor their products and services to them, however, to do this, they must share personal information. ​ This conflict leads to Euromonitor’s Private Personalisation trend.  Convenience and experiences are leading to consumers wanting to invest in smart devices but concerns about their privacy means they are searching for ways of controlling accessibility to them and their information. For business it is important to explore new models to reach and deepen their relationships with consumers​ and build trust or develop products and services that add enough added value for consumers to encourage them to share.

Multifunctional Homes

The Multifunctional Homes trend sees consumers’ homes evolving beyond the traditional function of living and sleeping and more towards the hub for many life activities – work, shop, play and exercise. Consumers want greater flexibility in their lifestyles and high-speed internet access and technology advancement are enabling them to do more in and from their homes such as live exercise or educational classes. This is changing consumers’ purchasing needs and behavior. They eat more at home, buy more casual clothing. Opportunities will grow and consumers will spend more time and money on products and services that cater to them in their homes, while spending less outside of the home.  This has massive implications for national infrastructure.

Proudly Local, Going Global

Proudly Local, Going Global sees consumers retreat from globalisation and hyper consumption to support local communities more as appreciation for and acceptance of different cultural social norms increases, driven by growing migration. Consumers want to experience more variety in all areas of their lives, what they wear, eat, do and where they go. For business it is important to shape products and services more to local tastes and preferences. For multinational companies this has led to a rise in localised production.

Reuse Revolutionaries

As consumer concerns about environmental issues continue to rapidly evolve, expect to see people focus on reducing their footprint and extend the life use of products. Reuse Revolutionaries, Euromonitor’s next trend highlights consumers who think they can make a positive contribution in the world with their purchases and look for alternative eco-friendly products. It highlights the desire for a waste-free future for the safety of the planet and human health. As a result, businesses are looking to models that avoid waste generation or use waste effectively.

We Want Clean Air Everywhere

We Want Clean Air Everywhere talks to consumers’ fight against air pollution and climate change. Growing eco-anxiety is shifting consumers toward sustainable product choices for a guilt-free shopping experience. Businesses are under pressure to develop and implement solutions that protect the environment and consumers from the effects of poor air quality.

Convenience and personal control will be the big themes of 2020. Sometimes these are complimentary desires, but they may also conflict with each other.

Consumers are being given the chance to engage on an equal level and have their cultural identity respected. They want to have an impact on the changing physical environment and are beginning to value their own mental wellbeing.

To achieve greater convenience, consumers may be required to relinquish personal control. They are looking for the advantages that technology can bring to everyday life, even though these might not be fully realised yet. Consumers want shorter, personalised content, which means they must trade their data privacy. The amount of data and privacy consumers will exchange for these desirable benefits will vary by culture, territory and individual.

And brands must find the right balance between building trust, providing security and delivering products and services that add value to outweigh consumer concerns in the year ahead.

The Top Trends are identified through Euromonitor’s international coverage from industry market analysis to quantitative global consumer surveys. We prompt our analysts internally in each of our industry verticals and poll the expert teams for their insights. We build a database of emerging trends and mine our trade interviews. We take those collective insights into workshops and drill down collectively to pinpoint emerging short-term trends. Finally, we poll our research teams in our 15 global offices and ask them to rank this list and together make the final cut.