![The State of Shopper Traits in 2024 [Data from 700+ Consumers]](https://i2.wp.com/blog.hubspot.com/hubfs/consumer%20trends%202023-1.png#keepProtocol?w=598&resize=598,398&ssl=1 "The State of Shopper Traits in 2024 [Data from 700+ Consumers]")
Shopper traits are altering on a regular basis, reflecting the “never-sleeping” nature of markets and society.
From the rise of AI to the rising recognition of procuring on social media, heightened information privateness issues and customers tightening budgets as a result of recession fears, instances are altering quick.
However one factor is for certain — companies want to trace all these traits to keep away from getting misplaced within the shuffle.
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To assist entrepreneurs sustain and keep forward of the curve, we’ve run our biannual Shopper Traits Survey of 700+ U.S. adults. Maintain a pulse on:
- What traits they’re following.
- How they spend their time on-line.
- How and the place they like to buy.
- What requirements they’re holding their favourite manufacturers to.
Prime Shopper Traits
Earlier than leaping into all of the traits, let’s spotlight people who stand out in 2024:
- Belief in AI stays low regardless of its widespread use, calling for extra transparency.
- Social media has reworked into procuring hubs, with influencers enjoying an enormous function in shopping for selections.
- Newer social platforms acquire recognition, whereas established ones see slower progress.
- Social search and AI shake up conventional engines, however individuals nonetheless belief them.
- Financial uncertainty prompts tightening budgets and job safety worries.
- Knowledge privateness turns into a fundamental proper and calls for clear guidelines and management.
- Manufacturers standing for social points and variety earn client loyalty.
- Assist for small companies grows as customers search neighborhood connection.
- Individuals want human help, social connections, and cellular searches.
- Versatile work preparations grow to be important and strongly affect job selections.
- Staff prioritize corporations with inclusive cultures and constructive environments.
- Individuals love genuine and relatable video content material.
- Shopper spending on non-essentials drops as individuals go for high quality over amount.
- Gifting methods and voice search alternatives acquire traction.
- Metaverse pop-up outlets and digital shops are rising as traits.
- Gen Z units itself aside in procuring habits and social media utilization.
- Customers stay cautious about investing in Web3 and digital currencies.
Digital Media Traits
1. Customers don’t belief AI, however one-third nonetheless use it.
AI is palms down the highest pattern of 2024, with one in three customers already utilizing chatbots and platforms like ChatGPT.
However right here’s the plot twist — solely 33% of customers really belief content material created with AI.
As companies leverage AI, constructing belief and sustaining transparency are key to fostering client confidence in AI-driven experiences.
Regardless, 39% of full-time staff use AI at work, and 74% of them say it’s efficient.
The highest use circumstances for AI chatbots at work revolve round helping individuals of their work fairly than doing their job for them — serving to with duties like getting concepts or inspiration, summarizing textual content, and studying new issues.
These are additionally among the many only makes use of for AI within the office.
Staff are saying AI is only for analyzing and reporting information, studying new issues, creating pictures/movies, getting concepts and inspiration, and conducting analysis.
Lastly, we requested customers which AI they plan on utilizing sooner or later.
Regardless of ChatGPT’s head begin, nearly half of customers see themselves primarily utilizing Google’s Gemini (previously often called Bard) — adopted by ChatGPT — with Bing in third place.
Uncover how HubSpot AI could make your work simpler, streamline processes, and generate nice content material effortlessly.
2. Social media is the way forward for procuring.
Social media is rapidly changing into the way forward for ecommerce, with social procuring rising in recognition throughout all ages. Influencers are impacting extra buy selections, whereas clients more and more sliding into DMs for customer support.
Simply previously three months, 41% of customers have found a product on social media.
Actually, Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X want discovering merchandise on social media over another channel.
With regards to really buying these merchandise, 25% of social media customers have purchased one thing immediately on a social media platform previously three months, rising to 43% of each Gen Z and Millennials since our January replace.
On high of that, 21% of social media customers have purchased a product based mostly on an influencer’s suggestion previously three months.
For Gen Z, 27% have purchased a product because of an influencer previously three months, and so they say suggestions from influencers are extra impactful to their buy selections than suggestions from their buddies or household.
Of social media customers, 17% have additionally despatched DMs to get customer support previously three months. Not solely that, however 1 in 4 Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X say DMs are how they like to get customer support from an organization.
In previous Shopper Traits pulse surveys, we continued to see that buyers don’t absolutely belief social procuring.
At present, they appear to be coming round.
Whereas simply 47% of social media customers really feel comfy shopping for by means of social apps and solely 45% belief social media platforms with their card info, each of those are enhancements over final yr’s numbers.
3. Youthful social platforms acquire steam as legacy apps stall.
Regardless of being essentially the most used social media platforms, Fb, YouTube, and Instagram noticed the least progress in customers in our survey group year-over-year.
Fb utilization remained flat, Instagram utilization dropped by 5%, and YouTube utilization dropped by 2%. In the meantime, BeReal grew 333%, Twitch grew (43%), and TikTok grew (21%).
(Word: We ran this survey simply earlier than Threads launched and count on it to be an enormous dialogue level in our subsequent bi-annual survey.)
Nonetheless, Fb is the preferred social media app, utilized by 71% of customers, adopted by YouTube (61%), Instagram (42%), TikTok (37%), and X, Snapchat, and Pinterest (all at 23%).
Though LinkedIn is in direction of the underside of the record, B2B entrepreneurs shouldn’t panic or rely it out.
Though it noticed a slight lower in customers yr over yr, the utilization on this platform can differ (and even could be seasonal in response to how workplaces rent or promote).
For instance, in our January 2023 replace, we noticed that LinkedIn had 20% extra customers who reported energetic utilization.
Total, this information aligns fairly carefully with information we’ve seen from App Shops, platform analytics corporations, and experiences immediately from the respective platforms.
4. Social search and generative AI are disrupting conventional serps.
Whereas there’s no denying serps are nonetheless dominant, social search is rising in recognition, particularly amongst Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X.
Not solely do 32% of customers flip to social media to seek for solutions to their questions, however practically one third of 18 to 54-year-olds want to go looking on social media over serps.
Between serps, social search, and AI, customers nonetheless say serps are the best option to get their questions answered.
Finally, whereas social search and generative AI are rising in popularity, conventional search isn’t going anyplace simply but.
Budgeting Traits
5. Customers are tightening recession budgets.
Of customers, 57% suppose the U.S. is presently in a recession, and 55% are tightening their budgets in response. About half (47%) of U.S. adults have taken steps to plan or put together for a recession.
Moreover, 42% of customers count on the recession to final for over a yr.
6. Customers proceed to concern layoffs and recession impacts.
Though many corporations will save 1000’s, and even tens of millions, on decreasing workplace area and amenities prices with hybrid and distant work, half of customers are nonetheless rightly involved about being laid off from their present jobs.
For entrepreneurs, earlier analysis from 2023 confirmed that their departments had been already working with much less resourcing, headcount, and finances than in previous years. As some industries are nonetheless seeing the brunt of financial traits, this has seemingly continued.
Many additionally fear that AI — the very software that streamlines their busy work — might take over their work fully.
At HubSpot, we expect AI must be used as a software to assist staff lower out busy work and drive outcomes, not as a way to economize by chopping employees. And, heads of different AI platforms, like Jasper.AI, agree.
Nonetheless, it’s comprehensible to fret about what the mixture of AI and economics might do to job safety. In spite of everything, most staff we’ve surveyed examine AI to a modern-day Industrial Revolution.
In the event you’re involved about your function, zone in on abilities AI can’t change — like crucial pondering. In the meantime, use AI to offer you and your crew extra time to earn a high-performance monitor file.
This fashion, in case your function does shift or dissolve, you’ll be capable to pivot and adapt to alter.
Knowledge Privateness Traits
7. Knowledge privateness as a human proper.
Of customers, 75% say information privateness is a human proper. And it truly is — particularly these days when our private info is extra susceptible and accessible than ever.
Fortunately, each laws and tech are frequently bettering to make sure our information stays personal and safe on the Web.
8. Prospects want belief.
Not solely are 76% of customers anxious about how corporations use their private information, however 72% say they’re extra seemingly to purchase from corporations they belief with it.
Additionally, 71% of individuals say their belief in an organization impacts their resolution to share private info.
Professional tip: I not too long ago watched an incredible YouTube video about client traits by Rabeea Hasan, ex-brand supervisor at P&G. Rabeea advises manufacturers to make use of hyper-personalization in advertising and be clear about information practices in the event that they wish to earn buyer belief.
9. Prospects wish to have management over information.
We requested what would make customers extra comfy sharing information with corporations, and it comes right down to transparency, safety, and possession.
Of customers, 75% wish to be answerable for what’s occurring with the knowledge they supply — what information is collected, the way it’s used, and with whom it’s shared.
10. “Pay to get my private info.”
Of individuals surveyed, 37% strongly agree (+ 25% considerably agree) that corporations ought to pay for entry to their information. Then again, solely 3% of respondents fully disagree with that.
Nonetheless, let’s take into account that private information like buy historical past, searching habits, and placement will be extremely precious for adverts, new merchandise, and market analysis. Paying for such “golden information” apparently is smart, proper?
Total, it is a advanced situation with no straightforward solutions. Each firm ought to try to discover a steadiness between consumer privateness, information worth, and honest compensation.
11. CEOs influencing clients’ selections.
Of customers, 48% say the proprietor/CEO of an organization influences their resolution to share information.
The CEO’s actions and statements can form how the general public perceives the corporate’s information practices. A CEO “in style” for privateness scandals might make individuals cautious of sharing their info.
On the intense aspect, a CEO with a status for moral enterprise practices might encourage confidence.
12. No information sharing with third events.
40% of shoppers don’t need their information to be shared with third events below any circumstances.
Additionally, practically half (42%) of shoppers count on you to have the ability to delete their information fully in the event that they determine they not need you to have it.
13. 50% of customers don’t permit information monitoring.
Firms have numerous work to do to construct that belief, with half of U.S. adults saying they normally decline to have their private information tracked.
Simply 17% normally permit their information to be tracked, whereas 33% say it relies on the corporate.
Finally, embracing at present’s privacy-first world might be constructive in your model notion — and most significantly — for buyer belief and security.
In a latest submit, our CMO, Kipp Bodnar, explains why information privateness is way from only a passing fad:
14. Customers more and more help manufacturers dedicated to social points.
Firms taking a stance on social points has grown extra vital and influential on customers’ buying selections, with 51% of U.S. adults saying manufacturers ought to do extra relating to social advocacy.
Reasonably priced healthcare, earnings inequality, local weather change, and racial justice are crucial points respondents wish to see corporations take a stance on.
For Gen Z particularly, reasonably priced healthcare, racial justice, and local weather change are crucial points.
In comparison with final summer time’s Shopper Traits outcomes, respondents more and more help manufacturers dedicated to range and inclusion, in addition to small companies.
15. Extra customers help small companies.
52% of customers say a product being made by a small enterprise makes them extra prone to buy, whereas 46% have chosen to purchase a product as a result of it was made by a small enterprise (each up 18% from final yr).
Shopper Conduct Traits
16. Customers nonetheless need human help.
There are two major methods clients want to get assist — with a human agent or by themselves.
Apparently, 72% of individuals nonetheless want speaking to an actual particular person once they want help. This reveals a need for the “human contact” in customer support.
Then again, 28% of customers would fairly resolve issues on their very own.
As an example, I want tackling challenges solo, particularly when websites lay out clear directions.
However when issues get difficult, a human contact is the way in which to go.
17. Individuals primarily use social media to remain linked with household & buddies.
Though all of us hop on social media for enjoyable, right here’s a cool pattern: About 61% of individuals principally use it to remain linked with family members.
Meta positively wins on this subject with over one billion month-to-month energetic customers on Fb, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram.
I actually love this pattern — it reveals that, above all else, social media is all about conserving these private connections sturdy.
18. Cellphones stay a favourite for Googling.
With regards to Googling, customers clearly favor their cell phones, with a whopping 63% selecting them over computer systems and tablets.
Whereas solely 26% go for laptops or computer systems, Boomers emerge because the champions, with 41% nonetheless preferring desktop looking.
19. Many customers take into account themselves “creators.”
When our survey outcomes for the query, “Would you take into account your self a creator?” we discovered that 46% of 18- to 24-year-olds and 50% of 25- to 34-year-olds name themselves content material creators.
What’s nice for manufacturers right here? Your very personal audiences would possibly soar on the likelihood to create content material for you, which might, in flip, assist them construct on-line affect.
However what precisely IS a “creator”? Take a look at this deep dive by Caroline Forsey to study extra: If Everybody’s a Content material Creator, Is Anybody?
Shopper Shopping for Traits
20. Customers principally belief Fb procuring.
Many social media customers have made purchases immediately inside social media apps previously three months.
For instance, 46% of respondents have used Instagram for in-app purchases, 58% used Fb, and 51% TikTok.
Additionally, an enormous 47% of respondents stated they really feel comfy making purchases immediately on social media.
With regards to belief, Fb leads the pack, with 37% of respondents expressing full belief in it. Boomers are the largest followers of Fb procuring — 42% purchase immediately from the platform.
This pattern showcases the growing integration of procuring options inside SM platforms, which is certainly nice. As a result of, let’s be trustworthy, we’ll all purchase extra stuff if we don’t want to go away the app (the laziest technology to date?).
21. Many customers belief influencers.
About 21% of our 700 respondents are swiping their bank cards based mostly on influencer suggestions — millennials are winners right here, with 36% saying that influencers are actually influencing their buying selections.
That is very true for the influencers they actually love, have adopted for a very long time, and belief.
I’ll be the primary to confess guilt right here as a result of I merely can’t resist shopping for merchandise advisable by my favourite SM personalities, equivalent to Zach King. 😎
22. Shops and on-line retailers aren’t going away regardless of the expansion of social commerce.
In January 2024, 64% of customers most well-liked to buy a product in-store, whereas 50% most well-liked to buy by means of an internet retailer promoting a wide range of manufacturers (e.g., Amazon.com).
Take Pink Tag Boutique, for instance. The Kentucky-based clothes and niknaks enterprise noticed immense progress in Fb outlets.
They attribute $44,448 in incremental gross sales from the software and have seen 66% larger common order worth from social commerce consumers in comparison with those that purchased immediately from the corporate website.
For extra examples of manufacturers which are already excelling in social commerce, try this submit.
It’s also possible to discover extra procuring pattern information on this follow-up report from Caroline Forsey: The Purchasing Traits of 2024 & Past [State of Consumer Trends Data]
23. Customers have excessive expectations that merchandise will match descriptions/depictions.
Once they purchase stuff straight from social media, 53% of individuals imagine that it is going to be simply as described. This statistic reveals how a lot belief we put in these procuring platforms.
That is why sellers must be extra cautious when describing objects and never make them look higher than they really are as a result of 45% of consumers count on a refund.
24. Customers in the reduction of on non-essential spending.
Of respondents, 45% are spending much less cash on non-essential objects and focusing solely on purchases crucial for survival or well-being.
There’s additionally an enormous demand for long-lasting merchandise. When individuals purchase one thing, they need it to endure and never have to get replaced quickly after.
“Right here‘s a significant value of residing disaster, and other people worth high quality over amount. They’re shifting away from low cost, disposable merchandise and searching for higher-quality, longer-lasting objects, even when they’re barely costlier. Manufacturers ought to give attention to growing higher-quality merchandise with timeless designs to draw clients.”
– Rabeea Hasan, Model Supervisor
Shopper Work Traits
25. Many individuals will go away their jobs as a result of the pay shouldn’t be aggressive sufficient.
The principle cause most individuals are contemplating leaving their jobs is non-competitive pay.
Particularly, 38% of people are occupied with making a change, with Gen X main the pack at 48%.
Actually, I’m glad to see this pattern growing as a result of individuals, greater than ever, acknowledge the worth of their work and, extra importantly — the time they make investments, which must be pretty paid.
26. Virtually 50% of staff should not anxious about dropping their job.
A stunning pattern has emerged in job safety issues.
Roughly 18% of full-time staff are very involved about being laid off, whereas 33% are considerably involved.
However right here’s one thing attention-grabbing — chunk, about 27%, aren’t very anxious, and 22% aren’t anxious in any respect.
This confidence would possibly come from a robust talent set, excessive demand of their subject, or feeling tremendous safe of their firm’s place.
27. Individuals need versatile & distant work.
Our survey highlights how a lot distant work issues to individuals these days.
Are you able to imagine that 11% of respondents stated they’d take into consideration leaving their jobs if distant work wasn’t on the desk? It reveals simply how vital flexibility and work–life steadiness are to of us.
What’s much more stunning is that the shortage of versatile work choices is straight away behind burnout as a cause to go away.
To the query “Would you take into account leaving your job if your organization made you go into the workplace 5 days every week?” 42% stated sure!
It’s a transparent signal that corporations have to take versatile and distant work critically.
28. Firm tradition issues.
Not solely do customers have to see flexibility to remain loyal to employers, however additionally they have to see efforts made to construct a constructive and wholesome firm tradition.
A whopping 65% of staff say it’s vital that the corporate they work for has a various and inclusive tradition.
And it is smart. As extra individuals are requested to return to the workplace, even part-time, they’re extra closely placing their work experiences into perspective.
In spite of everything, why would you wish to return to an workplace related to negativity, pointless stress, non-inclusive siloes, or lack of psychological security?
If poor tradition, versatile work, or different unfavorable issues like overwork, lack of upward movement, or poor recognition of excellent efficiency aren’t dealt with, groups could run right into a pattern some leaders concern — quiet quitting.
At this level, one-third of staff surveyed are actively doing it — nonetheless on par with our analysis from the previous yr.
Traits Found in January 2023
Whereas the record above displays information from our most up-to-date client pulse checks in early 2024, under you’ll discover highlights (which nonetheless might impression entrepreneurs) from an earlier survey one yr prior.
1. Customers are investing much less cash into digital worlds, objects, and currencies.
Regardless of the waning hype across the metaverse, attitudes haven‘t modified a lot over the previous yr. Each Might and January’s surveys discovered solely 8% of U.S. adults have ever visited a metaverse.
Public opinion on the metaverse has improved barely over the previous 9 months. Of customers, 36% now say the metaverse is the way forward for expertise. And 33% say the metaverse is an extension of actuality.
Nonetheless, investments in digital currencies have seen a decline. Actually, amongst those that‘ve ever visited a metaverse, solely 50% reported shopping for cryptocurrency in January 2023 — which is a 35% lower since Might 2022.
Moreover, 60% of metaverse guests reported shopping for NFTs in January 2023 … 13% decrease than Might’s respondents.
The lower in buying digital currencies might need to do with at present‘s financial panorama. If individuals are usually extra conservative with their spending, this might trickle into the digital environment, as effectively.
Nonetheless, it’s vital to pay attention to the lower as a possible signifier that digital forex is not as in style because it was in 2022.
2. Gen X and Boomers are warming as much as social media product discovery.
In January 2023, we discovered that 46% of Gen X and 24% of Boomers had found a brand new product on social media previously three months — that is a ten% and 41% improve since Might 2022, respectively.
All of which is to say: Persevering with to put money into social media advertising as a chance for product discovery is a good suggestion to maintain up in 2024.
3. Gen Z more and more differentiates itself from others.
One of the vital fascinating issues to dig into when survey outcomes had been the huge variations between Gen Z and different age teams — together with their closest predecessor, Millennials.
When taking a deeper dive into our generation-by-generation information, we discovered that Gen Z:
- With regards to procuring, generations are extremely influenced by worth, high quality, and product evaluations. Gen Z particularly values manufacturers which have energetic communities round them.
- TikTok and Instagram are essentially the most used social media apps amongst Gen Z ladies, whereas males spend way more time on YouTube.
- Gen Z is all about YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Not just for social networking and leisure but additionally for locating (and shopping for) merchandise.
The findings above weren’t the one attention-grabbing factors to name out. Our lead researcher and analyst, Maxwell Iskiev, explores the variations between how all age teams store and uncover merchandise with this follow-up information:
How Every Technology Outlets in 2024 [New Data from Our State of Consumer Trends Report]
4. Some customers are getting into Web3, however most do not even know what it’s.
Whereas some customers, particularly these in youthful generations like Gen Z and Millennials, are able to throw their complete pockets into the metaverse and cryptocurrency, most are nonetheless getting their first style of the Web3 world.
Whereas Web3 consultants imagine this expertise will proceed to develop within the coming years, companies don’t have to pivot their complete technique to get forward of it proper this second.
Nonetheless, because the expertise will get extra outstanding and accessible, it’s nonetheless useful to study in regards to the potential alternatives and dangers of the Web3 area.
That is why Caroline Forsey interviewed a handful of Web3 consultants to study extra about the way it might impression how customers use the world broad net sooner or later.
Here’s a fast, overarching abstract of what Web3 might imply for future web utilization from Anna Seacat, VP of Advertising and Web3 Group at Proxy:
Whereas Web3 could be a brand new idea to many, count on to listen to extra about it because the expertise turns into extra accessible to customers and companies within the coming years.
For extra professional predictions round this, hear what our CMO Kipp Bodnar and Kieran Flanagan, our SVP of Advertising, should say about it on this episode of Advertising In opposition to the Grain.
For extra insights, try these guides:
5. Customers crave video, and efficient manufacturers are taking discover.
By now, you already know that video has performed a strong function within the lives of customers.
Not solely do customers stream extra video than ever, however year-over-year, HubSpot researchers discover that almost all manufacturers take into account it to be their only sort of promoting content material.
However, not simply any video will end in a conversion, buy, or view. Whilst you don‘t want an enormous finances to woo your audiences, you have to to create content material they’ll really take pleasure in, maintain their consideration on, and be persuaded by.
Actually, 69% of our January 2023 respondents say it’s extra vital {that a} advertising video be genuine and relatable than polished with high-quality video/audio.
This video interview and submit from Wistia CEO, Chris Savage, goes into nice element on his ideas for leveraging video to humanize your model.
For extra info on how entrepreneurs benefited from video in 2023, try our 2023 Video Advertising Report.
What’s Subsequent for Customers, Based on Pattern Analysts
Now that you simply’ve learn by means of the largest findings of our Shopper Traits Report, you may also be asking, “What traits and themes might come within the subsequent six months — or past?”
To offer you a style of just some traits to maintain in your radar, we reached out to Julia Janks of Traits.co to study what she and her crew of pattern analysts might be specializing in. Listed here are three of the 9 traits they’re conserving on their radar.
1. Gifting methods might catch the eyes of customers.
Neglect loyalty factors — gifting is the brand new buyer retention technique. As distant every little thing continues to rise, conserving linked to purchasers and family members might be key.
As an example, after beginning a gifting program, &Open purchasers noticed gross sales go up by as a lot as 20% from current clients in simply three months.
Additionally, once they gave considerate presents to staff, HR leaders seen that their Worker Engagement scores and buyer satisfaction scores improved lots.
2. Voice search and audio search engine optimization alternatives will develop.
The world of podcasts is rising quicker than all the web did within the early 2000s. Spotify alone now hosts 6 million+ podcasts!
3. Customers will go to pop-up outlets — within the metaverse.
Pop-up outlets within the metaverse are a factor now. And, manufacturers like Roblox & Walmart are already testing them out and gaining an increasing number of recognition this fashion.
Walmart‘s new enterprise, Walmart Found, is shaking up the world of digital retail by promoting real-world merchandise within the Roblox metaverse.
This transfer is critical for 3 causes — Walmart’s clout, Roblox‘s large consumer base, and Walmart’s curated product choice tailor-made for the metaverse.
We might see the metaverse procuring trade proceed to develop with client curiosity, as 30% of customers HubSpot surveyed suppose extra manufacturers ought to take into account digital shops.
Dive Deeper Into Shopper Traits
Within the submit above, I gave just some highlights of our State of Shopper Traits Survey, in addition to predictions for what’s to come back. To study extra attention-grabbing themes, try these follow-up posts:
Wish to see how information has modified since 2023? Click on under to obtain the total findings of that survey in our State of Shopper Traits Report.
Shopper Traits Publish Authors
