Consumer Behavior 2025
Consumer spending accounts for 70% of the U.S. gross domestic product, or over $16 trillion. Consumer Behavior 2025 assesses how this spending is distributed and the consumer behaviors that affect spending.
Consumer Behavior 2025 presents dozens of surveys analyzing consumer spending characteristics, behavioral responses, and preferences. Easy-to-read summaries of current research and other information useful for retailers, marketers, advertisers, and business consultants are presented. W hile there are other publications focusing on general consumer behavioral topics, Consumer Behavior 2025 is the only resource that integrates the full spectrum of applied consumer psychology, demographics, and purchasing influences with major consumer surveys. Over 850 embedded website links will direct you to raw data, additional market research, and other resources.
- PART I: THE AMERICAN CONSUMER
- 1 DEMOGRAPHICS
- 1.1 Population
- 1.2 Census 2020
- 1.3 Current Population By Age And Gender
- 1.4 Current Population By Region
- 1.5 Current Population By State
- 1.6 Births
- 1.7 Population Growth
- 1.8 Race/Ethnicity Distribution
- 1.9 Education, Family Status, And Nativity
- 1.10 Market Resources
- 2 CONSUMER SPENDING
- 2.1 Consumer Contribution to the GDP
- 2.2 Household Spending
- 2.3 Spending Assessment
- 2.4 Retail Spending
- 2.5 Market Resources
- 3 PERSONAL FINANCES
- 3.1 Household Income
- 3.2 Income By State
- 3.3 Household Wealth/Net Worth
- 3.4 Consumer Debt
- 3.5 Personal Financial Situation
- 3.6 Economic Well-Being
- 3.7 Financial Literacy
- 3.8 Financial Challenges
- 3.9 Market Resources
- 4 HOUSEHOLDS & HOUSING
- 4.1 Households
- 4.2 Multigenerational Households
- 4.3 Home Ownership
- 4.4 Median Home Price
- 4.5 Home Improvement
- 4.6 Residential Construction
- 4.7 Vacation Homes
- 4.8 Market Resources
- 5 COMMUNITIES
- 5.1 Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas
- 5.2 Urban And Rural Populations
- 5.3 Important Community Attributes
- 5.4 Satisfaction With Communities
- 5.5 Generational Preferences
- 5.6 Market Resources
- 6 POPULATION MIGRATION
- 6.1 Household Relocation
- 6.2 Reasons For Moving
- 6.3 Net Migration By State
- 6.4 Net Migration By City
- 6.5 Mobility Among Young Adults
- 6.6 Moving In Retirement
- 6.7 Relocation Assessments
- 6.8 Fastest-Growing States
- 6.9 Market Resources
- 7 EDUCATION
- 7.1 Enrollment
- 7.2 Homeschooling
- 7.3 Educational Attainment
- 7.4 Earnings Based On Education
- 7.5 Net Worth Of College Graduates
- 7.6 Market Resources
- 8 HOW AMERICANS EAT
- 8.1 The U.S. Food Dollar
- 8.2 Distribution Of Daily Food Consumption
- 8.3 Compliance With Dietary Guidelines
- 8.4 Dining Trends Of Young Adults
- 8.5 Snacking
- 8.6 Market Resources
- 9 USE OF MEDIA & THE INTERNET
- 9.1 Time Spent Using Media
- 9.2 Use Of The Internet
- 9.3 Use Of Mobile Devices
- 9.4 Online Activities
- 9.5 How Consumers Obtain The News
- 9.6 Media Use Among Children
- 10 USE OF TIME
- 10.1 Priorities
- 10.2 Americans’ Use of Time
- 10.3 Activities By Gender
- 10.4 Household Activities
- 10.5 Leisure Activities
- 10.6 Market Resources
- 11 USE OF TRANSPORTATION
- 11.1 Overview
- 11.2 Transportation Spending
- 11.3 Travel To Work
- 11.4 Personal Travel
- 11.5 Driving
- 11.6 Vehicle Ownership
- 11.7 Market Resources
- PART II: CONSUMER PROFILES
- 12 GENERATIONAL FOCUS
- 12.1 Demographics
- 12.2 Household Wealth
- 12.3 Generational Characteristics
- 12.4 Shopper Profiles
- 12.5 Age 50-Plus Consumers
- 12.6 Seniors
- 12.7 Baby Boomers
- 12.8 Generation X
- 12.9 Millennials
- 12.10 Generation Z
- 12.11 Generation Alpha
- 12.12 Market Resources
- 13 GENDER FOCUS
- 13.1 Demographics
- 13.2 Labor Force Distribution
- 13.3 Gender Pay Gap
- 13.4 Blurring Gender Roles
- 13.5 Purchase Decision-Making
- 13.6 Gender And Education
- 14 ETHNIC FOCUS
- 14.1 Overview
- 14.2 African-American Consumers
- 14.3 Arab-American Consumers
- 14.4 Asian-American Consumers
- 14.5 Hispanic- And Latino-Americans
- 14.6 Jewish-American Consumers
- 14.7 Muslim-American Consumers
- 14.8 Native-American Consumers
- 14.9 Multiracial Consumers
- 14.10 Market Resources
- 15 FAMILIES
- 15.1 The Modern American Family
- 15.2 Married Couples and Cohabitation
- 15.3 Households With Children
- 15.4 Mothers
- 15.5 Fathers
- 15.6 Market Resources
- 16 SEGMENTATION
- 16.1 College Students
- 16.2 Consumers With Disabilities
- 16.3 Family Caregivers
- 16.4 Immigrant Consumers
- 16.5 LGBTQ+ Consumers
- 16.6 Military & Veteran Consumers
- 16.7 Pet Owners
- 16.8 Retirees
- 16.9 Single Consumers
- PART III: SHOPPING BEHAVIORS
- 17 BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING
- 17.1 Back-to-School Spending
- 17.2 What People Buy
- 17.3 Where People Shop
- 17.4 When People Shop
- 17.5 Market Resources
- 18 BRAND COMMUNICATIONS
- 18.1 Preferred Communications By Age
- 18.2 Preferred Communications By Sector
- 18.3 Promotions
- 18.4 Customer Service
- 18.5 Email Communications
- 18.6 Text Message Communications
- 18.7 Social Media Communications
- 19 BRAND LOYALTY
- 19.1 How Consumers Demonstrate Loyalty
- 19.2 How Brands Earn Loyalty
- 19.3 Brand Loyalty By Generation
- 19.4 Brand Preferences
- 20 BUSINESS SECTOR PERCEPTION
- 20.1 Consumer Impressions Of Sectors
- 21 BUYING AMERICAN-MADE
- 21.1 Preference For U.S.-Made Products
- 21.2 Demographics
- 21.3 Buying American By Product Type
- 21.4 Market Resources
- 22 BUYING LOCAL
- 22.1 Impact On Local Economies
- 22.2 Patronizing Local Businesses
- 22.3 Patronizing Small Businesses
- 22.4 Shop Small
- 22.5 Market Resources
- 23 COUPON USE
- 23.1 Use Of Coupons
- 23.2 Redemption
- 23.3 Influence Of Coupons On Shopping
- 24 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
- 24.1 Overview
- 24.2 Factors Contributing To High Customer Satisfaction
- 24.3 Market Resources
- 25 DISCRETIONARY SPENDING
- 25.1 Spending Priorities
- 25.2 Necessities and Luxuries
- 26 EXPERIENCES
- 26.1 The Experience Economy
- 26.2 Market Assessment
- 26.3 Trends
- 26.4 Experiential Gifting
- 26.5 Influence Of Social Media
- 27 GIFT CARDS
- 27.1 Market Assessment
- 27.2 Use Of Gift Cards
- 27.3 Redemption
- 27.4 Shopping With Gift Cards
- 27.5 Market Resources
- 28 GIFT GIVING
- 28.1 Overview
- 28.2 Market Assessment
- 28.3 Graduation Gift Giving
- 28.4 Wedding Gift Giving
- 28.5 Charitable Gift Giving
- 28.6 Self-Gifting
- 28.7 Returning Gifts and Re-Gifting
- 29 HEALTH & WELLNESS INFLUENCE
- 29.1 Overview
- 29.2 Healthful Eating
- 29.3 Purchasing Priorities
- 30 HOLIDAY SHOPPING
- 30.1 Overview
- 30.2 Market Assessment
- 30.3 Holiday Season E-Commerce
- 30.4 When People Shop
- 30.5 Where People Shop
- 31 IN-STORE SHOPPING
- 31.1 Overview
- 31.2 The In-Store Experience
- 31.3 Product Selection
- 31.4 Checkout
- 32 LOYALTY PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
- 32.1 Participation
- 32.2 Member Demographics
- 32.3 Customer Expectations
- 32.4 Member Satisfaction
- 32.5 Loyalty Program Influence
- 32.6 Pay For Perks
- 33 ONLINE SHOPPING
- 33.1 Overview
- 33.2 Why People Shop Online
- 33.3 Characteristics Of Online Shopping
- 33.4 Selecting An Online Retailer
- 33.5 Online Purchasing Decisions
- 33.6 Devices Used For Online Shopping
- 33.7 Fulfillment Preferences
- 33.8 Expectations Online
- 33.9 Returns
- 33.10 Purchasing New Brands And Products
- 33.11 Purchasing Luxury Goods Online
- 34 PAYMENT PREFERENCES
- 34.1 Comparison Of Payment Methods
- 34.2 Credit and Debit Cards
- 34.3 How Americans Pay Their Bills
- 34.4 Cash Payments
- 34.5 Online Retail Payments
- 34.6 Proximity Mobile Payments
- 34.7 Buy Now, Pay Later
- 34.8 Peer-to-Peer Payment Apps
- 34.9 Biometric Payments
- 34.10 Market Resources
- 35 PRIVACY CONCERNS
- 35.1 Overview
- 35.2 Attitudes About Privacy
- 35.3 Online Privacy
- 35.4 Actions Taken To Protect Privacy
- 35.5 Willingness To Share Personal Information
- 35.6 Privacy On Social Media Platforms
- 35.7 Use Of Facial Recognition Technology
- 36 PURCHASE INFLUENCES & DECISION-MAKING
- 36.1 Top Priorities
- 36.2 Deciding Where To Shop
- 36.3 Brand Decisions
- 36.4 Trust in Shopping Recommendations
- 36.5 Price & Value
- 36.6 Returns Policies
- 36.7 Influence Of Social Media
- 36.8 Influencers
- 36.9 Influence Of Brand Attributes
- 36.10 Trust In Brands
- 36.11 Reasons Consumers Switch Brands
- 36.12 Impulse Buying
- 37 RESPONSE TO ADVERTISING
- 37.1 Trust In Advertising
- 37.2 Preferred Media For Ads
- 37.3 Response To Targeted Digital Ads
- 37.4 Positive Response To Ads
- 37.5 Negative Response To Ads
- 37.6 Annoying Ads
- 37.7 Response to Irrelevant Ads
- 38 RESPONSE TO CUSTOMER SERVICE
- 38.1 Overview
- 38.2 Perspectives On Customer Service
- 38.3 Customer Service Channels
- 38.4 Consumer Opinions Of Customer Service
- 38.5 Impact By Segment
- 39 RESPONSE TO REVIEWS
- 39.1 Reading and Using Online Reviews
- 39.2 Time Spent Using Reviews
- 39.3 Posting Reviews
- 40 RETAIL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
- 40.1 Participation
- 40.2 Benefits
- 41 RETAIL SUBSCRIPTION PROGRAM PARTICIPATION
- 41.1 Participation
- 41.2 Subscription Spending
- 41.3 The Subscription Customer
- 41.4 Most Popular Subscription Services
- 41.5 Apparel Subscription Services
- 42 SECOND-HAND GOODS
- 42.1 Overview
- 42.2 Online Resale
- 42.3 Second-Hand Clothing
- 42.4 Market Resources
- 43 SHOPPING CHANNEL PREFERENCES
- 43.1 Shopping In-Store Vs. Online
- 43.2 Omnichannel Retail
- 43.3 Cross-Channel Shopping
- 43.4 Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store
- 43.5 Shopping For Apparel and Footwear
- 44 SHOPPING RESEARCH
- 44.1 Sources For Product Research
- 44.2 Search When Shopping Online
- 44.3 Research Via Mobile Devices
- 44.4 Social Media
- 44.5 Comparison Shopping Websites
- 45 SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCE
- 45.1 Why People Purchase On Social Media
- 45.2 Brand Promotions
- 45.3 Brand Transparency On Social Media
- 45.4 Social-Led Marketing Campaigns
- 46 SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE CONSUMERISM
- 46.1 Overview
- 46.2 Socially Responsible Behaviors
- 46.3 Brands Taking A Stance On Issues
- 46.4 Brand Purpose
- 46.5 Consumer Views On Corporate Social Responsibility
- 47 SUSTAINABILITY INFLUENCE
- 47.1 Importance Of Sustainability When Shopping
- 47.2 Environmental Concerns
- 47.3 Decision-Making About Brands
- 47.4 Lifestyle Brand Consumers
- 47.5 Shopper Satisfaction With Sustainability By Brands
- 48 TRUST IN BUSINESS & MEDIA
- 48.1 Trust In Institutions And Industries
- 48.2 Trust For News And Information
- 48.3 Trust Baromter
- 49 VIRTUAL & AUGMENTED REALITY IN SHOPPING
- 49.1 Virtual And Augmented Reality
- 49.2 Enhancing The Retail Experience
- PART IV: BRAND PREFERENCE SURVEYS
- 50 CUSTOMER LOYALTY ENGAGEMENT
- 50.1 Overview
- 50.2 Customer Loyalty Engagement Rankings
- 50.3 Market Resources
- 51 CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
- 51.1 Overview
- 51.2 ACSI Scores
- 51.3 Market Resources
- 52 MOST TRUSTED BRANDS
- 52.1 Overview
- 52.2 Most Trusted Brands
- 52.3 Market Resources
- 53 PERSONALIZATION
- 53.1 Overview
- 53.2 Retail Personalization Index
- 53.3 Market Resources
- 54 REPUTATION RANKING
- 54.1 Overview
- 54.2 Rankings
- 54.3 Market Resources
- APPENDIX A - ACADEMIC RESEARCH CENTERS
- APPENDIX B - ANALYSTS
- APPENDIX C - ASSOCIATIONS
- APPENDIX D - BLOGS
- APPENDIX E - GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
- APPENDIX F - MARKET RESEARCH SOURCES
- APPENDIX G - PANDEMIC MARKET RESEARCH
- APPENDIX H - PERIODICALS
- APPENDIX I - RESEARCH STUDIES & SURVEYS
- REFERENCES
- CONSUMER BEHAVIOR 2025
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