Top consumer trends in 2021 by Westbrook & Angus
In this Euromonitor internationals article ” Top 10 global consumer trends 2021” writers Westbrook & Angus are going through the top trends that consumers appreciate or demand in 2021, mostly affected by Covid-19. According to them, adaptability and resilience were the driving forces shaping these top global consumer trends. (Westbrook & Angus 2021.)
Here I will go through 4 of the trends described in the article; 1) Build back better, 2) Craving convenience, 3) Playing with time & 4) Safety obsessed. I decided to focus on these four based on my own interests of the topics.
1) ”Build back better”
In 2021 companies were expected to take more responsibility considering the environment in their campaigns and actions. According to the article, before pandemic the consumers were more focused on the sustainable view on the actions of companies. With Covid-19 consumers started to expect more on the social side, brands helping local communities and protecting the well being and health of the workforce inside the company. Now companies are expected to ”build back better” focusing on the new valued, helping to make the world healthier, cleaner, more resilient and equitable. (Westbrook & Angus 2021.)
According to the article, there has also been formed a for-benefit organisation called Leaders on Purpose, where some known companies signed an open letter proposing an economic road map to Build Back Better. More and more businesses are joining this purpose-driven movement, which will improve their brand reputation, business resilience and financial value. ”Build Back Better” is seen as a way to affect more for positive effects on the triple bottom line – people, planet and profits. (Westbrook & Angus 2021.)
This was the most important one for me in this top 10. I think all the actions to help the environment are the most important ones in todays actions in every field. But even though in Finland, our people have been doing quite okay during Covid,
2) ”Craving convenience”
Before the pandemic people had created their comfort zone linked to the convenience and easiness in daily actions, impulsive occasions and purchasing. Now lots of things needs to be planned ahead and many things have moved to online. The pandemic has made us to adjust the best we can to this inconvenience, but of course people are all the time trying to find the way back to the way it was before. (Westbrook & Angus 2021)
Westbrook & Angus brings out things that Covid-19 has made harder; for example prolonging delivery times, closed stores and restaurants so you need to take the food back home etc. Now when world starts to open again the companies need to be fast fixing new solutions for the customers to give them the experience of convenience again. This could be for example giving the guest the possibility to go through their menu and order before getting inside the restaurant. (Westbrook & Angus 2021)
We live in a world were people want all and they want it now. I actually think it is quite sad that we have comed to this, but the humanity spins around this same force in every matter, no matter what. So to keep customers happy the companies need to give them what ever they are asking. In this case, anything that the customers feel convenience; fast, easy cheap.
3) ”Playing with time”
With covid-19 many has had to stay and work or study from home. This has been both a challenge but also an opportunity. The convenience side of this has been that people are able to be more productive by multitasking with their work, family, social and personal lives. Also the companies and industries need to work with this new mindset of ” Playing with time”. They must consider ways to provide their costumers more possibilities of service 24hours a day. This enables them to adjust their time to different things and activities due to their own time and need straight from home. (Westbrook & Angus 2021)
I think that before Covid our everyday life was so busy that many of us actually forgot to live a little for their selves. So the possibility to turn the train, forced by the Covid, was maybe the miracle so desperately needed for many. It made us stop and look at our lives with new classes. It helped us to realize what really are our values, what we really hold dear and important. So this form of an idea to ”play with time” and to get to make our time most counted while still being able to do our job, our house work and to take care of our families, has given us the opportunity to find time just for ourselves as well.
4) ”Safety obsessed”
Due to Covid-19 people have started to be more careful when it comes to hygiene. The fear of infection has increased the demand for hygiene products together with increased health awareness. Consumers are paying more attention to avoiding exposure and favouring contactless solutions for their everyday actions. This also increases the expectation for the companies to enhanced their hygiene and safety measures and innovations. (Westbrook & Angus 2021.)
I think this might still be one of the biggest marks that Covid leaves us in long shot. The supply and demand for different hygiene and and safety measures are probably going to be high for a quite long time both in the stores for people to buy but also when visiting different places, museums, stores etc.
Refrences:
Westbrook, G. & Angus, A. 2021. Top 10 global consumer trends 2021. Referenced 07.02.2022 https://lucit-my.sharepoint.com/personal/outi_kahkonen_lapinamk_fi/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fouti%5Fkahkonen%5Flapinamk%5Ffi%2FDocuments%2FCEMIT%2DMECIT%2FMaterials%2FReaction%20paper%20%2B%20LC%2FTop%5F10%5FGlobal%5FConsumer%5FTrends%2Epdf&parent=%2Fpersonal%2Fouti%5Fkahkonen%5Flapinamk%5Ffi%2FDocuments%2FCEMIT%2DMECIT%2FMaterials%2FReaction%20paper%20%2B%20LC.