Ten surprising consumer stats Suzy learned this year
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Consumer trends, behaviors, and purchase habits are always in flux, and 2022 was no different. Even with COVID restrictions lifting, rising inflation, multiple major sporting events, and political unrest has made this year just as difficult to predict.
That’s why Suzy ran several surveys throughout the year to understand consumers’ thoughts on hot topics ranging from new beauty trends to the impact of inflation to up and coming sustainability practices.
Here are 10 of the most surprising consumer stats we learned in 2022:
1. Inflation hit consumers hard.
When 2022 rolled in, inflation was still climbing and showed little sign of slowing down. Six in ten consumers said the record inflation would have a major impact on their daily lives, with one in six saying they were worried about affording basic necessities like groceries, gasoline, and personal care products.
Luckily, inflation appears to have peaked in June and has finally begun to slow down -- but it’s still rising more than it did last year. Going into 2023, it’s likely that inflation will remain a major driver in consumers’ behaviors and purchasing habits.
Interested in asking consumers about price sensitivity? Check out all the ways you can do that with Suzy here.
[From our whitepaper How Rising Costs Are Impacting Consumers in Jan 2022]
2. The Super Bowl: Pizza, beer, and… Facebook?
With social distancing rules mostly relaxed by this year’s big game, most people watched in a large group setting where they could chat about the game in real time, according to our post-game insights.
But that didn’t stop people from seeking out second opinions -- or memes -- from online communities. Almost two-thirds (63%) of people were second screening on their phones during the Super Bowl, with the majority of them sharing content. And yes, Facebook was king: three quarters of those on their phones during the game flocked to the social media giant.
What about the World Cup? Check out how Budweiser prepared for their largest global campaign here.
[From our whitepaper Turning Fan Love into Brand Love in Feb 2022]
3. Everyone wants in on sustainability.
Well, nearly everyone. A whopping 92% of consumers we surveyed in March said they want to live a sustainable life. That opens up a lot of opportunities for brands to help consumers bridge the gap between their desire to help the planet and the current actions they take -- for example, by introducing more reusable packaging.
“I definitely think it continues to be a huge opportunity for brands to put sustainability as a core brand equity pillar in terms of how they communicate with their audiences,” said Suzy CEO Matt Britton.
[From our whitepaper Sustainability Is Everyone’s Business in Mar 2022]
4. Wellness expands to include mental health.
After worrying themselves sick (possibly literally) over their childrens’ physical health for the past two years, another concern rose to the top in 2022. During this year’s back to school season, nearly half (45%) of parents told us that mental health was top of mind.
And those parents were willing to spend more on things like extracurricular hobbies to ensure their child’s mental wellness. According to Deloitte, parents who expressed concern about their child’s mental health spent 8% more than the average.
[From our whitepaper How to Rule Back-to-School in Aug 2022]
5. Consumers didn’t green-light blue light.
As screen time grows, so do consumer anxieties over just how that screen time is affecting them -- whether it be their sleep schedule, their skin, their eyesight, and more. Just over half (51%) of consumers said they were worried about the impacts of blue light.
There are opportunities for brands in all kinds of industries to help alleviate this stress, from standard blue light glasses and screen protectors to the specific blue light sunscreens from the beauty industry.
[From our trend report How Consumers Feel About 7 New Beauty Trends in Jul 2022]
6. Health, not animal welfare, drove interest in plant-based food.
Going vegetarian or vegan has typically been seen as driven by concern for animal welfare or the environment. But in 2022, that perception might be outdated. Instead, of the 45% of consumers that said they were interested in plant-based foods, 43% said it’s because they see plant-based foods as healthier than meat-based products.
On the flip side, consumers who weren’t interested cited taste (35%) as the main factor for their disinterest. With in-store tastings making a post-COVID return, it might be time for your brand to schedule one.
For more, check out our 2023 Food and Beverage trend report and our Snack Industry insights.
[From The three factors consumers need to adopt plant-based foods in Sep 2022]
7. The volatility of cryptocurrency is taking a toll on crypto holders.
We all thought cryptocurrency had a rollercoaster 2021 -- but even that paled in comparison to the turbulence of 2022, from Bitcoin’s crash to the FTX scandal to the billions of dollars lost to hacks, scams, and exploits.
For the quarter (25%) of Americans that own cryptocurrency, the volatility and lack of security in the industry is becoming a major problem. 82% of crypto holders we surveyed said they were interested in crypto insurance, leading to a massive 700% increase in searches for the term by the time we fielded the survey.
[From The future of fintech in October 2022]
8. Smart devices are in, smart homes are not.
In 2020, Americans more than doubled the number of connected devices in their homes. Now the average household has about 25 smart devices. But 44% of consumers aren’t interested in converting their living spaces into smart homes.
That’s thanks to concerns about privacy. Over half (54%) of respondents to our survey worried about privacy, and 40% were concerned about how their data would be used. For now, consumers are interested in individual IoT devices rather than completely connected systems. Consumer tech brands can continue to focus on protecting privacy and enhanced security measures to build trust with consumers.
[From Will consumers ever adopt the smart home? in May 2022]
9. Consumers opted for household essentials during holiday deal events.
In another sign of the impact of inflation on everyday consumers, this year saw a decrease in Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases of non-essentials. Consumers are most likely to scale back on spending when it comes to electronics (39%) and clothes (37%), according to Suzy’s 2023 consumer shopping insights.
That was visible in this year’s Amazon Prime Day. While electronics are usually the best sellers, this year household staples took the top spot for the second year in a row -- a trend that is likely to continue into 2023 if inflation continues to be as bad as it is.
[From our Black Friday and Cyber Monday Recap in Dec 2022]
10. “Employee influencers” have a shocking amount of sway.
We all know that word of mouth recommendations from friends and family are the most trusted sources for consumers making purchase decisions, but one other group of people shocked us. In-store and online employees were among the most trusted, with nearly three quarters (74%) of consumers saying they trust employees for products or brands to buy. That’s even more than the roughly 54% that said they trust online influencers!
2023 might be a good time for businesses with brick and mortar locations to give employees an “influencer training” -- or a good time for any DTC businesses that are considering opening a flagship.
[From The four types of everyday influencers that consumers trust in May 2022]
Last words
With a recession on the horizon, the rise of artificial intelligence, and increasing emphasis on sustainability, we’re likely to see more changes across industries in 2023. To keep up with an ever-evolving consumer, brands cannot sit still. They need high quality insights—at the speed of culture.
Suzy was built for the modern enterprise. Our end-to-end consumer insights platform integrates quant, qual, and high quality audiences into one connected research cloud. Discover how we can help your team conduct iterative research, with agency-quality rigor, in less time and at a fraction of the cost. Book a demo below to get started.
