• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, November 20, 2024

Consumers—young and old—are worn out as they head into 2025. According to Kantar’s market research experts, they’re looking for simple solutions, boring messaging and retailers that make it easier for them to invest in self-care solutions.

“People are looking to focus on themselves, simplify their lives, and in many ways, get back to basics,” says Wayne Levings, Kantar’s chief executive officer of the Americas. “Think about all they’ve been asked to absorb in the last few years: COVID, inflation, divisive politics, polarized media, and the rise of AI. They feel they’ve been bombarded by messages.”

The result, says Anita Watkins, Kantar’s client solutions lead, is that consumers crave simplicity and boring messages about value. “They don't want bells and whistles,” she says. “They don't want drama. They are burnt out, exhausted and looking for ways to detox.”

That sentiment is surprisingly strong among younger consumers. “Among 16-to-29-year-olds, 58% say that the pace of life is too fast and that the rate of change is too dramatic,” Watkins tells Retail Insider. “That’s unusual. This age group traditionally drives change.”

The pair are drawing on analysis of Kantar data, recent conversations with CMOs and additional consumer trends.

Anxiety levels, while not as high as early in the COVID era, are rising again, particularly among younger consumers. “They’re drinking less," as a step in self-care, Watkins says. “Restaurant bookings in New York City are shifting earlier, with 5:00 becoming the new 8:00. They are building volatility into their plans and not committing to things too far out. They’re very guarded.”

In some ways, these self-defense behaviors mimic the early COVID era. But now, people aren’t distancing themselves from germs but from anything that might add stress. “They’re even altering their holiday plans based on politics,” Watkins says. “If they see themselves in a potentially risky situation, they just withdraw.”

That includes a growing reticence to reveal themselves online. And unlike 2020, when people seemed more willing to “put it all out there” in social and virtual settings, “they’re self-censoring,” Levings says. “They are more guarded and self-protective.”

All that further fuels the self-care groundswell first triggered by COVID in 2020. And in the 2024 version of cocooning, “retail therapy becomes real therapy, and is important to how people view their health.”

One example is a growing resurgence of “badge” brands. “We’re seeing the rise of the status brand, which is interesting in a time where 53% of Americans say they are living paycheck to paycheck,” Watkins says. “There’s a renewed interest in brands that signal, 'I am successful.’”

Kantar research also shows that in some segments, jewelry sales are showing more pep than apparel.

“They may be investing in a big accessory piece and pairing it with an outfit from Shein,” Watkins says.

This kind of shopping is emotionally soothing, if expensive. “There is a kind of accepted view that even your mental health requires a 'pay to play’ mentality,” Levings adds. “Everything costs money, even things that drive your happiness and physical health.”

That creates a paradox, as consumers are also fiercely focused on value.

“Retailers and brands need to recognize that consumers are living with multiple truths and recognize that tension,” he says. “That means they have to pick their moments to deliver both escapism and real value.”