The latest Consumer Trends Mid-Year Report (Coefficient Capital, 2025) sheds light on shifting perceptions, emerging technologies, and evolving priorities that are shaping how people spend, shop, and seek value. While spending levels remain steady, the gap between reality and perception is widening, and AI is increasingly taking center stage in the consumer journey.
Here’s what retailers and ecommerce brands need to know:
Perception vs. Reality: A Growing Disconnect
Consumer spending has largely held flat to slightly up in 2025. Yet, sentiment tells a different story:
- The Consumer Sentiment Index dropped ~25 points, even as spending levels remained steady.
- Over 50% of Americans believe prices are climbing significantly and that we’re in a recession, even though indicators like the S&P 500 rising 7% YTD suggest otherwise.
- Life satisfaction metrics remain steady despite persistent economic anxiety.
Perception drives purchase behavior as much as reality does. As tariffs and financial uncertainty loom large, brands that invest in awareness and emotional connection now will be better positioned to weather potential pullbacks later. Building resilience in premium categories like wellness and lifestyle depends on reinforcing trust and long-term brand affinity.
AI as a Trusted Shopping Partner
Generational differences in technology adoption are becoming more pronounced:
- Gen Z and Millennials are 2x more likely to trust AI advisors when shopping for supplements, beauty products, or making meal planning decisions.
- Younger consumers express interest in AI placing grocery or restaurant orders directly, suggesting a shift toward automated convenience.
AI is no longer a novelty. It’s becoming an expected layer of the shopping experience. Brands need to consider how they show up on AI-driven platforms, optimize content for AI search surfaces, and explore partnerships with tools that consumers already trust to inform or even complete their purchase journeys.
Health Now > Longevity Later
Wellness priorities are shifting toward immediate impact:
- Consumers overwhelmingly say they’d rather feel 25% healthier today than live 25% longer.
- Even if technology promised 50–100 extra years of life, most wouldn’t pay more than $100/month for it.
Marketing health products with tangible, near-term benefits nlike energy boosts, gut health, or glowing skin resonates more strongly than distant, long-term promises. Brands that emphasize “feel-good-now” value propositions are tapping into a growing preference for instant, noticeable results.
“Happy Foods” and Emotional Eating Trends
Food choices are increasingly linked to mood:
- Top “happy + healthy” foods include blueberries, grapes, broccoli, eggs, orange juice, pasta, and Greek yogurt.
- Women are particularly drawn to salads and cottage cheese, while Gen Z points to seaweed snacks and THC sodas as mood boosters.
Highlighting ingredients tied to emotional benefits can help reinforce joy and perceived value, especially for new or lapsed customers. This presents opportunities in menu design, product storytelling, and influencer content, adding a mood-focused dimension to health and wellness marketing.
The Bottom Line
The 2025 consumer landscape is shaped by a tension between perception and reality, a rising trust in AI-led shopping experiences, a craving for immediate health benefits, and a desire for food that feels good emotionally. Retailers and ecommerce brands that stay ahead of these shifts, especially by aligning messaging with emotional drivers and AI-powered discovery, will be best positioned to capture attention and loyalty in an uncertain market.
