The Evolution of Post-Pandemic Consumer Behavior

A Deep Dive into Changing Buying Habits and Brand Loyalty Shifts in the FMCG Sector

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the habits of consumers across the globe, forcing brands in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector to adapt swiftly to these changes. With shifts in brand loyalty, the rise of sustainable and ethical shopping, and rapid digital transformation, marketers are now navigating uncharted waters. Also, the pandemic accelerated some changes in consumer behavior and became permanent. Some other changes were less so, offering a new hybrid reality.

Consumers have been facing new trade-offs following the pandemic and its economic crisis, the rapid rise in interest rates, and the increasing cost of living, a by-product of the wars and supply-chain disruption.

My IESE Marketing Professor, Jose Luis Nueno, has recently published a new book titled “Everything is Awful, but I’m Fine,” in which he sheds light on this new era of Polarized consumption.

At the heart of the book is a study whose primary conclusion is the balancing act consumers are facing. Consumers are cutting back where they can, so they keep spending on what they want. This is a balancing act to cope with the cost of living. Faced with inflation and…