What did our shopper research tell us about how shopper needs will change over the next 10 years?
The shopper of 2035 will look different to today's shopper. The UK population will be older, households will become more diverse and technology will be more deeply embedded in everyday life. At the same time, many shoppers are likely to continue balancing financial pressures, health concerns and increasingly busy lives. IGD's shopper research suggests that future opportunities could be less about responding to new needs and more about understanding how existing needs evolve.
An ageing population will shape demand
Demographic change is set to be one of the defining influences on the retail landscape over the next decade. As the population ages, health, provenance and freshness are likely to become more important considerations for many households, influencing how they shop and what they buy. Alongside this, increased diversity will create a broader range of needs, preferences and expectations for retailers and manufacturers to serve. The implications extend across categories and missions, creating opportunities for those able to anticipate how shopper priorities develop over time.
Value will remain, but expectations may rise
Value is unlikely to disappear as a shopper priority, but the factors shaping perceptions of value continue to evolve. Affordability will remain important with disposable incomes expected to remain steady, yet shoppers are increasingly balancing price with convenience, quality, trust and wider wellbeing considerations. As expectations increase, businesses may need to think beyond price-led propositions alone. Those that understand how different shopper groups define value in the future could be better positioned to build loyalty and drive growth.
Health will become harder to ignore
Health is expected to play a growing role in shopping behaviour as the population ages and awareness of wellbeing continues to increase. However, the opportunity is likely to extend well beyond healthier product ranges. Accessibility, convenience and affordability will all influence how shoppers engage with healthier choices, while growing health inequalities may create very different needs across different parts of the population. For retailers and suppliers, this points to broader, more variable consumer demands
Technology will only matter if it delivers benefits
AI, automation and emerging technology are currently hot topics, but shoppers rarely adopt innovation simply because it exists. The ones which integrate into everyday life and resonate with shoppers are the ones which make every day life easier, faster or more effective. Whether helping shoppers manage budgets, save time or make more informed decisions, technology's role may ultimately be judged by the outcomes it enables rather than the innovation itself.
The basics will still matter
Shoppers of 2035 may not in the end by that different to the shopper for 2026. Value, quality, convenience and availability are not disappearing. Instead, demographic, economic and societal changes are raising the bar on how effectively businesses need to deliver them. For retailers and suppliers, the challenge is not simply predicting what comes next, but understanding which needs will become more important, where expectations will change and where the most significant opportunities for growth may emerge.
Subscribers to ShopperVista can access IGD's What will matter to shoppers in 2035 report which explores the demographic, economic and lifestyle trends shaping the next decade, helping retailers and suppliers understand the shopper needs most likely to influence future growth, here. Non-subscribers can see the highlights version here.