The New Post-Recession Consumer

I’m always fascinated by segmentation, and I think understanding how market events like the Great Recession have changed the fundamentals of the game is important. In November 2011, Money Magazine shared some data from a survey they did. Here are some of the results.

• 53% of Americans aren’t sure their kids will better off then they are.
• 67% are worked their quality of life will suffer in retirement.
• 80% say they’re eating at home more.
• 75% say time with family is more important than ever.

“Big periods of economic upheaval can define a generation. Not so much because of the depth of this recession, but because of its prolonged nature, it will have lasting impact.” Paul Flatters, Managing Director of Trajectory Partnership. (How The Economy Changed You by Dan Kadlec)

• 85% spend more time looking for deals before they buy. (hence the couponing craze)
• 57% are building an emergency fund.
• 51% are pessimistic about the US economy in the next 12 months.
• 61% are pessimistic about government officials spurring growth.

I don’t know about you, but I see a ton of nuggets in here about positioning generic drugs, preventative health, adherence, mail order, and many other cost savings actions in healthcare.