Meeting Consumer Needs in a Time of Heightened Anxiety: Strategies for 2023

By Marty Molloy

When will things go back to normal?

For all the talk of new normal as the world exits the pandemic, there are several consumer trends that make me wonder if the short-term outlook isn’t that consumers returning to normal but that irrationality will win the day.

Earlier this fall, a panel of medical experts recommended that doctors screen all patients under 65 for anxiety. It makes me wonder if things not working as well as they once did is as much tied to the mental wellbeing of Americans as it is to worker shortages and supply chain issues. The outsized stress many have felt is likely doing more than just making the mundane more difficult; it may be making us make poorer decisions. Studies show that higher levels of stress makes the brain more reactionary.

Two other ways this is manifesting: traffic deaths and Black Friday shopping. In 2021, more people died on US roadways than any time since 2005. If you’re thinking the roads are looking more like Mad Max: Fury Road lately, you’re not wrong. A large part of that likely has to do with people getting reacquainted on the road again, sure. but based on my qualitative observations of driver’s speeds and maneuvers, I am sure their decision-making processes are playing a large part.

Meanwhile, Black Friday 2022 seems to have been one of the most successful in recent memory. While it’s true people have been saving over the last two years, it also seems two forces have contributed to the success: a longer discount period and stress-driven impulsiveness. Giving shoppers more time does much to reduce stress and increase the convenience of shopping, making them more willing to buy. Combine this willingness with stress and anxiety and you have ripe conditions for people to spend.

My observations in a variety of shopalongs and qualitative groups (both before and after the pandemic) tell me the number one thing shoppers want (beyond everything to be cheaper) is ease.

As their day-to-day lives get more complex, they want shopping to be easier and more convenient. This isn’t just the location of the store, but ease of finding routine items, ease of searching online for what they want, ease and speed of checkout, etc. If your store is understaffed and poorly organized? They’ll decide to shop online at home. If your website is difficult to navigate, they’ll go elsewhere. What brands often see as positive disruption, consumers see as, at best annoyance and, at worst, betrayal when their trusted favorites change.

Market research can help! Check out our case studies for dozens of examples of MRX studies that helped brands understand exactly how their customers feel and how to communicate with them more effectively.

Perhaps winning in a category in 2023 will be more centered on understanding what the customer wants and catering to that. Help them find what they want and need, have it in stock or available quickly, and make the shopping experience easier. Thinking like a consumer will mean understanding they feel they’ve been run ragged and finding means of solving for that. Otherwise, everything becomes commoditized, and their increased stress and anxiety will lead to them picking on price alone.