At last year’s CEIR Predict conference, Jennifer Berg, Vice President at SSRS, delivered a research-driven look at the modern consumer in her presentation, Understanding Today’s Consumer: Insights That Drive Smarter Business Strategy. Drawing on SSRS’s tracking data, she showed attendees that today’s buyer is anxious, budget-conscious and quick to abandon brands that misread the room.
How Predict ready are you to understand your attendees’ mindset and respond with the agility that turns uncertainty into loyalty?
Let’s examine some essential takeaways from her session as we prepare to answer that question at the upcoming CEIR Predict Conference on 10-11 September 2026.
INSIGHT #1: Anxiety is running high, and the cost of living sits at the center of it.
Jennifer’s research found that worry has become the default emotional state for most consumers.
- Seventy-four percent of consumers worried about both the cost of living and the U.S. economy, while 64% worried about the job market and 57% about their own finances.
- More than a third were very worried about the cost of living, and a majority said their income hasn’t kept pace with rising prices.
- That anxiety shows up in behavior like cutting utilities and groceries, delaying repairs, entertainment and even healthcare visits.
TAKEAWAY: When anxiety becomes the baseline for your audience, knowing what worries them matters as much as knowing what they buy.
INSIGHT #2: Gen Z isn’t just another segment. They’re a preview of tomorrow’s market.
Jennifer was direct about why this generation deserves outsized attention: their pragmatic mindset is setting the tone for where every generation is headed.
- Eighty-seven percent of Gen Z worried about the U.S. economy, with 40% very worried, outpacing every other generation.
- Nearly eight in 10 said the job market felt bad, and 69% worried about finding a new job if needed.
- Gen Z is cutting back at a noticeably higher rate, delaying milestones and prioritizing bargains over loyalty.
TAKEAWAY: Organizations that build strategies around Gen Z’s mindset today will be better prepared for the consumer base that dominates spending tomorrow.
INSIGHT #3: Today’s consumer wants affordability, durability and honesty, in that order.
Jennifer described today’s shopper in three words: cautious, pragmatic and value-driven, and unpacked what that means in practice.
- Affordability comes first, with consumers actively seeking discounts, deals and lower-cost alternatives.
- They’re choosing value over volume: buying less while expecting more durability and flexibility.
- Trust and transparency matter most, with consumers turning to brands they believe will be honest with them.
TAKEAWAY: A consumer base that’s cutting back while craving meaningful experiences needs messaging that proves value on every dimension, not just price.
INSIGHT #4: Winning takes agility paired with genuine empathy, and research is not optional.
Jennifer was clear that brands thriving amid this uncertainty share one trait: they invest in understanding the “why” behind behavior, not just the “what.”
- Standard metrics like NPS (net promoter score) and purchase tracking show what consumers do but rarely why, while qualitative research reveals the trade-offs driving decisions.
- Companies that invested in supply chain efficiency, private label expansion and affordability gained market share and won over higher-income shoppers.
- Companies that ignored the signals by lagging online and keeping confusing pricing lost consumer trust, and some went out of business entirely.
TAKEAWAY: Cutting your research budget to save money is the move that costs organizations the most, because it happens exactly when consumer behavior shifts fastest.
Don’t Miss Out on this Year’s Predictions!
Sessions like Jennifer Berg’s are exactly why CEIR Predict is the gathering executive leaders can’t afford to miss. Get the consumer intelligence and peer conversations that help you build strategies attendees and exhibitors trust, because at CEIR Predict, the industry’s leading researchers don’t just describe how the consumer is changing, they show you how to move with them.
