December 2021 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey

When we last polled consumers, reflected in our June 2021 Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey, we found that the pandemic had spurred many respondents to become more digital, more local and more conscious of health and safety.

Fast-forward to September 2021, when we conducted our most recent research for our December 2021 Global Consumer Insights Survey. We surveyed 9,370 people in 26 territories or countries. What’s changed? With 76% of respondents reporting being at least partially vaccinated, consumers are planning to spend more, and they are seeing improvements in their lifestyle as employers allow new ways of working. Of course, some things never change: when it comes to shopping, price and convenience still matter most, even as other factors, such as sustainability, are increasingly on consumers’ minds.

Here are six of the most significant findings.

Vaccination status and flexible workstyle influence consumer optimism

Overall, 61% of respondents are optimistic about the future, and only 18% are not.
Vaccination against COVID-19 is a major driver of optimism. Sixty-six percent of vaccinated respondents are optimistic about the future, compared with 43% of unvaccinated respondents.
Optimism seems to be manifesting in spending, too. Respondents say they’ll spend more across categories over the next six months, with 41% predicting increased spending on groceries, 33% on fashion, and 30% on health and beauty.
Flexible work also drives optimism. Survey respondents who work from home are 10 percentage points more optimistic than those who work away from home. And those who can work in a hybrid way are 9 percentage points more optimistic than those who are required to either be at home or in an office all of the time.

Smartphone shopping is at a historic high

Forty-one percent of respondents say they shop daily or weekly via mobile or smartphone, compared with 39% six months ago and 12% five years ago.
In-store shopping has recovered to pre-pandemic levels: 47% say they shop in-store daily or weekly, compared with 45% six months ago and 41% just after the pandemic had hit.
More than half never use a smart home voice assistant or wearable device to shop (56% and 62%, respectively).

Mobile or smartphone shopping is far and away the most popular online shopping mode, with at least 10 percentage points (and as many as 25) separating it from PCs, tablets, smart home voice assistants and wearable devices. It also has been gaining ground on in-store shopping. Only 6 percentage points separate mobile shopping from in-store shopping. We expect mobile shopping to continue to close in on in-store shopping in coming months and years.

For leaders looking to drive customers either into brick-and-mortar stores or online, analysis of our survey findings uncovered specific factors that are strongly linked with a proclivity to shop one way or the other. For instance, making purchases possible via social media could help drive greater propensity to shop online, as could offering efficient delivery or collection services. However, having a variety of physical retailers conveniently situated to meet consumers’ needs could drive greater frequency of in-store shopping, as could independent and local shops versus chain stores.

To succeed in a digital world, companies will need to take advantage of new technology, not to copy what everyone else is doing but to advance their own mission by investing in the differentiating capabilities that allow them to deliver on their purpose. Filling their new place in the world might require them to shed old business models, assets and beliefs about value creation.

In the last 12 months, how often have you bought products (e.g. clothes, books, electronics) using the following shopping channels?

Enable javascript to see our interactive graphics or scroll down to see the raw data in the table Note: Not including grocery. 2020 not included, as different sampling was used. Year of data relates to year of publication (e.g. March 2021 data collected in late 2020, published in March 2021. Source: December 2021 PwC Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey

	Global	Australia	Brazil	Canada	China	Egypt	France	Germany	Hong Kong, SAR	India	Indonesia	Ireland	Japan	South Korea	Malaysia	Mexico	Philippines	Qatar	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Singapore	South Africa	Spain	Thailand	United Arab Emirates	United States	Vietnam
In the last 12 months, how often have you bought products (e.g. clothes, books, electronics) using the following shopping channels?
Respondents who answered daily/weekly
In-store	47%, 45%, 41%, 49%	52%, 50%, 55%, 55%	33%, 26%, 24%, 30%	53%, 45%, 41%, 50%	50%, 53%, 49%, 52%	41%, 57%. 40%, 48%	53%, 47%, 40%, 46%	48%, 41%, 35%, 59%	60%, 50%, 61%, 63%	53%, n/a, n/a, n/a	46%, 45%, 34%, 52%	46%, n/a, n/a, 54%	43%, 43%, 40%, 41%	34%, 35%, 35%, n/a	50%, 51%, 39%, 55%	50%, 39%, 36%, n/a	46%, 39%, 41%, 55%	46%, n/a, n/a, n/a	50%, 43%, 41%, 66%	56%, 59%, 56%, 53%	48%, 54%, 46%, 51%	32%, 37%, 37%, 46%	47%, 50%, 35%, 48%	50%, 50%, 37%, 55%	53%, 51%, 42%, 61%	55%, 55%, 48%, 56%	67%, 68%, 63%, 76%
Mobile or smartphone	41%, 39%, 33%, 24%	43%, 40%, 34%, 25%	42%, 31%, 30%, 26%	27%, 28%, 25%, 15%	61%, 61%, 57%, 55%	37%, 49%, 38%, 29%	31%, 35%, 26%, 18%	35%, 31%, 23%, 23%	40%, 29%, 40%, 30%	53%, n/a, n/a, n/a	54%, 54%, 43%, 37%	33%, n/a, n/a, 20%	19%, 21%, 13%, 16%	59%, 56%, 53%, n/a	51%, 42%, 40%, 27%	39%, 37%, 28%, n/a	52%, 41%, 35%, 22%	39%, n/a, n/a, n/a	30%, 22%, 24%, 24%	49%, 45%, 41%, 34%	46%, 54%, 43%, 27%	30%, 33%, 24%, 17%	33%, 34%, 31%, 20%	49%, 52%, 37%, 36%	48%, 48%, 42%, 33%	36%, 40%, 39%, 24%	69%, 59%, 54%, 55%
Comma separated values represent: Dec 2021 June 2021 March 2021 2019

Data privacy is key to consumer trust

Fifty-nine percent of respondents say they’ve become more protective of their personal data over the past six months.
Data security has a far greater impact on trust than any other factor.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors are not the greatest drivers of trust.
About three-quarters of respondents believe companies are ‘doing the right thing,’ but only about a quarter, across sectors, believe this ‘to a great extent.’

Companies that seek personal information so they can better tailor products and experiences and target consumers must be mindful of the criticality of keeping that information secure. Businesses should also note that our survey shows that using customer data to personalise experiences is less likely to help build trust with them than using data to personalise discounts and recommendations.

Our survey findings also show that although ESG issues are important to consumers, when it comes to trust, factors such as meeting expectations and making purchasing easy—which affect consumers in a more obvious, direct way—matter most. Businesses can build a system of privileged insights, but only if the value they offer in exchange resonates with consumers and consumers trust them to make good use of their data.

Building on this foundation, companies can then focus on solving their customers’ most important problems—for example, by listening to customers across the entire spectrum of their interactions. Businesses can use the privileged insights they gain to systematically strengthen their value propositions, capabilities systems, and products and services offered.

It’s heartening to see that consumers generally believe companies are living up to their purpose and promises. The most trusted sectors in this regard are food and beverage, healthcare, and technology. Healthcare has the greatest number of respondents believing in them ‘to a great extent’ (31%), compared with technology (27%), and food and beverage (26%).

Thinking about a brand that you regularly buy products/services from, to what extent do the following impact how much you trust the brand:

Enable javascript to see our interactive graphics or scroll down to see the raw data in the table Base: All respondents (9,370). Source: December 2021 PwC Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey.

	Global	Australia	Brazil	Canada	China	Egypt	France	Germany	Hong Kong, SAR	India	Indonesia	Ireland	Japan	South Korea	Malaysia	Mexico	Philippines	Qatar	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Singapore	South Africa	Spain	Thailand	United Arab Emirates	United States	Vietnam
Thinking about a brand that you regularly buy producdts/services from, to what extent do the following impact how much you trust the brand?
Respondents answering "To a great extent"
Protects my personal data	47%	38%	58%	45%	50%	62%	33%	32%	28%	54%	61%	47%	28%	27%	53%	62%	71%	67%	42%	54%	38%	67%	51%	41%	49%	46%	64%
Always meets my expectations	39%	35%	47%	37%	44%	43%	29%	30%	33%	48%	46%	37%	18%	26%	35%	54%	56%	57%	41%	46%	29%	55%	45%	33%	42%	36%	48%
Provides exceptional customer service	38%	32%	47%	36%	41%	46%	25%	27%	27%	43%	52%	38%	15%	24%	34%	54%	65%	54%	35%	35%	28%	60%	45%	38%	36%	37%	53%
Shares relevant discounts/recommendations to me	36%	31%	46%	30%	31%	42%	25%	25%	32%	46%	46%	34%	16%	27%	39%	45%	54%	53%	43%	38%	29%	51%	39%	33%	35%	32%	42%
Makes it easy for me to make repeat purchases	35%	28%	44%	27%	38%	43%	24%	31%	26%	49%	41%	31%	20%	24%	38%	42%	52%	49%	35%	37%	30%	55%	31%	30%	42%	32%	41%

	Global	Australia	Brazil	Canada	China	Egypt	France	Germany	Hong Kong, SAR	India	Indonesia	Ireland	Japan	South Korea	Malaysia	Mexico	Philippines	Qatar	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Singapore	South Africa	Spain	Thailand	United Arab Emirates	United States	Vietnam
Thinking about a brand that you regularly buy producdts/services from, to what extent do the following impact how much you trust the brand?
Consumers who say they have been more protective about their data in the last six months
I am protective of my personal data	59%	51%	73%	49%	65%	67%	42%	44%	56%	75%	79%	51%	27%	52%	74%	75%	83%	81%	54%	67%	68%	74%	56%	65%	70%	56%	71%

Consumers care more about sustainability than ever before

Fifty-two percent of respondents say they are more eco-friendly than they were six months ago. This statistic has ticked up by 2 percentage points since our June 2021 Pulse survey.
About half of respondents consciously consider factors related to sustainability when making purchasing decisions.
Those who work from home are 10 percentage points more likely than those who work away from home to consider sustainability factors when shopping.

Consumers today describe themselves as increasingly eco-friendly. For example, 51% of respondents say that when considering a purchase, they factor in whether the product was produced with a traceable and transparent origin. It’s intriguing that those who work from home show more interest in sustainable shopping. It could be because at-home workers tend to be more white-collar and affluent, with more financial freedom to be selective in their purchasing choices. It could also be that the smaller carbon footprint inherent in working from home has led to more heightened awareness about how shopping habits affect the planet.

Before considering/making a purchase with a retailer, how often do you consciously consider the following factors?

Enable javascript to see our interactive graphics or scroll down to see the raw data in the table Base: All respondents (9,370). Source: December 2021 PwC Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey.

	Global	Australia	Brazil	Canada	China	Egypt	France	Germany	Hong Kong, SAR	India	Indonesia	Ireland	Japan	South Korea	Malaysia	Mexico	Philippines	Qatar	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Singapore	South Africa	Spain	Thailand	United Arab Emirates	United States	Vietnam
Before considering/making a purchase with a retailer, how often do you consciously consider the following factors? The retailer you are purchasing from.
Respondents answering "very often or often"
Has strong company values and is committed to doing the right thing	53%	48%	68%	42%	61%	67%	40%	45%	46%	75%	67%	39%	29%	37%	59%	69%	78%	69%	40%	69%	44%	64%	45%	67%	69%	45%	77%
Is supporting local communities	48%	47%	56%	40%	58%	58%	38%	41%	44%	68%	68%	40%	26%	29%	59%	57%	72%	63%	34%	62%	39%	57%	46%	68%	56%	40%	67%
Is taking responsibility for staff well being	50%	45%	61%	40%	58%	61%	42%	46%	40%	68%	63%	44%	23%	33%	61%	67%	75%	68%	38%	69%	41%	56%	46%	68%	59%	45%	70%
Is helping you make healthier/better lifestyle choices	55%	48%	61%	44%	66%	71%	42%	41%	46%	76%	78%	45%	35%	47%	65%	64%	78%	71%	48%	67%	47%	63%	47%	77%	66%	44%	77%
Produces items with a traceable and transparent origin	51%	47%	60%	38%	62%	68%	48%	45%	52%	65%	64%	41%	27%	47%	55%	51%	67%	66%	46%	63%	39%	54%	44%	68%	62%	36%	81%
Produces biodegradable/eco-friendly products	47%	46%	51%	38%	58%	55%	42%	36%	44%	72%	62%	38%	26%	37%	50%	51%	65%	57%	36%	57%	41%	51%	36%	66%	61%	36%	76%

But price and convenience still matter most

Almost 70% of respondents prioritise getting the best deal when shopping either in-store or online.
More than half say an efficient delivery or collection service is ‘always’ or ‘very often’ important.
ESG factors are middle-of-the-road priorities compared with price and convenience.

Consumers care about ESG factors, but when stacked up against the basics of price and convenience, ESG fades in importance. Consumer businesses need to take these statistics to heart, because they’ve been consistent for years. People want to do the right thing for society and for the environment, but products can’t be only either affordable and easy to get or sustainable; they have to be both.

Even when it comes to other factors in the shopping experience, such as trust in a brand, price is a key consideration. For example, 36% of respondents say that a company’s use of personal data to offer them tailored discounts or recommendations affects their trust in the brand, but only 22% say the same about using personal data to tailor their customer experience.

Considering your general shopping behaviour in physical stores or online, please indicate how often you are shopping in the following ways.

Enable javascript to see our interactive graphics or scroll down to see the raw data in the table

Base: All respondents (9,370). Source: December 2021 PwC Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey.

	Global	Australia	Brazil	Canada	China	Egypt	France	Germany	Hong Kong, SAR	India	Indonesia	Ireland	Japan	South Korea	Malaysia	Mexico	Philippines	Qatar	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Singapore	South Africa	Spain	Thailand	United Arab Emirates	United States	Vietnam
Q: Shoppers who said they are always or very frequently buying in the following ways online
Shoppers who said they are always or very frequently buying in the following ways online
I am actively seeking the best deal	69%	72%	79%	69%	58%	69%	65%	60%	62%	80%	80%	77%	43%	61%	77%	68%	82%	83%	70%	75%	70%	82%	66%	67%	68%	71%	85%
I am buying from retailers that provide an efficient delivery or collection service	56%	60%	69%	48%	60%	60%	50%	34%	51%	73%	64%	56%	23%	53%	68%	65%	72%	61%	50%	64%	58%	66%	48%	61%	75%	52%	72%
I am buying eco-friendly/sustainable products	42%	39%	45%	33%	60%	51%	41%	32%	31%	69%	48%	31%	20%	33%	50%	49%	60%	52%	40%	47%	31%	48%	31%	53%	52%	33%	72%

	Global	Australia	Brazil	Canada	China	Egypt	France	Germany	Hong Kong, SAR	India	Indonesia	Ireland	Japan	South Korea	Malaysia	Mexico	Philippines	Qatar	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Singapore	South Africa	Spain	Thailand	United Arab Emirates	United States	Vietnam
Shoppers who said they are always or very frequently buying in the following ways in-store:
Shoppers who said they are always or very frequently buying in the following ways in-store
I am actively seeking the best deal	68%	71%	79%	66%	55%	74%	63%	57%	59%	77%	70%	75%	45%	55%	73%	69%	72%	83%	69%	72%	70%	83%	66%	67%	71%	69%	75%
I am buying from a variety of retailers to meet my needs	58%	59%	70%	52%	53%	65%	52%	55%	54%	67%	62%	60%	35%	36%	70%	65%	63%	67%	53%	66%	49%	77%	60%	58%	58%	55%	71%
I am buying eco-friendly/sustainable products	42%	41%	46%	32%	58%	47%	41%	33%	30%	70%	49%	34%	19%	30%	47%	47%	58%	55%	40%	53%	33%	49%	29%	55%	58%	34%	67%

Consumers are venturing out more for both work and play

Fewer respondents are working from home than in our June 2021 Pulse survey (42% versus 46%). And of those working from home, half can work in a hybrid way.
Respondents are more likely to travel than they were six months ago. For instance, 47% said they’re likely to stay in a hotel in the next six months.
The percentage of respondents who say they will increase spending at restaurants in the next six months increased from 26% in our June 2021 Pulse survey to 30%.
More than half of respondents (53%) say they shop at retailers that are local to them to meet their needs when shopping in-store.

As consumers’ optimism re-emerges, they’re also emerging physically. Not only are global consumers more likely to travel and go to restaurants than they were six months ago, they’re also significantly more likely to go to a gym or a large arts, culture or sporting event. But the vast majority of survey respondents are still getting their entertainment at home and doing their workouts, dining and socialising with friends and family at home, too. The nesting habits that formed during the pandemic will likely stick to some degree, but our research shows a notable uptick in out-of-the-home activities, indicating we’ll likely see a hybrid home/away-from-home lifestyle re-emerge.

It’s important to note that even when venturing out to make purchases, more than half of respondents indicate that they like to shop locally. This highlights both the effects of the pandemic and the ever-important influence of convenience. In the future, we think consumers will want some communal shopping experiences that enable them to get everything they need close to home in one-stop shopping centres that offer grocery, retail, dining and fitness facilities.

In the next six months, how likely are you to...

Enable javascript to see our interactive graphics or scroll down to see the raw data in the table

Base: All respondents Mar 2021 (8,738), Jun 2021 (8,681), Dec 2021 (9,370). Source: December 2021 PwC Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey

	Global	Australia	Brazil	Canada	China	Egypt	France	Germany	Hong Kong, SAR	India	Indonesia	Ireland	Japan	South Korea	Malaysia	Mexico	Philippines	Qatar	Russia	Saudi Arabia	Singapore	South Africa	Spain	Thailand	United Arab Emirates	United States	Vietnam
In the next 6 months how likely are you to…
Respondents answering "very likely or likely"
Travel via public transport	54%, 50%, 47%	48%, 48%, 48%	58%, 41%, 47%	37%, 29%, 29%	67%,74%, 71%	68%, 70%, 61%	48%, 42%, 37%	48%, 41%, 36%	70%, 68%, 71%	62%, n/a, n/a	70%, 65%, 57%	48%, n/a, n/a	58%, 57%, 53%	44%, 42%, 32%	50%, 41%, 44%	61%, 58%, 56%	58%, 50%, 56%	60%, n/a, n/a	55%, 62%, 57%	63%, 65%, 56%	68%, 73%, 76%	50%, 39%, 41%	60%, 52%, 47%	52%, 60%, 61%	63%, 55%, 50%	32%, 38%, 34%	63%, 72%, 73%
Stay in a hotel	47%, 43%, 36%	44%, 48%, 41%	58%, 34%, 44%	35%, 29%, 24%	50%, 57%, 47%	59%, 63%, 48%	45%, 41%, 36%	42%, 35%, 24%	34%, 19%, 26%	60%, n/a, n/a	63%, 57%, 50%	58%, n/a, n/a	33%, 32%, 28%	48%, 35%, 33%	58%, 55%, 39%	58%, 47%, 37%	33%, 34%, 33%	59%, n/a, n/a	24%, 32%, 20%	65%, 67%, 63%	36%, 43%, 36%	48%, 37%, 33%	52%, 40%, 30%	41%, 54%, 54%	62%, 61%, 49%	42%, 52%, 40%	62%, 64%, 71%
Stay in a self-catering accommodation e.g. Airbnb, VRBO/Expedia	39%, 37%, 32%	37%, 38%, 34%	50%, 26%, 40%	26%, 21%, 19%	36%, 46%, 40%	45%, 54%, 40%	41%, 40%, 33%	30%, 32%, 21%	27%, 12%, 22%	55%, n/a, n/a	63%, 49%, 45%	40%, n/a, n/a	12%, 16%, 8%	48%, 40%, 37%	41%, 44%, 30%	48%, 46%, 36%	38%, 38%, 41%	47%, n/a, n/a	22%, 28%, 17%	51%, 51%, 55%	21%, 32%, 28%	53%, 52%, 45%	41%, 34%, 26%	42%, 49%, 40%	49%, 54%, 46%	27%, 37%, 33%	65%, 62%, 76%
Travel on a domestic flight	40%, 37%, 33%	39%, 42%, 35%	55%, 34%, 39%	25%, 22%, 18%	49%, 53%, 47%	54%, 58%, 50%	29%, 28%, 26%	23%, 22%, 18%	27%, 11%, 23%	65%, n/a, n/a	63%, 54%, 50%	21%, n/a, n/a	22%, 23%, 21%	46%, 35%, 31%	55%, 46%, 36%	56%, 47%, 35%	38%, 35%, 38%	47%, n/a, n/a	30%, 44%, 27%	75%, 68%, 68%	21%, 26%, 25%	40%, 42%, 39%	42%, 30%, 26%	34%, 45%, 47%	50%, 51%, 48%	36%, 43%, 36%	68%, 72%, 77%
Travel on an international flight	33%, 30%, 26%	29%, 24%, 26%	36%, 24%, 26%	23%, 21%, 17%	29%, 34%, 27%	48%, 56%, 49%	35%, 31%, 27%	28%, 28%, 22%	31%, 16%, 27%	53%, n/a, n/a	63%, 43%, 38%	38%, n/a, n/a	12%, 12%, 10%	30%, 27%, 24%	37%, 38%, 27%	41%, 35%, 25%	32%, 29%, 30%	73%, n/a, n/a	23%, 26%, 20%	67%, 67%, 58%	23%, 30%, 30%	26%, 26%, 23%	35%, 26%, 20%	30%, 41%, 28%	66%, 66%, 58%	24%, 35%, 32%	48%, 44%, 48%
Comma separated values represent: December 2021 June 2021 March 2021

Now that the world’s younger children are beginning to be vaccinated, further changes in consumer behaviour are sure to surface in our next PwC Global Consumer Insights Survey. Certain habits formed during the pandemic will stick, as our June 2021 survey demonstrated and this survey confirmed. But what nuances will emerge, what cohorts will be driving the most significant trends, and how will different parts of the world move forward? We’ll explore these questions and others in our next survey.

Millennials, city dwellers, those working mostly from home or in a hybrid way, and those who are vaccinated are the most optimistic cohorts. Presumably, because optimism is partly tied to vaccination rates, the climbing global vaccination rate will bode well for consumer confidence heading into 2022.

It's particularly important for business leaders to note the factors influencing optimism that they can control or affect, such as flexible work and vaccination. Supportive workplace policies that facilitate health and well-being will not only help companies rewrite the social contract with their people but could also create a ripple effect of activity and spending that yield business benefits.

Impact of vaccination status on optimism for the future

Optimistic	66% At least partially vaccinated	43% Not Vaccinated
Not optimistic	16% At least partially vaccinated	27% Not Vaccinated

Bases: At least partially vaccinated (7,123); not vaccinated (1,311); all respondents who are employed (7,047); working from home (2,738); working away from home (2,671); hybrid (2,988); non-hybrid (3,901). Hybrid means able to work in any location or at home all of the time. Note: 2% prefer not to say. Source: December 2021 PwC Global Consumer Insights Pulse Survey