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How Values Guide Consumer Buying Decisions

After moving to a new community, Annalise hunts for a new financial institution. She has many options. Of course, she considers the fees and returns she might get. She also weighs other factors the banks and credit unions tout as making them distinct. Yet, when it comes down to it, the differentiating factor for her, is which institution best reflects her own beliefs and values. Annalise exemplifies the values-driven consumer growing more common in the marketplace. On February 28, 2025, consumers nationwide participated in a 24-hour economic blackout to take a stand against large brands retracting their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Earlier in the month, consumers boycotted Target, and plans were in the works to boycott Amazon, Nestle and Walmart for seven days in the coming weeks. These exemplify values-driven consumer behavior at a massive scale. Yet, individual consumers increasingly make purchase decisions on a daily basis that reflect what matters most to them. What matters to the purpose-driven consumer Different consumers will have different priorities, but some commonalities are clear. For example, in PWC’s latest Voice of the Consumer Survey, 46% of their 20,000 respondents across 31 countries sought to reduce their environmental impact by buying more sustainable products. Some 43% also indicated they make more considered purchases to reveal their consumption. As the global consultancy observed, “the expectation that companies will do the right thing for the environment is now seen as table stakes.” EY similarly identified a growing consumer population focused on sustainability. In a […]