Connections are what gives purpose and meaning to our lives and connecting deeper with ourselves and Mother Earth is on the rise. This blog post introduces two exciting consumer trends from the brand new Euromonitor’s Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2022 publication (Angus & Westbrook, 2022).

Besides the low carbon and high circular lifestyle introduced in our previous blog post, there are clear signs of more consumers pivoting towards a nature and well-being oriented lifestyle.

The Great Life Refresh: Focusing on mental health and well-being

After two years of the pandemic wreaking havoc in their lives, consumers are now making personal changes. The Great Resignation in the US, with millions of people quitting their jobs each month, is an example of that trend. People are ready to change jobs, re-evaluate their goals and adjust their lifestyles, highlighting the work-life balance.

The pandemic has made people think again about their passions, potential and purpose in life. It is never too late to change course. More than before, consumers prefer to spend money on experiences rather than things. They feel they can make a difference to the world through their choices and actions. This is what Euromonitor calls The Great Life Refresh.

Businesses must be ready to offer services to people who are embarking on a new path in life. Services that positively impact customers’ mental health and well-being are sought after. There are websites designed to help people travel when working remotely. Mindfulness apps assist consumers who need guidance in keeping calm and some fitness enthusiasts have bought a home-gym to boost their well-being. Also, pets have played a major role in keeping company, cheering up and improving the mental well-being of their owners during the pandemic.

Companies invest in their employees’ health and well-being by offering tax free exercise and massage benefits. After a long time working remotely, it is an absolute delight to discover that Helsinki is indeed ranked the #1 city of work-life balance!

Rural Urbanites: Nature experiences for city-dwellers

According to Euromonitor, Rural Urbanites are consumers living in urban settings with access to green spaces and pleasant communities.

During the pandemic, the ability to work from anywhere boosted relocation and now it seems that at least for some, this could be a permanent solution. Access to nature, better air quality, less congestion, simplified life and smaller housing costs are incentives to move away from the city. Rural Urbanites are consumers, who want the nature to come into or close to their urban homes. They are willing to invest in greenery, both indoors and outdoors.

Urban dwellers are spending more time indoors when working from home. Being surrounded by plants boosts health and mental well-being, reduces stress and makes energy levels soar. Flowers are just a click away from Rural Urbanites, as many florists can be reached through Wolt. Rural Urbanites living in Helsinki are very fortunate as they are surrounded by a green belt of national parks, city parks and leafy islands. Spending just 10 minutes in nature, according to science, reduces stress and anxiety.

Rural Urbanites enjoy growing their own flowers and vegetables in their allotment gardens or balconies. Many new housing developments have rooftop gardens that give their residents an opportunity to connect with nature. There is now more access to locally sourced food for Urbanites with vertical farms and warehouses growing greens in both Brooklyn and Berlin as well as Helsinki, even during the winter.

In Singapore, there are vertical farms to ensure food security. But the most instagrammable attractions of the island are smart trees, the Supertrees of the Gardens by the Bay, which are sustainable vertical gardens with over 160,000 plants including orchids and ferns. Of course, being in the smartest city in the world, they also harvest solar energy.

As much as consumers have grown to love nature, loss of biodiversity has become a major global concern. The world-renowned naturalist Sir David Attenborough and the UN have been on the forefront to call for urgent actions. The EU is pushing its Taxonomy to reach the objectives of the Green Deal by classifying environmentally sustainable economic activities. The Finnish government, in turn, will update the national forestry strategy and reform the nature conservation legislation this year to keep up with the changing environment.

In the meantime, consumers know what is important. They keep flocking to national parks and nature reserves no matter what season it is. Come spring, the garden stores will be filling up as the Rural Urbanites can’t wait to dig their hands into the soil.

Source: Angus, A. & Westbrook, G. 2022. Top 10 Global Consumer Trends 2022.