Changing consumer behaviour and its influence on businesses in 2024

The evolution of consumer behaviour has always been guided by the various social, technological and environmental changes that have taken place over time. These changes have forced companies to constantly modify their offers and sales channels, and to innovate. Indeed, in a world where digital transformation is flourishing, omnichannel has become essential.

Recognising these changes is one thing, but analysing and interpreting them effectively and optimally is quite another. We can help you understand these new customer journeys with the help of some highly revealing research results.

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Changes in consumer behaviour from 2010 to 2020

1 - More responsible consumption

Environmental, social and societal concerns are now a major motivating factor for consumers. Many buyers are looking to consume better and less. They are turning more towards fair trade and organic products, for example.

• 66% of French consumers say that their purchasing decisions are influenced by the statements, values and actions of company directors. (Accenture annual report, Strategy Global Consumer Pulse Research released in 2019 )
• 67% of French people say they have changed some of their practices and 13% say they are doing everything they can to reduce the impact of their consumption, according to Ademe's 2019 Responsible Consumption Barometer.

2 - A more demanding consumer

Consumers have become increasingly demanding when it comes to service quality. According to Zendesk, 72% of French consumers want more efficient customer service, or else they will switch to another brand. This rather radical buying behaviour shows just how much more companies need to listen to their customers.

💡Good to know: 50% of consumers remember negative interactions from more than two years ago (Zendesk).

3 - A connected consumer

Today, 75% of French people are equipped with a smartphone, compared with 17% in 2011 (Médiamétrie). As a result, today's new consumers are connected all the time, using their smartphones first and foremost to access the Internet.

This is how " mobile first" came about in 2015. This approach involves creating a site that is perfectly adaptable to smartphones. Companies have therefore understood this, mobile applications and Mobile First represent a real performance lever.

💡 A Fevad/CSA survey shows that consumers use their mobiles in particular to:

• Do research before buying a product or service (for 56%),
• Search and locate shops (52%),
• Find their way around a shop, compare prices, read customer reviews, check product specifications, etc. (38%).

4 - More personalised communications

Technological developments have considerably changed the way companies communicate . Social networks are therefore becoming the most widely used means of communication in the market.

According to BDM, French internet users spend an average of 5 hours 37 minutes a day surfing the web, compared with 3 hours 27 minutes watching television.

As consumers become more connected, they are becoming more receptive to personalised, digital communications. Inbound marketing has therefore become a must for companies wishing to personalise their offering and place the consumer at the heart of their strategy and content creation.

💡 In 2020, 93% of companies that have adopted inbound marketing have had a real positive impact on their conversion rate. (Batiboost)

5 - Organic trends

Organic food really started to make inroads into consumers' daily lives in 2010. The French market has become more democratic over the years and has tripled its sales in 10 years, rising from €3.1 billion at the end of 2009 to €9.7 billion in 2019.

According to key figures from Agence Bio :

• 9 out of 10 French people eat organic produce in France.
• In 2019, 71% consumed organic products at least once a month, compared with just 46% in 2010.

What influences consumer behaviour?

Personal factors

Consumers' personal factors include all their socio-demographic elements, namely:

• Age and family situation
• Occupation
• Location
• CSP (socio-professional category)
• Lifestyle
• Personality

These elements correspond to the consumer's fundamentals and core identity. This is the first step in understanding your customers. It's important to focus on this, because without the initial information, the rest of the analysis will not be optimal.

Psychological factors

Psychological factors are all the more important because they correspond to the reactions and feelings of your customers. Understanding these factors helps you to understand how consumers react in a commercial context, so that you can adjust your marketing and/or communication actions and deal with objections. These factors include

• Needs
• Motivation
• Disincentives
• Perception

The notion of "need" is essential in the development of an appropriate offer. Maslow's pyramid establishes a hierarchy of needs at 5 levels to help companies in their marketing initiatives.

👉 To find out how to gather consumer information, go further down the article to the section "How to analyse changes in consumer behaviour".

Environmental factors

Environmental factors have a considerable impact on the consumer decision-making process. They can include :

How can we analyse changes in consumer behaviour?

All companies should ask themselves this question before defining their marketing mix strategy. Here are a few steps to help you do this effectively:

1. Define the target to be studied and then filter the research and sort the information gathered to keep only the most relevant.
   💡 Tip: You can use the buyer persona method, which will help you filter your target.
   
   
2. Gather information via several levers:
   1. Surveys
   2. Satisfaction surveys
   3. Focus groups
   4. Individual interviews
      
      
3. Interpret your results according to the subject of your study. Keep only the relevant information from your collection methods.
   👉 Example : If you are trying to understand the behaviour of customers in your shoe shop during the summer, discard the answers you find concerning winter boots or woollen slippers.

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Analysing consumer behaviour to boost performance

Changes in consumer behaviour therefore seem to be essential for companies wishing to optimise their overall strategy around customer satisfaction.

👉 Analysing a customer's changing needs means anticipating their new expectations and anticipating trends, two elements that represent a real opportunity for development and performance.