With consumer uncertainty at an all-time high, shopper behavior is shifting rapidly. MFour’s latest consumer research* shows that rising prices and economic uncertainty are reshaping how, when, and why consumers buy.
For brands and retailers, keeping up with these shifts means relying on more than quarterly reports. It requires uncovering data from the exact moment consumers are making a decision.
Price Sensitivity Increasing As Consumers Feel Financial Strain
Today’s consumers are already feeling more financial strain than last year. Price sensitivity is growing, especially for discretionary items like dining out, entertainment, and household improvement. Our latest data shows:
- 33% expect their finances to worsen, up from 25% in January
- 19% rate themselves as struggling financially, up from 13% in February
- 15% are cutting back on entertainment and travel, up from 10% in January
Track Behavior Trends in Real Time—or Risk Falling Behind
Consumers aren’t just changing what they buy. They’re changing how, when, and why they buy. Promotions carry more weight. Perceived value drives decision-making. And delay is the new default.
Businesses need data they can trust to respond quickly to consumer shifts like these. That’s where validated consumer feedback comes in. Businesses that track real-time shopper behavior trends can:
- Spot early signs of switching or churn
- Align messaging with current mindset
- Launch promotions when consumers are most likely to act
vSurveys+™ & vTracker+™ – Real-Time Insights Into Consumer Behaviors and Emotions
To stay competitive in today’s fast-moving market, brands need visibility into the entire buyer journey to be successful, not just a snapshot in time. That’s why the most valuable time to capture insights is at the moment a decision is being made — we call this the Point of Emotion®.
As consumer budgets tighten, emotions will become a key driver of shelf-level decisions. Access to insights from at that Point of Emotion® – when consumers are in the aisle or walking away – means fewer assumptions, faster insights, and the ability to quickly adapt as consumer behaviors shift.
Our vSurveys+™ utilize Point of Emotion to capture and track real consumer behavior in the moment—like visiting a store, viewing a product, or skipping a purchase. This allows brands to make business decisions based on data that reflects what consumers are doing, not just what they are saying.
But surveying consumers once for topics like this is only part of the picture.
For continual insights, our vTracker+™ offers brands unique visibility into the full customer journey by pairing both survey and behavioral data. This full-picture perspective—especially around individual purchasing decisions—helps brands measure the impact of pricing, placement, and promotions over time and react with confidence.
vTracker+™ enables ongoing consumer data collection at that Point of Emotion® moment, helping brands uncover:
- Purchase consideration factors or purchase barriers
- Impact of promotions and placement
- How your product compared to competitors
- Consumer sentiment as they shop
Move at the Speed of the Shopper with Brand Tracking
vSurveys+™ and vTracker+™ work better together, giving brands the power to:
- Survey verified consumers based on real behavior
- Capture insights at the point of purchase
- Track patterns over time to stay ahead of what’s next
When shelf-level behavior shifts this fast, decisions must be driven by real-time, validated data—not hunches or lagging reports. MFour helps brands stay in sync with their shoppers—moving with them as behavior shifts instead of playing catch up.
