Market‑intelligence firm Mintel has identified three defining consumer trends for 2025—each framed through a different context: the home, community and the global stage.
The research is built on seven core trend‑drivers: Value, Wellbeing, Identity, Rights, Technology, Surroundings and Experiences.
For retailers and their vendor ecosystems—especially in the omnichannel arena anchored around Bentonville, AR—these insights provide strategic cues for merchandising, fulfillment, partner collaboration and shopper engagement.
Home: “Under Construction”
In the home context, consumers are shifting away from the ideal of a finished space toward embracing authenticity, flexibility and purpose.
With housing markets unpredictable and hybrid‑work norms entrenched, consumers are placing value on modularity, small‑scale upgrades and items that support productivity + self‑care at home. For retailers and vendors: product assortments that support the “house as hub” (e.g., smart décor, multifunctional furniture, wellness‑adjacent devices) are increasingly relevant.
Supply‑chain implications: shorter lead times, modular SKUs, and digital‑to‑home fulfillment.
Community: “Linked Lives”
The second trend emphasizes connectedness and collaboration, even as physical boundaries blur.
Consumers are seeking communities—both digital and physical—for belonging, support and shared identity. For omnichannel retail: fostering brand‑led micro‑communities, co‑creation with consumers and leveraging social commerce become important.
Vendors need to think beyond ‘selling a product’ to ‘engaging in a shared experience’. Fulfillment should support community moments (e.g., events, pick‑ups, bundled offerings).
Globe: “Tradition in Transition”
On the global stage, tradition is being re‑examined under the pressure of technology, sustainability, demographic change and social values.
Brands must balance what consumers know and trust (heritage, authenticity) with what they expect (innovation, transparency).
For retailers operating across geographies, and for their vendor networks: product strategies must reflect this tension—e.g., heritage brand stories and digital activation, global sourcing transparency and local fulfilment.
Supply‑chain compliance, sustainability traceability and agility matter more than ever.
Strategic Implications for the Omnichannel Ecosystem
- Merchandising & Assortment: Prioritize modular, flexible product formats suited for the “home as hub” context and community‑driven experiences.
- Partner & Vendor Relations: Shift vendor negotiations toward innovation, agility and community engagement—not just scale and price.
- Fulfillment Architecture: Design fulfillment networks that support not just e‑commerce, but also in‑home, in‑store and community pickup models.
- Brand & Shopper Engagement: Leverage community‑based activations, social‑commerce integrations and authenticity narratives that reflect tradition being reinterpreted.
- Measurement & Insight: Use the seven trend‑drivers (Value, Wellbeing, Identity, Rights, Technology, Surroundings, Experiences) as a diagnostic framework when evaluating new initiatives.
Mintel’s 2025 Global Consumer Trends point to a world where the home, community and global contexts converge, and where shoppers oscillate between control and uncertainty.
For retail leaders, vendors and logistics partners centred in Bentonville’s omnichannel ecosystem, the mandate is clear: align operations, product strategy and engagement models with this new consumer thesis. Those who do will be well‑positioned for growth in a retail environment defined by complexity and connectivity.
