2023 Consumer Trend Insights

004 Authors
008 Preface

Ten Keywords

025 Redistribution of the Average
055 Arrival of a New Office Culture: ‘Office Big Bang’
079 Born Picky, Cherry-sumers
105 Buddies with a Purpose: ‘Index Relationship’
133 Irresistible! The ‘New Demand Strategy’
163 Thorough Enjoyments: ‘Digging Momentum’
187 Jumbly Generation Alpha
217 Unveiling Proactive Technology
239 Magic of Real Spaces
265 Peter Pan and the Neverland Syndrome

However, a recession does not necessarily translate to a decline in overall consumption. Instead, the luxury market trends to grow and not just because income disparities are widening. This is because demand for so-called “small luxury” items, products that create new demand, remain strong even during recessions. Therefore, even amid a recession, new growth opportunities can be found if the market is viewed through a detailed breakdown by consumer segment, rather than from a broader perspective. 2023 is said to be a year of recession, but there have been significant changes over the past few years. There have been rapid technological advances, and new apps, virtual worlds, remote work, and the digital economy have all developed significantly. Moreover, a generational change is taking place with the main consumer group now moving towards Generation MZ. Thus, the key is to anticipate what kind of new trends will arise when these ongoing changes collide with the cyclical economic downturn.

This trend is not just evident in personal life. The standard of good products, mainstream opinions, and what constitutes as “normal,” which until now has been expressed as an average value, is on shaky ground. People instead gravitate toward extremely unique products and are split by strong opinions on both ends o the spectrum. As the distinction between what is normal and abnormal is starting to become accepted as being “different” rather than “wrong,” and as the world starts to view and value diversity more positively, the idea of something being normal and average is gradually losing its place. In Consumer Trend Insights 2023, we will call the phenomenon of the disappearance of the “normal” standard that has been widely accepted in the market and society, as well as in the lives and values of individuals, as the “Disappearing Average” trend.

As the world becomes increasingly connected, the phenomenon of unipolarity sometimes appears in the form of a mania. As information spreads instantly, the strength and speed of a fad or trend becomes stronger and spreads faster. When considering the release of a movie in the past, there was a time difference in release dates between countries, so the box office performance in other countries played an important role in garnering attention for the film. Now, movies are released simultaneously through video streaming platforms and the global content rankings are updated in real time and announced daily. Content that tops these global rankings acts as a powerful magnet that makes people want to watch it too.