The hottest Consumer behavior Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Business Topics

A Bond Unlike Any Other

Malt Liquidity • 8 implied HN points • 18 Dec 24
💰 Finance Investing Stock Market Economic Trends Consumer behavior Market Analysis
  1. McDonald's has a strong supply chain and offers consistent revenue growth because people love their products. This makes it a safe investment in uncertain times.
  2. Ordering through the McDonald's app can save you money due to inflated menu prices for delivery. Always check the app for discounts before you order.
  3. In an inflationary environment, holding stocks like McDonald's is better than bonds. They have stable, predictable revenues that can help beat inflation.

How relative pricing shapes customer choices

A Bit Gamey • 6 implied HN points • 29 Dec 24
💼 Business Marketing Economics Consumer behavior Pricing Strategy Finance
  1. The value of a product often relies on how it's compared to other options. If you see a bad choice, it can make the others look better.
  2. Using a three-tier pricing model can influence customer decisions. Setting prices close together can nudge people towards the more expensive option.
  3. It's smart to always have a higher-priced option available. Even if it doesn't sell much, it can make lower-priced options appear more attractive.

168 | What's Going on With Italian-Chinese Tomato Puree? | GM to the Rescue |

The Rotten Apple • 10 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
🍲 Food & Drink Food Safety Food Fraud Agriculture Consumer behavior Supply Chain
  1. Some Italian tomato purees sold in the UK and Germany might contain Chinese tomatoes, raising questions about food labeling and consumer trust. It's not clear if this is legally fraudulent or just a complicated supply chain issue.
  2. There are concerns that tomato suppliers from China may use forced labor, which complicates the legal responsibilities for retailers. Supermarkets need to be aware of their suppliers' practices to avoid compliance issues.
  3. Sugar taxes in some American cities have shown to effectively reduce purchases of sugary drinks, especially among lower-income households. This indicates that financial incentives can change consumer behavior.

The Health of the US Consumer: A DataScore Interview with NielsenIQ

The Data Score • 59 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
💼 Business Data-driven Decision Making Consumer behavior E-commerce Market Trends
  1. The health of the US consumer in 2024 is complex, influenced by both tailwinds and headwinds, with different consumer cohorts showing varied spending behaviors.
  2. Low-income consumers are spending a higher percentage of their income on e-commerce, indicating potential shifts in spending habits influenced by factors like age demographics and value-seeking behavior.
  3. Analysis of specific industries like travel, home improvement, pet products, and fast fashion reveals changing consumer behaviors, highlighting trends such as a shift to home-related spending and considerations for subscription services like online streaming and pet supply shopping.

✅ The attention economy

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 59 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
💼 Business Public Relations Marketing Consumer behavior Technology impact Corporate Governance
  1. People's attention spans are getting shorter, which affects both individuals and society as a whole. This lack of focus makes it harder to tackle big issues like climate change.
  2. There are many reasons for our diminishing attention spans, including diet, sleep, pollution, and social issues. Technology and social media are major contributors to this problem.
  3. Living without the internet can help rebuild attention. The book encourages taking steps towards improving focus for personal and societal benefit, without giving simple solutions.
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Where inflation comes from

The Works in Progress Newsletter • 12 implied HN points • 14 Nov 24
💰 Finance Inflation Statistics Economic Policy Consumer behavior Labor Economics
  1. Inflation measurement is complex and changes in how we calculate it can significantly impact our understanding of the economy. Small adjustments can make us feel either richer or poorer.
  2. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is crucial for economic policies, affecting everything from Social Security benefits to tax brackets, which makes its measurement a point of political debate.
  3. Various methods and indexes, like the PCE and the chained CPI, aim to capture price changes accurately, but they each have strengths and weaknesses in addressing real-life consumer experiences.

Hertz’s Bad Bet on EVs was a Good Strategy

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 59 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
💼 Business Economics Corporate strategy Market Trends Consumer behavior Sustainability
  1. Hertz decided to sell 20,000 electric vehicles and switch back to traditional cars because customers weren't buying EVs as expected. The interest in electric vehicles isn't as strong as they hoped.
  2. Renting an EV can be challenging for customers since charging stations can be hard to find. This can make getting an electric car during a trip pretty stressful.
  3. Even though Hertz is backing away from their EV push, the decision to invest in electric vehicles initially was smart. In 2021, EVs seemed like a great opportunity for growth.

#4: Premium vs Luxury Strategies in Travel

Bureau of Adventure • 99 implied HN points • 10 Sep 23
🏝 Travel Luxury Travel Branding Consumer behavior Market Analysis
  1. Luxury is really about a unique experience rather than just being expensive. It’s more about how brands market themselves to create a special image.
  2. There are two main business strategies for travel brands: a premium strategy focuses on quality and value, while a luxury strategy emphasizes exclusivity and unique branding.
  3. For high-end travel brands, knowing whether you're premium or luxury is key. Each path has its own marketing rules and customer expectations.

Brands, Ads, and the Persuadable You

From the Desk • 9 implied HN points • 19 Nov 24
💼 Business Advertising Branding Marketing Consumer behavior Digital Media
  1. Not all ads are great, but repetition can make a brand stick in your mind. Some ads just need to inform rather than entertain.
  2. Good brands connect emotionally with their audience. They aim to show that using their products can help you feel like a better version of yourself.
  3. Positioning is key for brands. They need to clearly show who their products are for, helping certain shoppers feel more drawn to them.

The Men Who Love Being Ripped Off

Many Such Cases • 219 implied HN points • 10 Jan 23
🎭️ Culture Sexuality Online Trends Consumer behavior Social Dynamics
  1. Some men find excitement in being misled or disappointed when it comes to online adult content. They enjoy the feeling of being 'ripped off' as part of their experience.
  2. For these men, the thrill comes from the contrast between their expectations and the reality. They might hope to see revealing images but often receive something completely different instead.
  3. This dynamic raises questions about the way sexuality is viewed, often reducing it to just a transaction. The focus can become less about connection and more about commerce.

#164 – Normal-ish

Below the Line from Kevin LaBuz • 5 implied HN points • 08 Dec 24
💼 Business E-commerce Market Trends Consumer behavior Financial Analysis
  1. E-commerce is stabilizing after the pandemic, but shoppers are being more careful with their spending. People are focusing on buying essentials instead of luxury items.
  2. Big companies like Amazon are growing well because they sell a lot of everyday items. Smaller companies are struggling to compete as customers are prioritizing good prices and value.
  3. As the market normalizes, companies are working on improving their core businesses and cutting costs. Some, like Etsy, are trying new strategies to attract customers in a tough economic environment.

Colorado Calls For Repair Scores

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 01 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Repairability Right-to-repair E-Waste Legislation Consumer behavior
  1. Colorado's legislature passed a resolution calling for a national scoring system for electronic device repairs, aiming to make repairability of products easy to understand when buying electronics.
  2. Repair scores, like the one adopted in France, have been shown to influence consumer behavior and create awareness about repairability options.
  3. Repair scores are part of a broader effort to reduce e-waste and empower consumers by making hidden costs of device purchases more apparent.

How Apple became Warren Buffett's best investment.

Jon’s Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 06 May 23
💼 Business Investing Corporate strategy Market Analysis Leadership Consumer behavior
  1. Warren Buffett sees Apple as the best business in his investment portfolio, worth over $150 billion. His comfort with Apple represents a big change since he used to avoid tech stocks.
  2. Buffett understands consumer loyalty to Apple products, emphasizing how people might give up a car before their iPhone. This strong demand creates a protective advantage for Apple.
  3. Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, is praised by Buffett for his leadership and shareholder respect. Apple's strong financials, like stock buybacks and dividends, benefit Buffett's company, Berkshire Hathaway.

✅ Notes on the UK public relations agency market

Wadds Inc. newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 26 Apr 23
💼 Business Public Relations Economy Investment Consumer behavior Corporate strategy
  1. The UK public relations market is facing a slowdown, making it harder for agencies to hit their business targets. Clients are being cautious, leading to delays in contracts and payments.
  2. There’s a shift in the relationship between agency employers and employees, with hiring freezes replacing discussions about pay increases. Many agencies are holding back on new hires except for key roles.
  3. Despite challenges, areas like health, DE&I, and AI are still seen as important. Agencies are encouraged to focus on their fundamentals and prepare for future opportunities as the market stabilizes.

How 15 famous brands got their names

Jon’s Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 21 May 23
💼 Business Branding Marketing History Product Design Consumer behavior
  1. Many brand names have personal or fun stories behind them, like Android being named after a co-founder's nickname. It's cool how these names can connect to the people or experiences involved in their creation.
  2. Some brands, like Band-Aid and Life Savers, have names that describe exactly what they do. These names help customers understand what to expect from the product.
  3. The origins of brand names can reflect cultural or geographical influences, such as Lego meaning 'play well' in Danish. It's neat to see how language and culture shape these popular names.

Smaller Slices of a Growing Pie

Platform Papers • 19 implied HN points • 28 Mar 24
💼 Business Competition Regulation Antitrust Consumer behavior
  1. Platform markets are becoming increasingly dominant in various sectors of the economy, presenting challenges and opportunities for both sellers and consumers.
  2. In platform markets, the entry of more sellers can have mixed effects - while it can lead to more transactions, it also means a smaller share of the 'pie' for each seller.
  3. High-quality businesses in platform markets tend to benefit more from platform expansion, as they can attract and retain customers, leading to better overall platform quality and increased competition for businesses to invest in quality.

How Normative Forces Shaped Ford's Decisions

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 39 implied HN points • 19 Dec 23
💼 Business Corporate strategy Consumer behavior Investment decisions
  1. External forces, like customer demands and government pressure, strongly impact business decisions. Companies need to pay attention to these forces but shouldn't let them dictate every choice.
  2. Ford's push into electric vehicles has faced challenges, including a drop in consumer demand and high costs. This has led to significant financial losses for the company.
  3. Too much reliance on external influences can lead to poor decisions. It's important for businesses to balance external pressures with their own strategic goals.

Deflation Nation?

Diane Francis • 339 implied HN points • 13 Dec 21
💰 Finance Inflation Economics Monetary Policy Market Trends Consumer behavior
  1. Inflation worries are often exaggerated due to flawed measurements like the Consumer Price Index (CPI). People react strongly to these numbers, but they might not tell the full story.
  2. The reported inflation rate in America is at a high of 6.8%, causing a lot of concern and discussion. It's important to look at the bigger picture and the methods used to calculate this figure.
  3. Traditional metrics may not accurately represent the current economic situation. Understanding the limits of these measurements can help in better navigating economic discussions.

Quality time

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 79 implied HN points • 05 Apr 23
💼 Business Marketing Trends Consumer behavior Innovation Branding
  1. To find out what's new and important in products, look at meta-influencers. They help spot future trends better than big influencers who have a large following.
  2. Quality means different things to different people. It changes over time as new product features and consumer interests evolve.
  3. Watch the patterns among consumers to identify emerging groups that care about similar quality markers. This will help you understand potential future market segments.

Fridges: Where The Internet Ends.

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
🎭️ Culture Technology Home Social life Digital Transformation Consumer behavior
  1. Fridges serve as analog bastions in our digital world, rejecting being fully digital.
  2. Fridges are powerful social signals and tell stories of families through the items displayed on them.
  3. Despite efforts to make fridges digital with screens and tracking capabilities, many people prefer the analog charm of traditional fridges filled with magnets, notes, and personal mementos.

Amazon’s Strategic Moves to Counter Temu’s Competitive Edge: The BuyBox Innovation

Gad’s Newsletter • 41 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business E-commerce Competition Consumer behavior Strategic Planning
  1. Amazon is facing competition from companies like Temu, pushing them to innovate strategy like introducing a second BuyBox.
  2. The BuyBox tool simplifies shopping by highlighting one listing, and its introduction boosts marketplace orders, lowers entry barriers for sellers, and can lead to lower prices and higher quality for consumers.
  3. Self-preferencing of Amazon's products in search results may have mixed effects, impacting competition, innovation, consumer choice, and marketplace dynamics.

Car Rentals and Electric Cars are filing for Divorce, for now...

Startupology • 19 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
💼 Business Transportation Financials Consumer behavior Sustainability Market Analysis
  1. Rental car companies and EVs face challenges like high repair costs and poor infrastructure.
  2. Hertz faced bankruptcy, then aimed to boost business with an EV fleet but is now selling off a third of it due to low demand and high repair costs.
  3. Issues with rental companies and EVs include maintenance costs, customer education, charging infrastructure, and consumer familiarity.

War and Purpose

Thoughts on Writing • 159 implied HN points • 05 Apr 22
💼 Business Ethics Marketing Corporate Social Responsibility Consumer behavior Globalization
  1. Businesses are complex entities made up of people from diverse backgrounds, and their responses to global crises like war reflect a mix of urgent crisis management and ethical considerations.
  2. Consumer sentiment towards brands and their involvement in social issues, such as the war in Ukraine, can vary based on age demographics, with younger generations showing less support for brands publicly addressing such issues.
  3. The role of purpose in guiding businesses during crises like the war in Ukraine is complicated, with examples like Unilever, Danone, and HSBC showcasing the challenges of aligning purpose with real-world actions and ethical considerations.

Fear Sells

Diane Francis • 259 implied HN points • 19 Jul 21
💼 Business Marketing Economics Real Estate Consumer behavior Media
  1. Fear triggers strong emotions in people, leading them to react quickly without thinking. This is why the media often uses fear to get attention and sell stories.
  2. There is a growing market for products and services that cater to people's fears, like panic rooms and survival bunkers. Companies are making money off people's anxiety about safety and the future.
  3. Instead of relying on expensive fear-based solutions, people can better manage their anxiety by focusing on the present, identifying stress triggers, and taking simple steps like breathing exercises.

The World of Consumer Subscription Benchmarks

Ben’s Newsletter • 119 implied HN points • 10 Aug 22
💼 Business Subscription Models Consumer behavior Customer Retention Mobile Apps
  1. Free trials help customers decide if they want a subscription. Many businesses see high conversion rates from these trials, making them a smart strategy.
  2. It's really important for subscription businesses to keep their customers over time. High retention rates mean more stable revenue and a healthier business.
  3. Monitoring user engagement is key. Successful subscription services have a lot of active users, showing that people value what they offer.

Why Smart Home Tech is Stagnant

The Digital Anthropologist • 39 implied HN points • 16 May 23
🕹 Technology Smart Home Consumer behavior Market Analysis
  1. Smart home technology is struggling because it often fails to prioritize human needs and behaviors over technological capabilities.
  2. Many smart home products are designed based on assumptions about how people live, rather than a deep understanding of their daily lives and cultural norms.
  3. The slow adoption of smart home devices can be attributed to a lack of perceived value by consumers, cultural barriers, issues with device interconnectivity, and a focus on creating behavioral change in consumers rather than meeting their needs.

Uber-Expedia, Q-commerce, and the seductive lies of network effects

Platforms, AI, and the Economics of BigTech • 4 implied HN points • 20 Oct 24
💼 Business E-commerce Startups Market Analysis Supply Chain Consumer behavior Tech Trends
  1. Uber's business model relies on local advantages, not just growing its user base. It needs to focus on economies of density and fixed costs to truly succeed in local markets.
  2. Quick commerce thrives on efficiency by using small warehouses close to customers. This helps deliver products faster and cheaper, which makes it competitive against traditional e-commerce.
  3. Rather than looking for network effects, local businesses should focus on how to optimize operations in areas with high demand. This includes owning production and managing inventory effectively.

Obsolescence Pays: The Epson Printer Saga Continues

Fight to Repair • 39 implied HN points • 19 Oct 22
💼 Business Technology Environment Consumer behavior Sustainability Corporate ethics
  1. Printer companies like Epson use software tactics to hinder repairability and push customers to buy new products, impacting consumer choice and environmental sustainability.
  2. Companies like Epson create narratives around complexity and danger to deter customers from repairing their devices, steering them towards buying new models or using authorized repair services.
  3. Advocating for longer-lasting, repairable products and changing the incentives for companies built on waste and obsolescence can help reduce e-waste and promote sustainable consumption in the electronics industry.

The Psychology of Fairness and Boycotts

Naveed Sheikh • 2 HN points • 08 Jul 24
💼 Business Consumer behavior Market Dynamics Corporate Responsibility Brand Management
  1. Consumers care about fairness in pricing decisions and may boycott brands if they perceive actions as unfair.
  2. Firms that aim to maximize profits should also consider the importance of maintaining a perception of fairness in their pricing strategies.
  3. Perceived egregiousness plays a crucial role in motivating consumers to participate in boycotts, highlighting the power of collective consumer action.

On Bags, Fanny Packs, and Airlines

Gad’s Newsletter • 20 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
💼 Business Consumer behavior Revenue management Operational Efficiency Cost reduction
  1. Baggage fees are disliked by passengers, but they can lead to socially efficient outcomes by incentivizing customers to minimize their use of costly ancillary services.
  2. Charging for ancillary services like checked bags aligns customer behavior with cost-saving measures that benefit the airline and society, ultimately achieving greater operational efficiency and social welfare.
  3. The implementation of baggage fees by airlines can influence customer behavior, improve operational performance, and encourage passengers to travel with fewer bags, contributing to reduced costs and operational efficiency.

Rethinking the Retail Apocalypse: A Closer Look at Retail’s Evolution

Gad’s Newsletter • 23 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
💼 Business Retail E-commerce Consumer behavior Supply Chain
  1. Despite the rise of online shopping, physical retail locations still play a crucial role in the retail landscape.
  2. The concept of omnichannel retailing, combining online and physical sales channels, has become essential for many retailers.
  3. Understanding consumer preferences and integrating online and offline channels intelligently is crucial for the future of retail.

Weekend Theorys No. 4

Working Theorys • 21 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Startups Consumer behavior Marketing Innovation Competition
  1. The concept of 'cool' is depreciating faster than ever, leading builders to rethink product longevity. Minimizing time to value and embracing time to lameness are key strategies.
  2. Builders must navigate between the online persona ('netizen self') and real-life persona ('citizen self') to maintain authenticity and relevance in a digital age.
  3. Launching new products in a slow and deliberate manner, focusing on timeless design, and inventing new product categories can help extend the lifespan of a product in a fast-changing market.

Brief thoughts on advertising

Logos • 19 implied HN points • 29 Aug 23
💼 Business Marketing Advertising Consumer behavior Branding Economics
  1. Advertising helps people find products they didn't know they needed. For example, a drain declogger can come to mind when you see an ad.
  2. Ads send messages about brands. Brands like Nike signal excellence, and people may buy their products to show they value that quality.
  3. People often buy products to tell themselves a story about who they are or who they want to be. Ads can inspire us to reach for something we aspire to, like wearing running gear to start exercising.