Amid post-pandemic shifts in how consumers buy goods, stubbornly high prices and a squad of ankle-biting retail competitors, WSL Strategic Retail has been researching how today’s shoppers think about “value.” Specifically, how their definition of value guides what they spend their money on – and won’t – as well as where they will spend it. Here, we unpack five broad-context trends that help you define the “new value” shopper.

Quick, Describe What Your Shoppers See as Good Value in 2025

It isn’t easy to pin down what today’s consumers decide is a good value. Their own definitions probably change day to day, given all the “value” variables: shrinkflation, store navigation, delivery costs, as well as newer options on where to spend across retail and non-retail categories.

But shoppers do hint at what triggers their “value meters.” And we’ve been following them.

For example, four in 10 consumers were pessimistic about their financial standing at the end of 2024, our How America Shops® research found. That’s 12 percentage points higher than in 2018, before the pandemic launched a cascade of behavioral shifts among consumers and retailers and brands.

As a result, more shoppers are reassessing where they shop and what they put in their basket.

New Shopper Values Define 2025 Spending Decisions

WSL Strategic Retail has been tracking how shoppers respond to these changes specifically in regard to what they think is worth paying for and what is not. And we’ve noticed nuances that are especially intriguing. So, we’re putting the pieces together.

And there are many pieces, because there is a difference between “value” and “values.”

While evidence shows emotional shopper values such as healthy living, ethical sourcing and stress-free experiences do factor into price value, circumstantial distinctions can separate the two. Consumers make split-second purchase choices based on accessibility, convenience, sustainability, the role of data, shopper joy (including feeling smart), even package size.

Then there is the issue of recognizing new-world shoppers who defy “old world” definitions of income, generation and ethnicity. You know, the shopper who buys groceries at Aldi to save money, then drops hundreds of dollars on a designer bag to look successful. Or the Millennial pet owner who spends more to get only the highest quality food for her dog, but has more relaxed criteria for the food she buys for herself, because the dog is her “baby.”

5 Truths About the New Shopper’s Value Meter

Yes, situations have always forced purchase decisions, but today’s situation is unprecedented in the wake of the pandemic, stubbornly high prices, and app-based conveniences. With that as our backdrop, we’ve identified five factors that influence the 2025 shopper value meter:

1. Convenience that can be price-justified.

Convenience typically comes with a cost shoppers are willing to pay, but more are calculating workarounds that lower the price of ease. Nearly half of online shoppers will spend the minimum amount to qualify for free shipping, Capital One Shopping Research reports. Many Walmart+ members live in a household that earns less than $50,000 annually, our own How America Shops® research shows, but they justify the $12.95 monthly or $98 annual fee by not having to pay for transportation or in-store impulse buys. Indeed, many retailers offered sharp discounts on membership and subscriptions fees in 2024, contributing to a near 25% increase in online grocery delivery sales in December 2024 over December 2023, Grocery Dive reports. That said, shoppers still make concessions where convenience is worth paying more – food deliveries via Grubhub, Uber Eats and DoorDash might be qualified as “splurges.”

2. The emotional value of saving has currency.

Anyone who’s bragged about a great deal on a purchase knows the pleasure of saving money is often about “winning.” (Just look to the Temu slogan “Shop like a billionaire.”) This attraction toward “shopping to save” over “saving to shop” is evident in consumers who join reward programs or choose less-expensive store brands. Consumers feel smarter choosing store brands that prove to be just as effective as national brands. And many shoppers join reward programs only for the signup bonuses (consumers hold an average of 19 memberships each, but remain active in only half). Indeed, many retailers are updating or adding special features to their rewards programs to stay relevant. Popshelf in late 2024 updated its app-based rewards program with perks that include 400 points for creating accounts and 10 points per every $1 spent, to encourage activity.

3. The inherent (and maturing) value of thrifting.

Lower prices and the desire for a unique look tend to attract young shoppers to thrifting. However, many keep coming back, regardless of age or income, for more specialized reasons: To feel smart about spending less on something that will be worn only occasionally, for the sense of nostalgia (especially among older shoppers), and for the delight of discovery – the treasure-hunt effect. Parallel values apply to online thrifting on sites such as ThredUp and Poshmark, which present a fast-growing opportunity. Online resale is in fact expected to account for half of the overall secondhand apparel market in 2025, which Capital One Shopping projects will generate $59 billon in 2025, from $35 billion in 2021.

4. The value of local marketplace shopping.

Neighboring the thrifting experience are local online marketplaces such as Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace. They feed the exploratory appetite and add intimacy by identifying the seller. Nearly 50% of all shoppers chose online marketplaces for product discovery over searches such as Google, Retail Brew reported in January, and 59% browse them just for fun. Online markets provide a sense of community many shoppers long for, as well the ability to support local retail. More than half of all Boomers see community as important to wellness, according to our How America Shops® research. And because local marketplaces appeal to sellers as well as shoppers, they broaden that society.

5. Pets are still valued sacred cows.

Many consumers may say “no” to high eggs prices, but they are not willing to downgrade the pet foods and treats they buy for their furry children. A surge in online auto replenishment likely factors into this behavior (it helps that sites such as Chewy, Amazon and Petco reduce prices for auto-refills). A growing and worth-watching subset of this industry is curated pet box subscriptions, which deliver monthly packages customized to pet needs. It is projected to grow at an annual rate of 13.5%, to reach nearly $2.8 billion by 2033. These auto replenishment options welcome brand innovation in the pet category – introducing affordable options that add variety to how pets eat, treat, or play.

The Value Meter is Running, and WSL Is Following

Want to learn more? WSL Strategic Retail’s  ongoing How America Shops® research and our Retail Safari® innovation discoveries help you make sense of new shopper values, and the factors that influence their change. Visit our Consulting page if you’d like a customized report to reveal your opportunities. And stay tuned for new insights coming in 2025 as we continue to research and understand the evolving “new value” shopper.