Mintel a global provider of marketing insights, revealed its reportMintel 2026 Global Consumer Predictionswhich not only reflects short-term consumer trends but also offers perspectives on significant changes set to occur by 2030 and beyond.
This report presents three major trends transforming individuals, society, and the overall economic system, covering the redefinition of lifestyles, new consumer relationships, and trust in technology, namely The New Young, Affection Deficit, and Anti-Algorithm.
These three trends not only explain current behaviors but also point to “business opportunities” that brands must understand and act on now.
Longer human lifespans mean key life milestones like education, work, marriage, parenthood, or retirement no longer occur at fixed ages. The report states the “Extended Middle of Life” has significantly lengthened, becoming a space of opportunity where people aged 30-50 can freely start anew—whether by changing careers, launching new businesses, or seeking new meanings and successes in life.
By 2030, demographic structural changes will become clearer, with a rising workforce over age 60. Middle-aged adults will be key drivers of both the economy and innovation. Moreover, age identities will blur so much that markets can no longer be segmented by age alone.
For brands, consumers now value present experiences more and seek solutions for lives that are constantly moving and evolving. This group wants tools to “re-design” their lives, using their energy, time, health, and income to fulfill themselves immediately—not waiting until retirement as previous generations did. Brands still focusing solely on youth or retirees risk missing a huge, rapidly growing middle market over the next decade.
Although technology has brought us closer, consumers feel more distant than ever. Continuous online living reduces real-world relationships, value conflicts cause social withdrawal, and automation lessens social interactions. The report identifies a deficiency in attachment within a connected yet increasingly lonely world, warning that this gap will widen alarmingly by 2030.
Consumers are beginning to crave meaningful connections, especially human warmth that algorithms cannot provide. They are forming new types of bonds—self-chosen relationships beyond traditional family structures, community care, pet companionships to fill emotional voids, and valuing love and mental health care.
What brands must do is reduce the cost of affection (Affection Cost) by making it easier, more comfortable, and safer for people to connect through services, experiences, or products that restore human relationships in the digital age.
Previously, algorithms or the backend systems driving platform experiences quietly made life easier and more personalized. Today, consumers view them as forces shaping their thoughts, beliefs, and identities.
By 2030, many consumers will question, “Do algorithms truly simplify life, or are they controlling us?” They are increasingly aware of algorithms’ effects on privacy, transparency, and identity limitation via curated feeds and recommendations. They want greater control, understanding where algorithms lead them, and participation in determining what the systems select.
Future brands must humanize algorithms, balancing the “convenience” algorithms provide with consumers’ “freedom and power to choose,” because ultimately, loyalty and popularity stem from what feels right and authentic—not what systems deem optimal.
1) Make experiences more “human” AI and algorithms should enhance interactions, not replace service delivery, because meaningful relationships, transparency, empathy, and humanity will be key differentiators in future markets.
2) Design products and services for “life without boundaries” Age-based segmentation may no longer be accurate, as consumers of all ages live similarly, seeking meaning, growth, and new beginnings. Lifestyle and spending definitions will differ from the past.
3) Build communities and genuine connections No matter how advanced technology becomes, with increasing social isolation, brands that create spaces for connection will gain greater value and loyalty than ever. Whether through communities, events, collaborations, or humanized customer service, brands can spark the “new bonds” consumers seek.
Mintel’s report clearly states brands can no longer view consumers traditionally, as people seek self-designed lives, meaningful relationships, and technology that respects their identity. Brands must understand these drivers and deliver value through products and services that reflect sincerity and consumer-held values.
Read more from the report 2026 Global Consumer Predictions
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