Micro-moment shopping, unconstrained by time and place, is gaining popularity.
Eco-friendly, traceable production and distribution history
The growing trend of consumer choice towards brands


Today's consumers appear to value the values a brand stands for more than cost or convenience.

On the 20th, IBM announced the results of a global consumer trend study conducted in collaboration with the National Retail Federation, targeting 19,000 consumers aged 18 to 73 in 28 countries around the world.

According to the results, 7 out of 10 consumers enjoy shopping in “micro-moments” – making instant purchases on their smartphones anytime, anywhere, even while doing other things.

As consumers have access to a wide variety of brands and products anytime, anywhere, corporate values have become more important than product price and convenience. Regardless of age and income level, consumers are willing to pay significantly higher prices for products that align with their personal beliefs.

70% of value-driven consumers would pay 35% more than the regular price for environmentally friendly brands, such as recycled and eco-friendly products. Fifty-seven percent of them also expressed a willingness to change their purchasing habits to reduce environmental impact.

Additionally, 79% of all consumers responded that they consider it important whether a brand guarantees authenticity through certifications or other means when purchasing a product. Of these, 71% said they would be willing to pay 37% more for a company that offered full transparency and traceability.

IBM suggests three ways retailers and consumer goods brands can build brand affinity, citing a fundamental shift in consumer purchasing behavior.


1. Securing consumer trust through transparency and traceability.
In the age of micro-moments, simply providing convenient or fast service is not enough to earn customers' trust.

Consumer goods brands must differentiate themselves by providing consumers with quick and easy access to information they previously didn't have to provide, such as information about the product's manufacturing process, the quality of its ingredients, whether it's environmentally responsible or ethically sourced, and the conditions under which it's used.

We need to differentiate ourselves by providing faster and more convenient access. For example, we can use blockchain technology to prove that coffee is produced through fair trade.


2. Enhancing environmentally friendly efforts
Efforts to reduce our environmental impact go beyond using recycled packaging and reducing our carbon footprint.

Brands must also participate in building a sustainable circular economy for future generations. To conserve resources and eliminate waste, manufacturers must incorporate environmentally friendly elements throughout their supply chains.


3. Creating value through flexibility, not product variety.
As digital interactions shape how consumers shop, retailers need to innovate their stores to deliver a consistent brand experience across all channels.

This requires implementing new technologies into existing store environments to continue to meet consumer expectations.

“Our research shows that shoppers are willing to pay more for retailers who can clearly prove the origin of their goods,” said Luq Niazi, global general manager, IBM Consumer Products Industry. “Transparency in logistics can be a brand differentiation strategy, and traceability can be implemented using data and blockchain technology.”