March 18, 2025 – Through extensive 360 research over global macro-level insights and European lifestyle shifts and attitude, Innova offers a comprehensive view of consumer changing preferences. These insights have been utilized to offer valuable insights for brands to make informed decisions, align with consumer values, and respond proactively to emerging opportunities in Europe.
This article is based on Innova’s Consumer Trends – Opportunities for 2025 – Europe report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
Macro Trends
Europe is experiencing significant macro trends that shape consumer behavior. Economic uncertainty, rising living costs, and health-related concerns such as access to nutritious food and housing lead personal priorities. Climate change and political instability create a volatile environment where consumers seek security, reassurance, and transparency.
While technological advancements drive innovation in work, health, and entertainment, they also raise concerns about privacy and job security. Consumer trends reveal that younger consumers aged 18-24 focus on issues like corruption and inequality, while older generations above 55 emphasize political stability, immigration, and social values. These shifting priorities highlight the dynamic nature of the European consumer landscape.
Consumer Healthier Lives
Consumer trends in Europe indicate that health and well-being remain top priorities for European consumers, with 1 in 4 focusing on these aspects. Around 28% take consistent steps to live healthier lives, aiming for goals like mental wellness, vitality, disease prevention, and staying fit. Generational differences shape health preferences. Younger groups over-index in body positivity, fitness, and beauty while older adults prioritize weight loss and disease prevention.
66% of consumer relate getting adequate sleep with self-care and other majority with hygiene, exercise and eating nutritional food. Consumers define healthier eating as prioritizing fresh food, nutrition, portion control, and minimizing snacking.
Consumer Conscious Living
Consumers increasingly adopt conscious living to support the planet, with 28% reusing products and packaging. They connect conscious living with cost and health benefits. Consumer trends show that young consumers aged 18-34 change their diets for environmental or social causes, while others grow their own food, compost waste, and recycle. They also take actions include minimizing food waste, recycling, upcycling, and repurposing, and choosing locally grown to support the social cause in the past year.
Consumer Changing Occasions
Social occasions revolve around home and nature-focused places. Dining at home becomes trend due to financial prudence. Cafes, restaurants, and workplace serve as gathering spaces for young consumers between 18-34. Consumer trends show that family and food remain key sources of connection, while health-focused lifestyles lead to reduced visits to bars and pubs.
Consumer Evolving Nature of Treat and Reward
Consumers prefer to treat and reward themselves, with 48% opting for everyday experiential moments of happiness. Family is a key factor for enjoying these moments. Consumer trends 2025 show that young consumers of 18-24 focus on relaxation and shared experiences, while older groups prefer outdoor activities. Holidays and fashion are top choices for treating and rewarding themselves in the past year.
Consumer Savvy and Self-Sufficient Trends
About 22% of consumers feel they lack control over their life. They search ways to gain control, including becoming self-sufficient, pursuing flexible work, and managing personal finance. Finance is top reason to become self-sufficient. Economic uncertainty and trust issues drive actions like cooking from scratch, reusing products, embracing green travel, and pursuing side hustles.
Consumer trends in Europe research displays 55% of consumers are slightly or very self-sufficient when it comes to health. They leverage digital tools for convenience and personalization of their diet and fitness.
Consumer Quality and Integrity Trends
Consumers expect brands to deliver quality, value for money, health benefits, and environmentally friendly products. They demand honesty and transparency in providing products, with 57% prioritizing quality when considering purchasing food and beverages brands. Issues like profiteer, greenwash, and product quality dent individual’s trust. Consumer trends show that young consumers aged 18-43 are the most who distrust brand’s social good claims, especially those by large companies. To rebuild trust, brands are reassuring their core values such as superior product quality, heritage, and quality and exclusivity.
Consumer Authentic Connection Trends
The top 5 important values for consumers in Europe are family, freedom, happiness, wellbeing, and friendship. They seek healthier lifestyle alongside these key values. Authentic connection flourish through social relationships, shared activities, outdoor activities, in nature or to the countryside.
Consumer Positive Best Trends
1 in 2 consumers seek healthier lifestyle to feel well, associating this with feeling mental happy, positive, and energetic. Consumer trends 2025 reveal that physical activity, positive mindset, and keeping an active mind are top aspects for healthy aging. Consumers prefer physical exercise and sleep to maintain their mental and emotional wellbeing. Simplification is an important strategy for mental wellbeing, with 26% implementing them in their life with strategies like using dumb phones, downshifting, quiet quitting, job crafting.
What’s Next in Consumer Trends in Europe?
Consumer trends in Europe reflect a growing interest in personal well-being, sustainability, and accessible innovation. They increasingly value holistic health solutions, enriching shared experiences, and eco-conscious options that align with their lifestyles. Brands can explore personalized nutrition solutions that integrate AI and digital platforms. These approaches can enable tailored dietary recommendations and convenient access to healthier choices.
In-home creativity providing tools for consumers to customize their own products in food, beverages, or beauty can empower them to control ingredients, flavors, and sensory elements. Affordable sustainability, cost-effective yet planet-friendly options, such as sustainable packaging or waste reduction strategies, can appeal to environmentally conscious consumers. Brands are likely to embrace innovation such as AI-driven personalization, customizable offerings, and immersive technologies.
This article is based on Innova’s Consumer Trends – Opportunities for 2025 – Europe report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
