Consumer Behaviour in 2026: What it really means for CPG Businesses

To every CPG / FMCG founder building in the messy middle, I see you…

The opportunities are real.

The capacity isn’t.

So focus becomes the strategy.

New stockists are interested.
There are multiple post-it notes, everywhere
You can see so many paths forward - and that’s not unusual.

New stockists. New channels. Range extensions. Collaborations. Export conversations. Marketing ideas.
There’s always something you could be doing next.

You are ramping up momentum.

The challenge in 2026 isn’t whether you can grow. It’s deciding where your time, energy, and investment will actually have the greatest impact — to maximise growth, without spreading yourself too thin (or burning out).

This is the stage where many of you feel busy but overwhelmed. There’s progress, but also pressure. Plenty of opportunity, but not enough capacity to chase it all.

As we move through 2026, the brands that truly shift the needle won’t be the ones doing more. They’ll be the ones making clearer, intentional decisions grounded in a deep understanding of their consumer.

Because when everything starts with your consumer, focus stops feeling like the impossible, and it instead becomes your biggest growth lever.

Why consumer behaviour matters more than product trends in 2026

Product trends are everywhere.

Functional ingredients. New formats. Emerging flavours. Viral product moments.

But what I’ve learnt and what I continue to see is that an overreliance on trends create more options, not necessarily better decisions.

When you chase trends without anchoring them in real consumer behaviour, a few things happen:

• Ranges get too big and fuel complexity

• Marketing gets scattered and loses consistency and impact

• People get stretched and as move into reactive mode all.the.time.

• And growth starts to feel harder, not easier

Understanding consumer behaviour, on the other hand, helps you filter.

It helps you decide:

• Which opportunities deserve a yes

• Which ideas need to wait

• And where your limited time and budget will actually move the needle

In 2026, growth won’t come from doing more.
It will come from making better, intentional decisions

The key consumer behaviour shifts shaping 2026

Understanding what’s changing in consumer behaviour gives you context, and context creates confidence.

Here are the shifts that I believe matter most.

Cautious spending, smarter choices

Consumers haven’t stopped spending, but they are spending more deliberately.

They’re making trade-offs.
They’re prioritising value.
And they’re thinking harder about what earns a place in their routine.

This means the ability to clearly communicate meaningful value to your consumers is fundamental for growth.

Not every product, channel, or idea deserves equal energy.

Consumers are choosing more carefully and so should you.

Trust and relevance are reducing tolerance for “Nice-to-Haves”

Trust is no longer built through big claims or clever packaging alone.

Consumers expect:

• Transparency

• Consistency

• And relevance to their actual lives

They’re quicker to disengage from brands that feel vague, confusing, or overcomplicated.
This is important when your capacity (hours in a day!) is tight.
Because clarity reduces friction - for both your consumer and your business.

Health is a daily behaviour, not a marketing claim

Health hasn’t gone away. But it has matured.

Consumers aren’t looking for dramatic promises. They want products that:

• Fit naturally into their routine

• Are easy to understand

• And make them feel good, consistently

This shift matters because it rewards simplicity over excess.
And it challenges brands to focus on fewer, stronger propositions rather than sprawling ranges that try to be everything.

Emotional connection is back — and it’s human

There’s growing fatigue with polished perfection.

Consumers are gravitating towards brands that feel:

• Human

• Relatable

• And genuinely aligned with their values

Emotional connection is becoming a shortcut in decision-making. When people trust how a brand makes them feel, choosing becomes easier.

For founders with limited capacity, this is powerful.
Depth builds loyalty faster than breadth ever will.

What these behaviour shifts mean for opportunity-rich, capacity-poor founders

If you’re honest, the challenge isn’t spotting opportunities.

It’s knowing which ones to take.

Consumer behaviour gives you permission to stop chasing everything.

It helps you ask better questions:

• Does this align with how our consumer actually shops and decides?

• Will this simplify their choice — or complicate it?

• Does this strengthen trust, or dilute it?

When you use consumer insight as your filter, focus becomes strategic — not restrictive.

Where to focus your efforts in 2026 (if you want to shift the needle)

This is where behaviour turns into action.

Use Consumer Insight as a filter for opportunities

Instead of asking “can we do this?”, start asking:
“Should we — based on what our consumer actually needs, wants or believes?”

Not every opportunity deserves a yes.
Celebrate the ‘no’s’, or the ‘not right now’s’

Prioritise fewer, better-aligned growth plays

The brands that grow sustainably in 2026 won’t be everywhere.

They’ll be:

• Clear on who they’re for

• Consistent in how they show up

• And focused on what genuinely drives repeat behaviour

This often means doing less — better.

Build value that matches how consumers really buy

Value isn’t just price.

It’s:

• Ease of decision

• Confidence in choice

• And alignment with everyday behaviour

When you design products, messaging, and experiences around real consumer behaviour, growth becomes lighter. The business works harder — so you don’t have to.

Turn Consumer Insight into consistent action

Understanding your consumer is only powerful if you can act on it consistently.

This is why a consumer-first marketing system matters.

A system like the Marketing Momentum System gives you the tools and templates to turn consumer insight into clear messaging, consistent content, and focused execution — without reinventing the wheel every week.

It’s not about doing more marketing.
It’s about doing marketing that actually reflects your consumer.

What’s likely to work — and what’s likely to waste capacity in 2026

What’s Working

• Focused product ranges

• Clear, relevant value propositions

• Consumer-led decisions

• Brand messaging that builds trust over time

What’s Not

• Chasing every opportunity

• Building without behavioural proof

• Overcomplicating offers

• Relying solely on founder energy to drive growth

Consumer Centricity is a capacity strategy — not just a marketing one

When everything starts with a deep understanding of your consumer, decisions get easier.

You second-guess less.
You spread yourself thinner.
You build with intention.

This is why consumer centricity isn’t just a philosophy — it’s a practical growth strategy for founders who want momentum without burnout.

And it’s exactly the thinking we embed inside the Rise Growth Lab Accelerator — helping founders build businesses that grow with structure, clarity, and support, not chaos.

If 2026 already feels full before and it’s just begun, you don’t need more ideas.

You need a stronger filter. A decision making framework for what to say yes to and what to say no to.

So my advice to you is prioritise a deep understanding of consumer behaviour as your north star.  Start with that, and trust me, decision making will become a whole lot easier.

And when you truly understand your consumer, you don’t just grow faster —
you grow with confidence, focus, and a business that works harder than you do.