Sonia Lapinsky
Partner & Managing Director, Leader of Fashion Retail
New York
The Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI), first launched in the 2000s, provides data on consumer prioritization of five key pillars: access, experience, service, product, and price.
Retailers are under pressure right now to make every investment count. The CSI compiles the preferences of over 9,000 consumers, providing a filter for where you should double down and where you should cut back. The index has datasets for the Beauty, Fashion, and Home industries, and dissects demographic preferences across pillars and sectors, from Gen Z to Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers.
We use the CSI dashboard to take retailers through their sector positioning and visualize the key wants of their consumers, cut by income and demographic. This detailed data allows companies to develop a roadmap of priorities aligned with their value proposition and what matters most to their consumer.
Key findings by sector
Fashion 2024
Today’s consumer is less brand-loyal, inundated with marketing messages across all apps and channels, pressured by debt and inflation, and increasingly demanding. But as loyalty has waned, customer acquisition and demand costs have grown, and retailers’ profits have shrunk. Retailers need a new playbook.
Home 2025
When we look at the competitive landscape, we find that price pressures (inflation, tariffs, debt) have not sent consumers after rock-bottom prices. In fact, the broadest takeaway is a desire to move toward the next upgrade. We found that Millennials value more than just cheap ready-to-assemble furniture; they are beginning to trend toward full-service higher quality pieces that may take them to and through the next stage of their life.
Fashion & Beauty 2025
Retailers have invested in personalization, but the consumer is not rewarding those efforts, so what do today's shoppers want from fashion and beauty retailers? We delve into how macro conditions—complex sourcing decisions, price volatility, and high consumer debt—have impacted consumer perceptions of brands and retailers, and discuss emerging consumer trends as personalization, health and wellness, and e-commerce operations move into the next phase.
