Perspective on Consumerism in 2025 – and what we can do.

YOU’RE READING: My thoughts on whatever consumerism is, plus 5 things consumers can do + 3 things brands can do to level out.

Is it me or has the idea of maxed out consumerism been gaining ground this year? Initially, I minimize it, thinking it’s my personal experience as someone with vested interests (or degrees, careers, pastimes, former business concepts) in advertising, slower fashion, and studying consumer habits. But, in another breath, I do think the general population is starting to view our consumption habits as problematic, not cute or justified. It’s impossible to ignore the onslaught of advertising and constant consumption in American culture.  If anything, I think we can agree that consumers are straight up tired at gestures everywhere.

See, also: April 3 2025, World Markets plummeting (Bloomberg)

So, what is consumerism?

Merriam-Webster defines ‘Consumerism’ as

the theory that an increasing consumption of goods is economically desirable

Consumerism is a ‘blanket’ term that’s been around for a while but in recent context it carries more of a negative social overtone in place of its normal marketing-buzzword-eye roll. In my stupid little head I imagine ‘Materialism’ playing the blame game and throwing ‘Consumerism’ under the bus. But they are twins, cut from the same polyester cloth. 

If materialism is the overconsumption of things, consumerism is the over-promotion of products and services. And the subsequent overconsumption, too. It’s the idea that more consumer spending equals improved well-being. A better life. The idea that one more purchase can solve life’s problems. But the reality is that mindset is more likely to add to the growing credit card debt than it is to find the answer to life’s biggest question (“what the fck is going on?” obviously).

What now? Is 2025 is the year of the consumerism revolution?

The incline to ‘The Tipping Point’ of anything in culture is a combination of many different factors – social, economic, geographic, generational, pop culture, and so on. Malcolm Gladwell presents this phenomenon in his first book The Tipping Point, where he calls these factors ‘agents of change’ that make up the 3 rules of a tipping point: Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, the Power of Context.

Personally, I think we’re in the Stickiness zone; more and more people are acknowledging this overwhelm and encountering a compelling reason to do something different. Buying less. Growing your own garden. Not going out to eat. Switching to off-brands, store brands, local  brands. Prioritizing better experiences over better products.

The path to widespread acknowledgement of consumption-culture is paved with consumer complaints about AI, plastic, and screen-time. And marketing. We’ve already started asking ourselves, and brands, if we ‘really need the newest’ whatever. Do I really need a bluetooth powered lotion dispenser? 

OR simply facing the overstuffed drawers and growing piles of ‘old’ stuff as we buy new. Like, what am I supposed to do with these ‘old’ phones, laptops, ipods, cameras, USBs, solo earbuds, sneakers, whatever once I get new ones? Oh ANOTHER charging cable? 

So, I think we’re getting somewhere. And somewhere is better than nowhere. We have power as consumers. There is no easy fix to overwhelming consumerism but there is a growing desire to start somewhere, and intention matters almost as much as action (baby steps). 

Escaping consumerism is hard, not impossible. Here’s how..

As consumers, we can take steps to be more thoughtful about everyday purchases and habits to embrace a slower lifecycle (yes I did mean that). Combined with other posts about my love of exploring thrift stores in Tampa and finding eco-friendly products to swap, I hope everyone can find a new way to make more conscious lifestyle choices.

5 easy ways to be a more conscious consumer

Looking for realistic and easy ways to combat overt consumerism and corporate greed without going totally off-grid (or expat)? Here are 5 things to do:

• Support Local / Shop Small
  Are they different? Maybe, a little? Let’s say shopping local is supporting within the community and shopping small is supporting non-corporation whenever possible.
• Review recurring deliveries or subscriptions to reduce ‘nice to have’s’ like makeup subscriptions or multiple food delivery accounts.
• Move shopping apps to break your dopamine habit and sleep better. Out of sight out of mind, right?
• Prioritize quality over convenience. Start seeing your dollars as an investment and you’ll second guess the impulse buys.
• Find ways that ‘Less is more’ works for you. Maybe reducing your closet makes daily outfit decisions easier? Fewer subscriptions might inspire more time reading or hobbying?

3 ways to manage consumerism as a Brand

Brands and marketing teams can take steps to combat the overbearing aura of consumerism without sacrificing the bottom line (really) with these 3 marketing reminders: 

• Less is more, especially emails (read: SEND LESS EMAILS) but in general less fluff or filler (like endless sales or rewards programs that aren’t rewards) because…..
• Quality over quantity. This goes for everything from social posts to promotion planning: consumers like value more than fluff. Oh, and pay designers instead of using computer generated content.
• Stay Authentic and Relevant. Trendy doesn’t always get results.

There’s always more where this came from, I just have to find a way to compartmentalize my own thoughts (quicker? More efficiently? Effectively? Productively?) (this is my brain not product to optimize 🙂 ). Until next time, xx.

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