Is the American Dream still alive? And if it has changed, who stands to win? Who stands to lose?
Simon-Kucher recently conducted an exhaustive survey of more than 5,000 Americans across all income levels and demographics to answer exactly these questions. The findings have profound implications for consumers, retailers, brands, and, frankly, any business that serves them.
Omni Talk is pleased to welcome Shikha Jain, Partner and Head of Consumer for North America at Simon-Kucher and the architect of this landmark research, to a special installment of our Ask an Expert webinar series. Joining Chris Walton, Shikha unpacks how years of economic uncertainty, inflation, and shifting consumer priorities are redefining the American Dream and what those changes mean for businesses looking to stay ahead.
Read the full Simon-Kucher “New American Dream” study discussed in this episode: https://www.simon-kucher.com/en/insights/new-american-dream
Key topics covered:
- How Americans across generations define the modern American Dream
- Why younger consumers remain optimistic, even as they believe success is harder to achieve
- The rise of financial stability, personal freedom, and life experiences over traditional status symbols
- How inflation and the ongoing “permacrisis” are reshaping consumer spending habits
- Why Gen Z and Millennials are prioritizing experiences over material possessions
- The growing comfort younger generations have with debt and what that signals for future consumption
- How retailers should rethink pricing, promotions, assortments, and customer experiences
- Why experiential retail and stronger value propositions are becoming competitive necessities
- The importance of combining customer data with ongoing consumer research to stay ahead
- How AI could fundamentally reshape consumer behavior and the future of the American Dream
Whether you’re a retailer, marketer, consumer insights leader, or simply fascinated by how economic and cultural shifts influence buying behavior, this conversation offers research-backed insights into the forces shaping today’s consumer and tomorrow’s retail landscape.
Tune in now on the platform of your choice below:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Soundcloud | Amazon Music
Be careful out there,
– Chris and the Omni Talk team
P.S. To explore more conversations from the Omni Talk Ask an Expert Series, head here.
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Omni Talk® is the retail blog for retailers, written by retailers. Chris Walton founded Omni Talk® in 2017 and have quickly turned it into one of the fastest growing blogs in retail.