Consumer Behavior Trends

The PayPal, Mastercard and Visa announcements are not about agentic AI. They are about ownership of the next chapter of commerce and payments. Here is how they compare. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱: -   PayPal : APIs that let any AI agent pay, track shipping, issue invoices and resolve disputes without leaving the chat. -   Mastercard : Network tokens + passkeys so agents become “trusted purchasers,” with programmable rules and biometric SCA baked in. -   Visa:  Five modular APIs for discovery → checkout, including user‑set spend caps, MCC filters and real‑time approvals. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲? -   The payments race has always been about shaving seconds off checkout. In the agentic era, the winning time is 0 seconds, 0 clicks. Checkout disappears entirely as search, recommendation, and payment collapse into a single LLM-driven conversation. -   Whoever owns the payment credential becomes the default wallet in the loop, capturing not just the transaction, but data, interchange, and value-added services that follow. -   The players that get this right won’t just win conversions. They’ll own the customer relationship. The ones that don’t will find themselves disintermediated by someone else’s agent. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹: Imagine: • A travel bot books flights, hotels, insurance and pays - no forms. • An SME sourcing agent negotiates fabric in Guangzhou and settles with a virtual card - no emails. • A grocery assistant notices the fridge is low and re‑orders - no conscious decision. Multiply that by every vertical and every consumer. That’s always‑on demand capture - and potentially trillions in incremental volumes routed through whoever provides the agent‑native rails. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁: 1.     Industry standards: Common schemas for trusted-agent registration, permissions, and dispute handling. 2.     Granular consumer controls: Per-transaction biometrics, spend limits, time-of-day and merchant-category restrictions. 3.     Merchant enablement: SDKs and APIs to expose real-time inventory, pricing, and loyalty programs to agents. 4.     Regulatory attention: How frameworks like PSD3, CFPB guidelines, or MAS oversight will apply to autonomous payers. 5.     New revenue models: Pay-per-call risk scoring, agent onboarding fees, premium fraud protection layers. 6.     Advanced risk infrastructure: Real-time monitoring of agent behaviour, intent detection, and adaptive risk scoring to flag anomalies. 7.     Liability frameworks: Clear rules for who’s accountable when an agent transacts incorrectly: the user, the platform, or the agent provider. The race to build the payment infrastructure for autonomous agents is underway. Expect a wave of partnerships, acquisitions, and early execution challenges as the industry adapts to a new model of always-on, agent-driven commerce. Opinions: my own 𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫: https://lnkd.in/dkqhnxdg

For years, the biggest players in CPG and FMCG—Unilever, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz—built their empires on food. But now? They’re making a massive pivot..if you had told me 5 years ago that these brands would be pulling back from food, I would’ve raised an eyebrow. -Unilever is cutting loose its $8 billion ice cream division, choosing to focus on higher-margin beauty and wellness. -Nestlé is doubling down on health-science-based nutrition as food brands struggle with pricing power. - #CPG giants are seeing stronger growth in self-care, supplements, and skincare than in traditional food categories. The global personal care market is expected to hit $758 billion by 2030, while processed food growth slows. Why This Shift? 1. Margins in food are shrinking. Consumers are trading down, private labels are winning, and inflation-wary shoppers aren’t absorbing cost hikes like they used to. 2. Health & wellness are driving premiumization. Customers will pay more for skincare, supplements, and functional beverages—but not for basic pantry staples. 3. Brand loyalty in food is eroding. Over 50% of consumers are comfortable switching food brands based on price, but loyalty remains strong in beauty, healthcare, and wellness. Winning Brands Are Already Moving: -L'Oréal’s skincare division posted 9.1% revenue growth last year, while traditional CPG food brands saw single-digit declines. -The Coca-Cola Company is investing in functional drinks and non-carbonated wellness categories to stay relevant. -PepsiCo’s biggest success? Gatorade’s expansion into hydration and performance-based drinks, not soda. CPG Leaders: ✅ Stop thinking of food as the core driver of growth. Instead, align with evolving consumer behavior. ✅ Invest in personalization, self-care, and functional health. That’s where demand (and pricing power) is strongest. ✅ Rethink your brand mix. Is your portfolio weighted toward categories that will still be relevant in 5-10 years? So, here’s my question to FMCG execs: Are you future-proofing your brand strategy—or just managing decline? Let’s talk. #FMCG #CPG #ConsumerTrends #GrowthStrategy #Beauty #Wellness #RevenueShift #BrandEvolution "

India’s biggest fast-food chains are struggling. As a doctor, I couldn’t be happier. Most fast-food brands in India reported a 15-20% drop in average daily sales in the last three quarters. Some say it’s inflation. Others think people are making healthier choices. But here’s the real story: While fast-food sales are declining, health-conscious spending is on the rise. India’s health food market is projected to grow by 20% CAGR until 2030! - Protein-rich snacks and millet-based foods are seeing double-digit growth. - Sugar-free drinks and gut-friendly products are in demand. - More people are prioritising fresh, home-cooked meals over takeout. This isn’t just about budget cuts — it’s about shifting priorities. And that’s worth celebrating. We are witnessing a food revolution. People are becoming more conscious of what they eat. They’re reading nutrition labels, swapping junk for whole foods, and making long-term health a priority. And if you’re reading this — you’re part of the change. So here’s a big shoutout to you for being mindful, making better choices, and contributing to this movement. The best part? Healthy food is becoming more accessible than ever: - More brands are entering the market, making nutritious options more affordable. - Government initiatives are pushing millet-based and whole-food alternatives. - People are influencing each other — social media is filled with easy, healthy meal ideas. Of course, the big question is: Will this shift last when incomes rise again, or will fast food make a comeback? I believe the change is here to stay. And you are the reason why. If this post resonated with you, repost 🔁 to keep the momentum going. Let’s make health the norm, not the exception. #healthandwellness #nutrition #publichealth

I once lived at distributor’s home in a small town because I had no choice... When Marico Limited was nascent, Bombay Oil Industries was still the family’s backbone. In those early days, I wanted our business to transform from a commodity trade into a branded consumer company. To do that, I had to understand the ground truth. There were no fancy hotels in the towns we visited. I stayed in dusty and small guest rooms. I sat with distributors over chai and samosas. I watched how coconut oil was stored, how shopkeepers priced it, how packaging changed hands. One day, a retailer told me matter-of-factly: “You always sell big tins. When people come back to buy, they carry a few kilos. If your packet is small, they will pick your brand at convenience.” That simple insight was a turning point. It nudged us to expand SKU ranges, introduce smaller packs, and think about how to become a “grab-and-go” brand, rather than just a bulk commodity supplier. If you ask me where innovation begins, it begins in the least glamorous places. In the musty shelves of neighbourhood stores, in conversations that feel insignificant, in paying attention to what people don’t say aloud. Takeaway for entrepreneurs: Your real research lab isn’t spreadsheets or agencies. It’s the ground. If you go build empathy for your customer at the shelf level, the brand strategy almost builds itself. #entrepreneurship #business #resilience #mindset #growth

If someone told me in the 90s that some day people would pay to count their steps and track their sleep, I would have laughed. Back then, fitness in India was very simple. Some basic gyms. Morning walks. A few public playgrounds. No business models. No content. No communities. I started training because I loved it. I did it for my body, my mind and my work. Somewhere along the way, it became who I am. Over the years, I’ve watched fitness slowly turn into an industry. First came the big shiny gyms. Then the boutique studios. Then the apps & watches, the challenges, the programs. Today, fitness is no longer just workouts. It is a full ecosystem. Trainers, physios, nutrition coaches. Sports academies for kids. Senior citizen programs. Group classes, local leagues, communities. Wellness tourism too! There are businesses being built around fitness and wellness now. When you build it right, a fitness business does 2 things. It makes people healthier. And it money earned with a clean conscience. The hard part is doing it right. I’ve seen gyms open with big launches and shut down quietly a year later. Apps that spent on downloads & influencers, only to see users disappear in weeks. The real problem in fitness is not getting people to start. It is making them stay. The businesses I like are the ones that understand this. They invest in good coaches. Their pricing allows them to survive for years, not just months. They’re honest about what’s possible in 3 months, and what will take 2 years. It may not look very exciting in a pitch deck. But that is the only way any fitness business truly wins. I see a huge opportunity in India for those who understand this. Parents who want their children to move more. Professionals who sit long hours and need strength, not just looks. Seniors who want to stay independent for as long as they can. If you can build for these people with patience and realism, you will not run out of work. I also feel the next big wave in fitness will be about community, not weight loss or abs. Local sports leagues. Small group training. Like this group of runners I see regularly, training for a marathon. I love seeing young adults spend their Saturday nights playing football or cricket on the turf with their friends. Ahan tells me these turfs are always booked. At least in the big cities, padel and pickleball are a part of almost every second conversation. That tells me people are looking for movement that is fun, not just serious. People do not only want a six pack. They want to feel like they belong somewhere. I say this as someone who’s been training for years. Workouts matter. But the people around the workout matter just as much. If you are building in fitness or wellness today, do not just ask how many people signed up this month. Ask how many came back. Ask how many feel stronger and safer in their own body because of you. If you can keep that number growing, you’re building something that is built to last.

India does not read anymore. A "bestseller" in India sells to only 0.0007% of the population. The "hottest book in the country" has technically been read by a rounding error. But this wasn't the case always. India was the ranked the #1 reading nation on earth 20 years back, with an avg reading time of 10.7 hours a week. What changed? I wanted to publish a book some time back. When I saw these numbers, I went down the rabbit hole. This is what I learned: 1/ The "#1 reading nation" stat is from 2005 → pre-iPhone, Jio and reels. We've been quoting a 20-year-old number to feel good about a habit we've since lost. The data is a fossil. 2/ The "bestseller" is mostly theatre. A debut author needs ~10,000 copies to claim bestseller status, but most novels barely cross 5,000. Many "#1 Bestseller" tags are won with a single week's bulk corporate order. The label is sometimes marketing. 3/ 90% of books published in India sell under 2,000 copies a year. For most authors, writing a book is a financial act of love, not a business. 4/ We don't read books for pleasure. India’s publishing market (~$11B) is propped up almost entirely by textbooks and competitive exam prep (UPSC, JEE, NEET), not pleasure reading. We read to pass exams, not to think. 5/ This isn't only an India story, it's global, and worse abroad. In the US, the share reading for pleasure has fallen ~40% in 20 years. Half of UK adults don't read by choice. The whole world is closing the book. India doesn't buy books anymore. We read on our phones now. But our attention span is shrinking. The good news: Kuku FM has 15m paid subscribers who get some of this quality content (not just brain rot) through their subscription.  The bad news: Reading a 400-page book requires sitting with boredom, ambiguity and delayed payoff. Every app we use is engineered to erase exactly that muscle. Try telling a Gen Z to read a novel. They'd rather watch a micro-drama. Honestly? Some I’m the same. Is this a travesty or progress?

We've created a new version of the Product Death Cycle, and it's even more dangerous than the original. My friend David Bland created the Product Death Cycle that I featured in "Escaping the Build Trap”. Recently, he shared an updated version that made me laugh and cry at the same time: no one uses our AI product → ask AI what features are missing → building the missing AI features → repeat ☠️ The irony is painful. Companies think they're being strategic by using AI to inform their roadmaps, but they're actually avoiding the fundamental work of understanding customer needs. It's the build trap with a shiny AI wrapper. This new cycle is particularly dangerous because it feels data-driven. You're not just guessing what to build next or asking a single customer, you're asking AI! But you're still building without validating real user problems. The technology makes it cheaper and easier to ship useless software, so we're already seeing a graveyard of AI products and features that nobody wanted in the first place. The solution isn't better AI features. It's better customer discovery. Talk to users, understand their problems, then decide if AI can actually solve them. What's the most ridiculous AI product or feature you've seen shipped without clear user value?

Zudio Trent Limited in tier-3 towns. Sabyasachi in Mumbai malls. Indian fashion is scaling both ends faster than ever. Even with FY25 still unfolding, one thing is clear that Indian consumers are shifting fast, creating two engines of growth at opposite ends of the market. 📍On one side: Fast fashion is booming. In FY24, India's fast fashion sector experienced a remarkable growth rate of 30–40%, significantly outpacing the broader fashion industry's modest 6% year-on-year growth (Indian Textile Journal, 2024).  Currently valued at approximately $10 billion, the fast fashion market in India is projected to expand to over $50 billion by FY31 (ET Retail Report, 2024). 📍On the other: Premium and ethnic wear are surging India’s ethnic wear market is projected to hit $30B by 2030, driven by a ₹11 trillion wedding industry (Gran View Research, 2023). Rising incomes have blurred the line between occasion wear and everyday indulgence, with brands seeing 7%+ YoY growth in this segment.      Here’s the clearest indicator of where volume is winning: In FY24, Zara India made ₹2,769 crore Westside made ₹4,950 crore Zudio made ₹7,000 crore Now look at their average order values: Zara: ₹4,000–₹4,500 Westside: ₹1,500–₹2,000 Zudio: ₹500–₹1,000 Brands with lower price points and wider reach are capturing the largest share of India’s fashion market. What’s fueling this momentum: → Digital adoption in Tier-2 and Tier-3 Indian cities is expanding access to fashion like never before.     → The Indian wedding industry, valued at $130 billion annually, continues to drive significant demand in the ethnic wear market.   → Over 800 D2C brands, now valued at $80B+, are moving offline, grabbing shelf space and visibility in multi-brand outlets across India. In India, fashion is not just utility; it is about identity, celebration, and pride. Fast fashion or premium - what’s winning in your city? #fashion #retail #D2C #India

Disney’s Earnings Didn’t Just Reveal a Quarter — They Revealed a Strategy Shift Most headlines today will flatten Disney’s Q4 into a simple story: streaming up, revenue a little soft, linear TV still fading. But if you actually read between the lines, this quarter tells a much bigger story about where Hollywood is heading. Here are the signals that actually matter: 1️⃣ The center of gravity is shifting from “content” to “experiences.” The Experiences segment once again carried the quarter. Double-digit operating income. International especially strong. This isn’t a “nice win.” It’s a business transformation. It’s The Walt Disney Company quietly saying: theatrical doesn’t end the journey — it begins it. Look at Lilo & Stitch: mid-budget movie → huge streaming wave → $4B in retail → character momentum showing up across parks. That’s the new model. IP that lives across screens and spaces — and monetizes every step. 💡If you care about licensing, franchise health, global momentum… this is the signal to watch. 2️⃣ Streaming is no longer a subscriber race — it’s becoming the operating system. The DTC business posted another profitable quarter. But the bigger move is strategic: Disney is positioning streaming as the connective layer of the entire company. Streaming is now where theatrical, TV, social, and products ladder into each other. It’s where franchise momentum is measured. It’s how stories travel globally. 💡Not “another Netflix.” More like the nerve center of the entire Disney ecosystem. 3️⃣ Linear TV isn’t declining — it’s being deprioritized. Yes, the Networks segment dropped again. Yes, ad revenue took a hit. And yes, the YouTube TV standoff hurts. It’s as if they’ve already accepted where this ends and are now architecting around it. 💡Linear becomes a bonus — not the business. 4️⃣ Experiences are becoming the profit engine everyone underestimated. Parks and cruises aren’t just outperforming. They’re outpacing every other part of the company in a way that’s structurally meaningful. Because experiences create something content can’t: decades-long loyalty. A hit movie gives you a weekend. A hit show gives you a month. A hit attraction gives you repeat visits, lifetime spending, and memories people pass down. That’s why CapEx keeps flowing here. It’s a compounding engine. 💡And it’s why every studio with a recognizable IP library is now studying the Disney playbook. 5️⃣ The interesting part isn’t Q4 — it’s the setup for FY26 and FY27. Disney guided to double-digit EPS growth for the next two years. Not bold optimism — more like quiet confidence. The company is preparing for a world where: ⌙ streaming = core infrastructure ⌙ experiences = highest-margin growth ⌙ theatrical = premium marketing vehicle ⌙ linear = fading but managed ⌙ consumer products = global engine 💡 If you map this forward, Disney looks less like a traditional studio and more like a vertically integrated IP platform. #Media #Disney

ZARA reportedly analyzes more than 3 million social media images every day using AI to identify emerging trends and inform product decisions. While many brands are still relying on historical sales data, intuition, seasonal buys, and trend forecasts, Zara is ingesting millions of real-time signals directly from consumers. The company is effectively turning social media into a global focus group that never sleeps. This is not just about faster trend identification. It is about reducing guesswork, improving product-market fit, shortening development cycles, and allocating inventory with greater precision. The implication for the fashion industry is significant. The competitive advantage is no longer just design, sourcing, or distribution. Increasingly, it is the ability to capture, interpret, and act on consumer data faster than everyone else. The brands that win over the next decade may not be the ones with the best forecasts. They may be the ones with the best algorithms.