3 Things to Know: Consumers Cut Back on Groceries, Government Shutdown and Funding Concerns Vary Among Political Parties

Every week, CivicScience continually tracks current and anticipated consumer trends. Here are three key insights marketers should know this week:

1. Consumers limit grocery spending due to increased price sensitivity.

The latest CivicScience data show that price sensitivity increased sharply last week. Nearly 60% of U.S. adults reported they’ve become ‘more price sensitive’ over the last 12 months. As a result, consumers are reducing their everyday purchases. Recent data show that 4-in-5 consumers have stopped themselves from buying something at the grocery store in the last month because of its price being higher than usual. Conversely, the percentage of those who answered ‘no, not at all’ reached a low (20%). 

2. Strong Democrats are much more concerned about a potential government shutdown than strong Republicans.

Recent debates among House Republicans about federal spending have led to concerns over a potential government shutdown later this year. Even though the federal budget deadline isn’t until September, more than half of U.S. adults say they’re at least ‘somewhat concerned’ about the possibility of a government shutdown (57%). That percentage jumps to 75% among strong Democrats and jumps down to 37% among strong Republicans. Those who feel low concern are also polarized (26% strong Democrats | 63% strong Republicans).

3. Almost half of Americans are concerned about funding for social programs, but concerns vary among political parties.

In addition to government shutdowns, many Americans are concerned about long-term funding for social programs, such as Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. Currently, 49% of adults express high concerns about funding, which is nearly equivalent to levels right before the election last November (50%). 

However, that percentage jumps to 63% among strong Democrats and jumps down slightly to 45% among strong Republicans. Compared with the days before the November election, strong Democrats are less likely to be ‘very concerned’ in January (decreasing six percentage points). Meanwhile, the percentage of strong Republicans who are at least ‘somewhat concerned’ increased by eight percentage points.

In other findings, consumers report they’ve stopped themselves from eating at a fast food restaurant due to menu prices being higher than usual. Want to see more of the latest insights shaping consumer behavior and trends? Our clients receive the full version of this weekly report —  Book a demo.