3 Things to Know: Consumers Eye Prescription Weight Loss Medication, Striking UAW Gains Favor of Americans, Holiday Shoppers Increasingly Prioritize Deals

CivicScience continually tracks current and anticipated consumer trends. Here are three key insights marketers should know this week. All insights are derived from the CivicScience Social | Political | Economic | Cultural (SPEC) Report, a weekly report available to clients covering the latest news and insights. Get in touch to learn more. 

1. More than 1 in 5 U.S. adults have tried or plan to try prescription weight loss medication.

The demand for prescription medications intended to help with weight loss has grown dramatically over the past two years. Today, doctors in the U.S. write tens of thousands of prescriptions per week for drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. According to the latest CivicScience data, 12% U.S. adults say they have tried prescription weight loss medications, and another 9% say they plan to try them in the future. Notably, these numbers are similar between men and women though a slightly higher percentage of women are not interested (56% compared to 53% of men).

These weight loss drugs – which have been marketed aggressively on social media – are especially popular among young adults. Gen Z adults aged 18- to 24-years-old are at least twice as likely as older adults to report trying prescription weight loss medications.

Additional CivicScience polling finds the experience with these prescription weight loss medications can affect perceived body image. Consumers who have tried Ozempic or similar medications are more likely to say they love how their body looks, but are also more likely to say they often critique how their body looks. Along the lines of body image, about half of U.S. adults say they think that there is more pressure today to maintain a certain body weight or type than there was ten years ago.

2. Americans have a more favorable view of the currently-striking UAW than they do of the big auto companies, by a margin of more than 2 to 1.  

It’s been a busy season of noteworthy labor strikes, and as one major strike nears a conclusion, another just began. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union recently went on strike, asking the big three U.S. auto companies to guarantee increased compensation and protections for workers. Although there is progress with Ford, the UAW is expanding its strike efforts against General Motors and Stellantis.

The American public – which leans towards a generally positive view of labor unions – has a more favorable view of the striking auto workers than they do of the auto companies, by a margin of more than 2-to-1 (67% to 33%). Republicans are more likely to disagree with this consensus; 55% view the auto companies more favorably than the striking workers.

Despite their tendency to support labor unions and the UAW in particular, more Americans believe that strikes in general are bad for the economy rather than good. Nearly half (47%) of respondents who believe strikes to be harmful still view the striking auto workers more favorably than the auto companies.

3. Holiday shoppers are increasingly emphasizing deals and promotions to decide where to shop this year.

Tis’ the season for deal hunting and online shopping. Consumer interest in holiday deals has been on the rise this month, as seen by CivicScience’s ongoing tracking of the 2023 holiday shopping season. Compared with four weeks ago, holiday shoppers this week are six percentage points more likely to say that deals and promotions are the most important factor they will consider when deciding where to shop this holiday season. Free shipping, product availability, and expedited shipping have also ticked up. 

These bargain-hunting consumers represent a more careful type of holiday shopper – the kind of shopper who likes to make sure that products are well-reviewed and on sale before committing to a purchase. Consumers who regularly seek out online reviews for items they want to purchase are 13 points more likely than those who do not to prioritize deals and promotions while shopping for the holidays.

Interested in an in-depth look at the data featured on these topics, along with additional consumer insights from this report? Connect with us to see how you can gain access to the full SPEC Report sent to clients every week.