This is just a tiny glimpse of the data available to CivicScience clients. Discover more data.
1. Eggs aren’t the only breakfast item that Americans have cut back on over the past month.
As Americans face high egg prices due to shortages and the bird flu, interest in keeping chickens of their own for eggs is on the rise. Compared to 2023, the percentage who said they’re ‘not at all’ interested in having chickens has decreased by seven percentage points.
While interest in hatching eggs grows, many Americans are unsurprisingly cutting back on buying them altogether – 35% of regular egg buyers say they’ve purchased fewer of them in the past month. But eggs aren’t the only breakfast item consumers have cut back on – those who typically buy waffles/pancakes or sausage/bacon also report reductions on these items. Few respondents report they’re purchasing ‘more’ of each breakfast item, suggesting a broader reduction on breakfast items across the board.
Cast your vote: Favorite breakfast food?
2. Fears of shortages, emergencies, and higher prices have led more than a third of Americans to stockpile certain items.
Job market and housing concerns are trending in the wrong direction, but how are these growing economic concerns shaping consumer behavior? New CivicScience data find that about 35% of respondents report having stockpiled products in the past 30 days due to fear of future shortages, a future emergency, or worries about rising prices. Canned/frozen goods and toilet paper are the leading items among those who have stockpiled recently. Cosmetics and personal care products, on the other hand, are the least commonly stockpiled items.
Use this Data: The press, brands, and marketers can use this chart to understand how consumers are acting on economic uncertainty and fear and gain an idea of what they prioritize most as fears mount.
3. The majority of Americans believe brands should stay away from social issues, though that percentage has fallen over the past year.
A majority of Americans (52%) believe brands should avoid taking stances on social issues. While this reflects a slight decline of two percentage points since 2023, overall, there has been a growing trend of consumers becoming less likely to switch to brands that align with their values or boycott those that support causes they disagree with.
This trend, however, does not carry for everybody – Democrats are increasingly willing to change their purchasing habits or boycott brands based on their positions on social justice matters.
Join the Conversation: How do you feel about brands speaking out about social and political issues?
