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1. Interest in value menus at fast-food and casual restaurants is gaining steam into the new year.
Value menus have been the hot topic in the QSR realm for months now as brands hope to bring cost-conscious consumers back amid higher prices. CivicScience data suggest continued emphasis on these menus into 2025 would be wise – interest in QSR value meals has been noticeably on the rise over the past four weeks in particular to reach its highest level in six months.
Value menus aren’t just a fast-food game, as Applebee’s recently debuted a $9.99 value meal, pitting the casual restaurant chain against quick service restaurants in a competition of affordability. Additional data show interest in value menus at casual sit-down restaurants is strong as well.
2. Pet owners have become less interested in using pet care services and products, especially pet insurance and in-home vet care.
The pet care services industry has experienced notable growth in recent years, but tighter budgets and increased price sensitivity could mean that pet owners are cutting back on pet care expenses. Compared with 18 months ago, pet owners today are less likely to say they are interested in using a number of pet care products and services, including pet insurance, in-home veterinary care, and dental care products.
Clients received additional in-depth data exploring specific impacts of price sensitivity among pet owners in the full Weekly Pulse report. Attitudes change before behaviors do, so don’t miss out on actionable insights like these. Get in touch now.
Weigh in: Is pet insurance worth the cost?
3. More Americans listened to podcasts last year leading to a few noteworthy shifts in their preferred genre.
Podcast listening is on the rise, according to CivicScience data. More than two in five U.S. adults said they listen to podcasts in 2024, up from just over one-third in 2023. Sports podcasts saw the largest year-over-year increase in 2024, followed by news and politics – which could be attributed to 2024 being an election year.
Over the past six months, sports podcasts and comedy podcasts have experienced the largest short-term gains in listenership, which may also relate to consumers looking for an escape from the political cycle. Non-fiction/historical and news/politics podcasts, meanwhile, have declined in popularity since last summer.
Let us know: How frequently do you listen to podcasts?
