'You Are What You Buy' Retail Trends 2023 Unveiled

Publicis Groupe Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) has joined forces with GWI, the global consumer research platform, to unveil a rare insight into Central and Eastern European consumers’ behaviour in the retail trends report 'You Are What You Buy'. This comprehensive study draws from GWI's world-renowned survey on online consumer behaviour, featuring data from internet users aged 16-64 in Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The global edition of the same report covers a total of 52 markets, 950,000+ interviews per year and represents 2.7 billion internet users. 

Key Findings:

1. Purchase Journeys are Inspo-Driven: Consumers in the CEE region are less likely to actively seek information about brands or products online; instead, they are more inclined to use online discovery channels for inspiration. Social platforms play a pivotal role in accelerating these online activities, particularly among younger consumers who gravitate towards inspiration-driven purchasing decisions.

2. IRL Over URL: Contrary to the global trend favouring online shopping, the CEE region displays a preference for in-person retail experiences. However, younger generations within the region exhibit a higher inclination towards e-commerce, with Poland standing out as the only country where online shopping preferences dominate.

3. Personal Items are Hot Impulse Buys: The CEE region emerges as particularly impulsive, with a higher percentage of consumers making unplanned purchases in key verticals. Strategic brand-building on key discovery platforms is highlighted as crucial, ensuring that brands remain top of mind for consumers when making spontaneous buying decisions.

Speaking about Publicis Groupe CEE’s unique partnership with GWI in CEE, Maria Tudor, chief operating officer said,” We are investing in expanding GWI footprint in the region as the one reliable source for deep consumer understanding across multiple countries (Romania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria and most recently, Croatia). The combination of GWI’s global research expertise and our in-depth market expertise allow us to jointly bring an enhanced visibility to the region’s consumer behaviour. Alongside this partnership, we also have an exclusive Publicis Groupe panel to inform our clients media investment allocation across various touchpoints to ultimately drive their business growth and ROI.”

Continued Maria, “The ‘You are what you Buy’ report provides invaluable insights into the unique retail landscape of Central & Eastern Europe and sheds light on the buying behaviours of consumers in CEE. As an industry leader, we appreciate the power of collaboration and shared knowledge. We believe in raising the bar for the entire industry, and that’s why we’re making this report accessible to all. Together, we can leverage these insights to drive innovation and better serve our consumers. We have also been looking into the area of commerce and will continue with similar deep dives in other industries and categories, watch this space.”

"GWI's extensive research has once again proven instrumental in unravelling the intricate threads of consumer behaviour," added Jason Mander, chief research officer at GWI. "These findings offer a roadmap for brands seeking to establish meaningful connections with consumers in the CEE region."

GWI and Publicis Groupe Central & Eastern Europe (CEE) are currently collaborating across seven markets in the region including Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, and Romania – offering a rare glimpse into the digital consumers’ trend in the region as well as enabling the inclusion of the CEE region’s representation in key global studies by GWI. 

The full 'You Are What You Buy' Retail Trends 2023 report (global) is available here.