Issue The value-now consumer applies scrutiny selectively rather than pulling back uniformly

Summary

McKinsey describes an evolved value-now consumer who spends with deliberate care rather than simply cutting back. Even people who can afford to spend are looking harder at when and where they do it. Instead of reducing spending evenly, they trade down in some categories and try to get more out of each purchase. They save splurges for occasions that seem to justify them. The report concludes that resourcefulness is therefore not just a reaction to tight budgets but a wider recalibration of what value means. For companies, this selective scrutiny makes demand harder to predict because the same shopper may economise and splurge in the same week.