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Syndicated gen z insights

Get to know emerging consumers

Explore quant trends alongside the real voices and stories driving them in the Emerging Consumer Index, tracking North American consumers aged 18–30.

Emerging consumers
$12 trillion

Gen Z's global spending power forecast by 2030.

18–30
age group
Representative North American sample
24 waves annually
Two waves per month, with a live report updated every wave
600+ human respondents
Minimum sample size per wave 
Quant + qual with video
Every wave includes written and video open-ends

See what's shifting for Gen Z, and why

See what's shifting in the moment

Core topics are tracked twice monthly, so a shift for emerging consumers shows up within weeks.

Get the why behind the what

Video open ends go deeper to explain trends and motivations in the words of real young consumers.

Apply the findings

Applicable for product, brand, communications, experience and strategy teams, as benchmark for your own consumers, and to ground your AI. 

Insight on topics shaping the reality of emerging consumers

Core topics — every wave

Key topics tracked the same way in all 24 waves a year so that changes show up immediately. 

Life stageFinancial realitySpending behaviourDaily contextConnectionWell-being
Extra modules — twice every six waves

Rotating topics to keep the survey engaging for busy youth. 

Money & trade-offsWork & ambitionBrands & valueMedia & trustAI & the futureIdentity & belonging

A syndicated source of Gen Z context

Gen Z consumers

Living market intelligence on 18-30 year olds

Follow emerging consumer trends across sentiment, spend and category behaviour.
See the immediate impact of world events on the under-30 segment.
Give brand, marketing and strategy teams shared market context.
Gen Z consumers

A perfect comparison for your Gen Z customer data

Run surveys to compare your under-30  audience with the market at large.
Determine where patterns are widespread or specific to your audience.
Use insights to guide follow-up research with your audience.

Real human context for AI solutions

Pressure-test synthetic audiences, digital personas and AI models against the Emerging Consumer Index to keep AI-generated conclusions grounded in real human experience, not just assumptions.

Get the breadth and depth you need on emerging consumers habits and motivations

All syndicated Gen Z research gives the numbers, the emerging consumer index goes further into the people, thoughts, and emotions driving every current trend. 

Real people

Video-verified respondents

Every wave is fielded to verified members of Rival's proprietary panel of real, human respondents. 

DEEPER ANSWERS

Conversational methods

Mobile-first surveys mimic messaging apps which results in more thoughtful responses and more video submissions.

INTERACTIVE REPORT

A live knowledge base you can talk to

Insights link out to numeric and open-ended findings as evidence that can be explored with an AI co-pilot.

What the first waves are already showing

When money is tight, emerging consumers make trade-offs,  they don't stop spending.

56–57%

of respondents say they are being careful but still spending on what matters to them. Around 85% are careful or cutting back, and only 3% have pulled back across the board. 

Spending more on
Groceries
43%
Eating out / delivery
28%
Experiences and events
27%
Travel
23%
Social life
22%
Health and wellness
21%
Clothing
19%
Cutting back on
Eating out / delivery
50%
Social life
32%
Entertainment / subscriptions
28%
Hobbies and treats
27%
Clothing
24%
Alcohol
20%
Groceries
10%
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED

"Which best describes how you are approaching spending right now?" "What are you spending more on?" "What are you cutting back on?"

ECI waves 1–2, 1,244 responses

See what the Emerging Consumer Index can reveal for your team

Book a chat and see how the ECI fits your team's Gen Z market intelligence.

FAQs about the Emerging Consumer Index

What is the Emerging Consumer Index?

The Emerging Consumer Index (ECI) is a syndicated consumer research study designed to help brands understand younger consumers across the United States and Canada. It combines quantitative trends with direct consumer voices through open-text and video responses.

What does the Emerging Consumer Index measure?

ECI tracks the forces shaping how emerging consumers live, spend, work and connect. Every wave examines life stage, financial reality, spending behavior, daily context, connection, and well-being. Rotating modules explore topics such as money and trade-offs, work and ambition, brands and value, media and trust, AI and the future, and identity and belonging.

Is ECI a Gen Z consumer trends report?

ECI includes insights about Gen Z, but it goes beyond a traditional Gen Z trends report. Rather than focusing primarily on cultural moments, terminology or social media trends, ECI examines the economic, personal and social forces shaping younger consumers’ decisions and what those shifts could mean for brands.

How often is the Emerging Consumer Index updated?

The Live Report is updated twice monthly in line with new waves of research, and the Quarterly Report PDF is updated every quarter.

How is the Emerging Consumer Index delivered?

The ECI is delivered in two ways: a Live Report (Interactive, web-based)  and Quarterly Report (PDF) 
The Live Report access offers an interactive way to explore the research, including insights, connected evidence and a full knowledge base for the study. It’s suited to teams that want to investigate individual questions more deeply and explore supporting video evidence.<br><br>The PDF is a curated, quarterly summary of the key findings and implications from 6 waves of data. It’s designed for teams that want a clear overview they can easily read, download, and share across their organization.

How often is the Emerging Consumer Index updated?

The Live Report is updated twice monthly in line with new waves of research, and the Quarterly Report PDF is updated every quarter.

What is included with Live Report access?

Live Report access gives teams a way to explore current ECI findings through an interactive report and knowledge base.

Who should use emerging consumer research?

ECI is designed for insights, strategy, brand, innovation and marketing teams at consumer-facing organizations. It is particularly relevant to brands making long-term decisions about products, positioning, communications and experiences for younger North American consumers in the USA and Canada.

How can I purchase the Emerging Consumer Index?

Book a chat with our team to discuss access options for the PDF report and the Live Report.