Safa Arshadullah is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8 with a background in organisational studies and strategic communications. To her, exploring behavioural and cultural insights is a means of learning nuances to better foster equity and justice in the world. Outside of work, you can find her tinkering with her chai recipe, taking meandering walks in neighborhoods she’s never been to, or analysing one of the multiple TV series she’s watching.


In the turbulent economic environment, money is losing its value. Consumers are reevaluating their spending across sectors. With a looming crisis of trust in financial institutions, how are people managing their budgets? And how can brands navigate the complex relationship between value and cost?

Critical Spenders

When author Kyle Chayka explored 2010s minimalism in Longing for Less, a very different world existed. Today, a polycrisis-ridden and digitally saturated society finds people yearning for more. Whether you chalk it up to post-pandemic release or a general sense of impending doom, people are now looking for a new maximalism of feelings, dimensions, and possibilities to reinvigorate them and make their lives feel full.

While people are craving memorable, visceral, and immersive experiences, there's no longer a singular definition of what this might look like. Some are embracing maximalist hedonism through clubbing, extreme tourism, and different kinds of sensory overload, while others are tapping into more gentle, inward-looking, and contemplative experiences like listening bars and communal spas. It signals the emergence of the' Introvert Economy' of cosy, home-adjacent spaces and activities or seeking soothing and quasi-spiritual encounters through hobbies like birdwatching and forest bathing.

The desire for deeply captivating and emotionally engaging experiences extends beyond the physical world – social media, VR, AR, and even image-based interactions must now resonate to the same degree, creating truly memorable moments and environments.

In this consumer and cultural universe driven by exploration and immersion, the boundary between experiences and material goods continues to blur. We're less likely to see them as a dichotomy, as people are increasingly interested in experiential qualities of things and consuming commodified 'thing-like experiences'. This discovery-oriented mindset is opening up new avenues for fulfilment, gratification, and transformation.

Experience Hunters

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

Gen Y (born 1982-1996)

United States

General food

Community and grassroots

Savings and investments

Gen Zers are increasingly turning to dinner parties for socializing, sparking a new wave of businesses catering to personalized and unique experiences. As younger generations seek opportunities for community without breaking the bank, efforts that support creative options for connection stand out.