The new edition of the Consumer Pulse study, held annually by the strategic consulting firm Bain & Company, indicates that 26% of Brazilians believe their financial situation has declined compared to the previous year. The perception of the increase in prices has also intensified, with 90% of respondents noticing an increase in the prices of goods and services in 2025, above the 81% who reported this perception in 2024. The items identified as the main contributors to inflation were food, followed by the electricity bill, personal care, clothing and health
With the rise in the cost of living, 83% of Brazilians stated that they have reduced or intend to reduce their personal spending, with a focus on clothing and food delivery. Only 14% of Brazilians are able to save without giving up on buying what they want and 11% save by only buying the essentials. Another change focused on greater savings was the willingness to try new, cheaper brands, behavior adopted by 42% of consumers
The study also identified differences in consumption behavior among different income brackets. While those with higher incomes seek to cut expenses on restaurants and delivery, consumers with fewer resources reduce food purchases, clothes and look to save on the energy bill. Among the 45% of respondents who joined loyalty programs, high-income consumers associate participation with rewards and the conversion of spending into benefits, while others have as their main motivation the possibility of saving in their daily lives
The search for lower prices has also driven changes in where Brazilians shop. Online commerce and wholesale have gained more space, with 39% of respondents increasing their online shopping frequency and 32% buying more from wholesalers. У е-commerce, the factors most mentioned as attractive to consumers are more affordable prices (indicated by 61%), free delivery (55%) and discounts (54%)
Diverse profiles, distinct habits
The research also identified different behaviors among consumers, according to income and generation
- 47% of Generation Z bought products from new brands in the last three months, against 36% of boomers
- Low-income consumers trust financial institutions less, registering an index 1,7 times smaller than that of high income
- Although they claim to reduce expenses, 16% of low-income consumers maintain spending on entertainment, behavior maintained by 26% of high income
- 80% of high-income individuals participate in loyalty programs, against 25% of low income
The data collected by the research show that, despite the pessimism regarding the present, there is a resilience in the optimism of Brazilians for the future. Companies that pay attention to the trends presented in the research and the generational differences that are emerging in the consumption landscape have the chance to better adapt to the market in the coming years, affirms Ricardo De Carli, partner and leader of the Consumer Goods practice at Bain in South America
The Consumer Pulse survey was conducted by Bain & Company in January 2025 with about 7.500 interviewees in Latin America, among which 2 thousand Brazilians, with age and income divisions segmented according to the demographic data of the region
