Originally published January 31, 2024. Edited June 21, 2026.
Inflation receded as a constraint on U.S. consumer spending in 2024, with the largest year-over-year increase in willingness to splurge appearing in the travel and experiences category. Word-of-mouth and customer reviews outperformed paid social advertising as the most influential drivers of consumer purchase decisions across age groups.
Those were among the headline findings of the 2024 Consumer Culture Report, an annual study published by 5W AI Communications. The report surveys U.S. consumer spending intentions, the kinds of content most likely to influence purchase decisions, and attitudes toward in-store versus e-commerce shopping.
The Shift in Spending Intent
The 2024 study documented a notable shift from the prior year's findings. The 2023 survey had captured consumer reluctance to splurge as inflation pressure mounted; the 2024 update found consumers more willing to open their wallets across multiple categories. Electronics and technology, and health and wellness, retained their positions as top splurge categories. Travel and experiences saw a 7 percent year-over-year surge — the largest single-category increase in the data — indicating a shift in consumer priorities back toward experiential purchases.
Word of Mouth Outperforms Paid Social
The study found word-of-mouth and customer reviews to be the most influential content drivers across consumer purchase decisions, outranking paid social advertising on most categories. The data underscored what the report described as a sustained consumer preference for authenticity and verified experience over branded persuasion.
The age-group breakdown was particularly notable for younger consumers. Respondents aged 16 to 24 showed a stronger preference for user-generated content than older cohorts — a finding the report identifies as a structural opportunity for brands attempting to build durable trust with the youngest consumer segment.
Word of Mouth Means Friends and Family First
The report examined how consumers actually define "word of mouth" — and found that the term remains, for most respondents, synonymous with information from friends or family. The implication: brands that mistake creator content for word of mouth are misreading the data. The category that the term actually describes is narrower than marketing departments typically assume.
In-Store Still Wins on Experience
Despite the continued maturation of e-commerce, in-store shopping retained its position as the preferred experience for a meaningful majority of consumers in the 2024 study. The report frames the implication for retail operators: brick-and-mortar's competitive position is not lost — but it has to be earned with exclusive in-store products, deals, and an actual experience advantage that online cannot replicate.
The Operator's Takeaway
The report closes with three recommendations for brands navigating the 2024–2025 consumer environment: authenticity over polish, tailored communications by age cohort, and multichannel presence rather than channel-specific strategy. The report identifies the youngest consumer segment (16 to 24) as the largest untapped opportunity for brands willing to invest in user-generated content and creator partnerships that the segment treats as credible.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
