What Will People Spend Their Money and Time On?
Why consumers are increasingly choosing memorable experiences over material possessions.
What Will People Spend Their Money and Time On?
For years, consumption was closely connected to ownership.
Having the right car, clothes, electronics, or other branded products could signal success and status. But increasingly, consumers seem interested in something they cannot necessarily put on a shelf.
Experiences.
Services such as car sharing and digital subscriptions have already made it easier to access products and services without actually owning them. At the same time, consumers are placing greater value on what they experience rather than simply what they possess. Chijimatsu,Keita-ConsumerTrends…
From Ownership to Experience
This change is especially interesting among younger consumers.
Keita points to an Eventbrite survey in which 78% of respondents ages 18 to 34 said they would rather spend money on experiences than material goods. Chijimatsu,Keita-ConsumerTrends…
That changes the traditional idea of consumption.
A purchase does not necessarily need to result in something physical. A concert ticket, vacation, sporting event, or other memorable experience can provide value long after the actual event has ended.
Welcome to “Moment Consumption”
Keita predicts that this behavior will become increasingly important in 2026, describing it as “moment consumption.”
The idea is simple: consumers place greater value on experiences precisely because they cannot be perfectly recreated.
A live concert happens once.
A World Cup match has one outcome.
A vacation contains moments that cannot happen in exactly the same way again.
That feeling of “I have to experience this now” can make an event particularly valuable to consumers. Chijimatsu,Keita-ConsumerTrends…
Social Media Makes the Moment More Valuable
Social media may be accelerating this shift.
Consumers can now share experiences almost instantly. Concerts, sporting events, vacations, restaurants, and other activities become visible to friends and followers in real time.
Seeing other people participate in unique experiences can then create greater interest in having those experiences ourselves. Chijimatsu,Keita-ConsumerTrends…
In that sense, experiences have gained something material products have always had: visibility.
We may not be able to display a concert on a shelf, but we can share it through photos, videos, and stories with hundreds or thousands of people.
What Are Consumers Really Buying?
Perhaps the biggest difference between material and experiential consumption is what remains afterward.
Keita points to research suggesting that experiential consumption can create more lasting satisfaction and social connection than material possessions. Chijimatsu,Keita-ConsumerTrends…
That helps explain why consumers may increasingly choose to spend limited money and time on experiences.
They are not simply purchasing admission to a concert, a plane ticket, or a seat at a sporting event.
They are purchasing memories, stories, connection, and the opportunity to say, “I was there.”
And as consumer priorities continue to evolve, the most valuable thing we buy may not always be something we can own.
