Navigating Consumer Trends: Key Insights from the Private Equity Forum Boston

Consumer-Specific Takeaways:

Today, value creation is instrumental in driving top-quartile performance. A discipline that once existed exclusively within the “hold” phase, is now relevant across the entire deal lifecycle. As a result, Deal and Operating partners are working increasingly hand-in-hand, and collectively emphasize profitable growth as the common north star guiding their priorities.

1. Identifying the Ideal Customer Profile 

The trend towards brand ‘tribalism’ continues to become more pronounced across categories, wherein consumers gravitate towards products that serve as identifiers of the cultural characteristics and communities they connect with. 

This underscores the growing importance of targeted analyses to: 



• Identify a well-defined ideal customer profile (or ICP). 
• Assess the relative scale and growth trajectory of that ICP segment. 
• Develop a tailored GTM strategy catered to that group. 
  

2. Socio-economic Lens in Investment Decisions 

Recent macro-headwinds have motivated investors to systematically apply a socio-economic lens / screen on any asset they evaluate, to align with their greater appetite to pursue businesses targeting upper-middle-class consumers (average HHI >$100K). While opportunities exist in market segments below this threshold, greater exposure to volatility in consumer spend tied to periods of high inflation creates significant downside risk.

3. Shift from Market Growth to Market Share Focus 

Consumer-focused funds indicate that their investment theses have indexed increasingly towards a focus of ‘market share’ over ‘market growth.’ Assets operating in stable markets, with the potential to displace or eat into the share of category leaders are viewed as the most attractive opportunities to pursue, relative to assets operating in markets that are high-growth but less-established, and thus present greater risk tied to unsustainable or fad-driven demand.

4. Long-term Trends in Consumer Preferences 

Firms aligning their strategy to a ‘decades ahead’ assessment of consumer trends have honed in on non-alcoholic beverages and broader longevity / wellness as key categories of focus, motivated by trends observed among younger demographic segments.

5. Deal Flow Dynamics in Consumer Markets 

Consistent with broader market trends, deal flow specific to consumer markets over the past few months was characterized as ‘returning’ but still impacted by reticence to bring businesses to market given the current state of lower multiples, with the expectation that 2025 will see a more favorable exit environment.

Conclusion

Stax brings extensive expertise across the entire consumer ecosystem, including product segments, value chain stakeholders, end-market channels, end-consumers, and retail sectors. We analyze diverse industries to uncover key investment opportunities and deliver market outlooks that instill confidence in long-term investment strategies. By leveraging actionable, data-driven insights, our experts empower investors to make informed decisions they can trust and act upon with certainty. To learn more about Anantha or our expertise, visit www.stax.com or contact us directly.