CivicScience continually tracks current and anticipated consumer trends. Here are three key insights marketers should know this week. All insights are derived from the CivicScience Social | Political | Economic | Cultural (SPEC) Report, a weekly report available to clients covering the latest news and insights. Get in touch to learn more.
1. One-third of U.S. adults, led by Democrats, support the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.
Eight Republican representatives joined their Democratic counterparts last week to vote out Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, the first time in U.S. history a House Speaker has been ousted in this way. The sentiment among the American public regarding this decision is diverse, with a third of U.S. adults supporting McCarthy’s removal, while 25% oppose it. A significant portion, 41%, maintains no strong opinion on the matter.
Although the move originated from the right flank of House Republicans, Democrats are 16 points more likely than Republicans to back McCarthy’s removal. Independents, meanwhile, are significantly less likely than Democrats and Republicans to have a strong opinion in either direction.
2. Less than half of employed Americans say they have a work best friend, while more than a quarter have fewer work friends post-pandemic.
According to an article from the Harvard Business Review, having a work friend can increase productivity, profitability, job satisfaction, and retention, while also boosting well-being. CivicScience data show, however, that less than half of employed Americans (45%) say they have at least one work best friend, and as many as 55% report they do not have any. Gen Z adults stand out as significantly more likely than any age group to have a work best friend, with 53% of respondents between 18 and 24 saying they have at least one. Interestingly, despite working from home, 49% of remote workers have a work best friend — 13 points higher than hybrid workers.
CivicScience continues to map areas where consumers have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (like social activities and learning loss for example), and work friendships appear to be another such area. While the majority of employed Americans (62%) report having the same amount of work friends as before the pandemic, those who have fewer work friendships outnumber those who have more by 18 percentage points. In-person workers are more likely to have gained new work friendships, but they are also the most likely to have fewer work friendships post-pandemic.
3. The majority say they plan to host at least one holiday celebration or gathering this year.
Though roughly 3 in 10 Americans are looking to travel for the holidays this year, a majority of U.S. adults (56%) say they plan to host at least one holiday gathering or celebration at their home this year as well. The most common holidays for inviting over family and friends this season are Christmas Day (34%) and Thanksgiving Day (33%). In the more immediate future, 14% of consumers say they plan to host a Halloween party or gathering this month.
In terms of decorating for the holidays, CivicScience data show 55% of consumers planning to buy winter holiday decorations intend to do so between now and Thanksgiving. Some shoppers, however, are holding off for longer than usual; the percentage of respondents who plan to wait until after Thanksgiving to purchase winter decorations is up five percentage points compared to October 2022 (35% from 30% respectively).
Interested in an in-depth look at the data featured on these topics, along with additional consumer insights from this report? Connect with us to see how you can gain access to the full SPEC Report sent to clients every week.
