WGSN’s new flagship forecast, Future Consumer 2028: The Restorers, reveals the key consumer mindset set to shape purchase behaviour in the years ahead.

“There’s no such thing as a ‘typical’ consumer anymore. By 2028, identity will be increasingly fluid, shaped less by age, income or geography and more by beliefs, emotions and values,” says Clare Varga, VP of Content, WGSN. “Fragmentation is fundamentally rewiring how consumers spend, signal status and seek connection. In this landscape, brands cannot rely on static demographics or short-term trend cycles. They need enduring insight.” 

Consumer Personas Defined

In a world defined by constant disruption, shifting behaviours can feel difficult to decode. Yet beneath the noise, core human values remain far more stable than they appear, creating an opportunity for businesses to build with greater confidence.

WGSN’s Future Consumer 2028 forecast provides a strategic compass. Built on WGSN’s proprietary STEPIC methodology – analysing shifts across Society, Technology, Environment, Politics, Industry and Creativity – it identifies four long-term consumer personas: 

• The Restorers: reclaiming their balance in an overstimulated world through care-led innovations and sensory calm
• The Ascendants: energised by curiosity and the pursuit of progress, seeking joyful and achievable optimisation
• The Keepers: driven by discernment, prioritising stability, consistency and resilience under pressure
• The Challengers: restless provocateurs fuelled by conviction and creativity in the pursuit of self-expression

These evolving archetypes are grounded in enduring values and behaviours, decoding what people will buy, believe and belong to next.

Meet the Restorers

In an era of overstimulation, uncertainty and acceleration, The Restorers are reclaiming balance. They are responding to climate anxiety, digital saturation, political tension and cultural noise not with withdrawal, but with intention.

For them, resilience is emotional as much as practical. Status is expressed through wellbeing and discernment. Connection is found in tactility, stillness and spaces that restore rather than rush.

“The world keeps pushing for more. More noise. More speed. More screen time. The Restorers are opting out of that logic.  Amid digital saturation, climate anxiety, political tension and constant cultural noise, The Restorers will redefine value around restoration: emotional wellbeing, intentional living, longevity and a desire to buy less, but better,” says Clare Varga, VP of Content, WGSN. “The Restorers aren’t anti-technology. They are anti-depletion, seeking products, spaces and services that help them feel more restful, connected and in control, while reducing friction, overload and decision fatigue.”

The opportunity for brands: restoration is the new status 

These future consumer values will reshape product strategy, brand positioning, customer experience, retail design and content and communications.

For brands and retailers, the opportunity is no longer to add more touchpoints, more urgency or more noise. It is to create experiences that protect people’s energy, support long-term wellbeing goals and earn a place in a more intentional life.

Access Further Insights 

In a fragmented future, brands cannot rely on past demographics alone to target future consumers. The Restorers are here, and WGSN provide the roadmap to help you design for their peace.  Download Future Consumer 2028 to connect with The Restorers.