Cost-of-living pressures changing consumer spending and lifestyle behaviours: NAB

According to the latest NAB Consumer Sentiment report half of consumers are switching to cheaper brands and shopping around, turning off electrical appliances and lights and making fewer car trips to save petrol.

More than four in 10 have cancelled or cut back on food delivery and entertainment, coffees, snacks and lunches. Encouragingly, four in 10 have created or are now following a budget and keeping a better track of their spending. This has important implications for how businesses must position themselves to align with changing consumer sentiment and behaviours.

The top five ways Australians are changing their spending behaviours are:

• Switching to cheaper brands or shopping around for cheaper products
• Cancelling/cutting back on food delivery services
• Cancelling/cutting back on entertainment such as cinema, theatre
• Cancelling/cutting back on subscriptions such as newspapers, magazines, audiobooks, apps
• Cancelling/cutting back on gym, sports, or club memberships

The top five ways Australians are changing their lifestyle behaviours are:

• Cutting back/turning off electrical appliances/lights
• Cutting down on car journeys to save on petrol
• Cutting back/stopping buying micro treats such as coffee, snacks, lunches
• Creating/following a budget/keeping a better track of spending
• Cancelling/delaying or making more modest holiday plans

NAB group executive for personal banking, Rachel Slade, acknowledged that there are some individuals who may be feeling the cost-of-living pressures.

“When we look at our customers, as a whole they are in a really good position right now – in fact 70 per cent are ahead on their mortgage payments giving them financial flexibility,” she said.

“There are many things we can do to help from discussing flexibility around home loan payments to providing tailored budgeting tools. And we are seeing many customers make their own adjustments – 40 per cent of Australians are now creating and following a budget which is brilliant.”