Show Notes
In this Lives of Tomorrow episode, WGSN CEO and host Carla Buzasi welcomes WGSN Consumer Researcher Natacia Lim to discuss the final Future Consumer persona of our Future Consumer 2028 series, The Challengers. Discover how the Challengers cohort is shaping consumer trends by 2028, driven by values like truth, transformation and fearless authenticity. Tune in to learn their unique psychographic traits, purchasing priorities and how brands can authentically engage with this influential group.
More from Lives of Tomorrow
WGSN’s CEO Carla Buzasi speaks with VP of Creative Intelligence Andrea Bell about their White Paper on why Gen X is one of the most commercially important yet overlooked consumer groups today. They explore how brands can better understand Gen X’s spending power, priorities and pressures across work, intergenerational families and the time crunch. Find out how to make this diverse group feel understood, respected and relaxed through food, alcohol, beauty, vacations and luxury experiences.
WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi speaks with WGSN Head of Retail Forecasting Laura Saunter, about why service is becoming retail’s biggest differentiator where the human is becoming more valuable than ever. They explore how AI is changing the role of store associates, why beauty is leading the way, and which customers and markets may shape the future of retail service. Listen in to find out how your customers want to feel, be seen and served.
WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi speaks with IWSR President and Managing Director Marten Lodewijks about how consumer behaviour is moving from excess to intention across beer, wine, spirits, ready-to-drink and non-alcoholic categories. Marten explains how wellness, inflation and generational change are reshaping beverage habits. They also explore why premiumisation still matters, where simplification is winning and why the best products are the ones people want to come back to. Hear why people still want enjoyment while increasingly wanting simpler choices, better quality and less friction.
In this episode, host Carla Buzasi, CEO of WGSN, is joined by Andrea Bell, Vice President of Creative Intelligence at WGSN, to explore the Sentient Consumer white paper. They discuss how GenAI will personalise shopping by 2028, the shift toward emotional and sensorial intelligence and the neurological impact of digital task-switching. Find out why the future of brand trust depends on integrating AI with human judgment.
WGSN CEO Carla Buzasi is joined by WGSN Senior Commissioning Strategist of City by City Joanna McGinn to unpack how travel is transforming from passive escapes into meaningful journeys. They explore the forces reshaping the 2026 to 2029 travel landscape, including wellness, creative migration, noctourism and the growing demand for local connection. If you are a brand, hotel and or retailer, find out how to meet travellers where they are and where they will be as they seek awe, friction and experiences that feel culturally rooted rather than globally standardised.