McKinsey & Company experts revealed significant shifts in European consumer behavior at Expana’s Agri-Food Europe 2026 in Amsterdam, signaling new opportunities for retailers and brands willing to adapt their strategies.
The findings highlight a marketplace where cost-consciousness persists alongside rising demand for quality, health-focused products, and personalized shopping experiences.
Laurens Herfs, expert in agile insights at McKinsey, outlined a clear generational divide in consumer priorities. “There’s still a high consumer intent to save money that remains high year over year; however, there is a slight uptick in focus on quality, so consumers are selectively looking for high quality premium products, and health remains a major focus,” he said, adding that Gen Z consumers are showing the strongest commitment to healthy eating, nutrition, and premium fresh products, while older generations demonstrate less willingness to pay price premiums for health-focused options.
The shift extends to local products and unprocessed foods, with shoppers actively working to cut out processed ingredients and reduce salt. “We should take that into consideration when [we] think about product pricing but also especially the communications done,” Herfs noted, adding that fresh categories, particularly fresh meat, are seeing strong spending intent.
Convenience items, however, tell a different story. Nearly 80% of younger generations consume ready-to-cook or ready-to-eat meals at least once a month, but spending intent in this category is declining year over year. Frequency remains high, but willingness to spend is weakening.
Despite pockets of growth, down-trending in consumer behavior persists. McKinsey data shows 52% of consumers across Europe are switching to cheaper retailers, while 60% are moving toward private-label products.
Marius van Roekel, retail and consumer goods expert at McKinsey, stressed the growing importance of personalization. “More than half of the consumers that we that we surveyed last year or in 2025 across European countries, more than half – almost 60% – like to have a personalized experience,” he said.
He added that advanced retailers using modern technology to identify and target consumer groups are seeing “real updates in retention and growth in revenues.” These capabilities are increasingly viewed as essential to building competitive advantage in a fragmented market, where winning consumer loyalty depends on delivering tailored offerings alongside value.
Written by Simon Duke
