There’s a seismic shift happening at the checkout—and it’s not about payment methods or point-of-sale screens. It’s about intent. Welcome to the age of Valuespending.
Valuespending has been growing for quite some time now, we just haven’t really been able to put all the pieces together. It’s the emerging consumer behavior where shoppers are prioritizing their values over simple value when making purchase decisions.
This has taken a number of shapes over the years: from the rise of sustainability and ethical labor, to the pandemic related “shop local” initiatives, to the more recent “Buy Canada” movement related to tariffs; shoppers are now scanning for meaning as much as they are scanning barcodes. While the cause or campaign may change, the basic principle of creating impact–and being intentful with your purchase- stays the same; and for retailers, that changes everything.
Why Valuespending Is Gaining Momentum
Today’s consumers are more informed, connected and impact-driven than ever before. Social movements, climate awareness and economic volatility have heightened our collective awareness of how and where money is spent. According to a recent survey conducted by Lightspeed, a growing majority of consumers say they’ve either made a purchase, or walked away from one, because of their principles. Price matters—but intent matters more.
Ninety-two percent of all consumers Lightspeed surveyed said they are making intentful purchases. Beyond the importance of price and quality, consumers were looking for shopping local (32%), shopping ethical or environmentally friendly (23%) and supporting individual causes (19%). Sixty-two percent said it was important that the purchases they made reflected their own personal causes or values.
What was even more interesting was how the new generation of shoppers were truly embracing this valuespending trend. Young shoppers between the ages of 18 and 24 were by far the most adamant that their purchases be reflective of their values, with 70% of that age bracket saying a brand or product’s values would play a bigger role in their purchasing decisions in the future.
In an age of trade disruptions, tariff uncertainty and global supply volatility, values have become the true differentiator. Consumers are shifting to what feels closer, clearer and more authentic to how they perceive themselves as consumers. If you’re a retailer not actively finding ways of engaging with this ethos, you may already be losing your most loyal future customers.
How Retailers Can Respond and Win
The good news? You don’t need to overhaul your business to align with Valuespending—just start engaging with your customers in a more impactful manner:
- Get transparent. Share sourcing stories. Highlight product differentiators like sustainability, locally made, Canadian-owned, etc. Let your customers know the journey of your products and the impact they are making through their purchase.
- Surface local connections. Consumers want to support their communities. If you’re working with local makers or giving back locally, showcase it.
- Enable informed shopping. Use signage, staff training and digital touchpoints to communicate what you support and why. You don’t have to support every cause; find what matters to you, and your customers, and be authentic about how you represent those values.
- Leverage data and personalization. Shoppers leave behind an incredible amount of data about themselves and their buying patterns. In order to better understand what’s resonating with your customers, start digging into what’s selling the most, at what times of year, and that can help determine the why. In addition, personalizing the shopping experience for your customers, by surfacing recommendations–both in store and online–tailored to what they have been purchasing in the past, helps showcase that extra layer of care towards the customer and their values.
- Most importantly, be authentic. Consumers are smart, and can sniff out when a brand is leaning into a cause that doesn’t truly represent their values. Take careful consideration into what your brand aligns with and use your strengths to your advantage. You don’t have to be everything for everyone, it’s more important to stick to the areas that matter most. This will help develop a strong, authentic brand and maintain a strong customer base.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
As international supply chains become more complex and tariff risks increase, retailers need certainty around their customers’ buying habits and behaviors. By leaning into values—particularly those that resonate with your business, and your customers—you create stronger ties and more predictable demand patterns. It’s both a cultural strategy and a supply chain hedge.
Retail isn’t just about what you sell—it’s about what you stand for. And in the era of Valuespending, standing for something is everything.
John Shapiro is the chief product & technology officer at Lightspeed Commerce.
