As we steer further into 2023, franchises are braced for turbulence. A looming global recession threatens to bring more worry and pressures to consumers. Inflation continues to rise, supply chains remain backlogged and labor shortages continue to impact all business areas.

The consumer purchase journey has evolved to include multiple touchpoints and channels, not just in-store and online, but apps, social, ads, email and much more. Franchises need to seamlessly integrate these and provide consumers with consistent experiences.

That is why we're bringing you our annual Consumer Trends Index — to identify the trends impacting consumer behavior, from what channels they like to connect on, what data they will share in return for better personalization and what will earn their loyalty.