Over 7 in 10 (73%) adults claim they will undertake a New Year’s resolution this January, but how successful will they be in keeping their resolution once the early enthusiasm has worn off? Recent research on behalf of Retail Intelligence by Empathy Research, amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults aged 18+, sought to assess how retailers might be able to help consumers in staying true to their New Year Resolutions.
Females (77%) are significantly more likely than males (68%) to have undertaken a resolution this January, with the highest incidence of all evident amongst those aged 18-24, where almost 9 in 10 (86%) claim to have made a resolution. At the other end of the age spectrum, a third (33%) of those aged 55+ haven’t committed to a New Year’s resolution.
The most cited New Year’s resolution made by adults is to be more active this year, with almost 4 in 10 (39%) making this commitment, while just over a third (34%) claim they want to eat healthier food. Both resolutions are more prevalent amongst females, with over 4 in 10 (42%) females claiming they want to be more active, however, eating healthier plays a significantly more important role for females than it does at a total level, with just over 4 in 10 (41%) making this resolution compared to 34% at a total level. Interestingly, in spite of improved economic sentiment, just over a quarter of adults (26%) claim their new year’s resolution is to save more and spend less.
However, despite these positive intentions, just over half (53%) of those who have made a New Year’s resolution expect to have maintained theirs by the end of January, with males (58%) more likely to feel that they won’t make it into February with their new resolution.
Commitment and motivation is crucial in successful resolution keeping, with almost half (46%) claiming that previous resolutions failed because they weren’t committed enough, with the same proportion (46%) claiming they lost their motivation. Almost a third, (32%) claim they lost interest and almost 3 in 10 (28%) claim it was down to the fact that they didn’t have a plan, which highlights the need for planning and fresh ideas from retailers to help consumers stay motivated and engaged.
For further information and more in-depth analysis on consumers New Year’s resolutions, please contact Robbie Clarke at Empathy Research. r[email protected]
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