Page 145 - EM - EXPORT MAGAZINE PERFUMERY EDITION

Informed by these expert exchanges, BEAUTYSTREAMS lifestyles and values. But rather than stopping at observation,
regularly updates its PESTEC analysis - a strategic framework this analysis connects each macro force with real-world
assessing the Political, Economic, Societal, Technological, implications for daily behavior, purchasing decisions, and
Environmental, and Cultural forces that shape consumer lifestyle priorities.

Some of the key findings from the 2025 BEAUTYSTREAMS PESTEC analysis include:

P olitical tensions and rising fears of conflict are fostering protectionist attitudes and encouraging community-level self-reliance.

conomic slowdown and inflationary pressure are reinforcing autarkic lifestyles, a shift toward patriotic consumption, and a pivot
Eto non-material values.

ocial polarization is manifesting in both the assertion of non-binary identities and a simultaneous pushback toward traditional
Snorms.

echnological acceleration, including breakthroughs in biotech, neuroscience, and quantum computing, is transforming not just
Tproducts - but how people engage with their environments and themselves.

nvironmental anxiety driven by climate instability is compelling consumers to seek protective, adaptive solutions in their
Ehomes, diets, and personal care.

ultural identity shifts are giving rise to new expressions of masculinity, non-binary gender standards, spiritual exploration, and
Crejection of outdated norms.

These interconnected drivers are not hypothetical - they are actively shaping consumer expectations today, and they will increasingly
define how beauty, wellness, and self-care are experienced by 2040. This article draws on this strategic foresight to explore six
macro forces shaping the future. Each one is brought to life through context and grounded in a consumer journey scenario -
offering a vivid glimpse of how tomorrow’s consumer needs are set to unfold.

MACRO FORCE 1:
A POLYCENTRIC WORLD

Decentralization as the New Global Norm

Previously, in the early era of globalization, cultural power was
largely concentrated in few cities like Paris, Milan, New York,
London, Tokyo, Seoul, and Shanghai - urban centers that defined
global standards in fashion, beauty, and media. But by 2040,
that center will no longer hold. Economic and creative influence
is dispersing across a polycentric map.
Cities such as Lagos, Ho Chi Minh City, Mumbai, São Paulo, and
Jakarta are becoming vital cultural engines - shaping narratives,
producing innovation, and exporting aesthetics that are deeply
rooted in local identity.
Around the world, consumers are increasingly rejecting
homogenized ideals in favor of beauty expressions that reflect
their own environments, heritages, and values. The drivers of
this shift are many: the digital democratization of content, the
economic rise of the Global South, and a growing skepticism of
Western standards.

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