New Year’s resolutions are one of the most predictable consumer behavior patterns of the year. Every January, people hit that collective “fresh start” button where they hope to become the kind of person who meal preps on Sundays, finally organizes the hallway cupboard, drinks more water, or swaps doomscrolling for Pilates.
And because this mindset shift happens at the same time, every single year, it creates a natural surge in demand for products, tools, and guidance that help shoppers feel like they’re upgrading their lives.
This is exactly where brands can shine. If you show up with helpful content, curated recommendations, and solutions that make someone’s resolution feel more achievable, you quickly become a part of their improvement journey.
Discover tips and tactics you can use to prepare for a successful new year, including actionable insights from Sitation, a digital transformation services company.
Consumers are rolling into 2026 with an even bigger appetite for self-improvement content, products, and routines, and they’re actively seeking out brands that make those goals feel doable.
Salsify’s latest digital shelf research backs this up: Shoppers don’t just want products anymore, they want curated, goal-based shopping experiences (e.g., a healthy pantry reset or a skin reset routine).
Personalization, transparency, and practical guidance now play a huge role in decision-making, too. People want to know: Is this right for me? Will it help me stick to my goals? Can I trust what this brand is telling me? If the answer is yes, they add to cart.
Every January, those resolution-driven intentions show up in the numbers. For example, here’s a Google view of searches for “healthy recipes” over the past five years.
Image Source: Google
There are similar spikes for terms concerning productivity tools, home refreshes, wellness, beauty resets, sustainable swaps, and better-for-you food and beverage options. The desire is already there, so brands simply need to package their products in ways that tap into it.
To reach these motivated consumers, Georgette Suggs, director, data & content services at Sitation, recommends a simple, value-focused approach.
“Start with the fundamentals: clean data, complete attributes, and messaging that aligns across retailers ... Shoppers want to understand outcomes and not just ingredients. When your PDP [product detail page] reflects the benefits people actually care about, you meet them where they are in their wellness journey.” — Georgette Suggs, Director, Data & Content Services, Sitation
New Year’s resolutions have a consistent theme, but technology has shifted how brands align with that goal, according to Suggs.
“Every year, we see consumers gravitate toward the same core desire: to feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. What’s changed is how they pursue that goal. Today’s shoppers are guided by personal data, wearable technology, and AI-powered insights, all of which shape their expectations for the products they choose and the content they trust.” — Georgette Suggs, Director, Data & Content Services, Sitation
Luckily, those clues are everywhere. You just have to know where to look.
Start with what’s already in front of you. Your customers’ search queries, product page interactions, wish list saves, and even the questions they send to support can paint a surprisingly clear picture of their goals.
If you notice a spike in “low sugar,” “meal prep,” or “organize” searches in December, it’s a sign.
Zero-party data is even better because people literally tell you what they want. Send quick surveys asking about their New Year’s priorities, and you’ll get insights straight from the source.
Post-purchase quizzes and onboarding flows are gold here, too. When someone shares why they bought your product, that’s information you can use across your entire marketing strategy.
Consumers start talking about their resolutions way before January hits. Monitor platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Reddit, Pinterest, and YouTube as early as November for conversations around January resets, healthy habits, meal prepping, or decluttering.
These are the places where micro-trends emerge before brands catch on. Think protein-forward eating, sober curiosity, minimalism, capsule wardrobes, and every variation of the “that girl” routine. If your product fits into one of these trends, even loosely, that’s your cue to start creating content or bundles that map to that moment.
Your analytics can show you which categories are heating up, which product attributes are suddenly in demand, and where competitors are shifting their messaging.
Maybe “sustainable materials” jumps in importance the week after Christmas. Maybe “time-saving,” “plant-based,” or “allergen-free” keywords start outperforming your usual attributes. These signals show you exactly how shoppers’ priorities are changing as they gear up for their reset moment.
Your reviews section is a goldmine. Customers often reveal their motivations without realizing it (e.g., “this was perfect for my January health kick,” or “bought this to get more organized for the new year”).
Look for those seasonal patterns. And don’t forget Q&A insights, because the questions people ask before buying often reflect their current goals. If the same resolution-adjacent themes keep popping up, that’s your signal to bring them into your messaging, PDPs, and product recommendations.
January is basically one big mood board of “new me” energy, and you can tap straight into it by setting goals that align with the intentions your customers already have.
Here’s what that looks like across different product categories.
People want to get fitter, eat cleaner, sleep better, or recover from the burnout they’ve been dragging around since Q4.
“Shoppers pursuing wellness goals expect clarity. Nutrition facts, ingredients, certifications, claims, and allergen information should be accurate, verified, and consistently maintained across attributes, bullets, and imagery.” — Georgette Suggs, Director, Data & Content Services, Sitation
How you can help them:
“Oura is a great example of a brand that makes the entire wellness ecosystem feel accessible. “[Its] app reinforces rest, recovery, nutrition, stress management, and movement, creating a positive feedback loop that keeps users engaged.” — Georgette Suggs, Director, Data & Content Services, Sitation
January is huge for people trying to “reset” their eating habits with more protein, less sugar, at-home cooking, or sustainable foods.
How you can help them:
Beauty often plays a big part in new year routines. People are thinking about confidence, self-care, and resetting their skin after a chaotic holiday season.
How you can help them:
January is peak organization season. Folks want a calmer home, better systems, and tools that help them feel more on top of everything.
How you can help them:
A lot of consumers use the new year as their springboard to make more ethical or sustainable choices, like less waste, better materials, or more intention.
How you can help them:
Real brands are already tapping into New Year’s motivation in clever, genuinely helpful ways — and it’s paying off.
Image Source: HelloFresh
Image Source: Peloton
Image Source: Headspace
Image Source: Glossier
You don’t need to wait until January to get ready for the spike in resolution-driven shopping. In fact, the prep work should start long before the ball drops.
Now is the perfect time to audit your PDPs and tighten up any content gaps. If people are searching for “low sugar,” “sustainable materials,” or “healthy meal prep,” your pages should reflect that language clearly and confidently.
Beyond product pages, invest in evergreen “resolution support” content, like guides, templates, checklists, and habit-starting tips, that can be refreshed and reused every single January.
And finally, make sure your messaging is aligned across every channel.
“While language can vary by channel, the underlying facts should never contradict each other ... Consistency builds trust, especially for consumers making health-driven decisions.” — Georgette Suggs, Director, Data & Content Services, Sitation
Social, email, retail partners, marketplace listings — everything should tell the same story and support the same shopper goals. When a customer sees consistent, helpful guidance wherever they land, you quickly become the brand that actually helps them follow through on their January intentions.
The New Year opportunity is huge: resolutions create a predictable moment where consumers are motivated, curious, and actively looking for guidance.
When brands combine data, personalization, and genuinely helpful content, they become part of someone’s improvement journey, which is invaluable in today’s trust economy.