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Consumer Markets

Routes to customers are evolving, but so are the pressures on margin, brand and delivery. Social platforms have changed how people discover, evaluate and engage. AI is beginning to shape decision-making and service design. Meanwhile, rising costs and more polarized behaviors are testing even the most resilient models. We help consumer-facing businesses cut through this complexity, bringing clear thinking to tough choices on growth, pricing and scale.

We help our clients

We test assumptions about growth – quantifying the upside of new markets, channels or formats and helping clients focus investment where it matters most.
Pricing is a strategic signal. We help clients set structures that reinforce positioning, support differentiation and respond to market pressure.
Expansion brings risk. We stress-test rollout plans, assess operational resilience and identify what’s needed to protect brand and margin at scale.
We help clients understand who their customers really are – what drives their decisions, how that varies by segment, and what it means for growth.
Whether it’s TikTok Shop or AI-driven trip planning, we help clients assess new dynamics and decide what action to take.

Case Studies

Expertise in action

Pricing headroom analysis

How did customer insight help a leisure business raise prices with confidence?

A leisure business wanted to understand what customers were really willing to pay, and test whether there was room to raise prices. CIL surveyed holidaymakers and analyzed perceived value, price elasticity, and additional spending habits. The work informed price increases, giving leadership confidence to act without risking customer satisfaction.

Person handing over card to pay at bakery

Location analytics model

How did a growing hospitality business pinpoint hundreds of new site opportunities?

A premium bakery chain with national growth ambitions needed clarity on where to expand and how far. CIL developed a predictive model using their sales and internal data alongside, demographic, scale, and supply chain data to quantify the profitability of potential sites and inform their roll out strategy. The analysis revealed more than 370 viable site opportunities and helped shape a regional strategy to deliver efficient, scalable growth.

Sub-sector expertise

We advise consumer-facing businesses across Europe and North America, supporting product-led, service-led and multi-site models. While trends like AI, channel disruption and pricing pressure are reshaping parts of the market, many fundamentals still hold. We help clients distinguish signal from noise, bringing sector context, commercial rigor and a clear view of what really drives performance.

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Consumer products & retail

From health and beauty to pet and homewares, we support brands under pressure from platform disruption and pricing scrutiny. We help refine propositions, evaluate expansion options and respond to fragmented paths to purchase, whether that’s TikTok Shop, DTC, or marketplace models.

Food & beverage

We work with producers, manufacturers and challenger brands to address sourcing volatility and price sensitivity. Clients come to us to understand margin resilience, assess new routes to market, and adapt to changing shopper priorities, including shifts in how and where consumers are trading up or down.

Restaurant staff shaking hands with customer

Hospitality & leisure

In a category facing rising cost bases and labor constraints, we help clients evaluate rollout potential, reposition offers and adapt delivery models. From AI-powered guest experiences to changing travel patterns, we bring clarity to what’s worth investing in.

Consumer services

We support service-led businesses in areas like fitness and wellness to scale consistently and differentiate in crowded markets. As customer expectations polarize and platform reviews carry more weight, we help clients understand who their customer really is, and what drives loyalty.

Travel & tourism

We support operators across packaged travel, tours, accommodation and experiences. Our work spans proposition development, international expansion and competitor analysis, particularly as consumer expectations shift and booking behaviors fragment. We help clients respond to new dynamics without losing focus on what drives occupancy, margin and brand strength.

Insights

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Our differentiator

We combine analytical depth with thoughtful delivery, bringing together market data, behavioral insight and commercial modelling to help clients make decisions on growth, pricing and strategy. We’re known for the strength of our analysis, but also for how we apply it: clearly, directly, and always with the client’s real-world context in mind. Our team brings deep experience across the consumer landscape, from retail and products to travel and services. That means we know where to focus, what to challenge, and how to deliver insight that leads to action.