Consumer Mindset - August 2026

26 Aug

Written By Core

Core Research’s latest Mindset study, based on fieldwork with 1,000 adults every month is available as a PDF download above.

August feels like a bit of a reset after what has been a relatively positive summer. As we move towards September, and certainly speaking for myself, some of our summer high is beginning to ease, with attention naturally returning to normal routine, back to school, finances, and the months ahead.

That shift also comes through in the stories people are paying most attention to. Awareness is high across almost all of this month’s news stories, but the ones people attach most importance to tend to be those that feel practical or close to home. New e-scooter rules, high-temperature warnings, the Killarney wildfire and jobs at risk in Aer Lingus all rank strongly. Sport and entertainment still cut through, but they are less likely to be seen as personally important. It feels like another sign that attention is moving back towards the things feel relatable and that have a more direct bearing on everyday life.

We can also see a change in people's emotional state. Happiness and enjoyment have fallen this month, which may in part be a reflection of our return to normal after a period of particularly good weather, longer evenings, and more opportunities to get out and enjoy ourselves. However, stress and frustration have also fallen. So this does not look like people are suddenly feeling worse. If anything, the overall mood feels a little more settled, and while some of our summer highs may be easing, they’re not necessarily being replaced by greater negativity.

Financially, the picture is still cautious. Cost of living concern remains high at 54% and has moved very little over recent months, while views on personal finances have worsened. Wage growth is also no longer sitting comfortably ahead of inflation, and while we are not seeing this feed into higher cost of living concern just yet, it is something worth watching as back to school costs, normal routines and everyday spending come back into focus. The fact that concern has stayed so consistent also suggests that, for many, higher costs are now simply part of how we think and manage day-to-day life.

At the same time, there are some signs of stabilisation in how people see the months ahead. Several of the areas people have felt most negative about, including affordability, the Irish economy and wider social issues, have improved slightly this month. They are still negative, so it would be early to call this a meaningful improvement, but the direction of movement is a little more encouraging, and brings the overall score back to broadly neutral.

Taking all of this in, August feels less like a change in mood and more like a settling of it. The summer high is beginning to fade, financial pressures have not gone away, but neither are people becoming noticeably more stressed or pessimistic. As everyday life comes back into focus, the picture is one of caution, but relatively stable.