WHAT'S HOT AND WHAT'S NOT
June 2026
While the national mood remains predominately negative, the net negative emotions have continued to see a slight decrease. Frustrated, Anxious, Calm, Pessimistic and Stressed are the top feelings this month, followed by Hopeful and Relaxed. In line with the mix of positive and negative sentiment, 35% are feeling a mix of optimistic and cautious. The majority of Nine's audience is intending to buy during EOFY sales, with clothing as the top item and some planning on spending between $101–$500, while others are flexible with their budgets.
5 June - 8 June, 2026
Inside this month’s Consumer Pulse dip
Mood of the Nation
The national mood
The national mood still remains predominately negative but has continued to improve since the peak in April, suggesting that Australians are adjusting to the current state of the world. Despite the net negative mood dropping from previous months, negative emotions of frustration and anxiety remain dominant among Australians and have seen an increase from this time last year.
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Dominant mood indicators
In line with last month, frustrated, and anxious have remained the top 2 emotions and continue the trend of negative emotions dominating the list. Calm, pessimistic and stressed complete the top 5 ranking. The remaining top 10 emotions are a blend of positive and negative sentiments, with hopeful, relaxed, sceptical, annoyed and unsure, occupying positions six through to ten. The mix of both positive and negative sentiment highlights the contrasting emotions Australians simultaneously experience, reflecting both their frustration and resilience.
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NATIONAL MOOD BREAKDOWN
of the under 45 age group feel relaxed
The top emotions see some variation by age, although frustration and anxiety are felt by all, calm ranks second among older audiences, while overwhelmed dominates for those under 45. Additionally, only 13% of younger audiences feel relaxed compared to 21% among older Australians. In line with last month, females report higher levels of anxiety (27%), while males feel frustrated (32%) and calm (27%) more strongly.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
Amidst widespread national anxiety and frustration, brands must deliver grounding, calming experiences to younger consumers feeling overwhelmed, while engaging older demographics with messaging that respects their relatively resilient and composed mindset.
Conversation Starters
OUTLOOK ON THE YEAR AHEAD
of Nine's audience are feeling cautious
Australians are still feeling cautious with rising prices and global conflicts dominating concerns
Feelings about the year ahead have remained stable with 1 in 2 feeling cautious. However, younger Australians have shifted their perceptions slightly from cautious (6 percentage point decrease) to a mix of both cautious and optimistic, reinforcing the duality of both positive and negative emotions in the current climate. Those feeling a mix remain hopeful regarding their personal lives, and the reliability of life in Australia, but are unsettled by external issues, specifically global geopolitical instability, and cost-of-living pressure. For all Australians, global conflicts and their impact on fuel prices as well as national security (67%) and rising prices for essentials (67%) remain top concerns. Older audiences are still less likely to be concerned about high rent, loss of employment and ability to afford non-essentials (e.g., holidays, dining out). This lower concern reflects their greater financial stability and suggests that there will be minimal changes in their spending habits. Additionally, males are less likely than females to show concern over global conflicts and the cost of essentials.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
Brands should navigate this emotional duality by reinforcing personal and local stability for cautious, budget-conscious consumers while continuing to target financially resilient demographics with premium or non-essential offerings.
EOFY
of Nine's audience are planning to purchase during EOFY
77% of Consumers ready to shop despite cost of living caution
Despite concerns over rising prices, the majority (77%) are planning to purchase during EOFY, particularly males. While the majority are still planning to shop, the cost of living crisis is shifting purchasing intention toward utility with 1 in 4 planning on only buying essentials or replacement items. However, there are still 36% of Nine’s audience who won’t change their shopping habits and intend to purchase any item that catches their eye. Across all those intending to purchase, clothing is the dominant item (39%). Younger audiences are also planning to purchase furniture & home decor, while older audiences are looking at electrical appliances.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
A clear split between highly practical, necessity-driven buyers and resilient, impulse-driven shoppers means brands must dual-track their messaging to offer undeniable functional value alongside high-appeal, standout products.
EOFY
of Nine's audience don't have a set budget for EOFY sales
EOFY sees flexible budgets and credit card reliance among Australians
28% don’t currently have a set budget for the sale season, with this higher among females (32%) in comparison to males (24%). Among those that have a budget, 1 in 4 intend to spend between $101 and $500. 2 in 5 of Nine’s audiences plan to fund their EOFY purchases through a personal credit card. The other preferred method is cash, however younger audiences also show a preference for using a personal debit card.
BRAND CONSIDERATION
With significant numbers of shoppers operating without fixed budgets and heavily relying on credit cards, brands should offer flexible financing options and clear mid-tier pricing buckets to capture fluid, credit-backed EOFY spending.
Media Consumption in the Past Month
Among Nine’s audience, browsing a website / search engine is the top type of media consumed by audiences (82%). Younger audiences compliment this with social media (79%) significantly more than older Australians (59%). While older audiences maintain a preference for traditional media, using free-to-air significantly more than younger audiences (80% vs. 64%). More women are using social media (68%) compared to men (56%), however across all genders the top 3 media consumed remains consistent with Nine’s total audience.
In comparison to 6 months ago, there has been a slight shift in audience’s habits with consumption of podcasts and print newspapers seeing a 7 percentage point increase. This suggests that audiences are valuing curated and credible content. Additionally, consumption of media from digital news sites remains high at 69% (up +3% pts.), suggesting that with the current global instability, people are looking for daily updates that are reliable and easily accessible.
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