BCG Study Finds Changes in Sri Lankan Consumer Spending

Sri Lankan consumers are making more deliberate purchasing decisions and relying increasingly on digital information, according to a study released by Boston Consulting Group with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce.

“The Changing Path to Purchase in Sri Lanka” examines how households discover products, select brands and complete purchases following the country’s economic crisis.

The findings draw on a survey of 2,272 consumers across all nine provinces, conducted by BCG’s Center for Customer Insight in June and July 2026. BCG describes the survey as nationally representative.

The study reports that 77 per cent of consumers expect their spending to increase over the next six months, compared with 38 per cent who anticipate higher incomes. Respondents expect to spend more on essentials while reducing or postponing discretionary purchases in the shorter term.

Word of mouth remains the strongest reported influence on purchasing, at 66 per cent. Digital influence has increased to 51 per cent, compared with 32 per cent in BCG’s 2020 study, with YouTube and social media prominent in product discovery.

The report also examines generative artificial intelligence. It records awareness among 55 per cent of consumers and use among 18 per cent, with approximately one in three users researching brands and products.

Digital banking is used by 25 per cent of consumers surveyed. The report describes these users as highly engaged, with digital payments preferred for routine transactions.

Its analysis places the middle class at approximately 70 per cent of national consumption and identifies rural areas as home to 56 per cent of middle-class households.

BCG managing director and senior partner Nishant Gupta links the findings to differences in demand across income groups and locations. Chamber chief executive Shiran Fernando emphasises the importance of understanding household priorities when businesses plan growth.

The study addresses implications for consumer goods, retail and banking.