Consumer research refers to the activities of collecting and analyzing consumer information through various methods and means in order to provide basis and guidance for enterprise marketing, product development, brand management, etc. The purpose of consumer research is to gain an in-depth understanding of consumer needs, preferences, behaviors and values, thereby improving the competitiveness and profitability of enterprises. Consumer research is an important tool in the consumer goods and retail industry. It can help companies grasp the changes in the consumer market, formulate effective market strategies and product innovations, meet the diversified and personalized needs of consumers, and improve consumer satisfaction and Loyalty, enhance corporate brand influence and social responsibility.

The development of consumer research can be divided into four stages:

The first stage: traditional research (mid-20th century to early 1980 s). This stage of consumer research mainly uses quantitative methods, such as questionnaires, experimental design, observation, etc., in order to obtain basic information and behavioral data of consumers, for the enterprise's market positioning, product design, price strategy and so on to provide reference. The characteristics of consumer research in this stage are enterprise-centered, emphasizing the rationality and functionality of consumers, and ignoring consumers' emotions and experiences.

The second stage: insight research (from the mid -1980 s to the end of the 1990 s). This stage of consumer research began to introduce qualitative methods, such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, situational analysis, etc., in order to explore the psychological motivation of consumers, attitudes, values and other deep-seated information, for the enterprise's market segmentation, product differentiation, brand positioning and so on to provide the basis. The characteristics of consumer research in this stage are consumer-centered, emphasizing the subjective and emotional nature of consumers, and paying attention to consumer insight and satisfaction.

The third stage: experience research (from the beginning of the 21st century to the present). This stage of consumer research further uses innovative methods, such as situational simulation, co-creation workshops, neuromarketing, etc., to explore the consumer experience process, feelings and feedback, and provide support for market innovation, product optimization, brand resonance, etc. The characteristics of consumer research at this stage are experience as the core, emphasizing consumer interaction and participation, and paying attention to consumer experience and value.

The fourth stage: sustainable research (future trends). Consumer research at this stage is expected to adopt more methods, such as big data analysis, artificial intelligence, blockchain, etc., to achieve real-time acquisition of consumer information, intelligent analysis and secure sharing, and provide solutions for enterprise market forecasting, product customization, brand social networking, etc. The characteristics of this stage of consumer research are to take sustainability as the goal, emphasize the responsibility and influence of consumers, and pay attention to the sustainability and development of consumers.

The development of consumer research is closely related to the changes in the consumer market and the progress of technology. With the change of the consumer market, the needs and behaviors of consumers are constantly changing. Consumer research needs to constantly adapt and innovate to meet the new needs of enterprises and consumers. With the advancement of technology, the methods and means of consumer research are constantly updated and optimized. Consumer research needs to be continuously introduced and applied to improve the new value of enterprises and consumers. The development trend and direction of consumer research can be discussed from the following aspects:

Diversification. Consumer research needs to combine different purposes, objects, scenarios and problems, and adopt a variety of methods and means to obtain more comprehensive, accurate and valuable consumer information. Consumer research should not be limited to a single quantitative or qualitative method, but should be based on the actual situation, flexible use of questionnaires, interviews, observation, experiments, simulation, co-creation and other forms, in order to achieve multi-dimensional, multi-level, multi-angle collection and analysis of consumer information.

Intelligent. Consumer research requires the use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data, and cloud computing to achieve real-time acquisition, intelligent analysis, and secure sharing of consumer information. Consumer research should not only rely on traditional manual operation and manual judgment, but should use machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing and other technologies to improve the quality, efficiency and value of consumer information.

Experience. Consumer research needs to focus on the overall experience process of consumers, as well as the feelings and feedback in the experience, to provide enterprises with deeper consumer insights and more effective product innovation. Consumer research should not only focus on consumer needs and behavior, but should have an in-depth understanding of consumer psychology, emotions, values and other factors to enhance consumer satisfaction and loyalty.

Sustainable. Consumer research needs to consider the social responsibility and environmental impact of consumers, as well as the long-term development and happiness of consumers, so as to provide enterprises with more forward-looking market strategies and more social brand image. Consumer research should not only pursue short-term profits and benefits, but should focus on long-term sustainability and development. The sustainability of consumer research involves consumers' sense of social responsibility, environmental awareness, health concerns, happiness and so on. These aspects not only affect consumers' current consumption decisions, but also affect their future consumption development. Consumer research needs to explore the long-term needs and values of consumers from a sustainable perspective, and provide companies with more forward-looking market strategies and more socially meaningful brand images.

The development and trend of consumer research is an important topic in the consumer goods and retail industry. It can help enterprises grasp the changes of the consumer market, formulate effective market strategies and product innovation, meet the diversified and personalized needs of consumers, improve consumer satisfaction and loyalty, and enhance the brand influence and social responsibility of enterprises. The development and trend of consumer research is also an important reference for consumers. It can help consumers understand their needs, preferences, behaviors and values, so as to make more reasonable consumption decisions, improve their consumption experience and value, and enhance their sense of social responsibility and happiness. The development and trend of consumer research is an important bridge between consumer goods and retail industry and consumers. It can promote the communication and interaction between enterprises and consumers, and achieve win-win and resonance between enterprises and consumers.

Taking Shangpu Consulting Company as an example, this paper introduces the development course and current situation of consumer research, discusses the future trend and direction of consumer research, and provides reference and enlightenment for consumer goods and retail enterprises. Shangpu consulting company is a professional consumer research and market consulting company, with many years of industry experience and professional knowledge, for a large number of consumer goods and retail enterprises to provide quality services and solutions. The scope of services of Shangpu Consulting Company includes consumer insight, market analysis, product innovation, brand strategy, marketing optimization, etc., covering all aspects of the consumer goods and retail industry. The service feature of Shangpu Consulting Company is to combine the latest methods and technologies of consumer research to provide customers with customized, intelligent, experiential and sustainable services and solutions. Examples of services offered by Champ Consulting include:

I have conducted consumer insight and product innovation projects for an internationally renowned cosmetics brand. Through in-depth interviews, scenario simulations, co-creation workshops and other methods, I have explored consumers' needs, preferences, experiences and values for cosmetics, and provided the brand with product innovation solutions for different market segments and consumer groups, including product functions, product forms, product packaging, product names, etc, help the brand to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of the product.

The project of market analysis and brand strategy was carried out for a leading domestic food and beverage enterprise. Through questionnaire survey, experimental design, big data analysis and other methods, the consumer's consumption behavior, consumption trend and consumption influencing factors for food and beverage were analyzed, and the market strategy scheme for different product categories and brands was provided for the enterprise, including market positioning, market segmentation, market innovation, marketing and so on, help enterprises to increase market share and brand awareness.

A marketing optimization and sustainable development project was carried out for a new clothing e-commerce platform. Through situational analysis, neural marketing, block chain and other methods, the consumer's consumption experience, consumption feedback, consumption responsibility and consumption influence for clothing e-commerce were explored, and marketing optimization schemes for different consumer groups and consumption scenarios were provided for the platform, including marketing content, marketing channels, marketing interaction, marketing evaluation, etc, help the platform to improve consumer satisfaction and loyalty, and at the same time provide the platform with sustainable development suggestions, including environmental protection, social welfare, consumer education, etc., to help the platform enhance social responsibility and brand image.