US Polycultural Consumers Report 2025

Remixing and recontextualizing foreign cultural elements into the mainstream is one of many ways cultures evolve over time. The mass adoption of the internet and social media has accelerated this process. Through increased exposure, many cultures, genres and aesthetics that were previously obscure now enjoy a more mainstream audience. But before incorporation into the mainstream, these niches were fostered, experimented on and curated by cultural alchemists. While this is performed to some degree by most consumers, this Report focuses on those with the most active voices in US culture, Mintel’s Polycultural consumer segments: the Polycultural Pioneer,Individualist Connoisseur and Mainstream Conformist.

Of the three, Polycultural Pioneers most actively engage with multiple cultures. They are defined by their agnosticism towards mainstream and non-mainstream, their desire for exploration and validation, and high investment in community and the future. Making up a significant 25% of US population, this consumer segment trends young, Black and Hispanic, affluent, are frequent shoppers and power users of social media and are thus a highly marketable consumer segment.

This report looks at the following areas:

By understanding consumers’ engagement with the ever-evolving US cultural landscape, brands can contribute to this discourse in a timely, resonant and positive way.

Hiro Takemasa, Senior Consumer Lifestyles Analyst

Market Definitions

For the purposes of this Report, polycultural means relating to multiple cultures or heritages.

To identify “polycultural consumers,” Mintel used cluster analysis to create five distinct groups of consumers aged 18+ based on their attitudes toward culture, community and adherence to the US mainstream or non-mainstream culture.

This Report focuses on the three segments who best represent these consumers: Polycultural Pioneers, Mainstream Conformists and Individualist Connoisseurs.