Consumers today are busier than ever. We fit more into every aspect of our lives – work, social life, family and home life – and many people find that their every waking moment is filled with activity. It could be argued that many of the ‘solutions’ which are ostensibly designed to make life easier, such as email and the Internet, mobile phones, domestic help, etc are in some ways part of the problem, leading people to try to cram more into their lives rather than spending more time relaxing.

This report looks at the way consumers are adapting to the ‘Instant Society’, and at the way things are likely to develop over the next five years. Will people go on trying to fit more and more into their lives? Or will there be a reversal of the trend, and a return to a more relaxed lifestyle?

It draws on a number of research sources, including original quantitative and qualitative research commissioned by Mintel for this report.