What it means to live a good life is ever evolving. Consumers are wanting more from companies and the products they produce. Price is important, but consumers also expect fair treatment, agency, respectful service, safety, sustainability – things that improve their quality of life, wellbeing and the impacts on the broader community. At the same time, the process of policymaking, delivery and evaluation is speeding up. Policymakers and regulators seeking to enhance consumer experiences and wellbeing require a modern, adaptive evidence base to better design and deliver interventions and support measures to consumers.

We talk directly to consumers about their experiences and expectations – starting with what it feels like to be a consumer in Australia today. Drawing on the latest thinking globally on social and economic wellbeing, we are developing a model to regularly and transparently report on how market governance is either enhancing - or detrimentally impacting - consumer wellbeing across essential service markets. To improve consumer wellbeing, decision-makers will need to embed consumer insights as they set their priorities, develop interventions and evaluate their effectiveness.