‘Selective upgraders’ unaffected by economic conditions and willing to spend on quality and big-ticket items
JOLT, Australia’s digital out-of-home and electric vehicle charging network, today released new first-party data insights, revealing that summer is switching season for Australian consumers, with 82% open to trying new brands or switching providers in the next six months and more than a quarter actively reassessing brands.
The new 2026 Summer Spending Intentions data, collected via a survey of JOLT’s urban users in June about their planned financial habits, also revealed the rise of ‘selective upgraders’ – a new wave of customers who are willing to spend selectively on quality and experience, and have high switching intent, particularly around big-ticket purchases.
More than eight in 10 (85%) of JOLT’s audience have switched at least one household provider in the past 12 months, and more than half (54%) have changed two or more.
The categories most likely to change hands are streaming (43%) and energy/utilities (41%), with nearly half planning to review or change their energy provider within six months, health insurance (25%), home & contents insurance (22%), mobile/internet (21%), car insurance (21 %) and banks/mortgages (17%). Many respondents revealed they had already made the move, with JOLT users switching across 2.18 categories on average in the past year.
JOLT’s data found that this new wave of customers are not retreating from spending over summer but have become more selective. Almost half (46%) describe themselves as selective spenders – spending well in the categories that matter and keeping watch on the rest.
Quality groceries and food (46%) are the single thing they protect first, ahead of travel, fitness and home comforts.
“Cost-of-living hasn’t made Australians loyal, it’s made them selective. They’ll keep the same everyday brands but switch their bank, energy and streaming providers in the same year. In fact, 36% of JOLT users switched providers three or more times in the past year, and moving between two-plus brands a year is now normal behaviour for JOLT’s audience. Summer is when those decisions get made, and they get made on the street, not in front of the TV,” JOLT National Sales Director, Tim Debenham, said.
“Our audience is willing to spend on quality and experience, and is highly open to new brands. Summer is the window when plans around switching providers turn into action. We know that people are more receptive to brands in summer. Our insights show that eight in 10 of our audience is open to trying new brands, while out-of-home effectiveness and brand advocacy also increases in the warmer months. The JOLT network is embedded into the everyday lives of these high value switchers.”
JOLT collects and utilises first-party data, providing brands with unparalleled audience connection and actionable insights. It is powered by Spark Intelligence, JOLT’s data-powered audience intelligence platform that helps brands discover audiences, engage high-intent consumers, and measure the impact of their JOLT campaigns.
