Schroder ISF* Changing Lifestyles

Our work, home and social lives are being shaped by spending more and more time in the digital world. Who’s moving fastest to respond to that change?

We live digital lives now – and what that means keeps changing

The number of hours we spend on digital networks has risen relentlessly over the years. Through this connectivity we are able to broadcast to others our preferences and attitudes, whether by highlighting recent purchases or, increasingly, signalling our association with certain values or a particular worldview.

External factors such as COVID have also accelerated the pace of change as the new normal has forced people to change their behaviour in ways they otherwise would not have.

*Schroder International Selection Fund is referred to as Schroder ISF.

What’s driving our lifestyle changes?

Find out why this is a theme going from strength to strength.

Why should investors get involved?

Portfolio manager Charles Somers weighs in.

Investing in early adapters to changing lifestyles

How we live keeps transforming as we spend more and more time on digital media. That opens up opportunities for businesses that can spot early on how lifestyle changes impact patterns of spending on goods and experiences and can translate this into value creation.

Benefit from diversification across 4 sub-themes

Identity: social media, luxury, conscience
Accessibility: immediacy, convenience, price
Experiences: gaming, music and sports, travel
Wellbeing: exercise, health eating, pet health

Opportunities across generations and geographies

While we may associate digital consumption with youth, it’s a strong trend across all generations and regions. So the opportunity set is considerable and we set out to target the very best opportunities.

We look beyond the size of a company

Big companies can have significant impact and help drive change. At the same time, we recognise that all companies start small, and small companies can grow to have a big impact. We invest across the market cap spectrum for this reason.

Seasoned team harnessing our research platform and data insights

Our portfolio manager has over 20 years’ experience of investing in consumer stocks, with backing from over 90 analysts across 11 countries. The team also draws on our dedicated Data Insights Unit which offers a quantitative view and powerful insights to help the team select their best ideas.