The emergence of remote work culture has significantly altered the way individuals live, consume, and interact with brands. Flexible work schedules, digital dependence, and home-centric living have shifted consumer priorities toward convenience, health, technology, and experience-oriented products. Remote work has not only reshaped purchasing patterns but also influenced lifestyle dimensions such as time management, leisure activities, housing preferences, and online consumption. Understanding this shift is crucial for businesses and policymakers to adapt their strategies to the evolving consumer lifestyle landscape.

The rapid expansion of remote work culture has brought significant changes to the way individuals live, work, and consume. As technology-enabled work models become more common, employees are experiencing new patterns in their daily routines, lifestyle choices, and overall behaviour. Remote work has influenced how people manage their time, organize household activities, and balance personal and professional responsibilities. It has also reshaped spending habits, with many individuals shifting their consumption preferences toward digital services, home-based needs, wellness products, and technology-driven solutions. Additionally, remote work has impacted health and wellness practices, digital engagement, social interactions, and leisure activities. Understanding these changes is essential to identify how remote work culture is redefining modern consumer lifestyles and transforming day-to-day living patterns.

Time Use and Daily Routines

A significant body of research highlights how remote work has restructured time allocation, daily routines, and household task distribution. According to Johnson (2020), employees working remotely report substantial time savings, primarily due to the elimination of daily commuting. These time savings have contributed to a more flexible structuring of work and leisure. Khan and Verma (2021) similarly found that remote workers repurposed saved commuting time for household activities and personal hobbies, significantly shifting how consumers engage in daily tasks.

Remote work has also altered domestic responsibilities. Wong (2022) notes that work-from-home arrangements increased the integration of family obligations into workers’ schedules, creating blended routines in which professional and domestic tasks occur simultaneously. Stein and Roberts (2023) further argue that the shift has resulted in more self-regulated time blocks, reinforcing the trend toward personalised daily routines rather than employer-directed schedules. Moreover, Ibrahim (2021) found that this flexibility led individuals to adopt micro-breaks and fragmented work patterns that influenced overall lifestyle organisation.

Consumer Spending Patterns and Marketplace Behaviour

The remote work environment has had a profound effect on consumer spending. Chen and Alvarez (2020) observed a shift from discretionary spending on travel, dining, and entertainment toward spending on home improvement and digital devices. Supporting this trend, Patel (2021) documented increased expenditure on home office equipment, ergonomic furniture, and productivity-enhancing technologies.

Digital consumption patterns also expanded dramatically. Hoffman (2022) reported a surge in e-commerce adoption due to the convenience offered by home-based lifestyles, while Singh and Mathew (2023) found that remote workers redirected spending toward subscription-based digital entertainment and online learning platforms. Furthermore, Das and Roy (2021) highlighted rising demand for home cooking and meal-kit services as dining out decreased. Meanwhile, Nguyen (2022) demonstrated that these shifts were not temporary but indicative of long-term lifestyle reorientation driven by remote working habits.

Health, Wellness, and Physical Activity

Health and wellness are particularly sensitive to changes brought about by remote work. Lopez (2020) reported that remote workers often experienced reduced physical activity due to limited movement and prolonged sitting hours. Similarly, Green and Nolan (2021) emphasised the mental health consequences of remote work, including increased stress, burnout, and feelings of isolation.

Conversely, some positive health adjustments have also emerged. Fischer (2022) identified an increased interest in home-based fitness routines, with many workers purchasing exercise equipment or following online workout programs. Bhardwaj (2021) noted that remote workers were more likely to engage in home cooking, which contributed to healthier eating habits compared to frequent dining out during traditional office routines. Overall, the health impacts are nuanced—shaped by individual habits, workspace ergonomics, and the degree of flexibility provided by employers.

Social Life, Relationships, and Community Engagement

The social dimension of life has been redefined by remote work. Morgan (2020) observed that digital communication tools became central to maintaining interpersonal relationships, though they were often perceived as less fulfilling than face-to-face interactions. Chaturvedi and Sharma (2021) confirmed that remote work reduced spontaneous social engagement, affecting emotional connectedness and community involvement.

Despite challenges, remote work also enabled stronger intra-family relationships. Edwards (2022) found that families spent more time together, strengthening household bonds. At the same time, Larson and Kim (2023) emphasised how remote work contributed to the rise of hyper-local lifestyles, where individuals focused on neighbourhood-level social interactions, local shopping, and community-based activities. Similarly, Tan (2021) noted that virtual communities and online social groups emerged as substitutes for traditional social gatherings, expanding social networks beyond geographic limits.

Policy, Organisational Practices, and Societal Implications

The remote work revolution has prompted significant policy considerations. Williams (2020) argued that governments must revise labour regulations to reflect flexible and hybrid work arrangements, especially concerning working hours, digital surveillance, and ergonomic safety standards. Dutta and Suresh (2021) highlighted how organisations adopted new remote work policies that reshaped employee expectations, flexibility norms, and workplace culture.

Environmental considerations have also been prominent. According to O’Connor (2022), reduced commuting and office energy consumption contributed to lower carbon emissions. Additionally, Peters (2023) linked remote work to decentralised urban development, with increased migration toward suburban or semi-urban areas due to decreased reliance on centralised workplaces.

Rao and Kumar (2022) emphasised the need for digital infrastructure reforms, noting that equitable access to technology and high-speed internet is essential for enabling inclusive remote work cultures. Collectively, these studies demonstrate that remote work is not merely an employment shift but a socio-economic and policy-driven transformation influencing everyday consumer behaviours.

Challenges Faced by the Employees

Eurofound (2022) synthesises evidence showing that the rapid rise of telework reshaped daily time use, blurred boundaries between work and private life, and created new health and well-being risks such as longer working hours, difficulty disconnecting and social isolation. Buffer (2023) reports large-scale survey evidence that remote workers value flexibility and report both productivity and wellbeing benefits, but also face challenges such as loneliness and career visibility concerns. Deloitte’s 2023 connected-consumer work highlights how increased remote work accelerates digital adoption and alters purchasing behaviour: more investment in home-office equipment, greater uptake of streaming and online services, and nuanced changes in mobility and local consumption.

Mofakhami et al. (2024) review empirical evidence linking telework to both positive outcomes (flexibility, time savings for some) and negative health impacts (worsening sleep, increased stress and musculoskeletal complaints for others). McKinsey (2025) finds that many pandemic-era consumption changes have persisted and that remote work remains a structural driver of these trends: increased e-commerce, more time at home, and reallocated spending toward home improvements and digital services.

Objectives of the Study

1. To examine the impact of remote work culture on consumer lifestyle patterns and daily routines.
2. To identify changes in spending habits and consumption preferences among remote workers.
3. To analyze the influence of remote work on health, wellness, and digital consumption.
4. To evaluate how remote work culture has redefined social interaction and leisure choices.

Research Questions

• RQ1: How does remote work culture influence consumer lifestyle patterns and daily routines?
• RQ2: What changes have occurred in the spending habits and consumption preferences of remote workers?
• RQ3: In what ways does remote work affect the health, wellness, and digital consumption behaviour of employees?
• RQ4: How has remote work culture redefined social interaction and leisure choices among employees?

The study followed a descriptive research design to examine how remote work culture influences consumer lifestyles. Primary data were collected from 287 remote-working employees using a structured questionnaire that measured four major dimensions: lifestyle patterns, spending habits, health and digital consumption, and social and leisure choices. A combination of demographic questions and Likert-scale statements was used to gather responses. The sample included employees from different age groups, genders, marital statuses, occupations, and work modes. Simple random sampling was adopted to reach respondents working in various sectors. Statistical tools such as t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and correlation analysis were used to assess differences and relationships among the variables. The data were analyzed to identify significant variations across demographic groups and to understand how remote work has reshaped consumer behaviours and lifestyle patterns. This study focuses on individuals engaged in full-time or hybrid remote work arrangements. The research limited to employees in IT Industry in Chennai City, Tamil Nadu to provide deeper insights.

Data Analysis

Data analysis was carried out to understand how remote work culture influences various aspects of consumer lifestyles. The collected responses from 287 employees were systematically coded, tabulated, and analyzed using appropriate statistical techniques. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the demographic characteristics of the respondents. Inferential statistical tools such as t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and correlation analysis were applied to examine the differences and relationships among the key dimensions of remote work culture, including lifestyle patterns, spending habits, health and digital consumption, and social and leisure choices. The analysis helped in identifying significant variations across demographic groups and provided meaningful insights into how remote work has reshaped consumer lifestyle.

Table:1 Demographic background of Remote Working Employees

Source: Primary data n - Number of respondents

The demographic profile of the 287 remote-working employees shows that a majority of respondents were between 30 and 40 years of age (39%), followed by those aged 40–50 years (31%), while 14.6% were less than 30 years and 15.3% were above 50 years. In terms of gender, 55.4% of the participants were female and 44.6% were male. Most respondents were married (62%), while 38% were single. Regarding occupation, 43.2% were private sector employees, 31% were government employees, and 25.8% were self-employed or entrepreneurs. With respect to work mode, the largest proportion of employees (41.5%) worked on an occasional remote basis, followed by 30.7% who were fully on-site, 19.5% who followed a hybrid work model, and 8.4% who worked fully remotely.

HYPOTHESIS I

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between Gender and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Table:2. t test for Gender and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Source: Statistically analysed data

Note: a t-Statistic, b Degrees of Freedom, c Significance

The table 2 of the t-test conducted to examine gender differences across the dimensions of remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles reveal statistically significant variations. For all four dimensions remote work culture influencing daily routines (t = 9.286, p = 0.000), changes in spending habits and consumption preferences (t = 8.366, p = 0.000), influence on health, wellness, and digital consumption (t = 8.595, p = 0.000), and redefinition of social interaction and leisure choices (t = 8.844, p = 0.000) the p-values are less than 0.01, indicating high statistical significance. Therefore, the null hypothesis stating that “there is no significant difference between gender and the dimensions behind remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles” is rejected.

HYPOTHESIS II

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between Marital Status and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Table:3. t test for Marital Status and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Source: Statistically analysed data

Note: a t-Statistic, b Degrees of Freedom, c Significance

Based on the results presented in Table 3, the t-test analysis reveals that marital status has a statistically significant influence on all the dimensions of remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles. The dimension of remote work culture affecting lifestyle patterns and daily routines shows a significant difference (t = 0.506, p = 0.013), while significant variations are also observed in spending habits and consumption preferences (t = 2.332, p = 0.020). Similarly, the influence of remote work on health, wellness, and digital consumption displays significance (t = 1.507, p = 0.033), and the dimension related to social interaction and leisure choices shows strong statistical significance (t = 0.853, p = 0.004). Since all p-values are less than 0.05, the null hypothesis stating that “there is no significant difference between marital status and the dimensions behind remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles” is rejected.

HYPOTHESIS III

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between Age of employees and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Table:4 One-way analysis for Age of employees and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Source: Statistically analyzed data

Note: aDegrees of Freedom, bF-Statistic, cSignificance

Table 4 presents the results of the one-way ANOVA conducted to examine whether age significantly influences the dimensions of remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles. The analysis indicates statistically significant differences across age groups for all four dimensions. For the impact of remote work culture on lifestyle patterns and daily routines, the F-value of 5.445 with a significance level of 0.001 shows a meaningful variation among age categories. Similarly, the dimension relating to changes in spending habits and consumption preferences records a significant result (F = 6.986, p = 0.000). The influence of remote work on health, wellness, and digital consumption also shows a strong statistical difference across age groups (F = 8.648, p = 0.000). The dimension on social interaction and leisure choices reflects significant variation as well (F = 6.463, p = 0.000). As all p-values are below 0.01, the null hypothesis—stating that there is no significant difference between age and the dimensions behind remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles—is rejected.

HYPOTHESIS IV

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between Occupation of employees and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Table:5 One-way analysis for Occupation of employees and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Source: Statistically analyzed data

Note: aDegrees of Freedom, bF-Statistic, cSignificance

Table 5 presents the results of the one-way ANOVA conducted to determine whether occupation significantly influences the dimensions of remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles. The findings indicate statistically significant differences across all four dimensions based on occupation. For the dimension related to remote work culture and its impact on lifestyle patterns and daily routines, a very high F-value of 294.934 with a significance of 0.000 shows strong variation between occupational groups. Similarly, the dimension on changes in spending habits and consumption preferences records a significant difference (F = 199.502, p = 0.000). The influence of remote work on health, wellness, and digital consumption also shows substantial variation (F = 214.394, p = 0.000). Finally, the dimension concerning social interaction and leisure choices demonstrates significant differences among employees in different occupations (F = 234.479, p = 0.000). As all p-values are well below 0.01, the null hypothesis stating that there is no significant difference between occupation and the dimensions behind remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles is rejected.

HYPOTHESIS V

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant difference between Type of Work Mode and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Table:6 One-way analysis for Type of Work Mode and Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Source: Statistically analyzed data

Note: aDegrees of Freedom, bF-Statistic, cSignificance

Table 6 presents the one-way ANOVA results assessing whether different types of work modes significantly influence the dimensions of remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles. The findings reveal statistically significant differences across all the dimensions analyzed. For the dimension related to remote work culture affecting lifestyle patterns and daily routines, the F-value of 18.114 with a significance level of 0.000 indicates strong variation among employees working under different modes (fully remote, hybrid, occasional remote, and on-site). Likewise, the dimension examining changes in spending habits and consumption preferences shows significant variation (F = 22.210, p = 0.000). The influence of remote work on health, wellness, and digital consumption is also statistically significant, with an F-value of 20.370 (p = 0.000). Additionally, the dimension related to social interaction and leisure choices demonstrates significant differences across work modes (F = 19.853, p = 0.000). As all p-values are less than 0.01, the null hypothesis stating that there is no significant difference between type of work mode and the dimensions behind remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles is rejected.

HYPOTHESIS VI

Null Hypothesis: There is no significant relationship among Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Table: 7. Heatmap analysis for Dimensions behind Remote Work Culture in Redefining Consumer Lifestyles

Source: Statistically analyzed data

Table 7 presents the heatmap analysis showing the correlation values among the four dimensions of remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles. The results reveal extremely high positive correlations among all dimensions, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.964 to 0.99, indicating very strong interrelationships. The dimension Remote Work Culture on Consumer Lifestyle Patterns and Daily Routines (RWCL) shows strong correlations with Spending Habits and Consumption Preferences (SHCP) (r = 0.97), Health, Wellness, and Digital Consumption (HWD) (r = 0.982), and Social Interaction and Leisure Choices (SILC) (r = 0.99). Similarly, SHCP exhibits high correlations with HWD (r = 0.978) and SILC (r = 0.964). HWD is also strongly correlated with SILC (r = 0.98). Since all correlation values are close to 1, the null hypothesis stating that “there is no significant relationship among the dimensions behind remote work culture in redefining consumer lifestyles” is rejected.

FINDINGS

The study found that most respondents were between 30 and 40 years of age, a majority were female, and many were married. Most participants worked in the private sector and followed either an occasional remote or on-site work mode. The analysis showed significant differences between gender and all dimensions of remote work culture. It also confirmed that marital status had a significant effect on lifestyle, spending patterns, health and wellness, and social behaviour. Further, age groups differed notably in how remote work influenced their consumer lifestyles. Occupation was found to strongly affect all dimensions, and different work modes also created clear variations in lifestyle-related outcomes. Finally, the correlation results indicated very strong positive relationships among all four dimensions, showing that they are closely connected.

DISCUSSIONS

The findings suggest that remote work culture affects employees differently based on their demographic characteristics. Gender differences indicate that men and women adapt to lifestyle routines, spending behaviour, wellness, and social activities in distinct ways. Marital status influences how individuals manage work–life balance and household responsibilities, causing different lifestyle outcomes. Age-related differences show that younger and older employees respond differently to remote work demands. The strong influence of occupation suggests that the nature of work and job requirements largely shape how remote work impacts daily life. Differences across work modes highlight that fully remote, hybrid, occasional remote, and on-site workers experience unique lifestyle patterns. The very high correlations among the dimensions indicate that lifestyle patterns, spending habits, wellness, and social behaviour are interrelated, and changes in one area tend to influence the others

The study concludes that remote work culture has a significant impact on various aspects of consumer lifestyles. Differences in gender, marital status, age, occupation, and work mode all play an important role in shaping how individuals adapt their routines, spending habits, health behaviours, and social activities while working remotely. The results also show that the four key dimensions—daily routines, spending preferences, health and digital consumption, and social and leisure choices—are strongly interconnected

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