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    2025 Consumer Research Report Unpacks Crucial Shopper Insights

    January 23, 2025
    4 minute read
    2025 Consumer Research Report Unpacks Crucial Shopper Insights

    Salsify publishes its 2025 consumer research report — a survey of nearly 2,000 U.S. and U.K. respondents — highlighting the latest consumer trends and the ever-changing buying journey.

    Salsify’s latest consumer research report reinforces that consumers are increasingly online, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love weaving in-store shopping into their buying journey.

    Shoppers might be less loyal to purchasing from one channel or another, but their loyalty is also up for grabs in other ways (i.e., they’re ready to trust brands and even pay more for their products).

    Brands that consistently offer high quality and exhibit transparency — and cast a wide net across the digital shelf — are best positioned for their success to snowball and capture consumer interest. Lean into these insights to help you create a killer 2025 strategy.

    3 Top Highlights From Salsify’s 2025 Consumer Research

    Here are three main consumer trends based on consumer data from Salsify’s latest survey.

    Distracted Buying or Multitasking? Shopping That’s ‘Always-On’

    There’s less and less distinction between waking hours and hours spent “online,” no matter your industry. And with that, 69% of shoppers regularly participate in "ambient shopping,” which is purchasing a product while doing something else like browsing social media or watching a streaming service.

    69% of shoppers participate in ambient shopping

    Consumers Still Shop In-Store

    Shopping online is a daily event for 21% of shoppers — up 11% from 2024. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of shoppers primarily turn to search engines for product research, followed closely behind by online marketplaces like Amazon (54%) and physical retail stores (51%).

    But even while shoppers are in-store, it doesn’t mean they’re ditching their mobile devices. Thirty percent of shoppers have used a smartphone to purchase a product while shopping in a physical store. This affirms that shoppers are spread across more channels, more frequently, no matter what they’re browsing or buying. 

    30% of shoppers used a smartphone to purchase a product while shopping in a physical store

    Bringing Loyalty Back Through Brand Trust

    Shoppers have more options than ever before, with pricing and availability “very” or “extremely” important for completing a sale (84%), followed closely by product titles and descriptions (77%). These factors, and remaining loyal to one brand over another, don’t necessarily overlap.

    So how does your brand lean into loyalty in the coming year? Building brand trust. And trust that it’s worth the commitment: 87% of shoppers will pay more for a product because they trust the brand. This emphasizes how critical consistent quality, transparency, and authentic connections are for shoppers.

    87 shoppers will pay more for products because they trust the brand

    Next Steps: Lean Into Consumer Trends for Brand Success

    It’s not the time to think you know what’s best for consumers or think you know what they want. To wow them this year and beyond, you must create compelling experiences across channels (even in-store) and show up authentically.

    Other ways to wow shoppers — like leaning into artificially intelligent (AI) shopping assistants and chatbots — can give you an additional edge. 

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    2025 Consumer Research Report

    Want more insights straight from shoppers for success in 2025? Download the full consumer research report.

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    Written by: Yvonne Bertovich

    Yvonne Bertovich (she/her) is an editor and writer at Salsify, reporting from Knoxville, Tennessee. With a longtime passion for research, she enjoys flexing her perspective on ecommerce, trends in consumer behavior, and health and wellness.

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    2025 Consumer Research Report Want more insights straight from shoppers for success in 2025? Download the full consumer research report. DOWNLOAD NOW