6 customer stats that will change how you think about marketing in 2026

What is the Customer trend index?

We surveyed 4,000 people across Australia, Singapore, the UK, and the US to find out how they shop, how they discover brands, and what actually drives buying decisions. The findings provide a fresh perspective on where customer habits are heading and where your strategy needs to go too. 

Here’s a taste of what’s coming.

AI and search

Only 16% of shoppers use AI to discover new brands

Everyone’s talking about AI. And yes, it’s changing things. But when you look at how consumers use it day-to-day, the picture is more nuanced than the hype suggests.

Dotdigital data shows that AI adoption in shopping and brand discovery is still in its early stages, and some markets are further ahead than others. Some demographics are leaning in harder, too, while others aren’t interested at all.

Before you rethink your entire acquisition strategy around AI, it’s worth understanding where your customers actually are in their AI journey. Dotdigital’s Customer trend index breaks it all down and gives you clear steps to follow to prepare for the impact of AI on brand discovery.

Trust and discovery

Friends and family are 45% more influential in brand discovery than they were a year ago

Channels like paid media, social ads and influencer partnerships aren’t going anywhere, but something interesting is happening alongside them. Word of mouth as a discovery channel is back, and its importance is growing fast.

Consumers are trusting the people they know more than ever when it comes to finding new brands. That’s a shift with real implications for how you think about customer acquisition, your loyalty strategy, and the overall customer experience you’re creating. You now need to consider how you can create experiences customers want to share, and how to make it easier and more rewarding to spread the word about your brand.

The Dotdigital consumer trend index goes beyond word of mouth alone, looking at the full picture of how people are finding brands and why some of the biggest shifts (like the rapid growth of word of mouth) are happening outside of traditional marketing channels.

Data and channels

93% of shoppers say daily brand messages are too much

If you’re hitting your customers’ inboxes every single day, our data tells us how they feel about it – and it’s not good. Daily marketing messages clogging inboxes are a big turn-off for customers, especially those who want more control and relevant messaging from their favorite brands. 

In the new report, we dig into how often customers want to be contacted, what data they’re comfortable sharing with brands, and on which channels consumers actually want to hear from brands.  Getting this right is the first step towards delivering marketing messages that get opened every time. 

Buying behavior

Only 17% of shoppers describe themselves as impulse buyers

Most of your customers are considered buyers. They take their time, do their research, and don’t part with their money until they feel good about the decision they’re making.  This means the path to purchase is more layered than a quick-hit, batch-and-blast campaign.

But our customer survey revealed that even the shoppers who do buy on impulse aren’t acting on pure desire in the moment. There’s still something that tips them over the edge, like a friend’s recommendation or a timely email push. The Customer trend index proves what actually moves people from browsing to buying, no matter what kind of shopper they are.

Personalization

Just 15% of consumers say brand messages feel “very relevant” to them

Marketers are putting serious time and budget into personalization. And with the rapid growth of AI features in marketing platforms, marketers now have more personalization tools at their disposal, so why are relevance scores dropping year on year? (2025: 23% vs. 15% in 2026)

The gap isn’t because brands are failing to do the basics. What consumers are saying is that they want something more than just a first-name greeting; they want to feel like a brand actually gets them. That means showing up with the right message at the right moment, not just with the right name in the subject line. The Customer trend index explores where that gap is coming from, and steps you can take to close it.

Loyalty

Friends and family recommendations have jumped from 6th to 3rd place as a loyalty driver

Loyalty programs are still doing their job and more than half of consumers say they improve their relationship with a brand. But what keeps people coming back has shifted, and the biggest mover up the rankings is friends and family recommendations.

The customers who feel genuinely looked after are the ones who spread the word about your brand. And when their friends hear that recommendation, they’re more likely to become loyal customers themselves. Word of mouth isn’t a new idea, but the data makes clear it’s now a serious driver of long-term retention.

Covering the full loyalty picture from what consumers want from programs to what’s actually driving retention, the Customer trend index reveals what you can do to strengthen customer relationships and keep them coming back.

The full report has it all

These stats are just a sweet little taster. The Customer trend index goes deeper into each of these themes, with regional breakdowns, generational splits, and action plans to help you put the data to work straight away.