15 US customer stats you need to know
American customers have high expectations. They’re open to using AI throughout their journey, loyal when rewarded, and genuinely want to hear from brands they trust. But nearly a third find marketing messages irrelevant, and over a quarter want something back before they’ll share their data.
As part of our research for our latest Customer trend index report, we surveyed 1,000 US consumers to find out how they discover new brands, how they want to be reached, what gets them across the line, and what builds lasting loyalty. The findings fall into four areas:
- How they find you
- How they want to hear from you
- What gets them to buy
- What keeps them coming back
Here’s what you need to know to build stronger relationships with your American audience.
How they find you
1. In-store browsing (51%) and word of mouth(50%) are the top two discovery channels
One percentage point is all that separates in-store browsing (51%) and friend and family recommendations (50%) as American customers’ favorite channels for brand discovery, with search engines being the channel of choice for 39%.
There are over a million retail stores in the US, but with the borderless nature of ecommerce, the industry is booming, with over 28.5 million ecommerce stores worldwide. So, while in-store browsing leads, it’s the other discovery channels that can drive serious growth for brands.
Building word of mouth as a discovery channel deserves serious time and attention. People trust the real opinions from more than almost anything else you can put in front of them. Referral programs, post-purchase sharing prompts, and review requests can help you get customers to do some of your best marketing for you.
2. Using AI as a discovery channel is growing in popularity
18% of US shoppers say they use AI assistants like ChatGPT or Gemini to discover new brands. That sounds modest until you break it down: among full-time workers, it’s 30%, and among the highest income bracket (over $99,750 household income), it’s 42%. Regionally, 28% of customers in the West use AI for brand discovery, over double the uptake in the Midwest (10%).
For growing segments of your audience, AI is becoming an integral part of the customer journey. To help your brand show up in AI-generated answers, make sure you’re creating strong content that can be crawled and pulled into searches, like FAQs and articles comparing products.
3. Influencers still help 43% of US customers find new brands
43% of US consumers have discovered a new brand via influencer content in the last six months. This rises to 64% for Gen Z, but drops to 19% for Baby Boomers.
There’s no question that influencer content works, but it works much better with consumers under 45. Spending influencer budget against unengaged demographics is burning through your precious marketing budget.
How they want to hear from you
4. 28% of US customers want to know what rewards they can get in exchange for their data
While 35% of customers are happy to share their email addresses with brands, a significant portion of your audience (28%) is uncomfortable sharing any contact data, but will do so if they consider the rewards worth it.
Building trust through a clear sign-up process that explains why you need an email or phone number and what’s in it for the customer (like a discount or exclusive product drops) helps you build a marketing list full of happy and engaged contacts.
5. Email (42%) and in-store (46%) are the preferred engagement channels
When it comes to their favorite channels for interacting with brands, US customers put in-store first at 46%, email second at 42%, brand website third at 38%, and mobile app fourth at 37%.
Looking at it from a generational view, email comes out on top as the preferred channel for Millennials (45%), and remains a firm second-favorite for Gen Z (40%) and Gen X (41%) and third for Baby Boomers (41%).
That makes email the natural anchor for your customer experience. It’s where your identity (your voice, visuals and personality) gets built and communicated. Making sure your emails are consistent is the first step towards creating a brand people want to engage with across other channels, too.
6. Mobile apps are central for Gen Z shoppers (44%)
Overall app preference sits at 37%, but for Gen Z it jumps to 44%, putting it ahead of both email and in-store.
For this generation, the app is often where the brand relationship lives. Which means the experience inside it needs to feel like the same brand they see in their inbox, on your site, and across social. Inconsistency across channels is more noticeable to younger shoppers, who know what a personalized, relevant experience looks like.
7. Weekly is the sweet spot for contact frequency for US customers
34% of US consumers prefer weekly contact from brands, followed by 27% who are happy with monthly contact. The range widens when you look at it by generation: Gen Z are the most open to frequent communication, with 21% comfortable hearing from brands every day, a preference shared by only 4% of Baby Boomers.
This can help you set a cadence for regular messages, like newsletters, launches, and content roundups. A regular rhythm lets customers know what and when to expect messages from your brand. You can then fill the space between these with behavior-driven automations (like abandoned browse flows) to reach customers at key moments in their journey and drive more impactful engagements.
8. 1 in 5 US consumers say brand communications aren’t personalized enough
20% of US consumers feel the marketing they receive isn’t personalized enough. For Gen Z, that rises to 33%, and Millennials follow at 23%. The Midwest has the strongest appetite for more personalization at 23%, while shoppers in the West are the most satisfied with current levels of personalization.
For younger audiences, especially, generic communications are a big turn-off. Gen Z grew up with experiences tailored by social media algorithms, and brand messaging that doesn’t reflect what they’ve browsed, bought, or shown interest in feels like a big opportunity missed. Closing that gap doesn’t require a complete overhaul of your marketing; behavioral-triggered flows and smarter segmentation will have a big impact with minimal uplift from your team.
9. Only 22% find marketing messages “very relevant”
The gap between “somewhat relevant” and “very relevant” is where many brands get stuck. 65% of US consumers find brand messages broadly relevant, but only 22% rate them as “very relevant.”
Getting from broadly relevant to genuinely useful means going beyond demographic targeting. It means responding to what customers are doing in the moment. An abandoned cart email lands because it’s triggered by a real action. A back-in-stock notification works because it’s something the customer already wants. Those are the kind of relevant messages that drive people to act.
What gets them to buy
10. US shoppers are the most impulsive of any market surveyed
23% of US consumers describe their buying behavior as largely impulse-led. That’s the highest figure across all four markets in the study, ahead of the UK (19%), Singapore (15%), and Australia (13%).
The generational split tells the real story. 41% of Gen Z shoppers describe themselves as impulse buyers, compared to 30% of Millennials, 22% of Gen X, and just 9% of Baby Boomers.
Timely, behavior-triggered communications, well-placed product recommendations, and friction-free checkout experiences all help to drive conversions for impulse purchases.
11. Friend and family recommendations are the number one impulse trigger (43%)
43% of US consumers say a recommendation from someone they know is what tips them into an unplanned purchase. Timely brand emails follow at 38%, social ads at 34%. Influencer posts sit at 19% overall, but for Gen Z, they’re the biggest driver of impulse decisions, at 38%.
For brands targeting younger shoppers, creator partnerships and referral programs turn your existing customers and fans into advocates in a way no ad can do.
12. Free and easy returns remain the most powerful conversion driver for undecided shoppers (40%)
When someone’s on the fence, 40% of US consumers say free and easy returns would push them over the edge. A discount or incentive follows at 37%, and reviews from other customers at 35%. Scarcity and urgency messaging works for just 17%.
Removing the risk associated with purchases, like offering free returns, can reduce friction and add real value for an undecided shopper.
What keeps them coming back
13. Product quality dominates loyalty drivers, but loyalty programs are on the rise
70% of US consumers rate having the “best products” as most important for brand loyalty. In second place, a brand’s customer service and loyalty programs tie with 57% of shoppers scoring them as most important.
Product quality is the brand’s job, but loyalty programs sit squarely in the marketer’s control. A well-built loyalty program gives customers a reason to keep choosing you over a competitor with equally good products.
14. Free shipping (52%) and freebies (51%) lead the loyalty reward wishlist
US consumers know what they want from loyalty programs: 52% want free shipping or returns, 51% want freebies, gifts, or samples, and 46% want birthday and anniversary rewards.
The most-wanted loyalty reward is the same thing that converts undecided shoppers. Reducing friction and adding real value is what customers want at every stage, not just at checkout. If your loyalty program leads with points accumulation but skips the stuff that actually changes behavior, it’s not going to give you the results you need.
15. 46% of US consumers have spent more with a brand because of its loyalty program
Nearly half of US shoppers have consciously increased their spending to reach a reward tier. That number rises to 65% among full-time workers and 72% among the highest income bracket.
Generationally, Millennials lead at 55%, followed by Gen Z at 51%.
Building a loyalty program that delivers real value doesn’t have to be complicated. The data shows that giving shoppers a genuine reason to come back (like rewards they love) has a direct impact on the bottom line.
What this means for your marketing strategy
A few things stand out across all the data:
- Discovering new brands is a cross-channel experience
- The impact of AI and influencer content is growing quickly, especially among younger shoppers
- Email is the preferred engagement channel across all demographics
- Younger US consumers actively want more personalization and more relevant marketing
- Loyalty programs increase average order value
The demographic gaps in this data are wide. What works for a Gen Z shopper looks very different from what works for a Baby Boomer. Segmentation and personalization help you talk directly to the needs and wants of different audiences. It’s those kinds of personal, relevant messages that really earn the kind of trust that turns customers into advocates.
For a deeper dive into global customer trends, check out our full report, the Customer trend index 2026/27.
