Almost three quarters of UK shoppers say that they want to spend their money with brands and retailers that they trust, according to a new report from research agency Shoppercentric.
The group's research highlighted the key factors that put shoppers off, with 59% stating that they were irritated by promotions that 'aren't as good as they sound', and 58% bemoaning brands that reduce the size or quality of their products but keep the same prices.
A lack of honesty, bad publicity, manipulative selling techniques, and misleading offers were also cited by shoppers as reasons why they would stop visiting a retailer, or buying a certain product.
“Over the last few years, with the rise of social media and 24/7 news, it has become clear that consumers are increasingly aware of shortfalls in the behaviour of the companies they buy from,” said Danielle Pinnington, managing director of Shoppercentric.
"It highlights the need for brands and retailers to be more aware of how trust issues can develop and what they need to do to avoid this. There’s the potential for serious impact on businesses when trust issues lead to a negative change in behaviour, something retailers can ill-afford to happen.”
Retail Consequences
Shoppercentric notes that consumers are taking action when they don't trust a brand or retailer.
Over one third (36%) of shoppers say that they have stopped buying a brand or using a company because they were uncomfortable with something they did, while 58% of these boycotters said they were more likely to do the same again in the future.
Additionally, 55% of those surveyed said that they frequently look for products that are transparent about their contents, and 32% look for products that demonstrate their ethical policies.
“These days if shoppers don’t like what a retailer or brand says or does, they can vote with their wallets because they have so many choices available to them," added Pinnington.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Sarah Harford. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
