Top Consumer Experience Trends for 2026

Consumer experience strategies are constantly adapting to the changing retail landscape and can make or break a customer’s loyalty. Qualtrics recently conducted its 2026 Consumer Experience Trends webinar, detailing what customers want when it comes to shopping experiences, data collection, the use of AI in customer service, retailer transparency and more in the coming year. Here are the top four trends highlighted in the study:

1. AI-powered customer service is failing, so far

Nearly 1 in 5 consumers who used artificial intelligence (AI) for customer service reported receiving zero benefit. Consumers are also concerned about the use of AI when it comes to data collection and the loss of human connection in customer service interactions.

2. Survey fatigue leaves businesses guessing about customer churn

For every ten poor customer experiences, five result in reduced spending.

• How customers are providing feedback about a bad experience:
  • 30%: Did not tell anyone
  • 29%: Sent direct feedback
  • 19%: Rated the business on a third party site
  • 15%: Posted on social media
  • 42%: Told friend or family directly
• Tips for taking action:
  • Tell customer what actions you took based on their input to show that feedback produces results
  • Bring sparse survey data together with behavioral patterns and other feedback like customer conversations and social media
  • Build a system to spot at risk customers before they churn

3. Value won’t be enough to secure customer loyalty in 2026

Value is what gets customers in the door, but experience is what keeps them coming back. 

• Factors that keep customers returning: 
  • Good value for money: 46%
  • Good products/services: 42%
  • Convenience: 41%
  • Comfortable with the business: 37%
  • Good customer service: 29%
  • Special discounts: 20%
  • Other: 18%
  • No other options available: 15%
  • Too difficult to switch: 11%

4. Consumers want transparency over personalization tactics

Consumers prefer companies that tailor experiences to their individual needs and trust companies to use their information responsibility.

• What customers are looking for when it comes to data collection: 
  • 46% want more transparency
  • 45% want better control over how data is used
  • 45% want ability to easily delete information
  • 43% want communication about the security of their data
  • 37% want clearer explanations of benefits to collecting data
  • 14% are not interested in sharing more