What do customers want? What are they concerned about? What makes them happy? Knowing or being able to forecast answers to these questions can help you shape your goals, plans, and strategies in 2025. Answers to these questions can also help you avoid spending time and money on initiatives that customers are unlikely to respond to. We took a look at customer trends research from leading data analysis and consumer reporting groups to give you insights into what customers want in 2025, and what they’re unlikely to respond to.
What Research Says Customers Want in 2025
Of course, no one can predict the future with certainty. However, research firms like Qualtrics, Cap Tech Consulting, and Forrester Research use consumer surveys and polls to draw conclusions, based on data. This can help us make forecasts, especially when we combine this data, and analyze similarities, as well as contradictions.
In this blog post, we used Qualtric’s 2025 Global Consumer Trends Report, CapTech Consulting’s 2025 Consumer Innovation Survey Insights, and Forrester’s 2025 Predictions to show what research says customers are looking for in 2025. We’ve also drawn from predictions or recent happenings across other industries to further inform these predictions, and give the scope.
1. Expectations Must Be Met
High inflation rates following the 2020 pandemic resulted in consumers spending a higher share of their income on needs, leaving less disposable income. Though inflation cooled in 2023 and 2024 due to some stabilization in global supply chains, and wage increases and low unemployment contributed to income that kept pace in these years, most consumers did not feel this mathematical evidence.
53% of bad customer experiences result in reduced spending.
CEA Chair Jared Bernstein at the Economic Policy Institute stated, “All else equal, someone should be indifferent between today’s price and wage and a future price and wage that are both 10% higher. But all else isn’t equal in the eyes of many consumers. As economist Stephanie Stantcheva has shown, folks tend to feel that while they earned their wage gains, price hikes happened to them, the result of forces out of their control. If so, then those two situations may produce equal buying power but they don’t produce equal vibes. And in my job, vibes matter.”
These “vibes,” not data, likely contributed to a second Trump administration on the horizon for 2025. And, in 2025, a second Trump administration is likely to result in high import tariffs in America and possibly trade wars, increasing prices further and chipping away at disposable income, according to predictions from leading financial services firm Morningstar.
All this means, in 2025, customers will have even less disposable income, making every purchase decision more scrutinized. According to Qualtrics, over half (53%) of bad customer experiences result in reduced spending, underscoring the importance of delivering value and meeting expectations.
2. Small Improvements
Though customers will not be as lenient when it comes to unmet expectations, it’s still likely to be beneficial to make a bad situation better. Small improvements can have a big impact; for example, moving a customer’s experience from “poor” to “okay” increases their likelihood to purchase by 1.6 times and to recommend the business by 2 times.
Moving a customer’s experience from “poor” to “okay” increases their likelihood to purchase by 1.6 times and to recommend the business by 2 times.
It may be helpful to examine how you could improve your customers’ experience, and how much it would take to improve a “poor” experience to an “okay” one. If you discover that delivering an exceptional experience simply isn’t providing ROI, it may be worth dissecting your customers’ bad experiences instead of their good ones. What seems to be the major problem? And is there a cost-effective solution that might not wow your customers, but will appease them?
3. Cheap Alternatives
Forrester: “price sensitivity breeds brand-switching behaviors.”
Forrester predicts that price hikes are likely to drive consumers to cheap alternatives, such as SHEIN and Temu. According to Forrester, “retailers such as SHEIN and Temu demonstrate the power of undercutting competitors. Consumers are not only feeling it, but they’re also going to do something about it, because price sensitivity breeds brand-switching behaviors.”
Inferior Goods Case Study: SHEIN
This generally coincides with the economic principle of “inferior goods.” As consumers’ income or their available income decreases, the sales of inferior goods increases. This occurs because inferior goods provide a substitute when income is tight. SHEIN’s “ultra fast fashion” approach results in extremely high negative environmental impacts, human rights violations and sweatshop labor practices, as well as extremely low quality products that are fundamentally not made to withstand more than a season of wear, since the cheap fashion giant puts out 10,000 new items on its website daily. All this collectively puts SHEIN comfortably in the category of “inferior goods.” Despite this, SHEIN doubled its profits to more than $2 billion last year.
SHEIN is just one example, well-known to most of us. However, you will probably find yourself contending with your own “inferior goods” in your industry, whether B2C or B2B. The impacts of these effects are likely to vary by industry, but it’s a good idea to keep an eye on this trend, regardless.
4. Loyalty Programs
One way to combat this rise in inferior goods may be through loyalty programs. According to Cap Tech, in 2025, loyalty programs will be a significant driver of consumer decisions, with 90% of digital users enrolled and 95% reporting them as influential in brand choice. Programs that offer convenience, flexibility, and cash-back rewards will stand out. However, loyalty is fragile—high fees or poor rewards can deter participation.
90% of digital users enrolled in a loyalty program and 95% report them as influential in brand choice.
For younger consumers, loyalty programs must be engaging and personalized, with Gen Z favoring entertainment-based rewards and exclusive experiences.
5. Trust and Clear Communication
61% of consumers say trust is their top priority when interacting with companies
Trust will also contribute significantly to customer loyalty in 2025, with 61% of consumers citing it as their top priority when interacting with companies. Clear, honest communication that sets expectations and delivers on promises is critical to building trust. On the flip side, communication issues are the second-most common reason for bad experiences.
To retain customer loyalty, businesses must demonstrate reliability through proactive updates, transparent policies, and consistency in their service delivery.
6. Sustainability and Traceability (Maybe)
According to Cap Tech’s research, sustainability is becoming non-negotiable for consumers, with 77% saying it influences brand loyalty. With a devastating 1.5°C of global warming now all but certain, and dangerous climate tipping points now looming even closer than expected, climate scientists closely following the situation are now begging the public, businesses, or governments to pay attention and act. There’s still time to prevent some of the worst impacts of climate change—which would render huge swaths of the Earth unlivable for humans, crops and most wildlife—but time is running out.
Many consumers are paying attention, and demanding that brands, many of whom have the most resources and most ability to make substantial changes, do something. About 67% of consumers are willing to pay more for products from companies with proven sustainability practices. Transparent sourcing, ethical supply chains, and traceable origins are particularly compelling to Gen Z and Millennials, with 78% and 77% respectively willing to pay a premium.
67% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for products from companies with proven sustainability practices.
This means brands that emphasize sustainability initiatives and partnerships with like-minded organizations, may be able to create a narrative that resonates with socially conscious consumers, and inspires their loyalty.
However, this data conflicts with the previously mentioned trend of reliance on inferior goods. SHEIN is the “biggest polluter in fast fashion,” earning it the worst position in an already infamous line-up of fast fashion polluters. It’s unclear how these trends will play out when forced against each other in 2025.
Does Sustainability Matter? Case Study: Coca-Cola
Other brands seem to be counting on either consumers’ environmental disinterest or lack of knowledge. At the end of 2024, the biggest global plastic polluters worldwide, Coca-Cola, quietly changed their “voluntary environmental goals”. The company had previously pledged to use 50% recycled materials by 2030, and now aims to use 35% to 40% recycled material in its packaging by 2035 —cutting their already unimpressive goals by about 50%. For the sixth consecutive year, Coca-Cola was named the world’s biggest plastic polluter by the environmental organization Break Free from Plastic, which collects and categorizes branded plastic waste found across oceans, coastlines, rivers, forests, and cities in 41 countries. Plastic pollution not only destroys ecosystems and wildlife, but it’s also made from petroleum, and contributes billions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which contributes to climate change.
Coca-Cola is, globally, the world’s most valuable soft drink brand, the 4th strongest brand in the world, dominates 69% of the US soft drink market share (it owns over 500 total brands, including US brands like Simply juices, smartwater, Dasani, vitaminwater and more) and has a total valuation of about $299 billion. Coca-Cola already makes bottles from 100% recycled plastic, though they are uncommon. The use of virgin plastic is simply cheaper, and, as long as there is little consumer pressure and no government regulations requiring the global beverage giant to change their packaging, the company has no incentive to uphold any environmental goals at all. The goals it has stated, as their current shift shows, contain little to no follow-through, and are more likely done for marketing value. With such dramatic dominance on not only carbonated beverages, but also bottled water, juices, and others, global consumers have little other choice in packaged beverages, especially if water in their homes isn’t safe to drink. That’s about 1/4th of the global population, or about 2 billion people.
In short, environmental sustainability does not matter to Coca-Cola in 2025, though their market dominance leaves consumers with few other options (the next available options are the next most dominant plastic polluters, Pepsi and Nestle). However, most other companies do not have this type of market leverage, and savvy consumers may turn away from polluting brands, if those consumers are aware.
7. Customers Don’t Want to Tell You What Happened
Qualtrics: “Customers are simply not giving feedback like they used to.”
Consumer feedback has taken a beating over the last four years. According to Qualtric’s report, “Since we began this consumer study 4 years ago, customer feedback after a bad experience has dropped 8 percentage points. Customers are simply not giving feedback like they used to, and so if organizations want to understand how to improve the experiences they deliver, it’s no longer enough to rely on surveys — they must diversify their listening program.”
It’s important to note that, though the rate of customer feedback has reportedly declined, the same report included the following statistics of the consumers Qualtrics polled: “45% told friends or family about (their experience) directly, 32% sent feedback directly to the company, 22% put a comment or rating about the company on a 3rd party ratings site, 16% posted something about it on social media site” (note that customers might provide multiple types of feedback, so percentages will add up to more than 100%).
So, what does this mean? Customers will likely tell someone about a bad experience (most likely, their friends and family, statistically), but they’re less likely to tell the company itself than they were four years ago. This means it’s helpful to monitor additional platforms, like social media or third party websites, to determine how you’re doing, and assess your organization for repeated issues.
8. A Healthy Balance of Privacy and Personalization
64% of consumers prefer personalized experiences, but 53% express concerns about privacy
While 64% of consumers prefer personalized experiences, 53% express significant concerns about privacy. This tension requires businesses to tread carefully, ensuring data transparency and giving customers control over how their information is used.
Personalization is increasingly critical, particularly for younger consumers, who see it as an integral part of their experience. However, it must be delivered thoughtfully. Overly intrusive personalization risks alienating consumers, while seamless, tailored recommendations during browsing or checkout are well-received.
Generational differences are important to take into account. Gen Z prefers website-based recommendations, while older generations appreciate email or text updates. In 2025, brands must balance personalized service with respect for consumer preferences and privacy.
Regulations like GDPR provide a framework for balancing these demands, making consumers in these regions feel less concerned about privacy breaches. Zero-party data, where customers voluntarily share information, can help businesses offer tailored experiences without violating trust.
9. Less AI
Only 46% of consumers feel comfortable using AI
In 2025, AI is likely to grow by leaps and bounds. In just a few short years, the power or artificial intelligence has already increased remarkably. However, it’s important not to over-rely on AI tools. Consumers’ trust in AI dropped 11% in one year, with only 46% of consumers feeling comfortable using it. Skepticism is driven by concerns about data misuse, job loss, and lack of human connection.
2024 provided numerous case studies of businesses using AI tools and ultimately worsening their products, offerings, or brand image. Many companies used AI in an effort to streamline activities and eliminate jobs, but the resulting product harmed the company’s value and image. Though AI does offer many opportunities to improve business, these case studies show it must be used with great care going into 2025.
AI Replacing Workers Case Study: Spotify
Spotify’s Wrapped, a year-end tradition beloved by users, has generated lucrative marketing and social media attention for the company for years. However, it was deemed a “flop,” “lazy,” and “embarrassing,” at the end of 2024, largely due to its overreliance on AI. The data from Wrapped had become inaccurate, many users thought, and its previously interesting insights had become vapid and meaningless.
Users connected the unpleasant turn with the company’s layoffs of 1,500 workers (17% of its staff), and assumed Spotify was replacing workers with AI, at the detriment of users. This may or may not have been the case, but the consensus was made, and Spotify’s reputation suffered.
AI Misinformation Case Study: Google
Another case study involved one of the biggest and most-used products in the world: Google. Google publicly integrated AI into its search engine in 2024, and users quickly realized the feature was beyond unhelpful; it generated harmful misinformation and, in some cases, laughable lies. Though Google insisted the AI algorithm was learning, the misinformation persisted for much longer than it should have, and more than long enough for the previously reputable search engine to become a social media laughingstock.
This AI incident came just months after a different Google algorithm update upset the other side of the internet: content producers. In a very short time frame, the search giant managed to upset both users and contributors simultaneously, leaving many speculating about the status of Google search, and the general future of the company. Though it’s unclear whether or not this will have any substantial effect on Google’s monopoly on online search—for which it is currently facing legal battles and the potential off-loading of its browser product, Chrome—it certainly did no favors for the brand.
Lessons in AI Integration
Spotify’s AI incident may illustrate the need to maintain a human workforce in order to maintain a real impression on human users. Google’s incident may show the need for editing; did anyone ask for AI in search to begin with? Many users complained that Google’s faulty AI feature was automatic, could not be disabled, and that no one had opted-in to the feature in the first place. Foisting a good product on unwilling users is already a debatable choice, but foisting a bad product on them—with no way to opt out—is undeniably a bad one.
However, businesses can build trust by showcasing how AI simplifies and enhances customer experiences, such as reducing wait times or providing faster resolutions. For instance, focusing on benefits like finding a past purchase quickly or providing tailored recommendations can help consumers feel more comfortable with AI-driven tools.
These case studies in AI from some of the biggest tech companies provide important lessons about using AI in 2025:
- Ask users what they want: Make sure your AI product or service is actually solving a problem or improving an experience in a way that users want and ask for. Otherwise, you’re spending time and money on a feature that may, ultimately, end up alienating users.
- Test thoroughly: Unleashing an iffy AI product in a public space can quickly land your brand in a very negative social media space. While some say any attention is good attention, many business owners and managers have a different opinion when they find themselves in the hot seat.
- Don’t replace, improve: In general, using AI to replace workers doesn’t seem to end well. AI is great for many tasks, but lacks critical thinking, empathy, subtle discernment, and other essential skills that real people provide. Before integrating AI, ask yourself if you’re trying to circumvent your staff in the name of cost-cutting, or trying to improve a task that can help your staff be more efficient.
Conclusion: What Do Customers Want in 2025?
Once again, no one can know for sure what customers want in 2025. Moreover, consumers are not a monolith; different people want different things. This means that different trends will emerge in different industries, across different age groups and cultures, and in different situations. The data, forecasts, and case studies in this blog post can help point you in the right direction, and provide some context for your upcoming strategies in 2025. Integrate this information with your own data, such as customer surveys, social media monitoring, sales trends, and more. With some thoughtful analysis, you can move into 2025 with sturdy expectations, and you’ll have more tools to pivot when situations change.