Highlights. Nearly all Americans (98%) research products or brands before making a purchase.
- 86% of online consumers read customer reviews before making a purchase.
- 63% of shoppers smartphones in-store to research and compare products.
- 66% of consumers use a search engine to research products before they buy; 35% begin their research with Google.
- 46% of Americans start researching products by visiting Amazon.
- Research and discovery led 75% of consumers to try different brands and ways to shop over a three-month period.
How Consumers Research Products
More than 60% of global consumers start the buying process online with brand and product research.
- 75% of consumers have researched products online before buying them in-store.
- 59% of consumers have browsed and researched products in a physical store and then purchased their selection online.
- 63% of American consumers visit a company’s website to learn more about their products before buying.
- 54% of U.S. consumers watch video testimonials and product reviews before they buy.
- Online consumer ratings influence purchasing decisions for 78.1% of consumers.
- 51% of worldwide consumers research products on online marketplaces.
- 45% of shoppers ask friends or family for product recommendations; 42% read third-party articles.
Consumer Reviews and Product Research
Most people read customer reviews before they buy a new product or brand, and clinical trials indicate consumers spend more time reading negative reviews.
- Online reviews impact buying decisions for 93% of consumers.
- 82% of online consumers read reviews before making a purchase.
- 70% of consumers trust customer reviews more than they trust traditional advertising.
- 67% of consumers are more likely to trust a brand or products with higher customer ratings over those with lower ratings.
- 68.3% of shoppers find consumer ratings to be generally reliable.
- 60% of online consumers read reviews at least once a week.
- In one study, consumers looked at negative reviews 34.4% longer than positive reviews.
Social Media Product Research
Over a third of Americans use social media to research and find new products.
- 39% of consumers use social media for product research.
- 20% of shoppers use Facebook to research products; 19% use Instagram.
- 48% of consumers consider it likely they will use social media for product research in the next 12 months; a further 19% consider it somewhat likely.
- 24% of American consumers say they are unlikely to use social media platforms to research product information; 9% say it is somewhat unlikely.
- 39% of consumers have made a purchase based on an influencer’s review or recommendation.
AI-Assisted Product Research
Consumers increasingly use artificial intelligence (AI) to aid in product research, and it’s expected they will continue to up usage as technologies improve.
- 43% of consumers consider generative AI a trustworthy source for research and information.
- 36% of consumers use or plan to use generative AI inquiries (such as ChatGPT).
- In 2022, just 2% of consumers used AI voice assistants to compare products and prices.
- By 2024, 30% of consumers use or plan to use smart home voice assistants to research products.
- 24% of shoppers use or plan to use generative AI to find new products; 23% use or want to use smart home voice assistants.
Why Consumers Research Products
Worldwide, consumers seem primarily motivated by savings and convenience, though mission-driven shopping is still popular.
- At the start of 2025, 72% of consumers expressed concern about currency inflation and an increase in everyday costs.
- For major purchases, such as furniture, 73% of U.S. consumers compare prices from at least three (3) different retailers.
- 54% of global consumers care more about a product’s affordability over its sustainability.
- 57% of consumers say they “extensively” research products before they buy in order to make informed decisions.
- 29% of consumers use or plan to use augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) for product research purposes.
- Among consumers who use AR for shopping, 63% do so to view how a product will look in their home or other personal space.
- 70% of consumers want to buy from brands that reflect their own values.
Consumer Product Research by Generation
Market researchers developed and still use the concept of cultural generations to chart growth and trends.
- Internet search engines are the most popular way to research products among consumers born between 1946 and 1980 (also called Baby Boomers and Generation X).
- Consumers born between 1981 and 2012 (also called Millennials and Generation Z) also prefer search engines though to a lesser extent than their elders.
- Across all generations, 5% or fewer do not research products before they buy.
Generation Z Product Research
Consumers born between 1997 and 2012 are more inclined to use social media for product research than any other generation.
- Social media influences 84% of Gen Z purchases.
- 48% of Gen Z use search engines to research consumer products.
- 44% of Gen Z consumers research products on social media.
- 34% of Gen Z research consumer products on Amazon.
- 33% of Gen Z consumers learn more about new products from discussions with friends or family.
- 31% of Gen Z consumers research products using customer reviews; 29% visit retailer websites.
- 22% of Gen Z consumers use price comparison websites for product research.
- 19% of Gen Z research consumer products on resale sites or apps.
- Chatbots are the least popular channel for consumer product research among Gen Z (5% use them).
- Just 3% of Gen Z consumers do not research products before they buy.
Millennial Product Research
Consumers born between 1981 and 1996 (Millennials) are more likely to research products via customer reviews than any other generation.
- 54% of Millennials use search engines to research consumer products.
- 36% of Millennial consumers research products on social media.
- 36% of Millennials research consumer products on Amazon.
- 34% of Millennial consumers research products on retailer websites; 33% read customer reviews on retailer websites.
- 30% of Millennial consumers learn more about new products from discussions with friends or family.
- 30% of Millennial consumers use price comparison websites for product research.
- 20% of Millennials research consumer products on resale sites or apps.
- Chatbots are the least popular channel for consumer product research among Millennials (6% use them).
- Only 1% of Millennial consumers never research products before they buy.
Generation X Product Research
Consumers born between 1965 and 1980 (also called Generation X or Gen X) are the most likely to use price comparison websites for product research (compared to other generations).
- 60% of Gen X use search engines to research consumer products.
- 35% of Gen X research consumer products on Amazon.
- 35% of Gen X consumers visit retailer websites to research products; 32% read customer reviews.
- 34% of Gen X consumers use price comparison websites for product research.
- 27% of Gen X consumers learn more about new products from discussions with friends or family.
- 22% of Gen X consumers research products on social media.
- 15% of Gen X research consumer products on resale sites or apps.
- Chatbots are the least popular channel for consumer product research among Gen X (3% use them).
- Just 3% of Gen X consumers do not research products before they buy.
Baby Boomer Product Research
Consumers born between 1946 and 1964 (also called Baby Boomers or Boomers) are more likely to research products on Amazon and on retailer websites than other generations.
- 60% of Boomers use search engines to research consumer products.
- 39% of Boomers research consumer products on Amazon.
- 38% of Boomer consumers research products on retailer websites; 27% read customer reviews.
- 34% of Boomer consumers learn more about new products from discussions with friends or family.
- 32% of Boomer consumers use price comparison websites for product research.
- 13% of Boomers research consumer products on resale sites or apps.
- 10% of Boomer consumers research products on social media.
- Chatbots are the least popular channel for consumer product research among Boomers (just 1% use them).
- 5% of Boomer consumers do not research products before they buy.
Elder generations are not included in source material.
How Consumers Find New Products
People mainly discover new products through in-store browsing; word-of-mouth is also highly effective.
- 55% of consumers learn about new products from brick-and-mortar browsing.
- 49% of shoppers discover new products through friends and family.
- 46% of consumers use search engines to find new products; 45% of consumers go directly to brand websites.
- An equal share of consumers (40%) discover new products through online marketplaces and through social media.
- 37% of shoppers use brand mobile apps to find new consumer items.
- 36% of shoppers learn about new products by speaking to sales associates in brick-and-mortar stores.
- 32% of consumers find out about new products from the news or from blogs.
- 27% of shoppers learn about new products from customer service or chatbots.
The Capital One Shopping team compiled these data and insights based on publicly available data.
Sources
- Journal of Pharmaceutical Negative Results, Volume 13 Issue 10: Impact Of Online Consumer Ratings On Consumers Purchasing Decision
- National Library of Medicine, The Impact of Online Reviews on Consumers’ Purchasing Decisions: Evidence From an Eye-Tracking Study
- Home Furnishings Association, Resources
- Licensing International, News
- Statista, Industry Overview
- World Economic Forum, Forum Stories
- GlobeNewswire, Newsroom