Consumers trust grocers, department chains, online retailers most with data
With increased holiday shopping on the horizon, consumers are willing to share their personal data in exchange for shopping perks.
A new survey from personal data removal and privacy protection company Incogni reveals that nearly two-thirds (61%) of Americans say they opt in to marketing communications sometimes or always, and almost eight-in-10 (78%) consumers are willing to trade some of their data for a shopping benefit.
Americans trust grocery chains with their data the most, with 83% reporting moderate or high trust. Large physical department stores (81%) and American online marketplaces (81%), are also trusted by consumers, while foreign marketplaces place last, with only 44% reporting the same levels of trust.
In order to receive a shopping perk from a retailer, Americans are most willing to trade their phone numbers (42%), addresses (41%) and real names (38%). While 43% of Americans are comfortable sharing their credit card details for a purchase, only 17% are willing to do so for a shopping perk.
[READ MORE: NIQ: Holiday shoppers to browse, shop evenly between online, in store]
Some survey respondents are open to sharing traditionally sensitive information, like political views (15%) and sexual orientation (12%). A small but notable percentage of Americans are willing to share their health information (11%) and Social Security numbers (7%) in exchange for a shopping perk.
Despite being willing to share personal data, more than a quarter (26%) of respondents in Incogni’s survey reported being impacted by a retailer data breach. A further 16% of respondents are unsure if their data has ever been compromised in a breach.
Only one-in-five (20%) Americans claim to be familiar with the data-handling practices of retailers. The most commonly recognized retailer behaviors are cross-platform tracking (22%) and data sharing with third parties or data brokers (22%).
“U.S. shoppers seem to be at a crossroads, understanding in varying degrees the risk of data sharing and breaches, but continuing to hand over personal information for short-term benefits, especially during the holiday season,” said Darius Belejevas, head of Incogni. “Education is crucial; consumers need to recognize that every discount carries a substantial data cost.”
Incogni’s survey was conducted by Cint on a total of 1,006 nationally representative American residents (by age, gender, and place of residence). The survey took place between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, 2025, and included individuals aged 18–74.
Incogni’s full report can be found here.
