Study: ‘Authenticity’ new key driver of customer loyalty — and revenue

American shoppers are more loyal to retailers they consider “authentic.”

Authenticity has emerged as a key new driver for revenue and loyalty among American shoppers as the trend for more mindful consumption continues, according to research from international e-commerce and mail delivery solutions provider Asendia.

Three-quarters of U.S. shoppers said they would spend more money with retailers they perceived to be authentic. And 62% said they would only shop exclusively with authentic retail brands.  

The top (63%) factor defining authenticity for American shoppers was being straightforward on delivering promises. It was followed by clear brand values (49%); transparency within supply chains (39%); standing up for sustainability (35%); and acting upon brand values (33%).

In other findings from Asendia’s “How To Sell Direct In The Age Of The Conflicted Shopper” report, 70% of American shoppers said authenticity made them more loyal to brands. Seventy-percent said they would switch to a competitor if they felt a retailer wasn’t authentic. 

Amid economic headwinds, authenticity is also helping retailers fend off rising price-sensitivity among shoppers. While inflation in the U.S. is on a downward trajectory, 70% of American shoppers still plan to cut back on spending in 2023. But 8% of U.S. respondents said a brand’s authenticity would make them less sensitive to inflationary price increases, rising to 66% of millennials.

• America’s “Silent Generation,” those aged 76 years old or older, were the most likely to see an impact on spend with authentic brands (80%), closely followed by baby boomers (77%), the 57–75 year old age group, and then millennials (76%).
• Overwhelmingly, U.S. shoppers felt brands that operated direct-to-consumer were more authentic than those retailers who just operated via marketplaces. Sixty-percent of American consumers felt that retailers that operated their own DTC channels were more authentic.

"Shoppers now want to engage and buy from brands who act authentically,” said Renaud Marlière, global chief of business development of Asendia. "Increasingly, shoppers are holding the retailers and brands they shop with to account — and it is clear that authenticity is now having a significant impact on share of wallet, revenue and loyalty.  

“Brands and retailers need to take control of their own destiny when it comes to shaping the authentic shopping journeys consumers are now demanding," said Marlière. "Shoppers increasingly expect accountability and transparency from retailers, whether through greater transparency around supply chain emissions, delivery promises or offering low-carbon or carbon-neutral shipping options."

Research methodology

The survey is based on original research of over 8,000 global shoppers in the UK, U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Switzerland and Hong Kong. Each individual market polled had a sample size of over 1,000 shoppers. The research was conducted via online polling by Savanta on behalf of Asendia in February 2023.